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Category: Education

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Inside the chimpanzee medicine cabinet: we’ve found a new way chimps treat wounds with plants

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Elodie Freymann, Post-doc affiliate, University of Oxford

    Robin Nieuwenkamp/Shutterstock

    As it turns out, chimpanzees make pretty good doctors. For decades, scientists have been studying what chimpanzees do when they fall ill. This search has led to the identification of medicinal behaviour, which often involves the ingestion of plants with chemical or physical properties that can help the animal’s recovery.

    My team’s recent study in the Budongo Forest of western Uganda found its chimpanzees show a range of healthcare behaviour – one of which, applying chewed botanical material to wounds, had never before been documented in chimpanzees.

    Previous studies have shown that wild chimpanzees appear to treat their wounds and maintain sexual hygiene using medicinal plants found in their environment. What’s more, they treat other group members, even ones who are unrelated to them.

    In 2022, a study in Gabon, west Africa found that wild chimpanzees catch and apply insects to their wounds as well as the wounds of non-kin community members. A previous study had reported that chimpanzees in the Kibale Forest of Uganda occasionally dab the wounds of unrelated group members with leaves.

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

    Now our research, published in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, shows the chimpanzees of the Budongo Forest engaging in topical healthcare, both on themselves and others.

    To figure out whether the Budongo chimpanzees practice first aid, we combed through more than three decades of hand-written observations from field staff and researchers who have worked in this forest, and searched video archives by Budongo primatologists. We also headed into the field to collect eight months of our own behavioural data. The aim: to accumulate all the cases we could find of external healthcare behaviour and see if a pattern emerged.

    What we found surprised us. The Budongo chimpanzees appear to have quite a diverse behavioural toolkit for tending to their own wounds and maintaining hygiene in the wild. This behaviour ranges from simple actions like wound licking, to more complicated behaviour such as applying plant material to an injury.

    In some cases, chimpanzees dabbed their open wounds with leaves. In rarer cases, they chewed up plant material (like leaves or stem bark) and applied it directly to the affected area with their mouths. Similar behaviour was shown in Sumatran orangutans in 2024.



    Read more:
    What the hidden rhythms of orangutan calls can tell us about language – new research

    But these chimpanzees don’t limit their self-care to treating wounds. We recorded them freeing themselves from wire snares set by hunters, and cleaning their genitals with leaves after mating. In one notable case documented in the forest’s logbook from 2009, a chimpanzee wiped herself with a leaf after defecating.

    Chimpanzees are known to tend each other’s wounds.
    Patrick Rolands/Shutterstock

    We also wanted to determine which plants the Budongo chimpanzees were selecting. We discovered that some of these plants, such as Alchornea floribunda and a species of Acalypha, have traditional medicinal uses and chemical properties related to wound-healing or infection prevention. Whether this is a coincidence, or an indicator that chimpanzees can identify medicinal plants helpful for wound care, is a question for future research.

    Chimpanzee doctors

    Buried in logbooks and video archives, we also found seven cases of chimpanzees providing healthcare for others in their community. Even more interesting, the demographics of the providers and receivers of this healthcare varied dramatically – occurring between both genetically related and unrelated chimpanzees.

    Our study includes cases of chimpanzees licking each other’s wounds and applying plant material to the wounds of injured group members. This kind of wound care, directed toward others, is considered “prosocial” as it offers no obvious or immediate benefit to the carer. In fact, this kind of direct interaction with the wounds of others can pose risks for the carer, exposing them to infectious pathogens or infections.

    As far as we know, this is the first time prosocial wound care has been reported among chimpanzees in the Budongo forest reserve. We also noted cases in which chimpanzees helped free others from nylon snares, and one case in which a female wiped the genitals of a male in her group with leaves after mating.

    Our findings add this site to the growing list of places where altruistic healthcare has been observed among non-kin, advancing our understanding of chimpanzees’ capacity for compassion and empathy.

    Survival of the kindest?

    Chimpanzees are often painted as aggressive, Machiavellian and self-interested, especially in comparison to their peace-loving bonobo cousins. But it appears that these highly social animals have a softer side.

    Chimpanzees are not the only animals who have been observed administering first aid to others. Recently, a US study found that mice help pull the tongues out of the mouths of unconscious cage companions, clearing their air passages. The carer mice were more likely to do this if they were familiar with the incapacitated mouse.

    Even Matabele ants from sub-Saharan Africa will help treat nest mates’ infected wounds with self-generated antibiotic secretions.

    Non-human healthcare may take different forms, but it appears that animals throughout the animal kingdom can administer first aid to themselves and others. It may not be such a dog-eat-dog world after all.

    Elodie Freymann does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Inside the chimpanzee medicine cabinet: we’ve found a new way chimps treat wounds with plants – https://theconversation.com/inside-the-chimpanzee-medicine-cabinet-weve-found-a-new-way-chimps-treat-wounds-with-plants-258094

    MIL OSI Analysis –

    June 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Spending review delivers big boosts for health and defence – but Rachel Reeves is focused on investment

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Linda Yueh, Fellow in Economics/Adjunct Professor of Economics, University of Oxford

    UK chancellor Rachel Reeves has delivered the government’s spending review, setting out its plans and priorities for the next three years. The aim of the review is of course to allocate spending over that time period – but this government is keen for economic growth and so has directed the funds to try to boost GDP. This approach could work but is particularly challenging in an uncertain global environment.

    The parameters of the UK’s fiscal policy were set in the budget last October and the spring statement in March when the chancellor confirmed her fiscal rules, which allowed borrowing only for investment. Day-to-day spending on public services like the NHS and schools has to be met by tax revenues.

    As a result of an earlier tweak to the fiscal rules, public investment – spending on things like roads and hospitals – will total about £113 billion from now until nearly the end of this parliament.

    Many investors and creditors will have been looking out for this boost, as the UK has lagged behind comparable economies partly due to its lower levels of investment. The announcements have the potential to bring in private funding if more investors see an opportunity to benefit from increased economic growth, particularly if the UK’s relatively high energy costs are also addressed.

    Also in line for government investment is social and affordable housing. The announcement of £39 billion for this sector in England was a centrepiece of Reeves’ announcement. Coupled with planning reforms, the independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) judged in March that this could indeed boost growth.

    There will be more money for social housing – £39 billion over ten years in England.
    Irene Miller/Shutterstock

    In terms of day-to-day spending, health and defence received the biggest increases among government departments because of, respectively, pressures on the NHS arising from COVID-19 and the ageing population, and from geopolitical challenges like the war in Ukraine.

    Both departments, though, also have the potential to raise economic growth. Rates of economic inactivity (people who aren’t in paid work, for example) in the UK have not fallen back to their pre-COVID levels as they have in other major economies such as the US, France and Germany. Improving health services, cutting waiting lists and widening access to mental health support could help get more people back to work, which would boost employment and support growth.

    And on defence, spending in this area has the potential (depending greatly on the type of spend) to create technology that could eventually boost the nation’s productivity. GPS, for example, was developed by the US Department of Defense, as were many innovations now used in smartphones. Boosting UK defence spending to 2.6% of GDP by 2027 and investing in technology has the potential to unlock advances in equipment for the UK.

    Who loses out?

    This is not to say that increasing the settlements to other government departments would not support growth too. But some of those departments, including the Home Office, Foreign Office and transport, are now facing cuts in real terms to their spending. And they may find themselves under even more pressure should GDP growth slow.

    This is because of the chancellor’s fiscal rule about funding current spending from taxes. This would mean cuts if these receipts fall as a result of slowing growth, since Reeves has very little “fiscal headroom” (spare cash) to ensure she can meet her rules – only £9.9 billion.

    But the reverse may also prove to be true. Should investment in research and development (£22.6 billion per year by 2029‑30), renewable energy and infrastructure, alongside planning reforms, increase GDP growth, then the chancellor may find that she has more funding to allocate to day-to-day departmental spending to support public services.

    However, it takes time for investment to generate growth. OBR forecasts only expect increased growth of around 1.7% to 1.8% in the second half of this parliament. But those growth forecasts pre-date the US president Donald Trump’s tariffs announced in April, which are causing turmoil in global trade.

    This is why it is even more important for the UK to raise domestic economic growth through investing in people, technology and productivity. To govern is to choose, as the saying goes, and the government will hope that these are the right trade-offs to have made in order to grow during such shaky times. Despite the uncertain global picture, the chancellor has laid some promising foundations. Now the challenge will be delivering the growth.

    Linda Yueh does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Spending review delivers big boosts for health and defence – but Rachel Reeves is focused on investment – https://theconversation.com/spending-review-delivers-big-boosts-for-health-and-defence-but-rachel-reeves-is-focused-on-investment-258746

    MIL OSI Analysis –

    June 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: E-bikes are becoming e-waste – here’s how to reduce the environmental cost

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Yvonne Ryan, Associate Professor in Environmental Science, University of Limerick

    Electric e-bikes make cycling easier, faster and more accessible. They are already playing an important role in reducing the environmental impact of transport, particularly when they replace a trip in a private car.

    But when you scrap an e-bike, you also have to scrap its battery. And these batteries can be particularly dangerous and tricky to dispose of. This means the growth of e-bikes is leading to at least one related environmental problem: a rise in electronic or e-waste.

    The sector needs stronger regulations to encourage it to cut its waste. This includes encouraging bikes to be designed to be easier to repair or recycle, and establishing universal standards that allow parts to work across different brands and models, so components can be reused instead of thrown away.

    However, e-bikes often fall between legislative cracks, and their exclusion from the priority products under the EU Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, introduced in 2024, was unfortunate.

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

    At the University of Limerick in Ireland, colleagues and I have been researching the environmental impact of e-bikes. We’re interested in their full lifecycle, from metals in rocks to extraction, manufacturing, years of use and eventual disposal – to see if there are ways to reduce the materials they use.

    We interviewed retailers and people who work in waste management. They expressed concerns about online sales of lower-quality e-bikes with easily broken components, as well as the high turnover rates of e-bikes.

    E-bike rental services like this one in Dublin, Ireland are growing fast.
    Brendain Donnelly / shutterstock

    Using data from the fleet of e-bikes loaned out at our university, we noted issues with design and compatibility of components. Bike tyres, for instance, have become increasingly non-standard and specialised.

    Additive manufacturing, such as 3D printing, may become more important for bike retailers and repairers, who could use it to “print” themselves replacements nuts, screws or even seats. This may be particularly needed in island states such as Ireland, where there are often delays in sourcing parts.

    But first, the e-bikes must be of sufficient quality to be repaired. Then, to create the replacement parts, people will need to access the necessary data – digital files with precise designs of objects such as a bicycle tyre or handlebar.

    Keeping e-bikes in use

    New business models are emerging. Some companies are lending e-bikes to their employees, with a management company taking care of maintenance and repair.

    There are also a growing number of mobile e-bike repair services, and specialist training for e-bike repair and retail through manufacturer platforms like Bosch and Shimano.

    E-bike brands are shifting from a focus on selling bikes towards offering ongoing services. For example, e-bike retailer Cowboy offers a subscription to mobile bike mechanics, and VanMoof partners with authorised repair services. But while these models work well in big towns and cities, they may not be suitable for rural and smaller urban areas.

    Care needs to be taken to ensure that consumers are not disadvantaged or locked out from repair options. In the US, e-bike manufacturers have been requesting exceptions to laws designed to make products easier to repair – while urging that the public should not be allowed to access data needed to make repairs.

    E-bikes can be hard to spot

    On the waste handling side, some of the innovations that have made e-bikes more accessible are also creating new problems.

    For example, e-bikes have evolved to be sleeker and sometimes indistinguishable from regular bikes. This makes it easier for them to end up in regular waste management facilities that aren’t equipped for electronic waste. If a lithium-ion battery inside an e-bike still holds charge and gets crushed or shredded, it can start a fire.

    But this is a problem we can solve. Computer vision and other AI technologies could help to recognise e-bikes and batteries at waste management facilities. QR codes on bike frames could be used to provide information on the entire product lifecycle, including repair manuals and service history – just like the EU’s proposed product passports.

    Consumer awareness, choice and education are key. While it’s up to consumers to initiate the maintenance and repair of e-bikes, policymakers need to ensure these options are available and affordable, and that consumers are aware of them.

    Retailers need support to embed “repair and reuse” in their business models. This includes cycle-to-work schemes for people to buy e-bikes, as well as better access to insurance and legal protections for selling refurbished e-bikes, and a workforce with the skills to repair these bikes.

    Across the world, bike libraries and “try before you buy” schemes are helping consumers make better decisions, as people can test an e-bike before committing. Moving away from traditional ownership – especially for expensive e-bikes – could make active mobility more accessible.

    Policies that drive sales, such as grants and incentives for new bike purchases, can work against efforts to reduce waste. We need more policies that support refurbished and repaired e-bikes.

    The e-bike sector is one with great potential to improve both environmental and public health. But to realise these benefits, we need to focus on making them last longer and use less resources.

    Yvonne Ryan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. E-bikes are becoming e-waste – here’s how to reduce the environmental cost – https://theconversation.com/e-bikes-are-becoming-e-waste-heres-how-to-reduce-the-environmental-cost-258367

    MIL OSI Analysis –

    June 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Hidden gems of LGBTQ+ cinema: Saving Face is a complicated romcom that tenderly depicts the experiences of queer Asians

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Eva Cheuk-Yin Li, Lecturer in Media & Cultural Studies, Lancaster University

    As a queer woman of East Asian descent who researches transnational queer media and culture, Saving Face (2004), the debut feature by Alice Wu, holds a special place in both my heart and my research.

    Set in the tightly knit Chinese-American community of Flushing, New York, Saving Face follows Wil (Michelle Krusiec), a young, promising yet closeted surgeon whose carefully balanced life is thrown into chaos when her widowed mother, Hwei-Lan (Joan Chen), shows up on her doorstep. Hwei-Lan is pregnant and has been banished by her community, and is refusing to name the father.

    What unfolds is a story that blends romantic comedy with drama. As well as Wil’s budding relationship with a dancer named Vivian (Lynn Chen), the film explores the tensions between mothers and daughters, identity and duty, and the quiet pressure of silence and the fear of coming out.

    But what makes Saving Face stand out two decades after its release is its portrayal of love and family – through a lens of tenderness and care. It was one of the first mainstream films to centre a queer Asian American woman.

    The emotional heart of the film lies in the layered interplay between personal desire and cultural expectation, which is felt not only by Wil but also by her mother. While Wil is carefully exploring a same-sex romance, Hwei-Lan’s unexpected pregnancy has left the family reeling with shame. The film explores how these two women of different generations are pushed to perform “respectability”, even as they long for love and self-determination on their own terms.

    This article is part of a series highlighting brilliant films that should be more widely known and firmly part of the canon of queer cinema .

    In many East Asian societies, the idea of “face” – a person’s reputation, dignity and social currency – shapes the way they move through the world. To “lose face” is to lose one’s social standing, bringing shame on oneself and one’s family.

    Growing up as a tomboyish daughter in Hong Kong, I was acutely aware of how even my clothing, hairstyle or mannerisms could be read as a reflection of my parents’ success or failure in raising me. In other words, my gender expression could make my family lose face, something that queer ethnographer Denise Tang has also observed in the experiences of her lesbian informants in Hong Kong. This social pressure – the way neighbours stare and talk, the way family reputation hinges on everyday interaction – can be exhausting.

    And like Wil in the film, I channelled my energy into academic achievement. This was perhaps to compensate for my (unspoken-yet-socially recognised) queerness, to prove my worth and save face – both mine and my family’s. In environments where silence is preferred, excelling becomes a form of camouflage – a way of negotiating who you are without having to say it aloud.

    Wu’s film captures this perfectly. Both Wil and her mother are caught in webs of expectation: to be the “dutiful daughter” and “respectable mother”.

    But what I love about Saving Face is that it doesn’t demonise culture or community. Instead, it invites viewers to witness how love – queer love, maternal love, self-love – can expand our understanding of what it means to belong. The mother-daughter dynamic is just as central as the romantic plot, and it is rare to see this kind of intergenerational, diasporic storytelling rendered with such care and grace.

    Shot on 35mm, Saving Face is a visual joy. The warm, lived-in colours and soft, quiet richness give the film a timeless, intimate feel. There is a restrained elegance to Wu’s direction that lets the emotional currents breathe.

    Joan Chen is magnetic as Wil’s mother, bringing unexpected comedic charm alongside poignancy. Krusiec and Lynn Chen, as Wil and Vivian, bring a nuanced chemistry that feels genuine. Their connection has all the longing and awkwardness that makes a romcom work, without falling into cliché.

    Despite its cult status in queer Asian and Sinitic-language communities, Saving Face is still often left out of broader LGBTQ+ film canons – even though it was recently added to the Criterion Collection, known for curating significant classic and contemporary cinema. But it should not be.

    This film is far more than a “representation win”. It’s a sharp, funny and emotionally rich story that complicates the binary between personal freedom and responsibility. And queer Asian characters are still rarely portrayed with this much nuance, complexity – and joy.

    For viewers unfamiliar with the cultural backdrop, Saving Face offers a glimpse into the negotiations many of us make within families and communities who prioritise harmony and silence over disruption. For those of us who know this world intimately, the film is a gift. It is a recognition that our experiences are not only valid, but beautiful.

    Eva Cheuk-Yin Li does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Hidden gems of LGBTQ+ cinema: Saving Face is a complicated romcom that tenderly depicts the experiences of queer Asians – https://theconversation.com/hidden-gems-of-lgbtq-cinema-saving-face-is-a-complicated-romcom-that-tenderly-depicts-the-experiences-of-queer-asians-258520

    MIL OSI Analysis –

    June 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Anxiety is the most common mental health problem – here’s how tech could help manage it

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Barbara Jacquelyn Sahakian, Professor of Clinical Neuropsychology, University of Cambridge

    Anxiety disorders are the world’s most common mental health problem. But it isn’t always easy to get professional help, with long waiting lists in many countries.

    Worldwide, only about 28% of people with anxiety receive treatment. The figure is similar for the UK, and in the US about 37% receive a treatment. This is due to a number of factors such as lack of resources, including mental health staff, and stigma associated with mental health problems.

    But if you’re struggling to get help, there are things you could try at home in the meantime – including some novel technologies. To understand how they work, let’s first take a look at how anxiety is expressed in the brain and body.

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

    The symptoms of anxiety are cognitive and emotional as well as physiological. They can include trouble concentrating and making decisions, feeling irritable or tense and having heart palpitations or shaking. Trouble sleeping and feelings of panic or impending danger are also common.

    These symptoms often start in childhood and adolescence. Sadly, it frequently continues into adulthood, especially if untreated.

    There are many genetic and environmental factors involved in the development of anxiety. These can include competition and pressure at school, university or work or financial worries and lack of job security. Social isolation and loneliness are also common factors, often a result of retirement, home working or stemming from bullying or maltreatment in childhood.

    Such experiences may even rewire our brains. For example, our neuroimaging study has shown that maltreatment in childhood is linked to changes in the connectivity of the brain’s centromedial amygdala, which plays a key role in processing emotions, including fear and anxiety, and the anterior insula, which processes emotion among other things.

    Anxiety is commonly associated with depression or other conditions, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder. During the COVID pandemic when the prevalence of anxiety and depression increased by 25%, people with such neurodevelopmental conditions exhibited more emotional problems than others.

    According to the Children’s Commissioner this is still on the rise with 500 children per day being referred to mental health services for anxiety, more than double the rate pre-pandemic.

    Researchers are still uncovering new ways for professionals to help treat such people. For example, in our recent study, we noticed that suicidal thoughts and depression were more common in children with anxiety who were also very impulsive. This could impact the treatments they receive. So the science of how to best treat anxiety is constantly moving forward.

    Young people are increasingly anxious.
    PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock

    Tech solutions

    Unfortunately though, waiting lists for even receiving a diagnosis can sometimes take years. Neurotechnology can, at least in part, help fill the gap before symptoms get worse. There are a number of startup companies in the anxiety space, working on both hardware and software for anxiety management.

    Technology for managing anxiety is rapidly advancing, offering alternatives and complements to traditional therapies. Moonbird, for example, uses a handheld device that guides users through paced breathing with gentle physical movements. You essentially feel the device move in your hand and breathe along with it. Research has shown that such breathing can help the nervous system to reduce anxiety symptoms.

    The company Parasym influences brain regions involved in mood and stress regulation. People can use it by wearing a small device that applies mild electrical micro impulses running through the vagus nerve, which runs from the ears and downwards trough the neck and activates a key part of the nervous system.

    Neurovalens and Flow Neuroscience are exploring non-invasive brain stimulation, such as transcranial “direct current stimulation (tDCS)”. This can be applied by using electrodes placed on the scalp to deliver a mild, constant electrical current to alter brain activity. These devices ultimately target the prefrontal cortex to support the regulation of emotions. One scientific review of tDCS studies in anxiety has concluded that some research clearly showed benefits of tDCS for treating anxiety symptoms, although larger scale and longer duration studies were needed.

    How we experience life events and feel or react to them also influences physiological functions such as our heart rate. You will have experienced how having a meaningful conversation creates a special connection between two people. This can actually manifest in the body as increased synchronisation of your heart rates and other functions. This is termed “physiological synchrony” and is thought to be important for positive social interaction.

    Unfortunately, in common conditions of anxiety, including social anxiety and postpartum maternal anxiety, heart rate can become less variable and therefore less able to synchronise. Therefore, a device that promotes physiological synchrony would be beneficial. The company Lyeons is currently developing such a device, targeting anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and ADHD.

    On the digital side, Headspace offers structured meditation and cognitive behavioural therapy based programmes. Similarly, ieso offer typed text-based CBT therapy for mild to moderate anxiety and low mood. These platforms use guided meditation, breathing exercises and behavioural tools to help users build emotion resilience and reduce anxious thought patterns.

    Other emerging tools also include virtual reality, which is being explored for exposure therapy and immersive stress reduction, in particular. All these technologies have used scientific and medical information to offer diverse options that address both mind and body.

    If we can halt the trend towards increasing numbers of people suffering from anxiety and find ways to improve access to effective treatments, it will lead to a better quality of life for individuals and their families, improved productivity and wellbeing at work and promote a flourishing society.

    Barbara Jacquelyn Sahakian receives funding from the Wellcome Trust. Her research work is conducted within the NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) Mental Health and Neurodegeneration Themes.

    Christelle Langley receives funding from the Wellcome Trust. Her research work is conducted within the NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) Mental Health and Neurodegeneration Themes.

    – ref. Anxiety is the most common mental health problem – here’s how tech could help manage it – https://theconversation.com/anxiety-is-the-most-common-mental-health-problem-heres-how-tech-could-help-manage-it-258116

    MIL OSI Analysis –

    June 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: A portrait taken in North Philly in the 1980s reconnects poet with cherished memories of her own beloved father

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Kimmika Williams-Witherspoon, Professor of Theater, Temple University

    Local residents sitting on the steps in the shade at 3106 N. Broad St. in North Philadelphia in 1986.
     Joseph V. Labolito/Philadelphia Collections

    To celebrate Father’s Day, The Conversation U.S. asked Philadelphia anthropologist, playwright and poetic ethnographer Kimmika Williams-Witherspoon to reflect on a poem she recently performed to accompany a 1986 photograph by Philadelphia photographer Joseph V. Labolito.

    Williams-Witherspoon, who also serves as senior associate dean of the Center for the Performing and Cinematic Arts at Temple University, shares how the collaboration came about, and why one of Labolito’s photos in particular brought back a rush of cherished memories of being a little girl hanging out with her dad.

    Local residents sitting on the steps in the shade at 3106 N. Broad St. in North Philadelphia in 1986.
    Joseph V. Labolito/Philadelphia Collections

        There Are Black Fathers 
    To Daddy, Father’s Day, June 19, 1983

    I’ve known men 
    Who rise at dawn 
    To run a sort of race; 
    Working through sleep 
    Stopping long enough to yawn
    Providing for their families Just a little      
    place. 
    Black men going, going, going 
    (sometimes, till their gone.) 

    I’ve known men 
    Who trudge home after long hours 
    And an even longer pain, 
    And still manage to smile, 
    Warmed by the voice of a child. 
    "Hi, Daddy!" 
    "How was your day?" 

    I’ve known men Who take care 
    Even when Mommy can’t. 
    And, even though they can only 
    Cook hamburgers really good, 
    They put band-aids on awfully well. 

    I’ve known men 
    Who loving replace lost teeth 
    With shiny new dimes; 
    Remember birthdays and Christmas’. 
    Dutifully repair 
    Old, broken toys And, even, sometimes, 
    Wipe away salty tears. 

    I’ve known men 
    Who reprimand, 
    Teach us values 
    And, if we’re lucky, 
    Along with Mom, 
    Help us take a stand. 
    Who calm us when we’re frightened; 
    Scare us when we’re bad — Hold our hands. 

    I’ve known men, 
    Not just as Fathers; 
    But, more so, as "Dads" — 
    Who give us what we get 
    And gave us what we had. 
    Loving and kind; 
    Stern, yet strong, 
    I’ve known men 
    Who’ve guided generations along 
    As provider, supporter, parent — Pop, Dad! 

    There are Black fathers 
    Who would gladly do it again 
    Parenting future generations. 
    Yes, I have known These men. 

    © 2025 Kimmika L. H. Williams-Witherspoon

    What do you want people to take away from the poem?

    The whole poem is a tribute to my father, Samuel Hawes Jr., who lived from 1920 to 1989, and the many men like him who were always present and participatory in the parenting of their children and the providing for their families.

    Because of stereotypes and popular culture – media, movies, news stories – that tend to demonize and pathologize Black men, there’s a myth that men in our communities are all cut from the same cloth.

    For me, the poem discounts that stereotypical narrative and celebrates the African American men that I knew growing up – Daddy, my uncles, the deacons in our church, the neighborhood dads on my block.

    The men in this photograph represent men like Daddy, who at one point worked two jobs to provide for his family. He drove a yellow cab and worked the graveyard shift as a presser at the U.S. Mint. He took me to school every morning when I was in high school. He made it to every school function or occasion, drove me to and from parties so I could hang out with friends, took me to church every Sunday morning and on those special road trips to Cleveland, Akron, Ohio, and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, throughout my life.

    Tell us about your collaborator for this piece

    Joe Labolito is a Philadelphia photographer whose work, I believe, is visual ethnography at its best. Throughout the ‘80s, ’90s and 2000s, he documented the people, streets and neighborhoods of Philadelphia. His photographs are housed in several public and private collections, including the Special Collections Research Center at Temple University and the Free Library of Philadelphia’s Print and Picture Collection.

    About a year ago, I saw an exhibit of Joe’s work at Temple. Since that time, I have been using some of his photographs as a visual prompt for my students, while he and I talked about doing something together down the road.

    When I was asked to participate in Temple University President John Fry’s investiture events in March 2025, I asked Joe if he wanted to do something with me. Right away he said “Yes … whatever it is.” I asked him to send me maybe 25 of his favorite photos, and instead, he sent me about a hundred. When I got a minute to sift through them, there were 11 that, as soon as I looked at them, immediately prompted lines of poetry.

    This photograph of the two men and the little girl, however, made me remember an old poem, “There Are Black Fathers,” I had written a long time ago – on Father’s Day on June 19, 1983 – for my father before he passed away from prostate and bone cancer. I went digging through my old journals until I found the poem that I had written for Daddy, and I performed that poem to this photograph at the event.

    What stood out to you about this photograph?

    The juxtaposition between the men and the little girl – their beautiful, bright smiles, the joy they seemed to radiate – it all made me think about and remember how much I loved Daddy my entire life but especially as a little girl.

    That’s the power in these kinds of artistic, material and visual artifacts. This photograph transported me right back to my childhood, filled with the warmth of a summer’s day, hanging out with my dad, and the promise of a banana Popsicle later in the afternoon.

    What is your process for writing a poem to accompany a photograph?

    Whatever the prompt – a photograph, a landscape, a person I’ve passed on the street, a word or phrase – the first draft is a free-write sensory download dump. I ruminate and then write down everything that comes to me in whatever order it comes.

    And then with each subsequent draft or pass at it, I start reading the poem out loud and tweaking it, making edits, moving and changing things while crafting lines that frame and build the story. I read the piece aloud over and over and over again until the poem tells me when I’ve got it right. I don’t know how, but my ear will tell me when it’s done and right with my spirit.

    What is poetic ethnography?

    Ethnography is an area of anthropology. From the Greek word “ethnos,” ethno simply means people or culture, and graphy, from the Greek word “graphia,” is the writing about said people or culture.

    Traditional ethnographies are usually written in a diarylike journal form. You end up jotting things down – thoughts, feelings, expressions, verbatim texts from interview participants – alongside bits and pieces of theory that correlate. Field notes are a combination of prose and scientific inquiry. I am a proponent of compiling poetic ethnographies – turning my observation and investigation of cultures, communities, and my field notes, into poetic form.

    Growing up in Philadelphia and a product of Philadelphia public schools, my primary language is mainstream U.S. English, but I tell people that my actual language is poetry. I see the world through poetry, and through the medium of poetry, I think I am better able to articulate the world I see.

    Read more of our stories about Philadelphia.

    Kimmika Williams-Witherspoon has received funding from Lumena Foundation’s Fund for Racial Justice and Equity (2018-19) and PEW Charitable Trusts Arts Grant (2020).

    Joseph V. Labolito owns the copyright to Philadelphia Collections. Philadelphia Collections research and operations is supported and partially funded by the Bridge award; an internal grant provided by the Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) at Temple University for the 2024 – 2025 year.

    – ref. A portrait taken in North Philly in the 1980s reconnects poet with cherished memories of her own beloved father – https://theconversation.com/a-portrait-taken-in-north-philly-in-the-1980s-reconnects-poet-with-cherished-memories-of-her-own-beloved-father-255810

    MIL OSI Analysis –

    June 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Leader’s Report – June 2025

    Source: Scotland – City of Edinburgh

    Latest news from the Council Leader Jane Meagher.

    Driving attainment in our schools

    As we near the end of the school term, I want to begin by recognising the hard work and achievements of our children, young people, teachers and school staff throughout the year.

    I was particularly pleased to hear that the attainment of our school leavers has improved across almost all measures, with the gap narrowing between the performance of the most and least disadvantaged young people in our schools.

    These results are due, at least in part, to our curriculum pathways programme, which offers our secondary pupils the opportunity to enjoy a varied and engaging school day while seeing clear connections to future career opportunities.

    Our construction, roofing and stone carving courses, for example, help students in S4 to S6 to develop practical skills while also gaining qualifications that help them to map out a career path beyond school. It’s testament to this work that 95% of our school leavers are now going on to positive destinations.

    To all of our pupils who recently sat their exams, I wish you all the best of luck with your results in August. Pupils, teachers and staff have put in a tremendous amount of hard work preparing for exams and I know many parents, carers and wider family members will also have been encouraging their children to do their best.

    And to our school leavers, I wish you the very best as you embark on your next journey, whether in the workforce or further education.

    Cleaner, greener travel

    Earlier this month we marked one year since we began enforcement of our Low Emission Zone (LEZ). With Clean Air Day (19 June) coming up next week, this anniversary is a timely reminder of the importance of restricting the most polluting vehicles and improving air quality in our busy city centre.

    Air pollution is associated with between 29,000 and 43,000 deaths a year in the UK alone, with both the World Health Organisation and the UK Government citing it as the largest environmental threat to our health. It was reassuring then to hear both NHS Lothian and Asthma + Lung UK praising our scheme.  

    The good news is we’re seeing wider benefits across our network with the Institute of Occupational Medicine finding a statistically significant shift towards active travel and public transport in the six months following LEZ enforcement.

    Recent data suggests further positive outcomes from new active travel projects such as Leith Connections (20% increase in pedestrian numbers) and Leith Walk (40% increase in cycling numbers), with Cycling Scotland also reporting record journeys on the City Centre West to East Link (CCWEL) and at Picardy Place.

    Meanwhile Edinburgh Trams and Lothian Buses both continue to report improving passenger numbers and performance following their respective Operator of the Year accolades at the National Transport Awards 2024.

    Building a strong and stable third sector

    Tackling poverty remains a key priority for us – but we can’t achieve this without the third sector. Yet worryingly, with funding becoming ever scarcer, our population growing and more people struggling with the cost of living, many charities are in a precarious position.

    It’s clear to me that we need to find a more sustainable way forward for a sector that brings so much good. That’s why we’ve asked the Edinburgh Partnership to conduct a review of how it supports and works with third sector organisations across the city, and ultimately to find solutions for improving funding certainty in future years.

    We want to hear about how we can make it simpler, provide more stability, and collaborate to help those who need this sector’s support most. Please share your views on our Consultation Hub. Results will be shared with everyone who takes part and with the third sector, before being reported to our next Policy and Sustainability Committee in August.

    Farewell Sir Tom

    I was saddened to hear of the passing of Sir Tom Farmer last month. A proud Leither, generous philanthropist and true son of Edinburgh whose influence reached far beyond our city’s boundaries.

    Sir Tom was a recipient of the Edinburgh Award, and his handprints remain immortalised in the City Chambers Quadrangle, a lasting tribute to a life of service, innovation, and generosity. Best known as the founder of Kwik Fit, he transformed the automotive industry, building a business that grew to over 2,000 locations across 18 countries and, of course, owned a majority stake in Hibernian FC for 28 years. I have no doubt he was looking down proudly as Hibs Ladies clinched the league title for the first time in 18 years.

    Yet, his legacy extends well beyond his entrepreneurial success. Born in Leith in 1940, his roots in the community remained strong throughout his life. His service was recognised with a knighthood in 1997, and again in 2009, when he was made a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO) for his charitable work. He also received the Carnegie Medal for Philanthropy and was named a Knight Commander with Star of the Order of St Gregory the Great, an honour bestowed by the Pope.

    Sir Tom’s final journey took him through the streets of Leith, past Easter Road Stadium, where hundreds of Hibs fans gathered to pay tribute to a man whose kindness, leadership and civic pride have left a lasting mark.

    Summer in the city

    The busy summer season is upon us once more. The city has already enjoyed the Edinburgh Children’s Festival, with the ever-popular Meadows Festival taking place last weekend.

    Looking ahead, the city is gearing up for a colourful and joyful celebration next weekend as the annual Pride Edinburgh march brings thousands together in the heart of the Capital. Pride is an important date in the city’s calendar and honours the diversity, history and dignity of our LGBT+ community. 

    Then, later this month, all eyes will turn to Ingliston for the Royal Highland Show (19–22 June), a highlight of Scotland’s summer and a showcase of rural life, food, and culture.

    The coming weeks will see the city filled with music, art, and performance, starting with the Edinburgh Castle concert series and the Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival in July. As we move into August, the city becomes the world’s stage with the Edinburgh Festival Fringe – boasting 3,350 shows and 265 venues this year – the International Festival, Book Festival, Art Festival, Film Festival, and the iconic Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.

    I’m also very much looking forward to the reopening of the Filmhouse on 27 June following a lengthy and well-coordinated campaign to save and refurbish it. I know this was a cause very close to the heart of our late friend and colleague, Val Walker, and how much joy this would have brought her.

    Our world-renowned festivals and events sustain our reputation as a global cultural capital, with the positives extending well beyond entertainment. You need look no further than the £200 million our Winter Festivals brought to the local economy last year.

    They also bring real energy and excitement to the city, alongside lasting benefits to our businesses, communities and local charities. From next July, they will help to raise even more (as much as £50 million per year) for the city, courtesy of our visitor levy. We’re continuing to make good progress towards its introduction and have just given our views to the Scottish Government on a potential Cruise Ship Levy, which could be worth a further million pounds to the city each year.

    Stay Different

    Of course, these events require meticulous planning and coordination to limit the inevitable pressure on the city and our residents – and I want to extend my thanks to the many colleagues across events, waste, public safety and our partner organisations, for ensuring they remain safe, inclusive, and successful.

    Another way we can relieve the pressure is to encourage visitors (and residents!) to leave the beaten track and explore the many other wonderful attractions we have across the city. That’s the message of our new destination visitor marketing campaign Stay Different, which reminds visitors that Edinburgh is a year-round destination and there is much to discover in our local neighbourhoods and beyond.

    A revealing glimpse into our past

    As if we didn’t have enough to do this summer, I’m very much looking forward to exploring three standout shows that offer powerful glimpses into our past.

    At the St Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh’s First Burghers: Revealing the Lives and Hidden Faces of Edinburgh’s Medieval Citizens presents an extraordinary mix of science, history, and storytelling. Marking the joint 900th anniversaries of Edinburgh and St Giles’ Cathedral, this unique exhibition brings to life the medieval citizens buried at the site and allows us to see the faces and learn the stories of some of our earliest residents.

    At the City Art Centre, meanwhile, John Bellany: A Life in Self-Portraiture showcases more than 80 works by one of Scotland’s most important modern artists. With never-before-seen sketchbooks and artworks displayed across two floors, this is a compelling insight into a life lived through art.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    June 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids (D-KS) Condemns Reckless USDA Firings, Secretary Admits Mistakes

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Sharice Davids (KS-3)

    Today, during a U.S. House Agriculture Committee hearing, U.S. Representative Sharice Davids (D-KS-03) questioned United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins on the recent terminations of federal workers, including at the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) in Manhattan, Kansas. Rollins called the firings an “imperfect process.”

     

    “We can’t talk about our shared goal of improving government efficiency while pulling the rug out from under the very people who keep our food supply running,” said Davids during the hearing. “You can’t eliminate good-paying, skilled jobs in Kansas City at the same time our producers are already facing droughts, volatile markets, and rising costs… These are neighbors, families, and friends, and they deserve better than this chaos.”

     

    WATCH: Davids questions USDA Sec. Rollins, who admits firings were an “imperfect process”

     

    Davids was responding to the erratic firing of USDA employees by the Department’s Office of General Employment (DOGE), a move she called “reckless and unjust.” The cuts have raised alarm bells throughout Kansas and the agricultural community, as they threaten food safety, stall research initiatives, and disrupt vital USDA services that farmers rely on every day.

     

    In particular, Davids called out staffing reductions at the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) in Manhattan, Kansas. The state-of-the-art lab is the nation’s first biosafety level 4 facility for livestock, built to protect against the most dangerous animal diseases. According to recent reports, 28 employees were abruptly fired — only for some of those firings to be rescinded days later. A similar pattern occurred at the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), raising further questions about leadership and decision-making at USDA.

     

    “We’ve heard about the new world screwworm already [today]. During that time [of NBAF firings], the bird flu was one of the bigger concerns,” said Davids. “There are other potential animal diseases. How can the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility or Food Safety and Inspection Service even be part of the chopping block in the first place? Was there any discussion about how those decisions were going to be made? … Especially at these specific facilities that are meant to protect us from some of the worst animal diseases that could spread to humans.”

    The timing of these firings is especially alarming given ongoing outbreaks of highly pathogenic bird flu and the emergence of the New World Screwworm, both of which pose serious risks to Kansas livestock and public health. Davids warned that slashing key roles at facilities like NBAF — which was built specifically to respond to such biological threats — undermines the very mission of the USDA and weakens the nation’s ability to respond to agricultural emergencies.

     

    To support Kansas producers, Davids embarked on a Farm Bill listening tour, where she visited a poultry and livestock operation in Anderson County, a co-op in Franklin County, a goat farm in Miami County, an organic vegetable farm in Johnson County, and an educational community farm in Wyandotte County. Davids also toured a Garnett-based renewable ethanol producer, participated in FFA activities at Spring Hill High School, served a school lunch at Black Bob Elementary in Olathe, spoke with industry leaders on financial support programs for farmers, toured a dairy farm in Garnett, and more.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Canadian Online Casinos That Are Making Waves in the 2025 Gambling Scene – Findings Released by All iGaming

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

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    Attachment

    • All iGaming

    The MIL Network –

    June 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Indoor farming helps community members bring healthy food to northern Manitoba

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Ruchira Nandasiri, Instructor, Agrology, University of Manitoba

    Northern communities in Manitoba contend with health issues related to the difficulty of accessing health food. (Shutterstock)

    Healthy food is hard to come by in northern Manitoba. Food shipped from the south is prohibitively expensive and is often stale, and the climate and soil in the region don’t support much traditional outdoor farming.

    This issue disproportionately impacts northern Indigenous communities, many of which have moved away from traditional food practices, creating a supply problem with far-reaching health consequences.

    The 10-year First Nations Food, Nutrition and Environment Study, funded by Health Canada and published in 2018, found that one in four First Nations people in Manitoba is affected by diabetes. Those living in Manitoba’s vast but sparsely populated portion of the Boreal Shield Ecozone experience poorer health outcomes compared to their southern neighbours.

    Community rates of diabetes in northern Manitoba are much higher than the Canadian average.
    (Unsplash/isens usa), CC BY

    A lack of employment opportunities, combined with limited food accessibility and high prices, contributes to food insecurity and poor nutrition. With few affordable, healthy food options — especially fresh produce — communities in the region are grappling with rising rates of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and hypertension.

    To address these inequities effectively, solutions must respect Indigenous autonomy and self-determination, which have been critical to the success of an especially innovative, community-led initiative.

    Addressing health challenges

    The Opaskwayak Cree Nation (OCN), located south of Flin Flon near the Saskatchewan border, has taken bold steps to address diabetes and other health challenges facing its residents.

    According to the OCN Health Authority, more than 40 per cent of adults in the community live with hypertension and diabetes. The implications of this epidemic are profound: not only are health-care costs soaring, but resources that could be allocated to other critical areas, such as infrastructure and education, are being diverted to manage the growing health crisis. In response, OCN has made improved access to nutritious foods a priority.

    In 2016, the community launched a smart vertical farm (SVF), a cutting-edge indoor facility designed to grow fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs year-round. The SVF employs computer-controlled smart technology that optimizes growing conditions by adjusting factors such as light, humidity and CO2 levels, and nutrient delivery. This advanced system ensures that the farm produces high-quality produce, despite the harsh northern climate.

    Overcoming the climate

    The benefits of the SVF go beyond access to fresh vegetables. The system uses energy-efficient LED lights and a closed-loop water and nutrient system, making it both environmentally friendly and economically sustainable.

    By growing food locally, the OCN reduces its reliance on expensive and hard-to-access groceries. This also enhances food security and fosters community empowerment and self-sufficiency.

    Healthy foods

    Among the fresh produce grown, vegetables from the Brassica family — such as broccoli, kale and cabbage — are especially valued for their healthy properties. These vegetables can aid in the management of diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and hypertension.

    Microgreens like broccoli sprouts are of special interest for their bioactive compounds, including phenolics and glucosinolates. These compounds have been linked to improved health outcomes, including improved blood sugar levels and reduced inflammation.

    Vegetables like broccoli, kale and cabbage are packed with nutrients.
    (Shutterstock)

    Optimizing harvests

    The health benefits can be further enhanced by optimizing growing conditions such as light intensity, nutrient levels and water supply.

    The OCN Health Authority, in collaboration with a research team at the University of Manitoba, has been investigating the most effective methods for cultivating these high-value crops in the SVF and exploring post-harvest processing techniques to maximize their bioactive potential.

    Research has shown that air frying vegetables, for example, helps retain nutritional value while enhancing bioactive compounds. The high heat and minimal oil that characterizes air frying preserves nutrients, making it an ideal preparation technique.

    The potential for these optimized vegetables to help manage Type 2 diabetes is significant.

    Community care

    By increasing access to nutrient-dense, bioactive-rich foods, the OCN aims not only to improve community health but also to reduce the burden on the health-care system. As the community continues to explore innovative solutions, its goal is to build a sustainable, locally controlled food system that addresses both immediate health concerns and long-term economic resilience.

    The success of the OCN’s vertical farm demonstrates the powerful interactions of Indigenous knowledge, technological innovation and community-led action in tackling complex health and food security challenges. By empowering local communities to take charge of their own food systems, the OCN is setting an example for other Indigenous and remote communities, striving for self-sufficiency and health equity.

    Ultimately, the collaborative journey toward health equity in northern Manitoba is just beginning. But the lessons learned from the OCN’s innovative approach to food production and diabetes prevention offer valuable lessons and a blueprint for other communities across Canada.

    With continued support and investment in Indigenous-led initiatives, a future where healthy, affordable and culturally appropriate food is accessible to all is within reach.

    Miyoung Suh receives funding from the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP)

    Ruchira Nandasiri does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Indoor farming helps community members bring healthy food to northern Manitoba – https://theconversation.com/indoor-farming-helps-community-members-bring-healthy-food-to-northern-manitoba-256295

    MIL OSI Analysis –

    June 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Game-Changing Crypto Casinos Recognized in All iGaming’s 2025 Gambling Report! (Expert Findings)

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

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    Email: support@alligaming.com

    Attachment

    • AlliGamings

    The MIL Network –

    June 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: SWALWELL INTRODUCES BICAMERAL BILL TO REPEAL THE GUN INDUSTRY’S LEGAL LIABILITY SHIELD

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Eric Swalwell (CA-15)

    Legislation would give victims of gun violence their day in court & enable them to hold manufacturers accountable for negligence

    Legislation would give victims of gun violence their day in 

    court & enable them to hold manufacturers accountable for negligence

    Video of a virtual press conference announcing 

    the bill is available here

     

    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – During the first week of Gun Violence Awareness Month, U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Chris Murphy (D-CT) and U.S. Representatives Eric Swalwell (D-CA), Jason Crow (D-CO), Dwight Evans (D-PA), and Mike Thompson (D-CA) led a group of 81 Members of Congress in introducing the bicameral Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act, legislation to ensure that victims of gun violence have their day in court and that negligent gun companies and gun sellers are not shielded from liability when they disregard public safety. The bill would repeal the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA), passed by Congress in 2005, which gives the gun industry a unique and unjustifiable legal liability shield that protects gun manufacturers from lawsuits.  

    Blumenthal, Swalwell, Schiff, Murphy, Evans, and Thompson announced the legislation this week during a virtual press conference joined by leading gun violence prevention advocates: Kris Brown, President of Brady; Angela Ferrell-Zabala, Executive Director of Moms Demand Action; and Adam Skaggs, Chief Counsel and Vice President of GIFFORDS Law Center. Video of the press conference is available here.

    “PLCAA is the ultimate sweetheart deal – legal immunity afforded to basically no other industry for a product that kills tens of thousands of Americans every year,” Blumenthal said. “Despite the strength and perseverance of the Sandy Hook, Uvalde, and Highland Park families – and the tenacity of their legal teams – this is a problem that cannot be solved only through the courts. PLCAA must be repealed by Congress.”

    “No industry in American has a liability shield like gun manufacturers, distributors, dealers, and importers,” said Swalwell. “The NRA and their GOP stooges made sure that the gun industry has a unique immunity from accountability. This bill ends that ridiculous carve out. The Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act will finally repeal the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) once and for all, allowing victims of gun violence to bring civil suits against gun producers and sellers. The time has long since come for Congress to be clear – if you put the most dangerous weapons in the hands of the most dangerous people, you will be held accountable.”

    “More than a 100 Americans are killed by a gun every single day in America. And yet, Congress does nothing to hold the gun industry accountable when the negligence of gun makers and dealers is responsible for the tragic consequences their products have on our kids, our families, and our communities. As long as gun violence continues to take the lives of so many in California and across the nation, I will fight to repeal the liability shield that wrongly protects negligent gun industry actors from liability,” said Schiff.

    “There’s absolutely no reason why the gun industry should get special treatment when it comes to negligence. Their immunity from lawsuits effectively gives them a license to kill. It’s past time for Congress to repeal PLCAA and allow gun violence victims their day in court,” said Murphy. 

    “Victims and survivors should be able to hold the gun industry accountable in court for negligent behavior. But right now, the gun industry is shielded from any liability when they disregard public safety. That’s wrong,” said Crow. “I’m introducing this bill so we can finally hold the gun industry responsible.”

    “As someone who’s advocated for this concept in Pennsylvania’s legislature and now in Congress, I’m proud to be a co-lead on this bill to restore this basic right of victims and survivors – a right that a heavy-handed federal government took away 20 years ago. So many American gun deaths could be avoided if we held companies accountable for things like illegal sales, defective guns and irresponsible marketing. State attorneys general were able to hold Big Tobacco accountable in the 1990s, and they should be able to hold gun manufacturing companies accountable in the 21st century since thousands of lives depend on it. This legislation would be an important tool in the toolbox to protect our citizens from gun violence,” said Evans. 

    “In the 20 years since PLCAA was passed, it’s become clear that negligent gun manufacturers and dealers have taken advantage of the law. Responsible manufacturers and dealers don’t need this legal protection – and irresponsible ones are hiding behind it. As a hunter, combat veteran and responsible gun owner, I’m proud to work with Senator Blumenthal and Representative Swalwell to introduce this sensible legislation,” said Thompson, Chair of the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force. 

    When Congress passed PLCAA, its supporters argued that it was necessary to protect the gun industry from frivolous lawsuits, and that victims of gun violence would not be shut out of the courts. In reality, numerous cases around the nation have been dismissed on the basis of PLCAA, even when the gun dealers and manufacturers acted in a fashion that would qualify as negligent if it involved any other product. Victims in these cases were denied the right to even discover or introduce evidence. This legislation allows civil cases to go forward against irresponsible bad actors.

    In 2005, the National Rifle Association (NRA) identified PLCAA as their “number one” legislative priority, and the NRA celebrated the passage calling it the “most significant piece of pro-gun legislation in twenty years.” Letting courts hear these cases would provide justice to victims and their families, while creating incentives for responsible business practices that would reduce injuries and deaths. Effectively, the gun industry would once again be subject to the same laws as every other industry, just as it was prior to 2005.

    The legislation is endorsed by Brady, GIFFORDS Law Center, Everytown for Gun Safety, March for Our Lives, Guns Down America, Newtown Action Alliance, Sandy Hook Promise Action Fund, and Equality California.

    “PLCAA gives the gun industry a free pass to put profits over people—legally. When defective firearms or irresponsible gun sellers cause harm, victims are left powerless and justice is delayed or denied. No other industry gets this kind of special treatment,” said Mark Collins, Director of Federal Policy at Brady. “The gun industry has made it clear: they won’t change on their own, no matter how much devastation they leave behind. So the law must change. Brady is proud to endorse Senator Blumenthal’s bill to end the gun lobby’s stranglehold on accountability and remove the option of hiding behind PLCAA to dodge responsibility. The gun industry shouldn’t get special protection while communities suffer.”

    “For too long, gun lobby CEOs have operated above the law, shielded from accountability while families of gun violence victims are denied their day in court. The Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act will finally repeal the gun lobby’s sweetheart deal and restore Americans’ right to seek justice. When companies can be held responsible for harm, they have a reason to act more safely—it’s time to hold the gun industry accountable and put people over profits. We applaud Senator Blumenthal for championing this critical legislation and for his commitment to reducing gun violence and improving public safety,” said Emma Brown, Executive Director of GIFFORDS and GIFFORDS Law Center. 

    “The gun industry has a long track record of putting profits over public safety – and it’s the American people who are paying the price,” said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety. “We’re proud to stand with Senator Blumenthal and Representative Swalwell as they work to hold the gun industry to the same rules as every other industry.” 

    “Every student in America goes to school wondering if today will be the day they don’t come home. They practice lockdown drills while gun manufacturers hide behind PLCAA, a law that shields them from any accountability,” said Jackie Corin, Executive Director of March For Our Lives. “The families of Parkland victims fight for justice while gun companies profit from illegal gun sales and reckless marketing practices that fuel mass shootings, all while being protected from consequences. When grieving families are denied their day in court because of special protections for gun manufacturers, that is not justice. That is cruelty. Every family shattered by gun violence deserves a system that protects them, not the companies profiting off their pain. That’s why March For Our Lives is proud to support the Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act and ensure the gun industry finally has to answer to us.”

    “The Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act restores the rights of the American people to seek justice from negligent corporations. People, families, and communities have been systematically denied access to valid litigation against the gun industry since President George W. Bush signed the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act in 2005. This legal shield has privileged the gun industry with sweeping immunity, leading them to lean into more aggressive, more deadly, and ever more avaricious corporate actions that endanger every American,” said Hudson Munoz with Guns Down America. “We commend Senator Blumenthal and Representative Swalwell for their dedication to seeing that shield fall so every person impacted by gun violence has the ability to pursue justice again.”

    “As a neighbor of the Sandy Hook shooter and many victims, I carry the heartbreak of that day every single moment,” said Po Murray, Chairwoman of Newtown Action Alliance. “I’m grateful to Senator Blumenthal for reintroducing the Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act—because no industry that profits from death should be shielded from accountability. The gun industry’s unique civil legal protection has allowed it to market weapons of war and other deadly firearms and accessories with impunity, fueling an epidemic that steals thousands of lives each year. The families impacted by gun violence from Sandy Hook to Chicago to Monterey Park—and every family member shattered by gun violence—deserve their day in court.”

    “The Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) provides a pathway for the firearms industry to continue irresponsible practices in ways that no other industry is permitted to conduct. Under this legislation, the rights of victims – some of whom have been irrevocably harmed by these deadly products – are shown to be less important than the special interests of manufacturers, distributors, and dealers. This cannot be allowed to continue. We applaud Senator Blumenthal and his team for their leadership in re-introducing the Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act, and call upon Congress to pass this bill,” said Mark Barden, co-founder and co-CEO of the Sandy Hook Promise Action Fund and father of Daniel, who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy.

    The legislation is also co-sponsored by Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chris Coons (D-DE), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), John Fetterman (D-PA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Patty Murray (D-WA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-CT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

    The bill is also cosponsored by U.S. Representatives Gabe Amo (D-RI), Jake Auchincloss (D-MA), Wesley Bell (D-MO), Don Beyer (D-VA), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Shontel Brown (D-OH), Julia Brownley (D-CA), Salud Carbajal (D-CA), Sean Casten (D-IL), Judy Chu (D-CA), Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO), Danny Davis (D-IL), Madeleine Dean (D-PA), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Suzan DelBene (D-WA), Chris Deluzio (D-PA), Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA), Maxine Dexter (D-OR), Lizzie Fletcher (D-TX), Maxwell Frost (D-FL), John Garamendi (D-CA), Daniel Goldman (D-NY), Jimmy Gomez (D-CA), Sara Jacobs (D-CA), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Hank Johnson (D-GA), Robin Kelly (D-IL), Timothy Kennedy (D-NY), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), Stephen Lynch (D-MA), Seth Magaziner (D-RI), Betty McCollum (D-MN), LaMonica McIver (D-NJ), Joe Morelle (D-NY), Kelly Morrison (D-MN), Seth Moulton (D-MA), Joe Neguse (D-CO), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), Scott Peters (D-CA), Chellie Pingree (D-ME), Mike Quigley (D-IL), Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Andrea Salinas (D-OR), Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Brad Schneider (D-IL), David Scott (D-GA), Lateefah Simon (D-CA), Dina Titus (D-NV), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), and Jill Tokuda (D-HI).

     

    Text of the legislation can be found here. 

     

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Luis Silvas Appointed Western Territory Special Representative

    Source: US GOIAM Union

    IAM International President Brian Bryant has announced the appointment of Luis Silvas as a Special Representative in the Western Territory, effective June 7, 2025. Silvas is moving from his role as an Education Representative at the William W. Winpisinger Education and Technology Center.

    “Luis embodies what it means to be a union leader, grounded in experience, driven by purpose, and committed to empowering our members,” said Bryant. “His new role will only amplify the impact he’s already made.”

    Silvas brings a wealth of relevant and practical knowledge to the role and has been active in Local and District leadership since the beginning of his union journey. His knowledge and experience will immediately benefit IAM members.

    “Luis’s deep understanding of local procedures, coupled with his skills in organizing, negotiating, and servicing, as well as his background in developing and delivering training, will allow him to make an immediate and positive impact,” said IAM Western Territory General Vice President Robert “Bobby” Martinez.

    Silvas began his IAM career in Southern California with Local 1125 in 2013, quickly rising through the ranks as Shop Steward, Recording Secretary, and later Local President. In 2017, he became a Business Representative for District 725, where he also served as Political Facilitator and elected Trustee for the California Conference of Machinists.

    The post Luis Silvas Appointed Western Territory Special Representative appeared first on IAM Union.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Chancellor “knows know the price of everything and the value of nothing.” say Greens in response to Spending Review

    Source: Green Party of England and Wales

    11 June 2025 by Green Party

    Responding to the Spending Review, Green Party Co-Leader, Adrian Ramsay MP, said,

    “Today’s Spending Review shows we have a chancellor who seems to know the price of everything and the value of nothing. While today Reeves may have balanced her spreadsheet, it is done on the backs of some of the worst off in our society. The proof is in how many will still be feeling worse off as the cost-of-living crisis bites hard.

    People want to feel pride in Britain again, and for this, they need real hope. Hope only comes from seeing how things will improve through real investment in the everyday services we all rely on.

    Despite the rhetoric in the chamber, it is clear that this Spending Review represents a squeeze in many frontline budgets. With education, for example, where many schools are already being forced to make difficult budget cuts, core school budgets are set to rise by just 0.6% – well under that of inflation. It is hard to see this money ever reaching our teachers and children in the classroom. Equally, I am horrified to see real-term cuts to Defra funding, just as the impact of climate change is starting to affect our communities. Now is the time to invest in climate resilience and preparedness.”

    He continued, “These ‘tough decisions’ are actually ‘Labour’s political choices’. They are choosing to leave the economy tilted towards those with considerable wealth. Our front-line services continue to deteriorate through a political choice of decline by design. By introducing a wealth tax on the super-rich, we could instead properly invest in our children’s future. We could give them the education they deserve and start now to invest in the climate resilience and preparedness they will need throughout their lives as the climate crisis unfolds.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    June 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Sunderland’s potential rugby stars of the future have come face to face with one of the sport’s top trophies.

    Source: City of Sunderland

    Local schoolchildren enjoyed a day to remember getting up close to the Women’s Rugby World Cup trophy when it visited Barnes Park as part of its tour of the city.

    The iconic silverware was in Sunderland ahead of the city hosting the opening match of the Women’s Rugby World Cup at the Stadium of Light on the evening of Friday 22 August.

    World Rugby unveiled the new trophy last month to tie in with the start of the 100-day countdown to the opening match of the tournament in Sunderland which will see England’s Red Roses take on the USA.

    The trophy’s visit to Sunderland marked the culmination of a nationwide tour of all eight host cities and towns as excitement continues to build for the record-breaking tournament.

    Around 150 youngsters from Barnes Junior School and Broadway Primary School got the see the trophy and put their rugby skills to the test when it visited Barnes Park.

    They are among almost 800 hundred pupils in primary and secondary schools across Sunderland who have been introduced to the game of rugby as part of the Active Sunderland Community Impact Programme in the lead up to the tournament’s opening match in their home city.

    Councillor Beth Jones, Cabinet Member for Communities, Culture and Tourism at Sunderland City Council, said: “Hosting the opening match of this record breaking tournament is incredibly exciting for our city and we want one of its lasting legacies to be the impact it has on growing the game in Sunderland and inspiring more girls and boys to take up the sport.

    “We know that being active is really important, with all sorts of benefits for our physical and mental wellbeing and it’s been fantastic to see so many pupils in schools across Sunderland embracing the game and enjoying everything it has to offer. 

    “So it was really special for pupils who have been learning all about the game and the skills needed to play it, to come face to face with the trophy the world’s top rugby teams are going to be competing to win this summer.”

    The ongoing work in the city’s schools has included an Active Sunderland Rugby Skills event last October, with another  planned for 2 July.

    T1 rugby sessions – a new non contact style of rugby, with an emphasis on fun, fitness and inclusion – have also been delivered to 600 students in primary schools and 180 in secondary schools, along with a series of festivals for different year groups.

    During its visit to Sunderland, the trophy also stopped at Hylton Castle and at the Sunderland Food and Drink Festival in Keel Square where people had the opportunity to have their photo taken with it and the bespoke RWC Defender Trophy Tour Vehicle.

    Leader of Sunderland City Council, Councillor Michael Mordey said: “It was fantastic to have the trophy visiting Sunderland as we get ever closer to hosting the opening match of the Women’s Rugby World Cup on 22 August.

    “Having the opening game here is a brilliant opportunity to showcase our city on the international stage.

    “It was also great to see our own young players, who could well be the next generation of top rugby stars, demonstrating their own rugby skills during the trophy’s stop offs at Barnes Park and Hylton Castle, and to see so many people coming along to Keel Square to see the trophy for themselves.”

    The 2025 tournament is the biggest Women’s Rugby World Cup in history after selling more than 300,000 tickets – more than twice the total attendance at the last tournament in New Zealand in 2021.

    Tickets for the tournament are competitively priced from £10 for adults and £5 for children. This means a family of four can enjoy an evening at the Women’s Rugby World Cup Opening Game for £30. To find out more about the Women’s Rugby World Cup, how to get tickets and how to get involved in free rugby activities in Sunderland visit:Rugby World Cup 2025 – MySunderland

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    June 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI China: Foreign Minister Lin meets with delegation led by Mayor Zdanowska of Polish city of Łódź

    Source: Republic of Taiwan – Ministry of Foreign Affairs

    Foreign Minister Lin meets with delegation led by Mayor Zdanowska of Polish city of Łódź

    • Date：2025-06-05
    • Data Source：Department of European Affairs

    June 5, 2025  

    No. 196  

    Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung on the morning of June 4 met with a delegation led by Hanna Zdanowska, Mayor of Łódź, Poland. The six-member delegation also included Łódź University of Technology Rector Krzysztof Jóźwik, Łódź City Councilors Beata Bilska and Maciej Rakowski, and Łódź city government officials. The two sides engaged in an in-depth exchange of opinions regarding Taiwan-Poland interactions on economics and trade, culture, and academic and city affairs.

     

    During the meeting, Minister Lin began by once again welcoming Mayor Zdanowska to Taiwan and thanking her for the warm reception extended to him during his visit to Łódź in November 2024. Noting that city-to-city diplomacy played an important role in Taiwan’s overall external relations, Minister Lin said he was delighted that the delegation would be meeting with Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che to formally conclude a sister-city agreement. He said that Tainan and Łódź had many things in common and that he looked forward to the two cities continuing to deepen substantive cooperation, further expanding mutual interactions and exchanges in a range of areas, and developing a mutually beneficial partnership.

     

    Mayor Zdanowska said that Łódź, a city with a long history at the heart of Poland, enjoyed convenient transport links, a rich cultural heritage, and a solid industrial foundation. Remarking that the development of special economic zones and road and airport infrastructure had much improved the city’s economic prospects in recent years, she said she hoped that Taiwanese industries would work with Łódź to generate mutual prosperity. Mayor Zdanowska also stated that Łódź had recently been active in developing its film and television and arts and cultural industries, and said she believed there was room for collaboration with related sectors in Taiwan.

     

    Taiwan and Poland share such values as freedom and democracy. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to promote close cooperation between Taiwan and Poland and seek to deepen their resilient partnership so as to create enduring prosperity and well-being for the peoples on both sides. (E)

    MIL OSI China News –

    June 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI China: Foreign Minister Lin hosts welcome dinner to mark state visit by Guatemala President Arévalo

    Source: Republic of Taiwan – Ministry of Foreign Affairs

    Foreign Minister Lin hosts welcome dinner to mark state visit by Guatemala President Arévalo

    • Date：2025-06-06
    • Data Source：Department of Latin American and Caribbean Affairs

    June 6, 2025  

    No. 198  

    Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung hosted a dinner on June 5 to mark a state visit by President Bernardo Arévalo of the Republic of Guatemala and First Lady Lucrecia Peinado. Minister Lin conveyed a sincere welcome on behalf of the government of Taiwan and said that Taiwan hoped to build upon the existing solid foundation of cooperation with Guatemala to jointly forge an even more strategically significant partnership.

     

    In his remarks, Minister Lin said that Taiwan and Guatemala enjoyed a deep friendship and had maintained diplomatic ties for more than 90 years, adding that cooperation between the two sides had yielded fruitful results across various domains. He noted that during this state visit, President Arévalo had signed a letter of intent on semiconductor cooperation with President Lai Ching-te and that the two presidents had also witnessed the signing of an MOU on a political consultation mechanism between their respective foreign ministers and the signing of a letter of intent on bilateral investment in supply chains between their respective economic ministers. He stated that these actions not only demonstrated the two countries’ staunch and cordial relations but would also further deepen bilateral cooperation. Minister Lin emphasized that Taiwan’s government would continue to work hand in hand with the Guatemalan government under President Arévalo’s leadership to advance Guatemala’s national development; deepen trade, economic, and investment ties and semiconductor cooperation; and jointly advance comprehensive bilateral collaboration across all sectors. Minister Lin also mentioned how cordially he was received by President Arévalo and First Lady Peinado when he visited Guatemala last October. He said that he had brought home and continued to cherish a menu, signed by President Arévalo, from the banquet held at the president’s residence.

     

    In his remarks, President Arévalo thanked Minister Lin for his warm reception and expressed delight at being able to meet in Taipei again after October 2024, when his wife had visited Taiwan for National Day celebrations and Minister Lin and his wife had visited Guatemala. He said that their interactions had always been convivial and sincere. President Arévalo also pointed out that the attendees of the dinner were experts and leaders in different fields, highlighting how Taiwan-Guatemala cooperation had become more comprehensive and diverse. He said that the documents signed on the morning of June 5 would serve as guideposts for the direction of future cooperation between the two nations and voiced his firm conviction that the Taiwan-Guatemala partnership would continue to grow even closer.

     

    Among other attendees at the dinner were International Cooperation and Development Fund Secretary General Huang Yu-lin; National Taiwan University Professor Chang Pei-zen; Vice Superintendent of National Taiwan University Hospital Lou Pei-jen; President of Chunghwa Telecom Lin Rong-shy; and CIECA Chairman Joseph Jye-cherng Lyu. Interactions at the event were lively and cordial. (E)

    MIL OSI China News –

    June 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI China: Foreign Minister Lin hosts welcome luncheon for delegation led by Chair Battistel of French National Assembly’s Taiwan Friendship Group

    Source: Republic of Taiwan – Ministry of Foreign Affairs

    Foreign Minister Lin hosts welcome luncheon for delegation led by Chair Battistel of French National Assembly’s Taiwan Friendship Group

    • Date：2025-06-09
    • Data Source：Department of European Affairs

    June 9, 2025  

    No. 204  

    Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung hosted a luncheon on June 9 to welcome a delegation led by Marie-Noëlle Battistel, Chair of the French National Assembly’s Taiwan Friendship Group. He extended appreciation to the French Parliament for its staunch support and close friendship with Taiwan.

     

    In his speech, Minister Lin congratulated Ms. Battistel on her election as chair of the Taiwan Friendship Group earlier this year and thanked the French Parliament for its long-standing and cross-party support of Taiwan, including the overwhelming endorsement in a resolution in 2021 supporting Taiwan’s international participation, the passage of the seven-year Military Programming Law in 2023 supporting freedom of navigation in the Taiwan Strait, and its enthusiastic response to sending a joint letter to the director-general of the World Health Organization in May backing Taiwan’s bid. Minister Lin noted that Europe’s support for Taiwan was crucial, that Taiwan-France relations continued to grow and thrive, and that there was great potential to deepen collaboration between Taiwan and France in key technological domains and innovative industries. He expressed hope that the two sides would further contribute to global prosperity and development through closer exchanges and cooperation in the future.

     

    In her speech, Chair Battistel said that she was honored to serve as chair of the French National Assembly’s Taiwan Friendship Group and emphasized that she would continue to lead the group in its steadfast support of Taiwan, in line with French values and global common interests. She indicated that China’s threats and attempts to suppress Taiwan had had wide-ranging impacts on the world and urged democratic countries to jointly support Taiwan. She added that she believed Taiwan’s participation in international organizations was pivotal and that the entire international community stood to benefit from Taiwan’s knowledge and experience.

     

    This is the second delegation from the French National Assembly to visit Taiwan this year, following a visit in May by Guillaume Kasbarian, former French Minister of Civil Service and member of the National Assembly’s Taiwan Friendship Group. 

     

    At the invitation of Minister Lin, Professor Lee Hahn-ming of the Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering at National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, along with Wu Min-hsuan, CEO of Doublethink Lab, attended the luncheon and exchanged views with the delegation on such issues as how Taiwan and France could jointly cope with the use of artificial intelligence by foreign forces to manipulate information. (E)

    MIL OSI China News –

    June 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, Atomic Energy of Canada Limited and the University Network of Excellence in Nuclear Engineering to Establish the Canadian Nuclear Learning Centre

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, June 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL), Canada’s premier nuclear science and technology laboratory, and Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL), Canada’s nuclear Crown corporation, are pleased to announce that they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the University Network of Excellence in Nuclear Engineering (UNENE) to pursue the development of the Canadian Nuclear Learning Centre (CNLC). The vision of the centre is to coordinate education, training, knowledge management and workforce development across Canada’s growing nuclear sector.

    “CNL has always played a critical role in developing highly qualified people for Canada’s nuclear workforce,” says Dr. Stephen Bushby, CNL’s Vice-President, Science & Technology. “This effort will continue through the creation of the Canadian Nuclear Learning Centre, which will provide learning opportunities to build a talent pipeline for both CNL and the industry as a whole. The CNLC, with the support of AECL’s Federal Nuclear Science and Technology Work Plan, provides an excellent complement to our Academic Partnership Program that began in 2022.”

    The new agreement addresses collaborative work the three organizations will undertake to establish the centre. These include expanding UNENE programming and activities to incorporate use of the world-class facilities and expertise at Chalk River Laboratories and other CNL sites, while exploring both the development of micro-credential offerings and the opportunity for regional hubs via academic and other national laboratory partners. Central to the collaboration is advancing nuclear education to support workforce development priorities. Each organization will also look to leverage their long-term relationships with Canadian academic institutions to examine opportunities for joint project coordination.

    “Canada’s national nuclear laboratories play a vital role in developing the next generation of scientific talent,” noted Dr. Amy Gottschling, Vice President of Science, Technology, and Commercial Oversight at AECL. “We know that it’s not enough to have world class scientific facilities; we are always thinking about how we can contribute to the growth of the next generation of nuclear leaders and innovators. That’s what makes UNENE such an important partner for AECL and CNL. Wherever today’s students ultimately make their careers, the investment we make today in building their expertise will pay huge dividends for all of us in the future.”

    Since 2002, UNENE has worked to advance nuclear knowledge – offering nuclear engineering, science and technology research and education programming. With the support of its partners and funding organizations, including CNL and AECL, it is the centre of a network of universities, industry and government that is focused on building capacity and heightening visibility of Canada’s university excellence as an important contribution to the country’s tier one nuclear nation.

    “UNENE has a proud history of contributing to nuclear education and training in Canada, including our activities to enable collaboration between industry and academia,” says Jerry Hopwood, President, UNENE. “Today, the momentum is rapidly increasing for nuclear technology as part of the growing clean energy sector. The learning centre initiative is a vital contributor to the crucial task of developing a capable nuclear workforce for tomorrow, and broadening understanding of nuclear technology. This initiative will enable Canadians to grow valuable, practical skills towards a qualified workforce, and will provide a pathway for information and insight to students and stakeholders who wish to learn more about nuclear science and technology. UNENE is looking forward to being part of this exciting initiative.”

    As part of the collaborative work to develop the centre, the organizations will present an initial concept of the centre for input at CNL and AECL’s Second Annual University Day this July. An initial plan for the centre is expected to be finalized in Fall 2025.

    About CNL

    As Canada’s premier nuclear science and technology laboratory and working under the direction of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL), CNL is a world leader in the development of innovative nuclear science and technology products and services. Guided by an ambitious corporate strategy known as Vision 2030, CNL fulfills three strategic priorities of national importance – restoring and protecting the environment, advancing clean energy technologies, and contributing to the health of Canadians.

    By leveraging the assets owned by AECL, CNL also serves as the nexus between government, the nuclear industry, the broader private sector and the academic community. CNL works in collaboration with these sectors to advance innovative Canadian products and services towards real-world use, including carbon-free energy, cancer treatments and other therapies, non-proliferation technologies and waste management solutions.

    To learn more about CNL, please visit www.cnl.ca.

    About Atomic Energy of Canada Limited

    Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) is a federal Crown corporation with a mandate to drive nuclear opportunities for Canada. Working through a government-owned / contractor-operated (GoCo) model that is executed by its contractor, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, AECL enables nuclear science and technology through its Chalk River Laboratories, Canada’s largest research complex, and by engaging with academia and private industry to advance nuclear innovation. It is committed to advancing reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. It also manages the Government of Canada’s radioactive waste responsibilities. AECL continues to own the intellectual property for the CANDU® reactor technology and is accountable for deriving optimal benefit from this technology for Canada. Read more on AECL at www.aecl.ca.

    About UNENE

    The University Network of Excellence in Nuclear Engineering (UNENE), founded in 2002, is a network of Canadian and partner international universities offering nuclear engineering, science and technology research and education programming. Its members also include Canadian industry participants and Canada’s national nuclear science and technology institution. With its partners and funding organizations, UNENE works to advance nuclear knowledge, build capacity and heighten the visibility of Canada’s strength as a global partner, and to elevate the role of nuclear in advancing global sustainability, prosperity and a clean energy future. Learn more about UNENE at www.unene.ca.

    CNL Contact:
    Philip Kompass
    Director, Corporate Communications
    1-866-886-2325
    media@cnl.ca

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2600a13d-70d0-4a94-b2a3-72c80c5def72

    The MIL Network –

    June 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Musk apologizes but the bromance is over: What network science tells us about the Trump-Musk breakup

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Anthony Bonato, Professor of Mathematics, Toronto Metropolitan University

    The proverbial gauntlet has been thrown down. The friendship and partnership between United States President Donald Trump and “special government employee” Elon Musk has collapsed in spectacular fashion.

    On X on June 3, Musk posted about the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act, calling it a “disgusting abomination.”

    An argument ensued, and two days later, Trump called Musk “CRAZY” on Truth Social. The fight escalated and Trump’s slur was followed by Musk’s suggestion the president should be impeached and alleging he appeared in the Jeffrey Epstein files.

    These Musk posts in particular were seen as a step too far by many in Trump’s circle, even after the Tesla CEO deleted them.

    Trump and Musk’s storied bromance contributed to one of the greatest comebacks in American presidential history, with Trump winning a second term despite his numerous legal troubles. Musk actively campaigned for Trump, contributing more than $250 million to his re-election bid.

    While we can only speculate about what exactly went wrong between the world’s most powerful man and the world’s richest, their feud reveals a potentially highly impactful disruption in American politics. It also illustrates what happens when social networks fall apart and the impact those types of fissures have on social structures.

    Enter Zachary’s Karate Club

    Feuds between political figures are nothing new, and neither are fissures in social groups. The latter has been studied for decades by network scientists who measure the strength of ties between people.

    Networks, consisting of nodes and links, appear everywhere. They measure interactions and provide us with another lens through which to view the world. For example, we can consider networks of neurons in our brains, networks of banking transactions, or likes and follows on social media.

    Over three years from 1970 to 1972, Temple University anthropologist Wayne Zachary studied the social network of 34 members in a university karate club. He observed a split between the club’s instructor and its administrator. What ensued was a partition of the club into factions, centred on the two respective leaders. Zachary referred to this as fission within the group in his 1977 paper.

    “Communities” in a social network are groups of like-minded individuals who are more likely to interact with one another than those outside the group. Think of a community as a clique in a high school, with separate groups of teenagers who are into football, members of the math club or fans of Taylor Swift.

    The Zachary Karate Club network is a well-cited and early example of the emergence of two distinct communities from one. The network became a popular example of community structure in networks after its use by physicist Michelle Girvan and network scientist Mark Newman in 2002.

    How the split could affect voters

    The split between Trump and Musk echoes the split in the Zachary Karate Club network. While the Karate Club network is much smaller than the the 160 million-plus group of likely U.S. voters, it does suggest the kind of polarization that can occur when powerful individuals go their separate ways.

    Imagine each voter as a node, with two nodes linked if they voted for the same presidential candidate. That would split voters into two main groups: one that voted Republican and the other that voted Democrat, with a smaller group comprising the roughly three million people who voted for independent candidates like Jill Stein in 2024.

    U.S. presidential elections can be razor-close, as was the case with George W. Bush and Al Gore in 2000. Even a minor split among voters can upend the results. For example, in the 1992 presidential election, independent candidate Ross Perot garnered almost 19 per cent of the popular vote, which likely siphoned off Republican votes and contributed to George H.W. Bush’s loss.

    On June 5, Musk polled X about creating a new political party — The America Party. Within hours, about 80 per cent of 1.3 million people who took his poll supported his idea.

    That party could fracture the traditional voting base of Republicans and Democrats, leaving the fate of the White House uncertain for the foreseeable future. While die-hard MAGA voters will likely always support Trump, tech-savvy millennial and Gen Z voters may be more receptive to Musk’s disruptive third-party aspirations.

    Friends and enemies

    Social networks adhere to two core principles that govern ties between individuals. These principles are well accepted and are also common sense.

    The first is the adage that friends of friends are more likely to be friends. Given Musk’s strong past ties to Trump, followers of Musk would more likely consider voting for Trump.

    The second and equally important principle is that the enemy of my enemy is my friend. That could be bad news for Republicans, as independent-leaning voters who don’t like Trump but voted for him in 2024 may consider supporting the hypothetical “America Party.”

    Another possibility is that the feud ends — Musk is already expressing regrets, saying his posts about Trump “went too far.” That could go a long way to reversing the fissure, though it may not ease the hard feelings that could linger among either Musk or Trump fans.

    We can view both Trump and Musk as powerful attractors who influence the social network of U.S. voters.

    While the majority of Democrats may reject the policies and ideology of both men, the 49.9 per cent of Americans who supported Trump in 2024 could splinter.

    Because this is the official final term of Trump’s presidency, Musk could also support Vice President JD Vance or another Republican frontrunner, dropping his musings about a third party altogether.

    Whatever happens next — just like everything else in the Trump presidency — network science tells us it won’t be predictable.

    Anthony Bonato receives funding from NSERC.

    – ref. Musk apologizes but the bromance is over: What network science tells us about the Trump-Musk breakup – https://theconversation.com/musk-apologizes-but-the-bromance-is-over-what-network-science-tells-us-about-the-trump-musk-breakup-258554

    MIL OSI Analysis –

    June 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: NEWS: Sanders, Democratic HELP Members Call for Hearings on Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” and Its Impact on Americans’ Health

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Vermont – Bernie Sanders

    WASHINGTON, June 11 – As President Trump and Senate Republicans rush forward with their budget reconciliation bill – which would throw 16 million people off of their health insurance – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), alongside every Democratic member of the HELP Committee, today sent a letter to committee Chairman Bill Cassidy (R-La.) urging him to schedule hearings with patients and health care providers to hear about the legislation’s disastrous impact on the health and well-being of the American people and markup this bill before it reaches the Senate floor for consideration. 

    “We are deeply concerned that if these policies were signed into law they would create a national health care emergency,” wrote Sanders and the senators. “Not only would millions of Americans lose their health insurance and tens of thousands of our constituents die as a result of the House-passed reconciliation bill, the cost of prescription drugs would go up for seniors, hospitals and community health centers in rural and underserved areas would close or shut down access to services that patients rely on, and nursing homes would be made less safe.” 

    Last week, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated that the House-passed budget reconciliation bill would slash more than $1 trillion from federal health care programs. The bill, coupled with the expiration of health care premium tax credits that Republicans have refused to extend, would lead to 16 million Americans losing the health insurance they currently have according to CBO. New research from Yale University and the University of Pennsylvania found that more than 51,000 additional Americans will die each year if Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” becomes law. The bill would also defund Planned Parenthood, slash funding for women’s health care, and restrict reproductive health care coverage across the country. 

    “Regardless of your views on the merits of these policies, we hope you would agree with us that the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee has a solemn responsibility to hold extensive hearings on the impact these policies would have on the health and well-being of the American people and our entire health care system,” conclude Sanders and the senators. “Failure to hold hearings and a markup on this reconciliation bill before it is considered on the Senate floor would be an abdication of our duty to the American people.” 

    Joining Sanders as cosigners on this letter are Sens. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), and Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.). 

    Read the letter here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: NIST and Partners Use Quantum Mechanics to Make a Factory for Random Numbers

    Source: US Government research organizations

    Members of the team who created the CURBy quantum random number generator. From left to right, Jasper Palfree (University of Colorado Boulder), Gautam Kavuri (NIST) and Krister Shalm (NIST).

    Credit: NIST

    Randomness is incredibly useful. People often draw straws, throw dice or flip coins to make fair choices. Random numbers can enable auditors to make completely unbiased selections. Randomness is also key in security; if a password or code is an unguessable string of numbers, it’s harder to crack. Many of our cryptographic systems today use random number generators to produce secure keys.

    But how do you know that a random number is truly random? Classical computer algorithms can only create pseudo-random numbers, and someone with enough knowledge of the algorithm or the system could manipulate it or predict the next number. An expert in sleight of hand could rig a coin flip to guarantee a heads or tails result. Even the most careful coin flips can have bias; with enough study, their outcomes could be predicted. 

    “True randomness is something that nothing in the universe can predict in advance,” said Krister Shalm, a physicist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Even if a random number generator used seemingly random processes in nature, it would be hard to verify that those numbers are truly random, Shalm added.

    Einstein believed that nature isn’t random, famously saying, “God does not play dice with the universe.” Scientists have since proved that Einstein was wrong. Unlike dice or computer algorithms, quantum mechanics is inherently random. Carrying out a quantum experiment called a Bell test, Shalm and his team have transformed this source of true quantum randomness into a traceable and certifiable random-number service. Their results were just published in Nature. 

    “If God does play dice with the universe, then you can turn that into the best random number generator that the universe allows,” Shalm said. “We really wanted to take that experiment out of the lab and turn it into a useful public service.”

    To make that happen, NIST researchers and their colleagues at the University of Colorado Boulder created the Colorado University Randomness Beacon (CURBy). CURBy produces random numbers automatically and broadcasts them daily through a website for anyone to use.

    Instrumentation for the quantum random number generator in the NIST Boulder laboratories. 

    Credit: NIST

    At the heart of this service is the NIST-run Bell test, which provides truly random results. This randomness acts as a kind of raw material that the rest of the researchers’ setup “refines” into random numbers published by the beacon. 

    The Bell test measures pairs of “entangled” photons whose properties are correlated even when separated by vast distances. When researchers measure an individual particle, the outcome is random, but the properties of the pair are more correlated than classical physics allows, enabling researchers to verify the randomness. Einstein called this quantum nonlocality “spooky action at a distance.”

    This is the first random number generator service to use quantum nonlocality as a source of its numbers, and the most transparent source of random numbers to date. That’s because the results are certifiable and traceable to a greater extent than ever before.

    “CURBy is one of the first publicly available services that operates with a provable quantum advantage. That’s a big milestone for us,” Shalm explained. “The quality and origin of these random bits can be directly certified in a way that conventional random number generators are unable to.”

    NIST performed one of the first complete experimental Bell tests in 2015, which firmly established that quantum mechanics is truly random. In 2018, NIST pioneered methods to use these Bell tests to build  Really Random Numbers”>the world’s first sources of true randomness.

    However, turning these quantum correlations into random numbers is hard work. NIST’s first breakthrough demonstrations of the Bell test required months of setup to run for a few hours, and it took a great deal of time to collect enough data to generate 512 bits of true randomness. Shalm and the team spent the past few years building the experiment to be robust and to run automatically so it can provide random numbers on demand. In its first 40 days of operation, the protocol produced random numbers 7,434 times out of 7,454 attempts, a 99.7% success rate.

    “If God does play dice with the universe, then you can turn that into the best random number generator that the universe allows.” —Krister Shalm, NIST physicist

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Spending Review: Billions to back Scottish jobs

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

    Press release

    Spending Review: Billions to back Scottish jobs

    UK Government’s Plan for Change delivers record settlement for Scottish Government with an extra £9.1 billion over the SR period to deliver public services

    Working people across Scotland will benefit from significant investment in clean energy and innovation, creating thousands of high-skilled jobs and strengthening Scotland’s position as the home of the United Kingdom’s clean energy revolution.  

    The UK Government has confirmed £8.3 billion in funding for GB Energy-Nuclear and GB Energy in Aberdeen. This is alongside an increased commitment to the Acorn Carbon Capture, Usage and Storage project, which will receive development funding.   

    The Spending Review, outlined today, Wednesday 11 June, announces targeted investment in Scotland’s most promising sectors to grow the economy and put more money in working people’s pockets.  It delivers an extra £9.1 billion over Phase 2 of the Spending Review, through the Barnett formula.

    The government also confirmed £25 million for the Inverness and Cromarty Firth Freeport.   

    These investments are part of a wider package, with funding for hydrogen production projects at Cromarty and Whitelee.

    Secretary of State for Scotland, Ian Murray, said:  

    Putting more money in the pockets of working Scots by investing in the country’s renewal is at the heart of this Spending Review and our Plan for Change.

    The Chancellor has unleashed a new era of growth for Scotland, confirming billions of pounds of investment in clean energy – including new development funding for Acorn – creating thousands of high-skilled jobs.

    Scotland’s leading role at the heart of UK defence policy has been strengthened and there is also significant investment in our trailblazing innovation, research and development sectors.

    And the Scotland Office will work with local partners to ensure hundreds of millions of pounds of new targeted support for Scottish communities and businesses goes to projects that matter to local people. This means that the UK Government is now investing almost £1.7 billion in dozens of important growth schemes across Scotland over 10 years.

    To maximise the benefit of recent trade deals with India, US and the EU we are continuing the Brand Scotland programme to promote inward investment opportunities boosting Scottish exports of our globally celebrated products.

    And we are delivering a record real-terms funding settlement for the Scottish Government with an extra £9.1 billion over the Spending Review period through the Barnett formula. That’s more money than ever before for them to invest in Scottish public services like our NHS, police, housing and schools.

    This is a historic Spending Review for Scotland that chooses investment over decline and delivers on the promise that there would be no return to austerity.

    Investment in Scotland to strengthen UK defence  

    Speaking in the House of Commons today, the Chancellor reaffirmed the government’s commitment to increase defence spending to 2.6% of GDP by April 2027, backing our Armed Forces, creating British jobs in British industries, and prioritising the security of Britain when it is most needed.  

    The long-term future of the Clyde is secured through an initial £250 million investment over three years which will begin a multi-decade, multi-billion pound redevelopment of HM Naval Base Clyde through the ‘Clyde 2070’ programme.   

    Investing in innovation and R&D  

    Scotland will also become home to the UK’s largest and most powerful supercomputer, with up to £750 million committed to its development at Edinburgh University. This world-class facility will give scientists across all UK universities access to extraordinary computer power, further strengthening Scotland’s research and innovation capability.   

    The UK Government is backing Scottish industry with a share of increased UK-wide R&D spending set to grow from £20.4 billion in 2025-26 to over £22.6 billion per year by 2029-30. Scotland will also benefit from a £410 million UK-wide Local Innovation Partnerships Fund.  

    Targeted support for Scottish communities   

    The government is also investing £160 million over 10 years for Investment Zones in the North East of Scotland and in Glasgow City Region, and confirming £452 million over four years for City and Growth Deals across Scotland.  

    A £100 million joint investment for the Falkirk and Grangemouth Growth deal with the Scottish Government (£50 million from UK Government and £50 million from Scottish Government), demonstrating the UK Government’s continued commitment to the Grangemouth industrial area.  

    A new local growth fund, and investments in up to 350 deprived communities across the UK, will maintain the same cash level as in 2025-26 under the Shared Prosperity Fund. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Scotland Office, will work with local partners and the Scottish Government, to ensure money goes to projects that matter to local people. This investment will help drive growth and improve communities across Scotland.  

    Supporting Scottish businesses  

    The National Wealth Fund (NWF) is trialling a Strategic Partnership with Glasgow City Region to provide enhanced, hands-on support to help it develop and finance long term investment opportunities. The NWF has already made its first investment in Scotland with £43.5 million in direct equity for a sustainable packaging company, which is to build its first commercial-scale manufacturing facility near Glasgow.  

    Through its Nations and Regions Investment programme the British Business Bank is delivering £150 million across Scotland to break down access to finance barriers and drive economic growth.  

    The settlement also allocates £0.75 million each year to champion our ‘Brand Scotland’ trade missions to promote Scotland’s goods and services on the world stage and to encourage further growth and investment.

    A record settlement for Scottish public services   

    The Government has been clear that local decision-making against local priorities is central to delivering growth.   

    The Scottish Government will receive the largest real terms settlement since devolution began in 1998, with an average £50.9 billion per year between 2026-27 and 2028-29, enabling the Scottish Government to deliver for working people in Scotland.  This includes £2.9 billion per year on average through the operation of the Barnett formula, with £2.4 billion resource between 2026-27 and 2028-29 and £510 million capital between 2026-27 and 2029-30. 

    This investment and record settlement is made possible by the tough but necessary decisions taken in the October Budget.

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    Published 11 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    June 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Adams Questions Labor Secretary Chavez-DeRemer in House E&W Committee Hearing

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Alma Adams (12th District of North Carolina)

    WASHINGTON, DC—Today, Congresswoman Alma S. Adams, Ph.D. (NC-12) questioned Department of Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer on enforcing child labor protections in the face of historic cuts, as well as the Department of Labor’s impact on HBCUs, in the House Education & Workforce hearing on “Examining the Policies and Priorities of the Department of Labor.”

    Video of Rep. Adams’s remarks is available for media use here.

    Rep. Adams’s remarks are also available on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

    Full transcript of the remarks can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Adams Questions Education Secretary Linda McMahon in House E&W Committee Hearing

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Alma Adams (12th District of North Carolina)

    WASHINGTON, DC—Today, Congresswoman Alma S. Adams, Ph.D. (NC-12) questioned Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon on HBCUs, as well as federal education grant administration and compliance, in the House Education & Workforce hearing on “Examining the Policies and Priorities of the Department of Education.”

    Video of Rep. Adams’s remarks is available for media use here.

    Rep. Adams’s remarks are also available on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

    Full transcript of the remarks can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Foreign Minister Lin meets with delegation led by Mayor Zdanowska of Polish city of Łódź

    Source: Republic of China Taiwan

    Foreign Minister Lin meets with delegation led by Mayor Zdanowska of Polish city of Łódź

    Date：2025-06-05
    Data Source：Department of European Affairs

    June 5, 2025  
    No. 196  

    Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung on the morning of June 4 met with a delegation led by Hanna Zdanowska, Mayor of Łódź, Poland. The six-member delegation also included Łódź University of Technology Rector Krzysztof Jóźwik, Łódź City Councilors Beata Bilska and Maciej Rakowski, and Łódź city government officials. The two sides engaged in an in-depth exchange of opinions regarding Taiwan-Poland interactions on economics and trade, culture, and academic and city affairs.
     
    During the meeting, Minister Lin began by once again welcoming Mayor Zdanowska to Taiwan and thanking her for the warm reception extended to him during his visit to Łódź in November 2024. Noting that city-to-city diplomacy played an important role in Taiwan’s overall external relations, Minister Lin said he was delighted that the delegation would be meeting with Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che to formally conclude a sister-city agreement. He said that Tainan and Łódź had many things in common and that he looked forward to the two cities continuing to deepen substantive cooperation, further expanding mutual interactions and exchanges in a range of areas, and developing a mutually beneficial partnership.
     
    Mayor Zdanowska said that Łódź, a city with a long history at the heart of Poland, enjoyed convenient transport links, a rich cultural heritage, and a solid industrial foundation. Remarking that the development of special economic zones and road and airport infrastructure had much improved the city’s economic prospects in recent years, she said she hoped that Taiwanese industries would work with Łódź to generate mutual prosperity. Mayor Zdanowska also stated that Łódź had recently been active in developing its film and television and arts and cultural industries, and said she believed there was room for collaboration with related sectors in Taiwan.
     
    Taiwan and Poland share such values as freedom and democracy. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to promote close cooperation between Taiwan and Poland and seek to deepen their resilient partnership so as to create enduring prosperity and well-being for the peoples on both sides. (E)

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    June 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Foreign Minister Lin hosts welcome dinner to mark state visit by Guatemala President Arévalo

    Source: Republic of China Taiwan

    Foreign Minister Lin hosts welcome dinner to mark state visit by Guatemala President Arévalo

    Date：2025-06-06
    Data Source：Department of Latin American and Caribbean Affairs

    June 6, 2025  
    No. 198  

    Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung hosted a dinner on June 5 to mark a state visit by President Bernardo Arévalo of the Republic of Guatemala and First Lady Lucrecia Peinado. Minister Lin conveyed a sincere welcome on behalf of the government of Taiwan and said that Taiwan hoped to build upon the existing solid foundation of cooperation with Guatemala to jointly forge an even more strategically significant partnership.
     
    In his remarks, Minister Lin said that Taiwan and Guatemala enjoyed a deep friendship and had maintained diplomatic ties for more than 90 years, adding that cooperation between the two sides had yielded fruitful results across various domains. He noted that during this state visit, President Arévalo had signed a letter of intent on semiconductor cooperation with President Lai Ching-te and that the two presidents had also witnessed the signing of an MOU on a political consultation mechanism between their respective foreign ministers and the signing of a letter of intent on bilateral investment in supply chains between their respective economic ministers. He stated that these actions not only demonstrated the two countries’ staunch and cordial relations but would also further deepen bilateral cooperation. Minister Lin emphasized that Taiwan’s government would continue to work hand in hand with the Guatemalan government under President Arévalo’s leadership to advance Guatemala’s national development; deepen trade, economic, and investment ties and semiconductor cooperation; and jointly advance comprehensive bilateral collaboration across all sectors. Minister Lin also mentioned how cordially he was received by President Arévalo and First Lady Peinado when he visited Guatemala last October. He said that he had brought home and continued to cherish a menu, signed by President Arévalo, from the banquet held at the president’s residence.
     
    In his remarks, President Arévalo thanked Minister Lin for his warm reception and expressed delight at being able to meet in Taipei again after October 2024, when his wife had visited Taiwan for National Day celebrations and Minister Lin and his wife had visited Guatemala. He said that their interactions had always been convivial and sincere. President Arévalo also pointed out that the attendees of the dinner were experts and leaders in different fields, highlighting how Taiwan-Guatemala cooperation had become more comprehensive and diverse. He said that the documents signed on the morning of June 5 would serve as guideposts for the direction of future cooperation between the two nations and voiced his firm conviction that the Taiwan-Guatemala partnership would continue to grow even closer.
     
    Among other attendees at the dinner were International Cooperation and Development Fund Secretary General Huang Yu-lin; National Taiwan University Professor Chang Pei-zen; Vice Superintendent of National Taiwan University Hospital Lou Pei-jen; President of Chunghwa Telecom Lin Rong-shy; and CIECA Chairman Joseph Jye-cherng Lyu. Interactions at the event were lively and cordial. (E)

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    June 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Foreign Minister Lin hosts welcome luncheon for delegation led by Chair Battistel of French National Assembly’s Taiwan Friendship Group

    Source: Republic of China Taiwan

    Foreign Minister Lin hosts welcome luncheon for delegation led by Chair Battistel of French National Assembly’s Taiwan Friendship Group

    Date：2025-06-09
    Data Source：Department of European Affairs

    June 9, 2025  
    No. 204  

    Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung hosted a luncheon on June 9 to welcome a delegation led by Marie-Noëlle Battistel, Chair of the French National Assembly’s Taiwan Friendship Group. He extended appreciation to the French Parliament for its staunch support and close friendship with Taiwan.
     
    In his speech, Minister Lin congratulated Ms. Battistel on her election as chair of the Taiwan Friendship Group earlier this year and thanked the French Parliament for its long-standing and cross-party support of Taiwan, including the overwhelming endorsement in a resolution in 2021 supporting Taiwan’s international participation, the passage of the seven-year Military Programming Law in 2023 supporting freedom of navigation in the Taiwan Strait, and its enthusiastic response to sending a joint letter to the director-general of the World Health Organization in May backing Taiwan’s bid. Minister Lin noted that Europe’s support for Taiwan was crucial, that Taiwan-France relations continued to grow and thrive, and that there was great potential to deepen collaboration between Taiwan and France in key technological domains and innovative industries. He expressed hope that the two sides would further contribute to global prosperity and development through closer exchanges and cooperation in the future.
     
    In her speech, Chair Battistel said that she was honored to serve as chair of the French National Assembly’s Taiwan Friendship Group and emphasized that she would continue to lead the group in its steadfast support of Taiwan, in line with French values and global common interests. She indicated that China’s threats and attempts to suppress Taiwan had had wide-ranging impacts on the world and urged democratic countries to jointly support Taiwan. She added that she believed Taiwan’s participation in international organizations was pivotal and that the entire international community stood to benefit from Taiwan’s knowledge and experience.
     
    This is the second delegation from the French National Assembly to visit Taiwan this year, following a visit in May by Guillaume Kasbarian, former French Minister of Civil Service and member of the National Assembly’s Taiwan Friendship Group. 
     
    At the invitation of Minister Lin, Professor Lee Hahn-ming of the Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering at National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, along with Wu Min-hsuan, CEO of Doublethink Lab, attended the luncheon and exchanged views with the delegation on such issues as how Taiwan and France could jointly cope with the use of artificial intelligence by foreign forces to manipulate information. (E)

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    June 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reps. David Scott and Greg Murphy Lead 80+ Members Urging Secretary Doug Collins to Protect VA Anesthesia Care Standards

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman David Scott (GA-13)

    WASHINGTON D.C. — Congressman David Scott (GA-13) and Congressman Greg Murphy, M.D. (NC-03) sent a letter to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Doug Collins, urging the Department to preserve the highest standards of anesthesia care for our nation’s Veterans. The bipartisan letter was signed by more than 85 Democrats and Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives.

    “After years of reviews and agency listening sessions, we know that removing physicians during anesthesia care, strips away a critical layer of medical expertise—particularly during high-risk or emergency scenarios where seconds matter and complications are unpredictable,” said Congressman David Scott. “I expressed deep concern with the previous Administration’s effort to diminish and depart from universally agreed upon anesthesia care standards, independent data, and the very voices of our Veterans who remain firmly opposed to this dangerous initiative. Secretary Collins can protect the integrity of the VA’s anesthesia standards and reaffirm the agency’s firm commitment to medical excellence. Veterans earned that commitment through their service. It would be unconscionable to think the government is now planning to compromise their care.”

    “Our veterans deserve the highest standard of care, including careful oversight by trained physicians,” said Congressman Greg Murphy, M.D. “The trend in medicine to allow nurses to assume certain responsibilities that medical doctors are trained to do is dangerous. The attempt to cut costs is noble, but doing so at the expense of quality and safety is unacceptable. I urge Secretary Collins to reconsider the proposed policy change that would authorize nurse-only anesthetic care without physician oversight.”

    The 2025 letter comes in response to a VA department proposal to eliminate physician anesthesiologists from surgical anesthesia teams and adopt a “nurse-only” model. Currently, VA policy ensures that a physician anesthesiologist leads a team of certified registered nurse anesthetists, working together to deliver safe, high-quality anesthesia care to veterans. This collaborative model is the standard of care at the nation’s leading medical institutions, including the Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, Johns Hopkins, and Emory University Hospitals, and is mandated by law in 46 states.

    Cosigners (84) David Scott (GA), Greg Murphy (NC), Amodei (NV), Babin (TX), Barr (KY), Bean (FL), Bell (MO), Bice (OK), Boyle (PA), Bresnahan (PA), J. Brownley (CA), Burchett (TN), Carson (IN), Cisneros (CA), Yvette Clarke (NY), Conaway (NJ), Correa (CA), Crockett (TX), Cuellar (TX), Danny Davis (IL), De La Cruz (TX), Dunn (FL), Edwards (NC), Estes (KS), Ezell (MS), Feenstra (IA), Figures (AL), Fine (FL), Foushee (NC), Garbarino (NY), Gillen (NY), Gooden (TX), Griffiths (VA), Hamadeh (AZ), Andy Harris (MD), Mark Harris (NC), Hudson (NC), Hurd (CO), Jonathan Jackson (IL), Julie Johnson (TX), Hank Johnson (GA), John Joyce (PA), Kennedy (UT), Knott (NC), Krishnamoorthi (IL), Lawler (NY), Letlow (LA), Lieu (CA), Loudermilk (GA), Lutrell (TX), Mace (SC), Malliotakis (NY), McBath (GA), McCollum (MN), McCormick (GA), McDowell (NC), Messmer (IN), Meuser (PA), Miller-Meeks (IA), Moolenaar (MI), Barry Moore (AL), Tim Moore (NC), Morelle (NY), Newhouse (WA), Norman (SC), Olszewski (MD), Onder (MO), Owens (UT), Rouzer (NC), Rulli (OH), Salazar (FL), Schweikert (AZ), Austin Scott (GA), Sessions (TX), Strickland (WA), Suozzi (NY), Tenney (NY), Timmons (SC), Tlaib (MI), Turner (OH), Van Drew (NJ), Van Duyne (TX), Wagner (MO), Webster (FL)

    View a copy of the letter HERE.

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Samsung Expands Footprint and Embraces Partner Network at InfoComm 2025

    Source: Samsung

    Samsung Electronics is showcasing its latest display technologies, solutions and partner-integrated offerings at InfoComm, the largest professional audio-visual industry trade show in North America, held in Orlando, Fla., from June 11 to 13. This year, Samsung is expanding its presence across the show floor through strategic partner collaborations and a dedicated meeting space (Room W206BC).
    “The future of connected experiences lies in bringing together the best in display technology, immersive sound and collaboration tools,” said David Phelps, Head of Display Division, Samsung Electronics America. “By integrating partner technologies into our display ecosystem, we’re helping businesses rethink how they engage employees, serve customers, deliver content and optimize their spaces. Whether it’s flexible meeting rooms, interactive classrooms or seamless retail environments, we’re setting new standards for experience-led innovation.”
    Cisco and Samsung showcase stunning collaboration experiences
    During Infocomm, Samsung and Cisco (Booth #3381) will debut a new collaboration featuring the Samsung 105-inch 5K UHD Smart Signage display, which will be the first 21:9 screen to receive certification from Cisco. To harness the capabilities of the ultra-wide screen, Cisco has optimized RoomOS for its devices to support the 21:9 aspect ratio natively, resulting in a better view of meeting participants and shared content in Microsoft Teams Rooms and Webex Meetings. The widened display area allows new ways to display both meeting participants and shared content on a single display in an engaging meeting experience.

    Additionally, large supersized displays, like the new Samsung 136-inch The Wall 16:9 All-in-One LED paired with Cisco collaboration devices, and the newly announced Cisco Room Vision PTZ cameras, delivers a highly immersive large-screen meeting experience. Stunning video quality with natural, eye-level views are possible with a solution that’s simple to install. Deploy in hours, not days with Samsung’s modular all-in-one screen assembly and Cisco’s single-cable power over ethernet (PoE) cameras.

    “We are delighted that the innovative partnership between Cisco and Samsung continues to deliver the most engaging and inclusive employee experiences in the industry,” said Espen Løberg VP Product Management, Cisco. “Our certification program creates a solid foundation for seamless integrations that reduce complexity and enable scalable deployment and maintenance of collaboration rooms.”
    Together, Samsung and Cisco are raising the bar on the collaboration experience possible with these advanced displays. Powered by NVIDIA chipsets and Cisco RoomOS software, Cisco collaboration devices intelligently track, group and frame meeting participants, optimizing the use of screen real-estate afforded by Samsung Smart Signage displays, ensuring everyone can be seen in amazing detail.
    Samsung’s 136-inch The Wall with 16:9 aspect ratio, and 105-inch 5K UHD Smart Signage 21:9 aspect ratio will be on display in Cisco’s Partner Lounge (W203A) at Infocomm. During the show, demonstrations will highlight how Samsung displays paired with Cisco’s solutions and cameras optimize the meeting experience in corporate workspaces. Demonstrations will take place on Wednesday, June 11 and Thursday, June 12 from 9:00-10:00 a.m. ET.
    Logitech and Samsung redefine the modern workplace
    Building on their five-year-long partnership in video conferencing and productivity, Samsung and Logitech are collaborating to showcase joint solutions for Microsoft Teams and Copilot. These integrated offerings will be on display at Logitech’s booth (#3012). Highlights include an entry-level Teams Room setup featuring the Logitech MeetUp 2 and Tap with USB Kit, paired with a Samsung 65-inch display. Attendees can also view a demonstration of multi-stream functionality in Teams Rooms on Windows, also utilizing a Samsung 65-inch display. Additionally, the booth will present a desktop productivity package that combines Logitech’s MK955 keyboard-mouse combo—with dedicated Windows and Copilot keys—with Samsung monitors, offering an optimized Microsoft 365 Copilot experience for enterprise users. The collaboration reflects a shared commitment to innovation, simplicity and enhanced productivity in modern work environments.

    “Our enduring partnership with Samsung has always centered on transforming workplace experiences through smarter, more seamless solutions,” said Sudeep Trivedi, Head of Alliances and Go-to-Market, Logitech. “By innovating on solutions for Microsoft Teams and Copilot, we’re making significant gains in addressing the needs of Microsoft 365 users. Together, we’re redefining productivity and enabling businesses to thrive in today’s dynamic work environments.”
    Integrated partner display solutions drive customer success
    Throughout the show floor, InfoComm attendees can explore how Samsung’s portfolio of commercial display products integrates seamlessly with best-in-class technologies from its ecosystem partners. These integrated solutions are designed to elevate customer and employee engagement, streamline operations and drive better business outcomes across industries.
    For instance, FORTÉ (Booth #1742), the leading provider of communication and collaboration solutions designed to transform the modern workplace, will feature the Samsung 146-inch The Wall All-In-One 4K and WMB Interactive Display in its booth. Vu Technologies, another key partner of Samsung, will showcase its all-in-one studio solution, Vu One Mini, integrated with the Samsung 146-inch The Wall display. The activation will be fully powered by Vu’s proprietary production software, Vu Studio.
    ADI Global Distribution (Booth #3728), the leading distributor of security, AV and low-voltage products, will showcase the WAD Interactive Display and The Wall All-In-One 4K on the show floor.
    InfoComm attendees can experience how Samsung displays and solutions empower businesses to redefine visual engagement and operational efficiencies at additional partners’ booths, including:

    Bluestar (Booth #980)
    TD Synnex (Booth #1900)
    United Communication (Booth #3817)

    Elevating corporate, retail, educational and other business environments with display innovations
    In its dedicated meeting room W206BC, Samsung will showcase recently launched displays, including the Color E-Paper, 105-inch 5k UHD Smart Signage and WAF Interactive Display, as well as software solutions like the Visual eXperience Transformation (VXT) platform and SmartThings Pro. Welcoming guests at the entrance of the meeting space is a larger-than-life 136-inch model of The Wall that delivers stunning picture quality with optimized brightness and contrast powered by the advanced NQM AI Processor.

    Launched on June 5, Samsung Color E-Paper expands upon its portfolio of energy-efficient digital signage. Featuring digital ink technology, this latest model delivers ultra-low power consumption, high visibility and a lightweight design, offering businesses a sustainable and flexible display alternative. With a fully charged integrated battery, users have the ability to install and use Color E-Paper freely without being connected to a power source. During content updates, the display still uses significantly less energy than LCD digital signage, which helps reduce operational costs.
    The Samsung 105-inch 5K UHD Smart Signage display elevates workplace collaboration and audience engagement. At just 48.1mm in depth, the display’s slim design makes it a perfect fit for sleek and modern workspaces, retail stores and high-traffic places such as airports, rail stations or sports arenas. Users can make a big impression by installing the QPD-5K display vertically, with its screen reaching eight feet tall in portrait mode. The 105-inch display’s expansive, ultra-wide screen is an ideal solution for video conferencing in modern meeting spaces. Ultra-clear 5K resolution and non-glare technology ensure crisp, vivid visuals to deliver important information from every angle.
    Available in 65-, 75- and 86-inch models, the WAF Interactive Display delivers a captivating classroom experience for students. Powered by the Android 14 operating system, the WAF builds on the successes of Samsung’s first Google Enterprise Devices Licensing Agreement (EDLA)-certified classroom display, the WAD series, and introduces new features to enhance classroom instruction and engagement. The “Annotation” button empowers users to take notes anytime without interruptions, even over videos and other visuals on the screen, making collaborating and engaging during lessons more seamless and less intrusive. The Note app on the display has been updated to allow multiple students to use the whiteboard at once. Dr. Micah Shippee, Director of Education Solutions & Channel Sales, Samsung, will be in the Samsung meeting room and at the Cisco, TD SYNNEX and Bluestar booths demonstrating the WAF’s capabilities.

    Samsung solutions unlock the full potential of display ecosystems
    The newest iteration of VXT, a cloud-native Content Management Solution (CMS) that combines content and remote B2B screen management, adds expanded compatibility and app enhancements to streamline operations management and a new hybrid cloud deployment option. The solution is compatible with Samsung’s latest digital signage products and offers robust screen management for Android and Windows devices within an organization’s B2B display network.

    Users can now remotely adjust screen settings, including backlights and screen orientation, and security controls. Scheduling allows remote control of screen operations based on business hours or holidays to help optimize energy usage. Additionally, VXT provides over 200 templates and Pre-Integrated Repeatable Solutions (PIRS) apps created by Samsung and its partners to simplify custom content development.
    Samsung has launched the VXT CMS Transformer, an innovative application designed to help users transition smoothly from the legacy Samsung MagicINFO digital signage platform to VXT. To make the transition even easier, Samsung now offers a powerful on-premise compatibility analysis tool that automatically scans users’ existing MagicINFO setup to identify which devices and content are ready for VXT, flag potential compatibility issues and generate a clear, actionable migration-readiness report—all without requiring server access.
    For a limited time, Samsung is offering a special migration incentive to help users get started with minimal cost and maximum value. To take advantage of this offer, simply download the VXT CMS Transformer and run the compatibility analysis report today.
    Newly launched integrations between PIRS apps and the SmartThings Pro IoT platform enable dynamic automation, allowing screens to display content based on sensor triggers, such as exit directions in the event of an emergency. SmartThings Pro extends Samsung’s hyper-connected smart home technology to business environments, providing a scalable platform for intelligent device management. With its intuitive dashboard, users can monitor, control and create custom automations for connected devices across their business. It also features an AI Energy Mode, an intelligent power-saving technology that reduces energy consumption based on ambient brightness, content analysis and motion detection.

    Samsung’s commitment to delivering sustainable signage has earned a Silver rating from the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT), an environmental rating system managed by the Green Electronics Council (GEC) in the United States. EPEAT evaluates products across a range of sustainability criteria, including hazardous substance use, energy efficiency, recycled packaging and corporate social responsibility. This recognition is especially noteworthy as every model in Samsung’s standalone signage lineup is now certified with a Silver rating.
    Samsung offers special savings this summer
    Samsung is running special promotions in June and July on select displays to show its support for small businesses. Throughout June, Samsung is offering up to $1,000 off its 105-inch 5K UHD Smart Signage and up to $500 off the Color E-Paper display. Additionally, Samsung is offering up to $400 off its LCD Video Walls, which create a virtually seamless large-format viewing experience to elevate any business setting, and up to $280 off the Samsung Kiosk, which meets the demands of any high-traffic self-service environment. Business owners can enjoy up to $200 off Samsung Pro TVs — which range from 43- to 85-inches — to match the screen size requirements of any location.
    From now until the end of July, customers can also take advantage of the buy one WAF Interactive Display, get one Samsung Pro TV free promotion.

    MIL OSI Economics –

    June 12, 2025
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