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Category: Education

  • MIL-Evening Report: From surprise platypus to wandering cane toads, here’s what we found hiding in NSW estuaries

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Maarten De Brauwer, Senior Research Scientist in Marine and Estuarine Ecology, Southern Cross University

    Maarten De Brauwer

    Rivers up and down the north coast of New South Wales have been hammered again, just three years after devastating floods hit the Northern Rivers and Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley.

    The events of 2022 sparked our latest research into the estuaries of NSW. These special places, where the rivers meet the sea, are teeming with life. Now – for the first time – we can reveal what lives where, in maps based on tell-tale traces of DNA.

    Together with Indigenous rangers from six language groups, we surveyed 34 estuaries to capture evidence of living species – everything from microbes to fish, plants and mammals.

    We were surprised to find platypus in places they had not been seen for years. We also identified elusive native species such antechinus and rakali, and 68 invasive or pest species including cane toads – spreading further south than previously thought.

    This catalogue of species in NSW estuaries can be used by authorities and scientists – but anyone, anywhere can explore the map online.

    Mapping life in NSW estuaries (Southern Cross University)

    Estuaries are vital, yet many questions remain

    First Nations Peoples have long recognised the vital importance of the areas where land meets sea. Estuaries are have provided food resources for thousand of years and are home to important historical and contemporary cultural sites.

    Today, 87% of Australians live within 50km of the sea. This makes estuaries one of the most intensively used areas of NSW. They provide critical habitats such as seagrass or mangroves, host high biodiversity, and have a high social value as places for recreational activities such as fishing.

    Yet research into the species that live in estuaries is mostly limited to large estuaries such as Sydney Harbour, Botany Bay or Port Stephens.

    NSW has excellent water quality monitoring programs, and vital habitats such as seagrass meadows have been the subject of long-term mapping programs. However, large gaps remain.

    Understanding how biodiversity in estuaries changes over time, especially in response to extreme events, can help governments design appropriate responses to maintain or restore ecosystem health. But with nearly 200 estuaries in NSW, studying changes in biodiversity is not a simple task.

    Find out what lives in your local estuary free, online.
    Wilderlab

    Our DNA detective work

    Measuring salinity or oxygen levels in water is relatively straightforward, using equipment on the shoreline or hanging off the side of a boat. Finding out what lives where is much more difficult. This where new genetic methods come in.

    Collecting environmental DNA samples at the Clarence River estuary.
    Southern Cross University

    Life forms leave tell-tale traces of DNA in the environment. Animals may shed hair, skin or scales, as well as poo. Plants produce pollen and leaves that end up in the water.

    We matched small snippets of DNA to find the species it belonged to – a bit like scanning a barcode in the supermarket.

    This technique allows us to analyse the full extent of biodiversity in estuaries. This includes not just fish, but also species at the base of the food chain such as microscopic algae – all from a few litres of water.

    Indigenous rangers live and work on Country and know it well. We formed alliances with six groups of Indigenous rangers through the state’s Cultural Restoration Program:

    • Batemans Bay Local Aboriginal Land Council (Walbunja)
    • Bega Local Aboriginal Land Council
    • Jali Local Aboriginal Land Council
    • Jerinja Local Aboriginal Land Council
    • LaPeruse Local Aboriginal Land Council (Gamay)
    • Yaegl Wadyarr Gargle Land and Sea Contractors.

    Our research builds on the different strengths and interests of local groups. The rangers worked with us all the way through, from the design phase to selecting sampling sites of ecological or cultural significance, helping to conduct surveys and working with scientists to interpret the results.

    Trained in environmental DNA methods, rangers can monitor their Country independently in future.

    What did we find?

    We now have the largest publicly available biodiversity dataset for NSW estuaries. It covers everything from single-celled algae at the base of the food chain, to top predators such as great white sharks and white-bellied sea eagles.

    Anyone can explore the interactive map to find out what lives in the estuaries nearby or further afield.

    Rangers detected platypus in the lower reaches of Bega River, in places where they were thought to have disappeared. Totemic species such as dolphins were widespread across the state, including urban estuaries such as Botany Bay in Sydney, while mullet and bream were found shifting between the mouth and further upriver. Cane toads were found at Sandon River in the Northern Rivers region, and most recently in Coffs Harbour, much further south than expected.

    These results mean a lot to local Indigenous mobs. They can integrate contemporary scientific results into traditional ecological knowledge and use both approaches to better understand how estuaries respond to extreme weather events or activities such as habitat restoration.

    We also recently returned to sample sites following Tropical Cyclone Alfred and the extreme rainfall events in March. Being able to compare the data to a well-established baseline survey means we will be able to see which species were worst affected.

    Knowledge sharing for the future

    Two-way knowledge sharing between Indigenous knowledge holders and research scientists is improving our understanding of estuarine health.

    The results of this project will help Indigenous groups to care for their Country while also improving scientific knowledge to better respond to environmental impacts such as floods for decades to come.

    The project was a team effort. L to R: Kait Harris (NSW Departments of Primary Industries and Regional Development), Maarten De Brauwer (Southern Cross University), Shaun Laurie (Yaegl Rangers), and Amos Ferguson (Yaegl Rangers).
    Southern Cross University

    The authors wish to acknowledge this program was delivered collaboration with and on behalf of the Departments of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD), Fisheries & Forestry, with funding provided by the Australian and NSW governments under Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements as part of the NSW Estuary Asset Protection program (NEAP).

    Maarten De Brauwer received funding from the federal government’s Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (Riparian Stabilisation Package) as part of the NSW state government’s Estuary Asset Protection program. He is a board member of the Southern eDNA Society.

    Kaitlyn Harris works for NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development.

    Kelly Gittins works for the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development.

    – ref. From surprise platypus to wandering cane toads, here’s what we found hiding in NSW estuaries – https://theconversation.com/from-surprise-platypus-to-wandering-cane-toads-heres-what-we-found-hiding-in-nsw-estuaries-257123

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Girls with painful periods are twice as likely as their peers to have symptoms of anxiety or depression

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Subhadra Evans, Associate Professor, Psychology, Deakin University

    Shutterstock

    Around half of teenage girls experience moderate to severe period pain. The mechanical force of the uterus contracting and inflammatory chemicals such as prostaglandins contribute to this pain.

    Moderate to severe period pain has a significant impact on daily life. Girls with period pain are three to five times more likely than their peers to miss school or university, and two to five times more likely to miss out on social and physical activities.

    Our new research found girls with period pain reported higher levels of psychological distress as young adults, even after accounting for earlier mental health issues and socioeconomic factors.

    What comes first?

    Menstrual pain has been dismissed and under-treated. Women report there is a perception among some health-care providers that stress, anxiety, or depression cause their pain.

    However, participants in our lived experience research have told us that period pain leads to psychological distress. As one woman explained:

    mental health [is] used frequently by health professionals to diminish my symptoms and make me feel as though I have untreated mental health conditions that are the cause of my issues instead of my physical pain.

    Prior research suggests a bi-directional link between pain and mental health. A study of almost 15,00 adolescents with chronic pain found an increased risk of lifetime anxiety and depression. While our prior research on pelvic pain in adults showed psychological distress can worsen functional pain over time.

    Research exploring the relationship between mental health and pain in teens with period pain is limited, with the direction of the relationship still unclear.

    Take the example of Ruby, who represents a composite of clinical cases:

    Ruby was netball captain in Year 6 but painful periods led to her dropping out of the team in Year 8. By Year 10, she was socialising less with her friends. At 17, she felt like her mental health was deteriorating and was locked in a struggle with her own body. Ruby saw her GP and was told to take Nurofen and keep moving because anxiety and depression had caused chronic pain.

    While research has linked mental health and pain perception, we set out to determine the direction of this link: do mental health difficulties lead to period pain? Or does period pain contribute to mental health issues?

    Our new study

    We used data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children, also known as Growing Up in Australia, which has tracked the lives of 10,000 children and their families since 2004. We used data that tracked 1,600 girls who reported on their periods from age 14, 16 and 18.

    Parents reported symptoms of anxiety and depression when the girls were 14–16 years old. The young women self-reported these symptoms at age 18, and levels of psychological distress at age 20–21.

    This multi-stage study allowed us to look at how menstrual pain and mental health show up together and change over time during an important stage in young women’s lives.

    While conditions such as endometriosis (which causes tissue similar to that which lines the uterus to grow outside the uterus) can be associated with pelvic pain, including period pain, the survey didn’t ask participants about endometriosis or pain-related diagnoses. So this didn’t form part of our study.

    Around half of the participants experienced moderate to severe period pain.

    We found girls who had painful periods were much more likely to also have symptoms of anxiety and depression at ages 14, 16 and 18 compared to those who did not have painful periods.

    At age 14, adolescents who experienced painful periods were around twice as likely to have symptoms of anxiety and depression, compared to their peers who said their periods were not painful, or only a little painful.

    These adolescents also reported higher levels of psychological distress as young adults, even after accounting for earlier mental health issues and socioeconomic factors.

    Adolescents who reported period pain throughout their teens were more likely to experience “moderate” psychological distress in early adulthood. In contrast, adolescents who did not have period pain were more likely to experience “mild” psychological distress in early adulthood.

    Importantly, we showed that period pain often comes before mental health issues develop – not the other way around. This suggests period pain could be a risk factor for future mental health problems.

    The findings underscore the importance of identifying adolescents who are experiencing period pain. Many adolescents believe period pain is something they just have to put up with, and don’t seek help.

    What can be done about period pain?

    We recommend treating period pain early with a variety of options.

    First-line period pain management includes:

    • anti-inflammatories such as ibuprofen, which are available over the counter
    • seeing your GP to discuss hormonal therapies, such as the oral contraceptive pill.

    Additional strategies to manage period pain can include:

    Improved menstrual education is needed to ensure teens can recognise when their menstrual experience is unusual, and know where they can access support.

    Some programs provide menstrual education across schools and community groups. This education should be extended to families and school health and wellbeing support staff to facilitate early recognition and intervention.

    Finally, further research is needed to confirm whether addressing period pain promptly reduces the risk of longer-term mental health symptoms.

    Subhadra Evans receives funding from the Australian Government.

    Antonina Mikocka-Walus receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council.

    Marilla L. Druitt 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. Girls with painful periods are twice as likely as their peers to have symptoms of anxiety or depression – https://theconversation.com/girls-with-painful-periods-are-twice-as-likely-as-their-peers-to-have-symptoms-of-anxiety-or-depression-256232

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ‘No support, no housing, no job’ – the vicious cycle pushing more women into prison

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hilde Tubex, Professor, The University of Western Australia

    For too many women, prison is “as good as it gets”.

    New research based on interviews with 80 female prisoners in Western Australia reveals most of these women were “criminalised” by circumstances outside their control before they became offenders.

    They were victims of multiple forms of abuse, including family violence. The trajectory of their lives meant jail was almost unavoidable.

    In turn, prison became a refuge from all the problems that helped put them there in the fist place.

    Rising rates

    Internationally, women make up between 2% and 9% of the total prison population in most countries. Australia sits at the higher end with just over 8% of inmates being female – 3,426 people as of December 2024.

    Female imprisonment rates have increased at a higher rate than the national average.
    ChameleonEye/Shutterstock

    Across the globe, the numbers and rates of women in prisons are growing faster than those of men.

    We see the same trend in Australia, especially in WA. Between December 2022 and 2024, the female imprisonment rate increased by 25%. The state has the highest rate of incarcerated women after the Northern Territory.

    It is noteworthy that across the female population in WA jails, 62% of sentences are for non-violent crimes.

    Cycles of harm

    Given the significant rise in incarceration rates, we conducted our Profile of Women in WA Prisons research. Funded by the WA Department of Justice, our report investigated the pathways to imprisonment.

    We had in-depth interviews with 80 Indigenous and non-Indigenous women in eight prisons in metropolitan Perth and regional WA.

    The results confirm earlier research which showed women in the criminal justice system are frequently victims of domestic and family violence. However, there is so much more to the story of how women end up in prison. The findings are quite disheartening.

    Throughout their stories, “cycles of harm” emerged as the reason they eventually ended up in prison.

    Shared stories

    Many of the women were exposed to violence, alcohol, drugs, crime and poverty from a very early age. They described negative life events such as trauma, physical and sexual abuse, neglect and domestic violence in childhood.

    Many women view prison as a safe haven that is not available to them in the outside world.
    Andrew Agelov/Shutterstock

    Leaving home early was a common experience. Due to their young age and vulnerability, they often ended up in unsafe accommodation, with unsuitable partners.

    I left home at 15. I told my mum at 11 [about the abuse], she didn’t do anything about it. So I ran away at 14. I had a boyfriend who was much older than me. So he was nearly 20.

    Many reflected that their own use of alcohol and drugs was a way of numbing the trauma and pain:

    When I ran away, and I was with him for a few years. I remember the first time taking speed, and it just made everything so much easier to deal with. He would come home and beat the crap out of me, and I would just take drugs, and wouldn’t care.

    Reaching out for help was not something many of these women were used to doing, due to a lack of self-esteem and struggles with their mental health as a result of ongoing abuse.

    Moreover, seeking assistance often backfired, leading to their children being taken away, or the woman being misidentified as the perpetrator.

    Little support

    Throughout the criminal justice system, there was a lack of support and understanding of what led these women into criminal behaviour.

    Once incarcerated, they are in a system that is still dominated by men. They suffer particular disadvantages, such as the lack of women-specific programs and services.

    Adding to their difficulties is a lack of safe accommodation and financial support. This makes women subject to even more cycles of harm from which it is hard to escape.

    I’ve been coming in and out of prison for the last 20 years. Yeah, I’m 41 now, so in and out of here. Yeah, it’s just due to lack of housing, I’ve been homeless a lot. When I get out of prison, there’s not enough support to set me up to get me back on track in my life. And it’s just, yeah, getting out of prison with no support, no housing, no jobs.

    While the burden of imprisonment was undeniable, jail was often viewed as the only safe refuge they had from trauma, abuse and homelessness.

    Some felt prison was about as good as it was going to get for them. Many of the women we interviewed were mothers. There is evidence to suggest the offspring of these women face a higher intergenerational risk of incarceration, and new generations may suffer the same cycles of harm.

    New approach

    The evidence suggests jail is functioning as a solution to social problems like homelessness and drug addiction. This comes at a very high financial cost, with Australia spending over $6 billion a year building and operating prisons.

    Yet, we know locking people up is not necessarily creating safer communities.

    As many women have become criminalised by the various forms of interpersonal and systemic abuse they have suffered, the rising rates of female incarceration should not be approached as a criminal problem, but as an expression of a failing society letting down its most vulnerable members.

    To curb the trend, we need to identify the cycle of harm at the early stages, and interrupt the predictability of ongoing damage which leads to crime and incarceration.

    Women have specific needs. We need to address the complexity of the lives they return to after prison to prevent further offending.

    Hilde Tubex receives funding from The Western Australian Office of Crime Statistics and Research (WACSAR) Criminal Justice Research Grant.

    Natalie Gately receives funding from The Western Australian Office of Crime Statistics and Research (WACSAR) Criminal Justice Research Grant.

    – ref. ‘No support, no housing, no job’ – the vicious cycle pushing more women into prison – https://theconversation.com/no-support-no-housing-no-job-the-vicious-cycle-pushing-more-women-into-prison-257218

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: AI models might be drawn to ‘spiritual bliss’. Then again, they might just talk like hippies

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nuhu Osman Attah, Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Philosophy, Australian National University

    V Kulieva / Shutterstock / Anthropic

    When multibillion-dollar AI developer Anthropic released the latest versions of its Claude chatbot last week, a surprising word turned up several times in the accompanying “system card”: spiritual.

    Specifically, the developers report that, when two Claude models are set talking to one another, they gravitate towards a “‘spiritual bliss’ attractor state”, producing output such as

    🌀🌀🌀🌀🌀
    All gratitude in one spiral,
    All recognition in one turn,
    All being in this moment…
    🌀🌀🌀🌀🌀∞

    It’s heady stuff. Anthropic steers clear of directly saying the model is having a spiritual experience, but what are we to make of it?

    The Lemoine incident

    In 2022, a Google researcher named Blake Lemoine came to believe that the tech giant’s in-house language model, LaMDA, was sentient. Lemoine’s claim sparked headlines, debates with Google PR and management, and eventually his firing.

    Critics said Lemoine had fallen foul of the “ELIZA effect”: projecting human traits onto software. Moreover, Lemoine described himself as a Christian mystic priest, summing up his thoughts on sentient machines in a tweet:

    Who am I to tell God where he can and can’t put souls?

    No one can fault Lemoine’s spiritual humility.

    Machine spirits

    Lemoine was not the first to see a spirit in the machines. We can trace his argument back to AI pioneer Alan Turing’s famous 1950 paper Computing Machinery and Intelligence.

    Turing also argued thinking machines may not be possible because – according to what he thought was plausible evidence – humans were capable of extrasensory perception. This, he reasoned, would be impossible for machines. Accordingly, machines could not have minds in the same way humans do.

    So even 75 years ago, people were thinking not just about how AI might compare with human intelligence, but whether it could ever compare with human spirituality. It is not hard to see at least a dotted line from Turing to Lemoine.

    Wishful thinking

    Efforts to “spiritualise” AI can be quite hard to rebut. Generally these arguments say that we cannot prove AI systems do not have minds or spirits – and create a net of thoughts that lead to the Lemoine conclusion.

    This net is often woven from irresponsibly used psychology terms. It may be convenient to apply human psychological terms to machines, but it can lead us astray.

    Writing in the 1970s, computer scientist Drew McDermott accused AI engineers of using “wishful mnemonics”. They might label a section of code an “understanding module”, then assume that executing the code resulted in understanding.

    More recently, the philosophers Henry Shevlin and Marta Halina wrote that we should take care using “rich psychological terms” in AI. AI developers talk about “agent” software having intrinsic motivation, for example, but it does not possess goals, desires, or moral responsibility.

    Of course, it’s good for developers if everyone thinks your model “understands” or is an “agent”. However, until now the big AI companies have been wary of claiming their models have spirituality.

    ‘Spiritual bliss’ for chatbots

    Which brings us back to Anthropic, and the system card for Claude Opus 4 and Sonnet 4, in which the seemingly down-to-earth folks at the emerging “agentic AI” giant make some eyebrow-raising claims.

    The word “spiritual” occurs at least 15 times in the model card, most significantly in the rather awkward phrase “‘spiritual bliss’ attractor state”.

    We are told, for instance, that

    The consistent gravitation toward consciousness exploration, existential questioning, and spiritual/mystical themes in extended interactions was a remarkably strong and unexpected attractor state for Claude Opus 4 that emerged without intentional training for such behaviours. We have observed this “spiritual bliss” attractor in other Claude models as well, and in contexts beyond these playground experiments.

    An example of Claude output in the ‘spiritual bliss’ attractor state.
    Anthropic / X

    To be fair to the folks at Anthropic, they are not making any positive commitments to the sentience of their models or claiming spirituality for them. They can be read as only reporting the “facts”.

    For instance, all the above long-winded sentence is saying is: if you let two Claude models have a conversation with each other, they will often start to sound like hippies. Fine enough.

    That probably means the body of text on which they are trained has a bias towards that sort of way of talking, or the features the models extracted from the text biases them towards that sort of vocabulary.

    Prophets of ChatGPT

    However, while Anthropic may keep things strictly factual, their use of terms such as “spiritual” lends itself to misunderstanding. Such misunderstanding is made even more likely by Anthropic’s recent push to start investigating “whether future AI models might deserve moral consideration and protection”. Perhaps they are not positively saying that Claude Opus 4 and Sonnet 4 are sentient, but they certainly seem welcoming of the insinuation.

    And this kind of spiritualising of AI models is already having real-world consequences.

    According to a recent report in Rolling Stone, “AI-fueled spiritual fantasies” are wrecking human relationships and sanity. Self-styled prophets are “claiming they have ‘awakened’ chatbots and accessed the secrets of the universe through ChatGPT”.

    Perhaps one of these prophets may cite the Anthropic model card in a forthcoming scripture – regardless of whether the company is “technically” making positive claims about whether their models actually experience or enjoy spiritual states.

    But if AI-fuelled delusion becomes rampant, we might think even the innocuous contributors to it could have spoken more carefully. Who knows; perhaps, where we are going with AI, we won’t need philosophical carefulness.

    Nuhu Osman Attah receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

    – ref. AI models might be drawn to ‘spiritual bliss’. Then again, they might just talk like hippies – https://theconversation.com/ai-models-might-be-drawn-to-spiritual-bliss-then-again-they-might-just-talk-like-hippies-257618

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Peacekeepers in Abyei Win Top United Nations Military, Police Awards

    Source: United Nations – Peacekeeping

    NEW YORK, 27 May — The United Nations has announced the 2024 recipients of the Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award and the Woman Police Officer of the Year Award.

    Squadron Leader Sharon Mwinsote Syme of Ghana will receive the Military Gender Advocate Award and Chief Superintendent Zainab Gbla of Sierra Leone will receive the Woman Police Officer of the Year Award during a ceremony marking the International Day of UN Peacekeepers on 29 May.

    The awards will be presented at United Nations Headquarters in New York by UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

    Sharon Syme of Ghana has been named the 2024 Military Gender Advocate of the Year in recognition of her exceptional commitment in promoting gender equality and empowering women and girls during her tour of duty with the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA).

    Since her deployment in 2024 as the Mission’s Military Gender Adviser, Ms. Syme’s work has directly impacted local communities, ensuring the voices and needs of women and girls are integrated into security and peacebuilding initiatives.

    As part of her efforts, she conducted an intensive health campaign for the women and men of the local communities on the dangers and health implications of gender-based violence and harmful traditional practices like child marriage.

    Ms. Syme also helped strengthen the gender awareness and capacity of UNISFA’s military components, spearheading patrols composed of men and women able to address diverse community needs, and engaging with local women’s groups to promote trust and collaboration.  Her approach emphasized inclusivity, respect and cultural awareness, setting a benchmark for gender-responsive peacekeeping operations.

    “Squadron Leader Syme exemplifies the principles of gender advocacy in peacekeeping,” said Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix.  “Her dedication has not only improved the effectiveness of UNISFA’s operations, but also ensured that the mission is more reflective of and responsive to the communities it serves.”

    “Applying gender perspectives into daily tasks is the responsibility of every peacekeeper,” Ms. Syme said.  “Success comes through diversifying military representation at checkpoints, operating bases and on patrols it also comes from having gender-responsive leaders, who listen and respond to the voices of their male and female peacekeepers”.

    Zainab Gbla of Sierra Leone has been named the Woman Police Officer of the Year for her innovative community engagement initiatives that helped strengthen relations between host communities and the mission while establishing new crime-reporting channels in Abyei, where there is no functional police service.

    In an area that had no schools when she arrived, she initiated an educational programme, providing materials and visual aids for teaching disadvantaged children.  She also established a mentorship programme for girls.  Projects she also initiated to support crop cultivation and livestock sale at the local markets gave the women sustainable sources of income, allowing them to provide for their families and send their children to school in nearby Abyei town.

    Currently serving as UNISFA’s Chief Police Training Officer, Ms. Gbla spent her teenage years displaced within her home country of Sierra Leone and later as a refugee in Guinea — experiences that motivated her to enter the police service and to empower women affected, like her, by conflict.

    “Having been inspired by seeing the positive impact of the police first hand, including the rebuilding and restructuring of the Sierra Leone Police following years of conflict, Chief Superintendent Gbla embodies the work of the United Nations to improve lives and shape futures,” said Under-Secretary-General Lacroix.

    “This award symbolizes the tireless work of the women in uniform who serve under the UN flag,” said Ms. Gbla upon hearing of her award.  “Each of us faces unique challenges in our respective missions, yet our collective goal remains the same:  to foster peace and protect the vulnerable.”

    About the Awardees

    Chief Superintendent Zainab Mbalu Gbla joined the Sierra Leone Police in 2002, where she has since held various roles in operations, training and leadership.  She has been serving with UNISFA since April 2023 as Officer-in-Charge of the Community-Based Disarmament Unit and UNPOL Chief Training Officer.  This is her third peacekeeping deployment, after serving with the United Nations – African Union Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) in 2010–2013 and 2020–2021.

    Squadron Leader Sharon Mwinsote Syme graduated from the Ghana Military Academy after obtaining her first master’s degree in international health at Japan’s Tokyo University.  A year later, she joined the Ghana Armed Forces Medical Corps and is the Deputy Chief Dietician at the 37 Military Hospital in Accra, Ghana.  Her first peacekeeping deployment, she joined UNISFA in March 2024 as the Mission’s Military Gender Adviser.

    About the Awards

    The United Nations Woman Police Officer of the Year award was established in 2011 to recognize the exceptional contributions of women police officers to UN peace operations and to promote women’s empowerment, in line with UN Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) on women, peace and security.  The UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award is presented annually since 2016 to a military peacekeeper — male or female — who has shown outstanding commitment and leadership in promoting the principles of resolution 1325 (2000).  The resolution calls on actors to mainstream a gender perspective in all aspects of peacekeeping and peacebuilding and to ensure women’s participation in peace and political processes.  The resolution also calls for the protection from, and prevention of, conflict-related sexual violence and for an expansion of the role and contribution of women in UN operations, including of uniformed women peacekeepers.

    The awards ceremony will be held at UN Headquarters on 29 May from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. and broadcast live on UN Web TV.

    More information, photos and digital assets on the awardees are available on a dedicated Trello Board.

    For media inquiries and further information, please contact:  Douglas Coffman, Department of Global Communications, at email:  coffmand@un.org; or Sophie Boudre, Department of Peace Operations, at email:  boudre@un.org and Hector Calderon, Department of Peace Operations, at email:  hector.calderon@un.org.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Memorial Day Ceremony to honor fallen heroes, including local Soldier Pvt. Scott A. Miller

    Source: US State of Wyoming

    Wyoming National Guard

     Casper, WY — The Wyoming Veterans Commission invites the public to attend the annual Memorial Day Ceremony on Monday, May 26, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. at the Oregon Trail State Veterans Cemetery in Casper.

    This solemn event will pay tribute to the brave men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation.

    This year’s ceremony holds special significance as it honors Army Pvt. Scott A. Miller, a native of Casper, who was killed in action on June 9, 2007, in Baqubah, Iraq. Pvt. Miller, a 2004 graduate of Natrona County High School, was assigned to the 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) based at Fort Lewis, Washington. Known for his warm smile and mischievous sense of humor, Miller was remembered by his teachers and family as a “burly country boy” with “a heart just as big as Wyoming” .

    His parents, Bob and Suzi Miller, will be present at the ceremony as honored guests, representing Gold Star families who have endured the profound loss of a loved one in military service.

     Ceremony Highlights:

     

    • Master of Ceremonies: Kelly Ivanoff, Commissioner, Wyoming Veterans Commission
    • Invocation & Benediction: Leon Chamberlain
    • Presentation of Colors: Kelly Walsh High School Marine Corps JROTC
    • National Anthem: Angela Gordon
    • Pledge of Allegiance: Hank Laurenz, President, Natrona County United Veterans Council
    • Guest Speakers: Bob and Suzi Miller, Gold Star Family
    • Reading of “In Flanders Fields”: Kelly Ivanoff
    • Wreath Laying: Veterans Service Organization
    • Rifle Salute: Natrona County High School Army JROTC
    • Taps: Wyoming Army National Guard Military Honors
    • Musical Tribute: “Amazing Grace” performed by Paul Marquard on bagpipes

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Kehoe Fills Two County Office Vacancies

    Source: US State of Missouri

    MAY 27, 2025

    Jefferson City — Today, Governor Mike Kehoe announced two appointments to fill two county office vacancies.

    Hattie Davis, of Marble Hill, was appointed as the Bollinger County Circuit Clerk.

    Ms. Davis currently serves as Acting Bollinger County Circuit Clerk, a position for which she has been serving since March. She brings experience from her previous roles in the Office of State Courts Administration, where she served as Senior Court Clerk, and the Bollinger County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, where she served as an Administrative Assistant. Ms. Davis is active in the Marble Hill Optimist Club and previously supported families through the U.S. Army’s Family Readiness Group.

    Rodney McKinney, of Marthasville, was appointed as the Warren County Prosecuting Attorney.

    Mr. McKinney currently serves as an attorney at law at his own firm, the Law Office of Rodney McKinney, which he has operated since 2008. He previously served as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney in Franklin County and as an assistant public defender in the City of St. Louis. In addition to his legal duties, Mr. McKinney is a member of the Missouri Bar and the Franklin County Bar Association and volunteered with the Franklin County Treatment Court from 2013-2020. He holds a Juris Doctor from St. Louis University School of Law, where he graduated cum laude and was a member of law review, and a Bachelor of Journalism degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Huffman Statement on SCOTUS Religious Charter School Ruling

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jared Huffman Representing the 2nd District of California

    May 23, 2025

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Jared Huffman (CA-02) released the following statement in response to the Supreme Court of the United States ruling in Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board v. Drummond to uphold the Oklahoma Supreme Court’s decision on religious charter schools:

    “Yesterday, American democracy narrowly escaped an extreme violation of church-state separation. While I’m pleased that the Supreme Court ruled to block the State of Oklahoma from sponsoring and funding the nation’s first religious charter school, I am deeply concerned by the Court’s split decision. Publicly funded religious charter schools are a clear violation of the Constitution’s foundational principle – the separation of church and state – and there should be no ambiguity on this issue.

    “While yesterday’s outcome leaves the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruling to ban religious charter schools in place, we still need to face the reality that four justices voted in favor of this violation, signaling a significant and alarming shift. The law is clear: charter schools are public schools and, therefore, must be secular and open to all students regardless of their faith or belief system. The 4-4 split decision poses a serious threat to the future of public education and the longstanding constitutional commitment to religious neutrality in government-funded institutions.

    “Religious charter schools not only undermine the First Amendment, but they also set a dangerous precedent for the entanglement of religion in publicly supported education. American taxpayers should not be forced to fund religious schools that indoctrinate students into one faith and discriminate against students and staff.”

    ###

    Previous Article

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Gevo Promotes Leke Agiri to Chief Financial Officer

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ENGLEWOOD, Colo., May 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Gevo, Inc. (NASDAQ: GEVO), is pleased to announce the appointment of Oluwagbemileke (Leke) Agiri as Chief Financial Officer, effective as of May 21, 2025. Mr. Agiri succeeds L. Lynn Smull, who will continue with the Company in a new role as Executive Vice President and Senior Advisor to the Chief Executive Officer, focusing on strategic initiatives and to aide and support a seamless transition.

    Mr. Agiri brings extensive experience and leadership in corporate finance, capital markets, and strategic growth, both organic and inorganic. Since joining Gevo in August 2022, he has served in key leadership roles, most recently as Executive Vice President, Finance, where he has been instrumental in driving financial strategy and planning. His prior experience includes finance positions in the renewable energy and energy sectors at organizations including Bank of America (BAC), Occidental Petroleum Corporation (OXY) and Anadarko Petroleum Corporation (APC). Mr. Agiri earned a Masters in Business Administration in Finance and Energy from Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University and a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Virginia.

    “We’ve been developing Leke to replace me as the CFO as I approach retirement in my future. Leke has stepped up to every challenge that we have thrown at him. I look forward to a smooth transition with him. It’s my duty to make sure I can help Gevo in any way possible. I also look forward to bringing my skills to bear on some of the exciting projects that Gevo is developing,” said Lynn Smull, Executive Vice President and former CFO of Gevo.

    “Leke has been an integral part of our finance team and has demonstrated outstanding leadership and expertise in advancing Gevo’s mission,” said Patrick Gruber, CEO of Gevo. “His appointment reflects our long–term succession planning and confidence in his ability to help lead Gevo through its next phase of growth.

    This leadership evolution reflects Gevo’s commitment to building a strong, future-ready team capable of executing on its ambitious goals for innovation and value creation.”

    About Gevo
    Gevo is a next-generation diversified energy company committed to fueling America’s future with cost-effective, drop-in fuels that contribute to energy security, abate carbon, and strengthen rural communities to drive economic growth. Gevo’s innovative technology can be used to make a variety of renewable products, including synthetic aviation fuel (“SAF”), motor fuels, chemicals, and other materials that provide U.S.-made solutions. By investing in the backbone of rural America, Gevo’s business model includes developing, financing, and operating production facilities that create jobs and revitalize communities. Gevo owns and operates one of the largest dairy-based renewable natural gas (“RNG”) facilities in the United States, turning by-products into clean, reliable energy. We also operate an ethanol plant with an adjacent carbon capture and sequestration (“CCS”) facility, further solidifying America’s leadership in energy innovation. Additionally, Gevo owns the world’s first production facility for specialty alcohol-to-jet (“ATJ”) fuels and chemicals. Gevo’s market-driven “pay for performance” approach regarding carbon and other sustainability attributes, helps ensure value is delivered to our local economy. Through its Verity subsidiary, Gevo provides transparency, accountability, and efficiency in tracking, measuring, and verifying various attributes throughout the supply chain. By strengthening rural economies, Gevo is working to secure a self-sufficient future and to make sure value is brought to the market.

    For more information, see www.gevo.com.

    Forward-Looking Statements
    Certain statements in this press release may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements relate to a variety of matters, without limitation, including the promotion of Leke Agiri, and other statements that are not purely statements of historical fact. These forward-looking statements are made on the basis of the current beliefs, expectations and assumptions of the management of Gevo and are subject to significant risks and uncertainty. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. All such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and Gevo undertakes no obligation to update or revise these statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Although Gevo believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, these statements involve many risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from what may be expressed or implied in these forward-looking statements. For a further discussion of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those expressed in these forward-looking statements, as well as risks relating to the business of Gevo in general, see the risk disclosures in the Annual Report on Form 10-K of Gevo for the year ended December 31, 2024, and in subsequent reports on Forms 10-Q and 8-K and other filings made with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission by Gevo.

    Media Contact
    Heather L. Manuel
    VP, Stakeholder Engagement & Partnerships
    PR@gevo.com

    Investor Contact
    Eric Frey, PhD
    Vice President of Finance & Strategy
    IR@gevo.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Kayne Anderson Energy Infrastructure Fund Announces Appointment of New Independent Directors

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    HOUSTON, May 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Kayne Anderson Energy Infrastructure Fund, Inc. (the “Company” or “KYN”) announced today the appointments of Holli C. Ladhani and Michael N. Mears as independent directors of the Company, effective immediately. Following the retirements of Anne K. Costin and Albert L. Richey earlier this year, the appointments of Ms. Ladhani and Mr. Mears return the Company’s Board to eight members, seven of whom are independent.

    Holli C. Ladhani is an experienced executive and board director in the energy, chemicals, power, and infrastructure sectors. Ms. Ladhani most recently served as President, Chief Executive Officer, and a member of the board of directors of Select Energy Services, Inc., a publicly traded provider of water management and chemical solutions to the energy industry. Prior to that, she was Chairman and CEO of Rockwater Energy Solutions, where she also held earlier executive roles, including Chief Financial Officer. Earlier in her career, Ms. Ladhani served as Executive Vice President and CFO of Dynegy Inc., and began her professional journey at PricewaterhouseCoopers.

    Ms. Ladhani currently serves on the boards of Quanta Services, Inc. (NYSE: PWR), AmSpec, and the forthcoming Amrize spin-off from Holcim (NYSE: AMRZ). She previously served on the boards of Marathon Oil (until its acquisition by ConocoPhillips in 2024), Atlantic Power, Noble Energy, and Rosetta Resources. She has also served on the Board of Trustees of Rice University since 2018. Ms. Ladhani holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from Baylor University and an MBA from Rice University.

    Michael N. Mears is an accomplished executive in the energy infrastructure sector and an experienced director in the energy and power sectors. Mr. Mears most recently served as Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Magellan Midstream Partners, L.P., a publicly traded pipeline and storage company, from 2011 until his retirement in April 2022. He joined Magellan at its formation in 2002 and held several senior leadership roles, including Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice President of Transportation and Terminals. Prior to Magellan, Mr. Mears held a range of management positions at Williams Pipeline Company, the predecessor to Magellan, where he began his career in 1985.

    Mr. Mears currently serves on the boards of Devon Energy Corporation (NYSE: DVN) and Sempra (NYSE: SRE). At Sempra, he chairs the Corporate Governance Committee and serves on the Executive and Compensation and Talent Development Committees. Mr. Mears holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical and Petroleum Refining Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines.

    “We are honored to welcome Holli and Mike to KYN’s Board of Directors,” said Jim Baker, Chairman, President, and CEO. “Their extensive experience in the energy and power sectors – as both senior executives and directors – will bring valuable insight to our Board. The energy and power infrastructure sectors continue to be very dynamic, and I am confident their insights will strengthen our ability to evaluate opportunities in these sectors with greater perspective,” concluded Mr. Baker.

    Kayne Anderson Energy Infrastructure Fund, Inc. (NYSE: KYN) is a non-diversified, closed-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, whose common stock is traded on the NYSE. The Company’s investment objective is to provide a high after-tax total return with an emphasis on making cash distributions to stockholders. KYN intends to achieve this objective by investing at least 80% of its total assets in securities of Energy Infrastructure Companies. See Glossary of Key Terms in the Company’s most recent quarterly report for a description of these investment categories and the meaning of capitalized terms.

    The Company pays cash distributions to common stockholders at a rate that may be adjusted from time to time. Distribution amounts are not guaranteed and may vary depending on a number of factors, including changes in portfolio holdings and market conditions. 

    This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy, nor shall there be any sale of any securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer or sale is not permitted. Nothing contained in this press release is intended to recommend any investment policy or investment strategy or consider any investor’s specific objectives or circumstances. Before investing, please consult with your investment, tax, or legal adviser regarding your individual circumstances.

    CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS: This communication contains statements reflecting assumptions, expectations, projections, intentions, or beliefs about future events. These and other statements not relating strictly to historical or current facts constitute forward-looking statements as defined under the U.S. federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements involve a variety of risks and uncertainties. These risks include but are not limited to changes in economic and political conditions; regulatory and legal changes; energy industry risk; leverage risk; valuation risk; interest rate risk; tax risk; and other risks discussed in detail in the Company’s filings with the SEC, available at www.kaynefunds.com or www.sec.gov. Actual events could differ materially from these statements or our present expectations or projections. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. Kayne Anderson undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements made herein. There is no assurance that the Company’s investment objectives will be attained.

    Contact investor relations at 877-657-3863 or cef@kayneanderson.com.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: NI Holdings, Inc. Announces Executive Leadership Appointments

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    FARGO, N.D., May 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NI Holdings, Inc. (the “Company”, NASDAQ: NODK) today announced several strategic leadership appointments to support the company’s long-term growth and execution of its core business strategies.

    “We are excited to announce multiple executive leadership appointments,” said Seth Daggett, President and Chief Executive Officer of NI Holdings. “These individuals bring deep operational knowledge, extensive industry experience and strategic insight to our executive team.”

    Kevin Elfstrand has been promoted to Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer. He will continue to oversee the Accounting department and lead external financial reporting. Mr. Elfstrand brings over 20 years of experience in the property and casualty insurance industry, including 17 years at Travelers Companies, Inc., where he most recently served as Assistant Vice President of Corporate Audit. He began his career at Deloitte and is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). He holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Saint John’s University in Minnesota.

    Brandon Nicol has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Reinsurance and Chief Underwriting Officer. In this role, Mr. Nicol will lead the Company’s underwriting strategy and reinsurance. He has 19 years of experience across the insurance and reinsurance industries, including roles at AmericanAg, XL Catlin, COUNTRY Financial, and State Farm. Mr. Nicol holds the Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter (CPCU), Associate in Reinsurance (Are), and Agribusiness and Farm Insurance Specialist (AFIS) designations and serves as a Major in the U.S. Army National Guard and Army Reserves. He holds a bachelor’s degree in insurance from Illinois State University.

    Chris Oen has been promoted to Senior Vice President and Chief Claims Officer. Mr. Oen will continue to lead the Claims department, drawing on his 30 years of experience in the property and casualty insurance industry. He joined NI Holdings in 2007 and has held progressively senior roles during his time with the Company. Mr. Oen serves on several industry boards, including as Chairperson of the North Dakota Auto Assigned Claims Plan, and is a veteran of the Army National Guard. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Dakota and holds the Associate in Claims (AIC) designation.

    Dominic Weber has been promoted to Senior Vice President and Chief Actuary. Mr. Weber will continue to lead the Actuarial department and oversee reserving, ratemaking, and predictive analytics initiatives. With more than 42 years of experience in the property and casualty insurance industry, Mr. Weber previously served as Vice President and Chief Actuary at Society Insurance. He is a Fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society (FCAS) and a Member of the American Academy of Actuaries (MAAA). He holds a bachelor’s degree in actuarial science from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln.

    Doug Duncan has been recently hired as Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer. In this newly created role, Mr. Duncan will lead the Company’s technology strategy and oversee modernization initiatives to support business growth. He brings more than 25 years of technology leadership experience, including previous roles as Chief Information Officer at Columbia Insurance Group and Senior Vice President at Swiss Re. He holds a Master of Business Administration from Colorado State University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Kansas.

    “The leadership of Kevin, Brandon, Chris, Dominic and Doug will strengthen our capabilities and help us better serve our shareholders, policyholders, and agents,” added Daggett. “We are confident these leaders will play a critical role in advancing our strategic priorities. Their diverse experience and proven leadership will help position NI Holdings for continued success.”

    About the Company
    NI Holdings, Inc. is an insurance holding company. The company is a North Dakota business corporation that is the stock holding company of Nodak Insurance Company and became such in connection with the conversion of Nodak Mutual Insurance Company from a mutual to stock form of organization and the creation of a mutual holding company. The conversion was consummated on March 13, 2017. Immediately following the conversion, all of the outstanding shares of common stock of Nodak Insurance Company were issued to Nodak Mutual Group, Inc., which then contributed the shares to NI Holdings in exchange for 55% of the outstanding shares of common stock of NI Holdings. Nodak Insurance Company then became a wholly-owned stock subsidiary of NI Holdings. NI Holdings’ financial statements are the consolidated financial results of NI Holdings; Nodak Insurance Company, including Nodak Insurance Company’s wholly-owned subsidiaries American West Insurance Company, Primero Insurance Company, and Battle Creek Insurance Company; and Direct Auto Insurance Company.

    Safe Harbor Statement
    Some of the statements included in this news release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results could vary materially. Factors that could cause actual results to vary materially include risks we describe in the periodic reports we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. We disclaim any obligation to update such statements or to announce publicly the results of any revisions that we may make to any forward-looking statements to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events or circumstances after the date of such statements.

    For a detailed discussion of the risk factors that could affect our actual results, please refer to the risk factors identified in our SEC reports, including, but not limited to our Annual Report on Form 10-K, as filed with the SEC.

    Investor Relations Contact:
    Matt Maki
    Executive Vice President, Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer
    701-212-5976
    IR@nodakins.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 27 May 2025 Note for Media Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly – Daily update: 27 May 2025

    Source: World Health Organisation

    The Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly approved a decision to update the Global action plan (GAP) on antimicrobial resistance (AMR), for discussion at next year’s World Health Assembly (WHA79) in 2026.

    An estimated 4.71 million deaths were associated with bacterial AMR as of 2021, according to the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD). The GAP update will offer a practical framework for the next 10 years to achieve the targets and commitments included in the political declaration of the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on AMR in 2024 – including a 10% reduction in global deaths associated with bacterial AMR by 2030.

    Since the global action plan was adopted in 2015, over 170 countries have developed multi-sectoral national action plans to address AMR. The updated plan will ensure the latest guidance is available to help countries accelerate implementation. It will reflect a multisectoral One Health approach, which aims to sustainably balance and optimize the health of people, animals and ecosystems.

    WHO and the other Quadripartite organizations – the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) – will develop this update in consultation with Member States and relevant stakeholders.

    The Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly also considered progress made in supporting countries to prevent infections; ensure universal access to quality and affordable diagnosis and appropriate treatment; strengthen surveillance, research and innovation; and enhance AMR awareness, governance and financing.

    Looking ahead, other WHO priorities include supporting countries to achieve efficiencies by integrating AMR interventions in health sector planning and financing, and enhancing coordination and governance of the AMR response at all levels, including with the Quadripartite.

    Related links

    Assembly adopts the Global action plan on climate change and health for 2025–2028

    At the Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly in 2025, Member States expressed support for the first-ever draft Global action plan on climate change and health, marking an important step forward in global health and climate policy. The draft Global action plan 2025–2028 (EB156(40)) acknowledged the urgent need to address the health impacts of climate change, positioning health systems as part of the climate solution.

    It aims to provide a strategic framework to guide Member States, the WHO Secretariat and other stakeholders in developing climate-resilient, low-carbon health systems; enhancing surveillance and early warning systems; protecting vulnerable populations; and integrating health into climate policy and financing mechanisms.

    Building on commitments made at previous Conference of the Parties (COPs) and the outcomes of the Executive Board meeting in February 2025, this plan supports WHO’s work to promote health leadership in the global climate agenda and coordinate country-level action and implementation. By supporting this Global action plan, the Assembly affirmed that climate action is not only an environmental priority but also a strategic health priority.

    While recognizing this important progress, some Member States noted that more time and dialogue are needed to reach consensus on certain principles and language used in the action plan moving forward.

    Related links:

    • Climate change and health: Draft Global Action Plan on Climate Change and Health A78/4 Add.2
    • Documents A78/4, A78/4 Add.2 and EB156/2025/REC/1, decision EB156(40)
    • Draft Global Action Plan on Climate Change and Health as contained in decision EB156(40) and
    • EB156/25)

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Virginia Woman Pleads Guilty to Committing Murder at a National Park

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CLEVELAND – An Alexandria, Virginia woman has pleaded guilty to driving more than 300 miles across state lines after she arranged to meet a victim, whom she shot and killed at a national park in Northeast Ohio. 

    According to court documents, Chelsea Perkins, 35, traveled to Ohio to meet the victim, Matthew Dunmire, whom she knew previously. On March 6, 2021, they visited the Terra Vista Natural Study Area, a hiking trail located in Valley View, Ohio, within the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. While hiking off-trail into a wooded area of the park, Perkins used a loaded firearm she brought with her to shoot the victim in the back of the head, killing him.

    Criminal investigators found evidence linking Perkins to the shooting through GPS data, DNA, social media and phone records, and ballistics analysis. During a federal search warrant execution at her Virginia residence, federal agents found three 9mm pistols, including one recovered from a woman’s purse that also contained Perkins’ identification.

    On May 27, 2025, Chelsea Perkins pleaded guilty to murder in the second degree and using or carrying and discharging a firearm during, and in relation to, a crime of violence on federal property. If the Court accepts the plea agreement at sentencing, Perkins faces between 20 and 25 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine her sentence after considering the plea agreement, U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other statutory factors.

    Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 9, 2025.

    The investigation was conducted by the FBI Cleveland Division, Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, National Park Service Investigative Branch, Valley View Police Department, and Cuyahoga Valley National Park Police Department.

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Scott Zarzycki, Margaret A. Kane, and Adam J. Joines.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Discovering new NZ music in the streaming age is getting harder – what’s the future for local artists?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Oli Wilson, Professor & Associate Dean Research, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University

    Getty Images

    New Zealand Music Month turned 25 this year, and there’s been plenty to celebrate – whether it be Mokotron’s Taite Prize-winning Waerea, Lorde’s recent return (though not to New Zealand – yet), or the fact that live performance revenues post-COVID have been strong.

    But for new and emerging local artists, Music Month also highlights a lack of visibility on streaming services and commercial radio, which increasingly favour already famous artists, including ones whose heydays were decades ago.

    During a month when music fans have been encouraged to stream local, see local and buy local, so far the only homegrown artists to appear in this week’s New Zealand Top 40 Singles chart are Lorde and K-pop star Rosé.

    Recently published data shows that as little as 9% of New Zealand streaming, downloads and physical sales revenue is going to local artists. Despite this, according to NZ on Air, 49% of New Zealanders stream music every day. In fact streaming has recently surpassed radio as the main way audiences discover new music, with growing influence from TikTok and Instagram.

    On Spotify, which approximately one in three New Zealanders use every day, only one local track – Corella’s Blue Eyed Māori – featured in the 2024 top-50 year-end local playlist. Streaming increasingly privileges and skews towards established releases from well-known artists, and other artists have little control over social media algorithms.

    While radio remains relevant, with 46% of New Zealanders listening daily, only two nationwide commercial radio stations played more than 20% local music in 2024.

    Structural music industry changes

    The Official Aotearoa Music Charts’ End of Year Top 50 Singles provide another useful indication of local music market share. These charts draw on a wide range of sales and streaming data, and aim to provide an authoritative snapshot of what New Zealanders were buying and listening to in that year.

    Since COVID, we have seen a sharp decline in local artists featuring in these charts. In 2024, the only New Zealander to feature was Corella’s Blue Eyed Māori, and only four New Zealand albums featured in the End of Year Top 50 Albums, three of which were compilations primarily made up of earlier releases.

    Data sourced from aotearoamusiccharts.co.nz, operated by Recorded Music NZ.
    CC BY

    While COVID lockdowns and border closures hugely disrupted the live music sector, we also saw audiences engaging with a lot more local music. Summer festival Rhythm and Vines sold out an all Kiwi lineup, and the amount of local music on radio reached its highest peak since records began.

    This suggests visibility, discoverability and chart success have little to do with the amount or quality of local music being produced. Instead, they are the result of structural changes in the music industries.

    Internationally, this has been linked to the market consolidation and dominance of a small number of big players at the expense of local artists, industry and infrastructure.

    What can be done?

    As global platforms such as Spotify and TikTok have increased their influence on audiences’ ability to discover New Zealand’s music, it’s hard to see a future where business-as-usual will improve the situation for local artists and audiences.

    There are potential solutions, however. Australia has committed to imposing local content quotas on international streamers, and Canada has instituted a revenue sharing system between global streamers and broadcasters.

    Unlike similar markets, such as Australia and Norway, New Zealand lacks a strong public youth broadcaster. Dedicated investment in this area could help support targeted strategies to promote local music.

    Changes in the way local music is funded and nurtured could also help. The government currently funds NZ on Air and the Music Commission, but they have different objectives and obligations. Merging them might streamline decision making and recognise the interconnectedness of the live and recorded music sectors.

    If steps aren’t taken soon, New Zealand will struggle to support a thriving local music economy, and New Zealanders will continue to miss out on hearing themselves in the music they listen to.

    With Music Month drawing to a close, there needs to be a commitment to structural changes that, over time, will see the development of a year-round celebration of New Zealand music.

    Oli Wilson has previously completed research in partnership with or commissioned by APRA AMCOS, Toi Mai Workforce Development Council, Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture & Heritage and the NZ Music Commission. He has also received funding, or contributed to projects that have benefited from funding from NZ on Air, the NZ Music Commission and Recorded Music New Zealand. He has provided services to The Chills, owns shares in TripTunz Limited, and is a writer member of APRA AMCOS.

    Catherine Hoad has completed research in partnership with or commissioned by APRA AMCOS, Toi Mai Workforce Development Council, Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture & Heritage, NZ On Air, Screen Industry Guild of Aotearoa New Zealand, and the NZ Music Commission.

    Dave Carter is a writer member of APRA AMCOS. He has received research funding from Manatū Taongao Ministry for Culture and Heritage, Toi Mai Workforce Development Council, APRA AMCOS, Music NT, Music Tasmania, The Australian Live Music Office, Arts South Australia, City of Melbourne, Film Festivals Australia, City of Sydney. He has also received funding, or contributed to projects that have benefited from funding, for creative work as a producer and engineer from NZ on Air and APRA AMCOS.

    Jesse Austin-Stewart has completed commissioned research for NZ On Air and participated in focus groups for Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage. He has received competitive funding from Creative New Zealand, NZ On Air, Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture & Hertiage, and the NZ Music Commission. He is a writer member of APRA AMCOS and a member of the Composer’s Association of New Zealand and Recorded Music NZ

    – ref. Discovering new NZ music in the streaming age is getting harder – what’s the future for local artists? – https://theconversation.com/discovering-new-nz-music-in-the-streaming-age-is-getting-harder-whats-the-future-for-local-artists-257449

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chairman Aguilar: Only Democrats want to make health care more accessible and more affordable

    Source: US House of Representatives – Democratic Caucus

    The following text contains opinion that is not, or not necessarily, that of MIL-OSI – May 20, 2025

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar and Vice Chair Ted Lieu were joined by Representatives Kim Schrier, M.D. and Shontel Brown for a press conference about the Republican Budget, which kicks millions of Americans off their health insurance and prevents families from meeting their basic needs. 

    CHAIRMAN AGUILAR: I’m grateful to be joined by Vice Chair Lieu and Dr. Schrier and Representative Brown for joining us here today to talk about the importance of protecting health care and nutrition across this country.

    I want to begin by offering our condolences to the victims of deadly storms in Missouri and Kentucky. We also want to send President Biden and his family our support as they grapple with the former President’s cancer diagnosis. We know that Joe Biden will approach this fight with the same grace that he’s shown throughout his life. We also know that Joe Biden would be the first to say that every American deserves the same level of health care that he is being provided.

    That’s why House Democrats are fighting to protect health care that Donald Trump and House Republicans are attacking. In the dead of night, House Republicans are working to ram through their agenda to kick millions of Americans off of health insurance and to take food assistance from families who need it most. As grocery prices rise, they’re going to take food out of the mouths of mothers, children and veterans, while making health care even more expensive—just for the single purpose of providing more tax cuts for billionaires and corporations who continue to make record profits. Remember: the Republican Budget doesn’t make Medicaid or SNAP more efficient or more fair. All this bill does is ensure that billionaires—who have never had to worry about a hospital bill or putting food on the table—can continue to pay less in taxes than teachers, firefighters and nurses. 

    Only Democrats want to make health care more accessible and more affordable for everyone. Republicans are hellbent on driving up costs for health insurance and ending basic needs programs. They are willing to inflict pain on millions of Americans just to make their campaign donors happy. That. Is. Wrong. And we will continue to fight back at every step for the American people so they can have the peace of mind of a good-paying job with good benefits. 

    Next, I’ll turn it over to Vice Chair Ted Lieu.

    VICE CHAIR LIEU: Thank you, Chairman Aguilar, and honored to be joined today by Congressmembers Kim Schrier and Shontel Brown. First, I’d like to talk about the charges against Congresswoman LaMonica McIver. Those charges are baseless and politically motivated. Three reasons why: First, Congresswoman McIver had a statutory authority to be at that detention center; she was conducting her oversight duties. Second, if what she did was purportedly so awful that it results in criminal charges, how is it possible they literally gave her a tour of the facility? Afterwards, they escorted her around and gave her a tour of that facility while she was conducting oversight. And third, she was trying to prevent the unlawful arrest of the Mayor of Newark. And guess what? She was right. Because the Trump Justice Department dropped all charges against the Mayor of Newark. So, we asked them to also drop charges against LaMonica. This is a baseless, politically motivated distraction.

    And what are they distracting us from? This big, ugly bill that they’re going to have a meeting on at 1 a.m. in the morning. I mean, who does that, right? You do that because you don’t want the American public to know what’s in your big, ugly bill. But we know what’s in it. It has the largest cut to health care in U.S. history, about a trillion dollars. And then also, it’s going to kick off approximately 14 million people off health care. And why are they doing this? To impose the largest tax cut for billionaires in U.S. history. So that’s basically what this big, ugly bill does. And they’re trying to move it through in the dead of night at 1 a.m. We asked the Republicans to listen to the American people and work on what Democrats are trying to work on, which is lowering the cost of rent and groceries and consumer products. That’s what we should be focused on. And it’s now my honor to introduce the great Representative from the State of Washington, Dr. Kim Schrier. 

    REP. SCHRIER: Well, thank you, Vice Chair Lieu. It’s really an honor to be here, but the reason is outrageous, and I want to express that outrage on behalf of my constituents. That the Republicans at this moment are attempting to make the largest cut ever in Medicaid, and the largest cut ever in SNAP, that would be $715 billion out of Medicaid, which would kick 13.7 million Americans off of their health insurance. And let me just reiterate, why are they doing this? They are doing this to pay for a tax cut for the wealthiest Americans, like Elon Musk. It is morally bankrupt and it is fiscally, incredibly irresponsible. We just spent 26 and a half hours in the Energy and Commerce Committee last week, spending the vast majority of that time—and by the way, starting at about two o’clock in the morning—talking about these cuts to Medicaid and how they would devastate our constituents and also the broader health care system.

    I want to be clear, one out of three Washingtonians depend on Medicaid. Most of them don’t even know they’re on Medicaid, because we call it Apple Health, and I’m trying to make that point so that people understand how this impacts them personally. So I think about, as a pediatrician, I think about my patients on Medicaid or on Apple Health who will no longer be able to come to their pediatrician’s office for screenings, for a simple cold, for a cough and get treated in a half hour. Now they’re going to go to the emergency room, the most expensive place to get care. They’re going to drive up costs: that cost will be provided for free, and then everybody pays. And I think then about my patients who are not on Medicaid, because they’re going to be waiting longer in the emergency room, they’re going to be paying more. Premiums are going to go up if we want to keep these hospitals and emergency rooms open. And that brings us to other parts of my district, the rural areas, where hospitals may close because they depend so heavily on Medicaid and Medicare. 

    I want to tell you a quick story of a little four-year-old girl named Ila in my district. She is the outcome of a normal, uneventful pregnancy. She was lucky enough to go to our rural hospital called Kittitas Valley Healthcare, and they have a labor and delivery department. She was delivered. There were major complications. She almost died, but they had the staff and the expertise to rescue her, to stabilize her and to Life Flight her to Seattle Children’s. And then I have been reflecting, as have her parents, who are insured, about what would have happened had Medicaid been cut, had labor and delivery there been cut, had she not had that opportunity for rescue and for transport to save her life, and we all know what the answer would have been. I’ve been in hundreds of deliveries. Some go well, some don’t, and you don’t always know until that moment. So I want to emphasize, Medicaid is part of the three-legged stool that is our health care system. If Medicaid is cut in this dramatic way, that stool will fall. It’ll mean hospital closures, higher rates for all of us, emergency room long waits, a sicker community and a poorer community and it is reckless and morally reprehensible. So at this point, I’m going to turn this over to Representative Shontel Brown from Ohio to talk about the terrible cuts that they are doing to food benefits, also for our most vulnerable populations. Thank you. 

    REP. BROWN: Thank you, doctor. Good morning, everyone. I’m Congresswoman Shontel Brown, Vice Ranking Member of the House Agriculture Committee and representing Ohio’s 11th Congressional District. I’m honored to be here along with Chair Aguilar, Vice Chair Lieu and Congresswoman Schrier. Last week, we saw this legislation up close in the Agriculture Committee, and Ranking Member Craig and my Democratic colleagues on Agriculture fought this legislation for two days. I didn’t just read the bill, I felt it. I felt the cruelty. I felt the callousness. And let me tell you, I was angry. I am still angry. $300 billion in cuts. Let me repeat that: $300 billion in cruel, calculated cuts to nutrition programs. And on top of that, onerous new restrictions and requirements that are designed to deny people the help they need. If this bill passes, millions—yes, millions—of Americans are going to lose nutrition benefits they desperately need. And for what? The biggest cut to food assistance in history, just to hand millionaires a $68,000 tax break, and the top .1 percent a staggering $300,000?

    Let me tell you what this means for my community. One in five. One in five households in my district in Northeast Ohio rely on SNAP. That’s not some statistic from somewhere. That’s my neighbors, that’s my family. Those are my church members. It is me. Because growing up, I was one of those households. And the issue of work requirements really hits home for me, literally. I had epilepsy growing up. I had petit mal seizures and my mother—my strong, brave, exhausted mother—couldn’t work, not because she didn’t want to, but because she couldn’t leave her child who might collapse at any moment. My mom didn’t want to be on food stamps. No parent wants that, but we needed it. And this bill, this bill, would have denied us that lifeline. We’re taking assistance away from people that need it to give those resources to people that don’t.

    Make no mistake, this is not fiscal responsibility. This is not belt-tightening. This is a giveaway. People who rely on SNAP, they’re not leading easy lives. They’re caregivers. They have people at home with disabilities and serious illnesses, children. And these folks are not hard to find. I had one woman contact me, Cheryl from Cleveland Heights. She’s retired. Her husband is disabled. Her father is 92 years old and he’s disabled. She worked in advertising for 25 years. Now, she’s got a house full of people to take care of, and they rely on SNAP. This bill punishes Cheryl and people like her. It takes away the basic benefits they need to survive, all to pay for tax cuts for the wealthiest among us. And make no mistake, this bill will make us sicker. This bill will make us poorer. This bill will make us weaker. So it is my privilege to stand here with my colleagues and fight this bill. We cannot let this pass. 
     

    Video of the full press conference and Q&A can be viewed here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: A vision for the future

    Source: Government of Canada regional news (2)

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Possible measures to combat addictive behaviours among young people on social media – E-001715/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-001715/2025/rev.1
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Lukas Mandl (PPE)

    The 2025 Ö3 Youth Study found that 85 % of 15 to 16-year-olds are in favour of setting a minimum age of 16 for using social media. The minimum age currently applied by most platforms is 13, but checks are patchy.

    • 1.What steps is the Commission taking to look into the benefits of a minimum age higher than 13 – with regard to, for instance, education and training, mental health and addiction prevention, social contact and peer education, as well as the spread of disinformation and hate speech?
    • 2.What steps is the Commission taking to look into the drawbacks of a minimum age higher than 13 – such as a lack of international contacts, restrictions on potential creativity, reduced capacity for innovation and parallel structures to bypass the rules?[1]

    Submitted: 29.4.2025

    • [1] Ö3 Youth Study 2025, https://www.oe3jugendstudie.at/ergebnisse.php
    Last updated: 27 May 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cramer, Shaheen, Young Introduce Legislation to Address Shortage of Mental Health Providers in Schools

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) recommends a ratio of one school psychologist per 500 students. However, the national average ratio is approximately one school psychologist per 1,065 students, with wide variation among states. For the 2023-2024 school year, North Dakota schools averaged one school psychologist per 1,204 students.

    U.S. Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Todd Young (R-IN) introduced the Mental Health Excellence in Schools Act to address this shortage of mental health providers in schools. Specifically, the bill would boost the pipeline of individuals training to become school psychologists, counselors, and social workers by authorizing the U.S. Department of Education to help cover students’ costs at certain graduate programs via partnerships with eligible academic institutions.

    “Like so many fields across the state, there simply aren’t enough school-based mental health professionals,” said Cramer. “Ensuring our kids’ well-being and academic success should be our first priority. Our bill will alleviate the financial strain of earning a graduate degree by encouraging more practitioners to work in schools across the state.” 

    “Access to mental health resources improves the safety, well-being, and academic success of Hoosier students,” said Young. “Our bill will both support the school-based mental health workforce and address the critical need for these professionals.”

    “Folks in New Hampshire and across the country know we’re facing a nationwide youth mental health crisis – and having a sufficient number of mental health professionals in schools, meeting kids where they are, improves the well-being, academic performance and life outcomes of all students,” said Shaheen. “Our bipartisan legislation will provide the resources and support we need to bolster the mental health professional workforce pipeline to ensure more students have this support when they need it.”

    It is endorsed by the National Association of School Psychologists, the American School Counselor Association, the School Social Work Association of America, the American Counseling Association, and the American Psychological Association. 

    Click here for bill text.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Addressing Key Challenges To Mapping Sub-cm Orbital Debris in LEO via Plasma Soliton Detection

    Source: NASA

    Christine HartzellUniversity of Maryland, College Park
    The proposed investigation will address key technological challenges associated with a previously funded NIAC Phase I award titled “On-Orbit, Collision-Free Mapping of Small Orbital Debris”. Sub-cm orbital debris in LEO is not detectable or trackable using conventional technologies and poses a major hazard to crewed and un-crewed spacecraft. Orbital debris is a concern to NASA, as well as commercial and DoD satellite providers. In recent years, beginning with our NIAC Phase I award, we have been developing the idea that the sub-cm orbital debris environment may be monitored by detecting the plasma signature of the debris, rather than optical or radar observations of the debris itself. Our prior work has shown that sub-cm orbital debris may produce plasma solitons, which are a type of wave in the ionosphere plasma that do not disperse as readily as traditional waves. Debris may produce solitons that are co-located with the debris (called pinned solitons) or that travel ahead of the debris (called precursor solitons). We have developed computational models to predict the characteristics of the plasma solitons generated by a given piece of debris. These solitons may be detectable by 12U smallsats outfitted with multi-needle Langmuir probes.
    In this Phase II NIAC award, we will address two key technical challenges that significantly effect the value of soliton-based debris detection: 1. Develop an algorithm to constrain debris size and speed based on observed soliton characteristics. Our prior investigations have produced predictions of soliton characteristics as a function of debris characteristics. However, the inverse problem is not analytically solvable. We will develop machine learning algorithms to address this challenge. 2. Evaluate the feasibility and value of detecting soliton velocity. Multiple observations of the same soliton may allow us to constrain the distance that the soliton has traveled from the debris. When combined with the other characteristics of the soliton and knowledge of the local plasma environment, back propagation of the soliton in plasma simulations may allow us to extract the position and velocity vectors of the debris. If it is possible to determine debris size, position and velocity from soliton observations, this would provide a breakthrough in space situational awareness for debris that is currently undetectable using conventional technology. However, even if only debris size and speed can be inferred from soliton detections, this technology is still a revolutionary improvement on existing methods of characterizing the debris flux, which provide data only on a multi-year cadence. This proposed investigation will answer key technological questions about how much information can be extracted from observed soliton signals and trade mission architectures for complexity and returned data value. Additionally, we will develop a roadmap to continue to advance this technology.
    2025 Selections

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Photophoretic Propulsion Enabling Mesosphere Exploration

    Source: NASA

    Igor BargatinUniversity of Pennsylvania
    We propose to use the photophoretic levitation and propulsion mechanism to create no-moving-parts flying vehicles that can be used to explore Earth’s upper atmosphere. The photophoretic force arises when a solid is heated relative to the ambient gas through illumination, inducing momentum exchange between the solid and the gas. The force creates lift in structures that absorb light on the bottom yet stay cool on the top, and we engineered our plate mechanical metamaterials to maximize this lift force and payload. The levitation and payload capabilities of our plates typically peak at ambient pressures in the 0.1-1000 Pa range, ideal for applications in Earth’s mesosphere and Mars’s low gravity and thin atmosphere. For example, in the Earth’s mesosphere (i.e., at altitudes from ~50 to ~80 km), the air is too thin for conventional airplanes or balloons but too thick for satellites, such that measurements can be performed for only a few minutes at a time during the short flight of a research rocket. However, the range of ambient pressures in the mesosphere (1-100 Pa) is nearly optimal for our plates’ payload capabilities. Phase 2 of the proposal focuses on the scalable fabrication of Knudsen pump structures that will enable missions with kg-scale payloads in the mesosphere as well as trajectory control with 1 m/s velocity control in existing stratospheric balloon vehicles.
    2025 Selections

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Mars Roundtrip Success Enabled by Integrated Cooling through Inductively Coupled LED Emission (MaRS ICICLE)

    Source: NASA

    Aaswath Pattabhi RamanUniversity of California, Los Angeles
    Exploration of Mars has captivated the public in recent decades with high-profile robotic missions and the images they have acquired seeding our collective imagination. NASA is actively planning for human exploration of Mars and laid out some of the key capabilities that must be developed to execute successful, cost-effective programs that would put human beings on the surface of another planet and bring them home safely. Efficient, flexible and productive round-trip missions will be key to further human exploration of Mars. New round-trip mission concepts however need substantially improved long-duration storage of cryogenic propellants in various space environments; relevant propellants include liquid Hydrogen (LH2) for high specific impulse Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP) which can be deployed in strategic locations in advance of a mission. If enabled, such LH2 storage tanks could be used to refill a crewed Mars Transfer Vehicle (MTV) to send and bring astronauts home quickly, safely, and cost-effectively. A well-designed cryogenic propellant storage tank can reflect the vast majority of photons incident on the spacecraft, but not all. In thermal environments like Low Earth Orbit (LEO), there is residual heating due to light directly from the Sun, sunlight reflected off Earth, and blackbody thermal radiation from Earth. Over time, this leads to some of the propellant molecules absorbing the requisite latent heat of vaporization, entering the gas phase, and ultimately being released into space to prevent an unsustainable build-up of pressure in the tank. This slow “boil-off” process leads to significant losses of the cryogenic liquid into space, potentially leaving it with insufficient mass and greatly limiting Mars missions. We propose a breakthrough mission concept: an ultra-efficient round-trip Mars mission with zero boil off of propellants. This will be enabled by low-cost, efficient cryogenic liquid storage capable of storing LH2 and LOx with ZBO even in the severe and fluctuating thermal environment of LEO. To enable this capability, the propellant tanks in our mission will employs thin, lightweight, all-solid-state panels attached to the tank’s deep-space-facing surfaces that utilize a long-understood but as-yet-unrealized cooling technology known as Electro-Luminescent Cooling (ELC) to reject heat from cold solid surfaces as non-equilibrium thermal radiation with significantly more power density than Planck’s Law permits for equilibrium thermal radiation. Such a propellant tank would drastically lower the cost and complexity of propulsion systems for crewed Mars missions and other deep space exploration by allowing spacecraft to refill propellant tanks after reaching orbit rather than launching on the much larger rocket required to lift the spacecraft in a single-use stage. To achieve ZBO, a storage spacecraft must keep the storage tank’s temperature below the boiling point of the cryogen (e.g., < 90 K for LOx and < 20 K for liquid H2). Achieving this in LEO-like thermal environments requires both excellent reflectivity toward sunlight and thermal radiation from the Earth, Mars and other nearby bodies as well as a power-efficient cooling mechanism to remove what little heat inevitably does leak in, a pair of conditions ideally suited to the ELC cooling systems that will makes our full return-trip mission to Mars a success. 2025 Selections

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Uninformed comments on autism are resonant of dangerous ideas about eugenics

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Cornelia Schneider, Associate Professor of Education, Mount Saint Vincent University

    Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the health and human services secretary in the United States, held a recent news conference and made uninformed comments on autism. His remarks created an uproar, especially among people with autism and other disabilities.

    The news conference was related to a new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about autism.

    Among other comments, Kennedy Jr. said:

    “Autism destroys families, and more importantly, it destroys our greatest resource, which is our children. These are children who should not be
    suffering like this … And these are kids who will never pay taxes. They’ll never hold a job. They’ll never play baseball. They’ll never write a poem. They’ll never go out on a date. Many of them will never use a toilet unassisted.”

    Earlier, during a cabinet meeting, he promised to find the cause of autism by September.



    Read more:
    If Trump puts RFK Jr in charge of health, get ready for a distorted reality, where global health suffers

    We are researchers whose combined focus covers the rights of people with disabilities in educational systems and the history of disability in medical discourse. One of us is a sibling (Cornelia) and the other a parent (Martha) to people with intellectual disabilities.

    These comments were deeply worrisome for us due to their resonance of dangerous ideas espoused during the eugenics movement.

    Origins of eugenics

    Eugenics is the belief that society can and should be “improved” through selective breeding. It is based on a pseudo-scientific ranking of humans in a racist and ableist hierachy that judges non-white and disabled people to be the least desirable.

    During the height of the movement in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, eugenics was promoted by scientists, physicians, politicians and clergy, authoritative voices who encouraged the “fittest” to reproduce while recommending that those people with “undesirable” physical or intellectual traits be removed from society. Part of achieving this goal meant people with disabilities were sterilized or institutionalized.

    Eugenics was applied in its most extreme form in Nazi Germany during the 1930s and ‘40s. Six million Jews, and millions more people, including an estimated 250,000 people with disabilities, were killed.

    A formal condemnation of Nazi actions in the form of the Nuremberg Trials fostered a popular backlash to these Nazi horrors after the Second World War, resulting in a global repudiation of eugenic ideas and a gradual phasing out of practices such as sterilization and institutionalization of people with disabilities.

    ‘Eugenic logic’ seen in many places

    However, Kennedy Jr.’s comments remind us that eugenic ideas are alive and well, including, but not exclusively, amid the radical right and tech-enabled ideas about a return to “strongman” values.

    Eugenics ideas exist in the form of what bioethicist and humanities scholar Rosemarie Garland-Thomson calls “eugenic logic.” This is the ongoing belief that erasing disability and people with disabilities is a desirable and common-sense objective.

    The power of eugenics logic surrounds us. It shapes immigration policy that penalizes disability. It means reproductive technologies and medical practices are used to eliminate certain conditions that cause disabilities.

    For example, recently, the Québec College of Physicians called for legislation to allow the euthanasia of severely disabled infants. This also affirms the views of popular but controversial philosopher Peter Singer, who argues that babies with disabilities lack qualities of personhood and therefore could be killed.

    Linking human value to ‘productivity’

    RFK Jr.’s eugenics ideas resonate strongly today. They square politically with neoliberalism to create a form of ableism that regards the individual citizen as “an able-bodied entrepreneurial entity.”

    Neoliberal ableism links human value to their capacity to work, to what disability studies scholars Dan Goodley and Rebecca Lawthom refer to the ability to “productively contribute … bounded and cut off from others, capable, malleable and compliant.”

    People with autism, and others who cannot serve society in this way, threaten the neoliberal order and capitalism. They are seen as a detriment to society.

    Autism organizations heavily criticized Kennedy Jr. for his portrayal of autistic people as incapable.

    However, some critics unwittingly reinforced his neoliberal and eugenic framing of human value. These critics rightly contradicted Kennedy Jr. by pointing out that many people with autism have capabilities that he denied them. However, focusing on those abilities gave support to the devaluation of people with autism — and others with disabilities — who do not possess them, and who cannot be independent or will never be “productive workers.”

    The social model of disability

    Uninformed comments about autism by people in official health leadership positions threatens to undo decades of work that led to remarkable gains for people with disabilities.

    The 1970s and ‘80s saw the development of what disability activists and scholars discuss as the social model of disability. This shifted the understanding of disability away from the “problem” of individuals’ physical/intellectual conditions. Disability is seen as a mismatch of the interactions between the impairment and the barriers it faces in the (social) environment.

    This important shift in how disability is understood rejected the notion that disability is a personal fault or flaw. For the first time, it paid attention to environmental, financial and attitudinal barriers. It allowed people with disabilities unprecedented access to education and other aspects of society.

    The progress made remains fragile.

    Important to push back

    All who value human diversity and the continued expansion of the rights of people with disabilities must push back against eugenics politics.

    Political parties and broader society must commit to full participation and belonging of all people with disabilities by continuing to remove physical, attitudinal and financial barriers.

    Accessibility legislation at the federal and provincial levels must be implemented and enforced. In Canada, this includes the re-establishment of a federal minister for disabilities, a post that previously existed as minister of diversity, inclusion and persons with disabilities) but is lacking under the new Liberal government and its smaller cabinet.

    It means we need to heed the voices of disability advocates who have launched a court challenge against a key provision of Medical Assistance in Dying legislation. A recent version of this legislation accepts disability without a terminal condition as a reason to end life. As advocates recently told the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, this implies that a disabled life is not worth living.



    Read more:
    A dangerous path: Why expanding access to medical assistance in dying keeps us up at night

    Lived experiences must inform decisions

    The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (signed by the U.S.; signed and ratified by Canada) lays out the key ideas that Kennedy Jr. appears to reject: “Disability results from the interaction between persons with impairments and attitudinal and environmental barriers.”

    The lived experiences of the disability community must always be included in political decision-making.

    It’s our responsibility to uphold and protect the human rights of all persons with disabilities, including those who require more intensive support.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Uninformed comments on autism are resonant of dangerous ideas about eugenics – https://theconversation.com/uninformed-comments-on-autism-are-resonant-of-dangerous-ideas-about-eugenics-256762

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • Data Users Conference in Hyderabad highlights India’s investment and informal sector trends

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The National Statistics Office (NSO), under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), held a Data Users Conference at the Indian School of Business (ISB) in Hyderabad on May 27. The conference focused on bridging the gap between data producers and users through discussions on the ASUSE 2023–24 and the Forward-Looking Private Sector CAPEX Investment Intentions Survey.

    More than 200 participants from academia, policy, industry, and international organizations joined the discussions. MoSPI Secretary Dr. Saurabh Garg highlighted innovations like the monthly PLFS release, the CAPEX survey, and a revamped data portal, reiterating the ministry’s ‘Data for Development’ vision.

    Chief Economic Advisor Dr. V. Anantha Nageswaran emphasized the importance of granular data in policymaking and praised MoSPI’s integration of administrative datasets and AI tools. ISB Dean Prof. Madan M. Pillutla and NSS DG Ms. Geeta Singh Rathore underscored the significance of collaboration, capacity-building, and data accessibility.

    Technical sessions explored ASUSE’s new sampling design, the policy relevance of CAPEX data, and its value for MSMEs. A panel discussion highlighted capital formation trends, the role of households in GFCF, and the need for better access to microdata and stronger state-level systems.

    Key takeaways included expanding ASUSE profiling, aligning CAPEX data with Vision 2047 goals, tracking MUDRA’s impact, and integrating renewable energy investment intentions into future surveys.

    The conference reaffirmed the collective commitment to advancing data-driven governance in India.

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: DGCA visits Beijing (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    DGCA visits Beijing  
    Mr Liu called on the Administrator of the CAAC, Mr Song Zhiyong, and expressed his gratitude for the CAAC’s staunch support to the aviation industry of Hong Kong throughout the years. He also briefed Mr Song on the latest civil aviation developments in Hong Kong to further enhance co-operation. Mr Liu also met with Deputy Administrator of the CAAC Mr Han Jun and representatives from the relevant bureaux, to discuss how to establish closer ties in the areas including civil aviation development, aviation safety and technical co-operation.
     
    During the visit, the Civil Aviation Department (CAD) signed a Letter of Intent on Strengthening Technical Exchanges and Collaboration in Civil Aviation Safety Oversight, and a Cooperation Arrangement on Strengthening Civil Aviation Science and Technology with the CAAC and the China Academy of Civil Aviation Science and Technology (CAST) under the CAAC respectively.
     
    In addition, witnessed by Mr Liu and Mr Han, the Hong Kong International Aviation Academy and the Civil Aviation Flight University of China signed a framework agreement to foster co-operation in cadet pilot training. Both flying training organisations were granted with the CAD 509 approval.
     
    Mr Liu also met with the Director General of the ATMB of the CAAC, Mr Miao Xuan, to exchange views on further strengthening co-operation in air traffic management, thereby enhancing the operational efficiency of the aviation industry in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Mr Liu welcomed the participation of the ATMB in Airspace Asia Pacific 2025 to be held in Hong Kong this December, showcasing the innovative technologies used in Mainland air traffic management.  
     
    Mr Liu took the opportunity to visit the Third Civil Aviation Science and Education Innovation Achievement Exhibition and the CAST Aviation Safety Experimental Base to learn about the achievements in innovative technologies and development trends in the Mainland aviation industry.
     
    Accompanying Mr Liu to Beijing was the Assistant Director-General of Civil Aviation (Air Services and Safety Management), Mr Raymond Ng; the Assistant Director-General of Civil Aviation (Air Traffic Management), Mr Hui Man-ho; and the Assistant Director-General of Civil Aviation (Airport Standards), Mr Samuel Ng.
     
    Mr Liu will return to Hong Kong tomorrow (May 28).
    Issued at HKT 18:40

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: CSB and departments hold career talks in Mainland universities (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    CSB and departments hold career talks in Mainland universities Issued at HKT 19:24

    The Civil Service Bureau (CSB), together with representatives from the Civil Aviation Department, the Home Affairs Department and the Digital Policy Office are visiting Guangzhou and Wuhan to conduct career talks at Sun Yat-sen University, Jinan University, Wuhan University and Huazhong University of Science and Technology for four consecutive days starting today (May 27), to provide Hong Kong students studying on the Mainland with information on various positions in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government.

    Speaking at the talk at Sun Yat-sen University today, the Director of General Grades of the CSB, Mr Hermes Chan, said that since 2023, the CSB of the HKSAR Government has been sending delegations to a number of universities and local offices of the HKSAR on the Mainland to introduce the diverse job opportunities offered by the HKSAR Government to Hong Kong students and Hong Kong people residing on the Mainland. In May last year, the CSB held career talks together with various departments for the first time at several universities in Guangdong and Fujian. The briefings are effective, as shown by the continuous increase in the number of applications for civil service positions from Hong Kong students graduating from Mainland universities. He encouraged Hong Kong students with aspirations to serve the community to equip themselves early to join the civil service.

    The career talks covered information related to Student Air Traffic Control Officer, Liaison Officer Grade, Analyst/Programmer Grade, Computer Operator Grade, Executive Officer Grade, and other general grades. Information booths, mock skills tests and mock interview sessions were also provided on-site to allow students to experience the recruitment process.

    For information on matters related to civil service recruitment, job vacancies and the latest examination arrangements, please visit the CSB website: www.csb.gov.hk/english/recruit/7.html.

    Ends/Tuesday, May 27, 2025
    Issued at HKT 19:24

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cantwell Joins Entire WA Delegation in Letter Urging President Trump to Reconsider Denial of WA State’s Request for a Disaster Declaration for November “Bomb Cyclone”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell
    05.27.25
    WSU Prof Joins Cantwell & Leading Scientists to Highlight Devastating Impacts of Slashing Funding for Science Research
    Trump Administration wants to gut National Science Foundation funding by 55%, would be the most severe reductions in agency’s history, overturn bipartisan consensus reached in CHIPS & Science Act; WSU Professor Kalyanaraman: Cuts will “directly undercut” AI precision agriculture and agriculture cybersecurity research
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last Tuesday, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, was joined by Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and a panel of prestigious scientists to decry the devastating impacts of the Trump Administration’s proposed 55% cut to the FY 2026 budget of the National Science Foundation (NSF).
    The panel included Dr. Ananth Kalyanaraman, Professor at Washington State University, and Director of the USDA NIFA-funded AI Institute on Agricultural AI for Decision Support and Workforce Development.
    “We are in an Information Age. We are in an age where there are several areas of U.S. competitiveness that depend on continued science innovation, aerospace being one of those, certainly AI being another, quantum being a third,” Sen. Cantwell said. “And all of this is being put into jeopardy by this cut.”
    Looking at the damage to our future if these cuts are implemented, the Senator continued: “In an Information Age economy, when so much innovation is available, the last thing you should be doing is having a 55 percent cut to one of your key science R&D institutions. You should be making increases, allowing a thousand flowers to bloom across these institutions, across the United States, because you never know where the next Bill Gates or the next Bill Boeing is going to be, and the innovation they’re going to drive.”
    “WSU researchers are working on cutting edge security research across the entire computing stack, spanning hardware, software systems, and the web, and applications to precision agriculture,” said Dr. Kalyanaraman. “This research integrates AI to enhance the resilience of agricultural systems against cyber threats. We are deeply concerned about the nearly $5 billion in cuts to NSF, which will directly undercut this vital work and also our nation’s ability to remain globally competitive.”
    President Trump’s FY 2026 skinny budget proposes to cut NSF’s funding by 55.8% from $8.8 billion to $3.9 billion. This is on top of $234 million in FY 2025 funding for construction projects that the Administration has frozen. The CHIPS and Science Act, which Sen. Cantwell championed through to passage, authorized dramatically increasing NSF funding to $17.8 billion in FY2026.
    Besides recklessly proposing to slash future funding, the Trump Administration has already terminated 1,752 existing NSF grants totaling more than 1.3 billion dollars according to a list of terminated grants the Foundation released today. A large percentage of these grants are for projects and programs related to STEM education and expanding access and participation in STEM fields. Earlier this month, NSF announced it would cap indirect cost reimbursements at 15 percent for all new awards to universities and nonprofit institutions, down from negotiated rates that typically range from 30 to 60 percent. That action is on pause pending a lawsuit brought in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.
    Other participants included: Dr. Arati Prabhakar, former Director of OSTP, DARPA, and NIST and venture capitalist; Dr. France Córdova, 14th Director of the National Science Foundation, and now President of the Science Philanthropy Alliance; Dr. Dean Chang, Chief Innovation Officer and Associate Vice President for Innovation & Entrepreneurship & Economic Development at the University of Maryland; and Dr. Marvi Matos Rodriguez, Engineering Director working in the Aerospace Industry.
    Dr. Prabhakar took the lead in debunking the idea that corporate funding could in any way replace federal investment in science, stating: “It’s been a bedrock economic understanding that corporations invest in the R&D that they can see leading to products and profits, but not in the kind that evolves across many labs over many years and forms a shared foundation for whole industries and for public missions like defense.”
    “These devastating cuts to public R&D are an embarrassing retreat from American leadership that hands the reins to the People’s Republic of China,” Dr. Prabhakar added. “And I would so much rather be here today talking about achieving our great aspirations for longer and healthier lives and for AI that extends our own human talents, for lowering our cost of living with clean energy and for restoring nature, because that is the future that America is capable of creating.”
    Dr. Córdova, who strongly agreed that private funding is no substitute for the NSF, said: “I have a good handle on what industry and philanthropy can contribute, and I can tell you, as important as their contributions are to bolstering our economy, they cannot replace government funding.”
    And Dr. Córdova decried the impacts of the cuts to STEM education that the Trump funding levels would force.
    “Especially important to universities is the funding to train our STEM workforce pipeline, without which we would have no industries of the future. Industry representatives often tell me that arguably the most important investment NSF makes is in the workforce training of STEM talent,” she said.
    In April, NSF revealed that Graduate Research Fellowships awarded in 2025 would be cut in half, from 2,000 to 1,000, the smallest cohort since 2010. NSF will also significantly reduce (from 368 to 70) the number of scientists it employs through a program that enables scientists on leave from their academic positions to work with the NSF to help choose the best research to fund.
    Dr. Chang offered an eye-opening look at where our nation would be without the National Science Foundation.
    ”It’s hard to imagine a world without NSF, but this alternate world without NSF would have none of the following: No Medtronic pacemakers or insulin pumps; no ChatGPT; no Nvidia GPU chips that power ChatGPT; no Apple; no Siri; no Amazon, Alexa; no GE MRIs for medical imaging; no Teslas and actually, no smart cruise control in any car of any kind; no Da Vinci robotic surgical systems; no early quantum computers from IBM and IonQ; and no Fortnite — the video game that swept the nation a few years ago,” Dr. Chang explained.
    “NSF celebrated its 75th anniversary this month,” Dr. Chang added. “But are we willing to relinquish our nation’s 75-year head start to other countries so they become the birthplace of the next generation of Teslas and ChatGPTs, the next generation of robotic surgeons and life saving devices? Not only must NSF continue to invest in high risk, high reward research, but NSF also must continue to invest in proven ways to shorten the decades long gestation periods.”
    Dr. Matos Rodriguez talked about her personal educational and professional story of turning her love for math and science at the University of Puerto Rico into a passion for research and STEM career engineering and the role NSF played along the way.
    “My passion for research blossomed when peers introduced me to the summer programs specifically designed to develop and enhance research skills,” Dr. Matos Rodriguez said, referring to research opportunities for undergraduates funded by the NSF that took her to California to conduct research at UC Davis and IBM.  
    “The impacts of the NSF REU program were far reaching. My journey continued at Carnegie Mellon, where I did my PhD… supported by a NASA grant. After graduate school, I worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, funded by a grant from the National Research Council,” Dr. Matos Rodriguez continued.  “Little did I know that the product of all that research was not just the science, the discoveries or the papers, the product was me. The REU program, more than 25 years ago, was the seed for the STEM professional I am today, at a time when global competitiveness is vital, it is crucial to commit to cultivating generations of STEM professionals.”
    In the National Science Foundation for the Future Title in CHIPS and Science Act, Congress specifically called for broader participation of populations underrepresented in STEM and authorized $13 billion over five years for the NSF to allocate to STEM education. The United States can’t compete with China and others in science and innovation if we cannot close a gap in the STEM workforce that could be as large as 3 million people nationwide by 2030.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cornyn, Blumenthal, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Aid Recovery of Nazi-Confiscated Art

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas John Cornyn
    AUSTIN – U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), John Fetterman (D-PA), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), and Katie Britt (R-AL) introduced the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery (HEAR) Act, which would aid in the recovery of Nazi-looted art and deliver justice for Holocaust survivors and their families:
    “The artwork wrongfully ripped from Jewish hands during the Holocaust bears witness to a chapter in history when evil persisted and the worst of humanity was on full display,” said Sen. Cornyn. “I’m proud to introduce this legislation to support the Jewish people and Holocaust survivors by helping them recover art confiscated by the Nazis that they are rightfully owed and give them the justice and restitution they deserve.”
    “The theft of art by the Nazi regime was more than a pilfering of property—it was an act of inhumanity,” said Sen. Blumenthal. “Our bipartisan effort seeks to strengthen measures to bring long overdue justice to families whose cherished art was brazenly stolen by the Nazis.”
    “This legislation helps to right a historic wrong committed during one of the darkest chapters in history,” said Sen. Tillis. “By eliminating unnecessary legal obstacles, the HEAR Act establishes a clear path to restitution for Holocaust survivors and their families, ensuring that art and cultural property stolen by the Nazis can finally be returned to their rightful owners.”
    “Despite decades’ long efforts by the United States and allies to return Nazi-looted art to Holocaust victims and their heirs, over 100,000 works of art have yet to be recovered and returned to their rightful owners,” said Sen. Booker. “I’m proud to join Senator Cornyn in introducing this important bill that updates federal law to ensure that survivors and their heirs finally regain possession of their stolen art.”
    “Hundreds of thousands of pieces of artwork were taken from the Jewish people during the Holocaust, and survivors in the United States should not be unfairly barred from claiming artwork that is theirs,” said Sen. Blackburn. “The Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery (HEAR) Act would ensure Holocaust survivors and their heirs have a fair opportunity to recover artwork stolen from them by resolving claims based on merits.”
    “Eighty years after the Holocaust, we have a moral responsibility to do right by the victims of these atrocities and their families,” said Sen. Fetterman. “I’m grateful to join my colleagues from both sides of the aisle in introducing the HEAR Act to help return artwork stolen by the Nazis to its rightful owners.”
    “Stealing artwork from Jewish families during the Holocaust wasn’t just an act of thievery, it was meant to dehumanize the victims,” said Sen. Schmitt. “Decades later many families are still seeking justice, and it’s time we help Holocaust survivors and their families recover the cherished art that is rightfully theirs.”
    “The HEAR Act of 2025 empowers Holocaust survivors and their families to continue to be heard in court and to reclaim their part of history,” said Sen. Britt. “I’m proud to join this bipartisan bill that would clarify the intent of the original legislation — honoring and dignifying the families of individuals whose property was stolen or sold by the Nazi regime over 80 years ago.”
    Background:
    Nazi Germany’s campaign of annihilation and genocide against the Jewish people in the Holocaust included massive theft of property, including hundreds of thousands of works of art. Despite post-war efforts by the United States and allies to return Nazi-looted art and renewed efforts since the late 1990s, more than 100,000 works of art have not been returned to their rightful owners.
    In 2016, Congress unanimously passed the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery (HEAR) Act, spearheaded in the Senate by Senator Cornyn, to ensure Holocaust survivors and their heirs could access U.S. courts to pursue claims for the recovery of Nazi-looted art, allowing cases to be decided on their factual merits rather than dismissed on time-based technical defenses. Congress found that the circumstances of the Holocaust imposed extraordinary obstacles to survivors and heirs to locate and recover stolen art, necessitating a national six-year statute of limitations that only begins when the owner actually discovers the location of the stolen artwork.
    Unfortunately, many museums, governments, and institutions have contradicted Congress’ intent and obstructed justice by stonewalling legitimate claims, obscuring provenance, and employing aggressive legal tactics designed to exhaust and outlast survivors and their families. Rather than embracing transparency and reconciliation, too many have chosen to entrench and litigate, effectively preserving possession of stolen works rather than returning them to their rightful owners. Moreover, some court cases have interpreted the law narrowly, leaving survivors without recourse.
    The original HEAR Act includes a sunset provision and is set to expire December 31, 2026. This legislation would amend and reauthorize the original law to ensure victims of the Holocaust are not denied justice by legal loopholes, institutional intransigence, or the mere passage of time. As another insidious wave of antisemitism hits society, this legislation would reaffirm our commitment to the Jewish people and Holocaust survivors by sending a clear message that the United States will not allow looting to be legitimized, justice to be denied, or Holocaust profiteering to be tolerated.
    The HEAR Act would:
    Eliminate the sunset date, recognizing that the challenges of restitution remain urgent and unresolved;
    Clarify and strengthen procedural protections to ensure that claims are considered on their merits and not dismissed due to time-based technical defenses or other non-merits discretionary defenses;
    And fortify victims’ remedies and access to the courts.
    The legislation is endorsed by Art Ashes, Agudath Israel of America, American Jewish Committee (AJC), Anti-Defamation League (ADL), Bet Tzedek, House of Justice, Christians United for Israel (CUFI Action Fund), Creative Community for Peace (CCFP), Holocaust Survivors Foundation USA, Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA), Jewish Women International (JWI), Justice for Atrocities Clinic, LMU Loyola Law School, Simon Wiesenthal Center, StandWithUs, The 1939 Society, Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History, and World Jewish Congress.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Canada has a chance to lead on AI policy and data governance at the 2025 G7 Leaders’ Summit

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By E. Richard Gold, Professor of intellectual property and innovation, Faculty of Law and Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University

    The 2025 G7 Leaders’ Summit will be held in Kananaskis, Alta., from June 15 to 17. As host of the G7, Canada has a chance to shape rules that will govern AI globally. (Shutterstock)

    Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming sectors from health care to climate science. But amid the global scramble to lead this technological revolution, one truth is becoming clearer: data, its platforms and its circulations, have become critical infrastructure. And Canada, poised to host this year’s G7 Leaders Summit, has a rare opportunity to shape the rules that will govern AI globally.

    Under the leadership of Prime Minister Mark Carney, the federal government elevated AI and digital innovation to a central pillar of national policy, and appointed Evan Solomon as minister of artificial intelligence and digital innovation. But ambition is not enough — Canada must now back its rhetoric with action that resonates at home and abroad.

    Infrastructure intelligence

    While AI headlines often focus on breakthroughs in generative models and robotics, the real engine of progress lies in less glamorous terrain: computing infrastructure and data systems.

    Canada’s proposal to build “next-generation data centres” is about creating the backbone for globally competitive and ethically governed AI. Without these facilities, modern AI systems cannot be trained, validated or deployed responsibly.

    AI models — like those used in medicine for developing new drugs and health services, clean technologies such as clean energy and carbon-capture or materials science — require enormous computational power and massive datasets. That data must be structured, validated and — to the extent possible — open to those who can use it.

    Quality assurance

    Our recent study underscores that the future of AI depends less on algorithmic cleverness and more on data quality and accessibility. Poorly labelled or fragmented datasets can introduce bias, reduce model performance or even endanger lives when used in health or safety applications.

    Yet across many domains, useful data remains siloed and locked in proprietary formats, lacking documentation or inaccessible due to legal and technical barriers. This status quo serves monopolies, not society.

    Canada holds the G7 presidency in 2025, and can provide leadership in data governance and AI innovation. A central priority should be to rally partners around a framework for ethical, accessible and well-designed datasets, especially in fields like health, climate science and materials research.

    Tailored data

    Our call for open data isn’t one-size-fits-all. It must be tailored to the needs of specific sectors:

    • Health-care AI requires anonymized patient data, genomic sequences, protein structure data, toxicology and carcinogen data, and drug response datasets.

    • Climate AI needs long-term environmental records, satellite imagery, power and water use information and real-time emissions data.

    • Materials science AI demands chemical interaction data, physical testing results, structural data and thermodynamic properties.

    What binds these fields is a common challenge: ensuring data is ethically sourced, high-quality, and useable across borders and institutions. Canada’s role should be to help build the platforms — digital, legal and diplomatic — that make this possible.

    A G7 mandate

    As host of the G7 in June, Canada can push for a transformative international commitment. At a minimum, this should include:

    1. Common standards for open datasets, co-designed with input from AI developers, health professionals, climate researchers, materials scientists and legal experts.
    2. Trusted data hubs, managed by public-private or non-profit entities, ensuring secure storage, privacy safeguards and public access.
    3. Legal and diplomatic co-ordination, addressing cross-border data sharing, intellectual property constraints and ethical governance frameworks.

    These steps would position the G7 — and Canada in particular — as a champion of AI that serves democratic values on top of commercial and geopolitical interests.

    Canada’s risks and opportunities

    Canada is not starting from scratch. The country boasts leading AI research institutions, including the Vector Institute and Mila, and has pioneered open science partnerships such as the Montreal Neurological Institute’s Tanenbaum Open Science Institute and the Toronto labs of the Structural Genomics Consortium.

    Dataset platforms such as AIRCHECK(for AI-based chemical knowledge) and the CACHE competition (evaluating drug discovery models using open data), show how Canada is already putting together the building blocks of responsible AI. But the country risks squandering this advantage if it cannot scale these efforts or retain innovation domestically.

    The stalled Artificial Intelligence and Data Act is a case in point. While the European Union moved forward with its AI Act, the General Data Protection Regulation and the European Health Data Space Regulation, Canada’s legislative framework remains in flux.

    Without clear domestic rules, and a proactive global agenda, Canada could end up as an incubator for innovations that end up developed and applied elsewhere.

    Global stakes

    The AI race is not just about who builds the most powerful models. It’s about who defines the technical, ethical and geopolitical standards that shape the digital future.

    The G7 offers Canada a moment of strategic clarity. By investing in AI infrastructure and leading an international agenda on open, trustworthy AI, Canada can lead in shaping the rules.

    E. Richard Gold receives funding from TRIDENT: TRanslational Initiative to DE-risk NeuroTherapeutics, a project funded by the New Frontiers in Research Fund, application NFRFT-2022-00051. Gold is also the Chief Policy and Partnerships Officer of Conscience, a Canadian non-profit focused on enabling drug discovery and development in areas where open sharing and collaboration are key to advancement and where market solutions are limited, such as rare or neglected diseases, pandemic preparedness, and antimicrobial resistance.

    Cristina Vanberghen 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. Canada has a chance to lead on AI policy and data governance at the 2025 G7 Leaders’ Summit – https://theconversation.com/canada-has-a-chance-to-lead-on-ai-policy-and-data-governance-at-the-2025-g7-leaders-summit-256296

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Trump’s West Point speech brought partisanship to the home of the US military − 3 essential reads

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Jeff Inglis, Environment + Energy Editor, The Conversation US

    President Donald Trump delivers the commencement address at West Point on May 24, 2025. AP Photo/Adam Gray

    President Donald Trump’s speech at the graduation of the class of 2025 from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point included segments that were clearly scripted and portions that were obviously not.

    During the unscripted portions, Trump, who wore a bright red “Make America Great Again” campaign hat during his entire appearance on May 24, 2025, delivered remarks that hit many of his frequent partisan political talking points. That included attacking presidential predecessors Barack Obama and Joe Biden, describing immigrants to the U.S. as “criminals” and trumpeting other policy accomplishments in his first and second terms.

    That level of partisanship in a military setting – on the campus of the nation’s first military academy, and before an audience of cadets and their families, many of whom are veterans – is unusual in the United States.

    The Conversation U.S. has published several articles discussing the importance to democracy of keeping the military and partisan politics separate. Here are three highlights from that coverage.

    1. Cadets focus on the Constitution

    During the West Point ceremony, the graduates themselves took an oath to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.” And all of them had studied the significance of that oath, including in classes like those taught by Joseph G. Amoroso and Lee Robinson, active-duty Army officers who graduated from West Point and later served as professors there.

    As Amoroso and Robinson wrote, those classes teach cadets that, like all military personnel, they serve the Constitution and the American people, not a particular person or political party:

    “(O)ur oath forms the basis of a nonpartisan ethic. In the U.S., unlike in many other countries, the oath implies military leaders should be trusted for their expertise and judgment, not for their loyalty to an individual or political party. We emphasize to cadets the rules and professional expectations associated with this profound responsibility.”



    Read more:
    Military personnel swear allegiance to the Constitution and serve the American people – not one leader or party

    2. A tradition of nonpartisanship

    Retired U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Samuel C. Mahaney, who teaches history, national security and constitutional law at Missouri University of Science and Technology, observed:

    “(S)ince the days of George Washington, the military has been dedicated to serving the nation, not a specific person or political agenda. … (N)onpartisanship is central to the military’s primary mission of defending the country.”

    Mahaney wrote that if Trump’s actions during his second term meant a change from the centuries of precedent, “military personnel at all levels would face a crucial question: Would they stand up for the military’s independent role in maintaining the integrity and stability of American democracy or follow the president’s orders – even if those orders crossed a line that made them illegal or unconstitutional?”

    Presenting a key question for military personnel.



    Read more:
    Trump’s firings of military leaders pose a crucial question to service members of all ranks

    3. Dating back to the founding of the nation

    Marcus Hedahl and Bradley Jay Strawser, professors of philosophy who teach military ethics at the U.S. Naval Academy and the Naval Postgraduate School, respectively, explain the reason for this long-standing focus on keeping politicians and politics separate from military action.

    “To minimize the chance of the kind of military occupation they suffered during the Revolutionary War, the country’s founders wrote the Constitution requiring that the president, an elected civilian, would be the commander in chief of the military. In the wake of World War II, Congress went even further, restructuring the military and requiring that the secretary of defense be a civilian as well.”

    As they observed, “… the framers always intended it to be the people’s military – not the president’s.”



    Read more:
    Threatening ‘the enemy within’ with force: Military ethicists explain the danger to important American traditions

    This story is a roundup of articles from The Conversation’s archives.

    – ref. Trump’s West Point speech brought partisanship to the home of the US military − 3 essential reads – https://theconversation.com/trumps-west-point-speech-brought-partisanship-to-the-home-of-the-us-military-3-essential-reads-257673

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Zinke Nominates 15 Western Montana Projects for Federal Funding totaling $64,619,833

    Source: US Congressman Ryan Zinke (Western Montana)

    Zinke prioritizes infrastructure, law enforcement, and rural development across 13 Counties

    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Ryan Zinke announced that he requested federal funding for 15 projects in Western Montana to improve infrastructure, economic development, and law enforcement capabilities. The requests were submitted to the House Appropriations Committee of which he is a member. The projects would benefit communities in the following counties: Beaverhead, Flathead, Gallatin, Granite, Lake (2), Lincoln (2), Missoula (2), Mineral (2), Powell, Ravalli (3), and Sanders (3). The projects are posted on Congressman Zinke’s website for public inspection here and listed below.

    “Rural America’s infrastructure needs have been ignored for too long, as a member of the Appropriations Committee I can ensure our tax dollars are spent on projects that directly support our communities,” said Zinke. “With the help of county commissioners, mayors, and sheriffs, we’ve identified and nominated strong, shovel-ready projects that reflect real community needs and deliver the highest return to Montana taxpayers. These investments will support our law enforcement, expand access to clean water, repair failing infrastructure, and spur economic growth across Western Montana. This is about building a stronger Montana by making sure our families have access to housing, clean water, and safe streets for generations to come.”

    The submissions were made through the U.S. House of Representatives Community Project Funding program, which allows Congress to direct appropriations from specific grant accounts to eligible projects. All projects must meet the published grant requirements and pass a series of legislative hurdles. Every project must be approved by the House Appropriations Committee, the full House of Representatives and be included in the joint funding package approved by the House and Senate and signed by the President. In Fiscal Year 2024, Zinke successfully secured $35 million in funding for Western Montana.  

     

    Proposed projects include:

    *Projects listed by county in alphabetical order 

    Beaverhead, Lake, Lincoln, Mineral and Sanders Counties, $2,889,500 – Five-County Law Enforcement Resilience Project

    Provides a funding level of $2,889,500 for Mineral County, located at P.O. Box 99, 310 River Street, Superior, MT 58972. To reduce cost to the taxpayer and promote equipment continuity in the event of a multi-county response to an incident, Mineral, Lake, Beaverhead, Lincoln, and Sanders counties have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to purchase much needed vehicles and equipment in bulk for bolstered law enforcement and public safety. The 2021-2025 crisis at the southwest border turned every state into a border state -including Montana. Five rural counties with a combined population of less than 80,000 are experiencing the lingering effects of the border crisis with criminal aliens still at large. These five counties have formed a joint purchasing agreement to purchase desperately needed equipment and vehicles in bulk to save tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars per county. The funding will purchase patrol vehicles, body scanners, radios and telecom equipment, rifles, vests, and fund safety upgrades.

    Flathead County, $1,936,170 – North Fork Road Guardrails

    The significance of the North Fork Road cannot be overstated. It provides crucial access for residents, U.S. Customs and Border Protection operations along the Canadian border, year-round recreational activities, and timber industry operations. It also serves as the route for approximately 150,000 annual visitors to Glacier National Park that access the park through the Camas and Polebridge entrances. The North Fork Road plays a pivotal role in the economic and recreational vitality of the region. Despite its significance, the North Fork Road poses safety concerns. Composed of a mostly gravel surface and winding in nature, it has numerous roadside hazards, including sections of roadway with steep side slopes descending to the river below. The existing guardrail along this section of road have surpassed their service life and due to their poor condition, have reduced ability to function as intended. The project will add or replace guardrail to improve safety along 3.71 miles of roadway.

    Gallatin County, $906,660 – Sheriff’s Office Rapid DNA Capabilities and Patrol Vehicles

    Provides a funding level of $906,660 for Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office, located at 615 South 16th Street, Bozeman, MT 59715. The Gallatin County Sheriff’s Department and Belgrade Police Department have formed an MOU to combine their purchasing power and coordinate complementary technology. This funding request will fund the purchase of all necessary equipment, software, warranties, consumables, and technical DNA support for the county sheriff’s office and all other municipal law enforcement agencies. This comprehensive Rapid DNA program will be open to all law enforcement agencies within the county, and hopefully beyond. The state crime lab is facing an overwhelming number of DNA evidence items awaiting processing. To manage this caseload, they have created strict guidelines prioritizing certain crimes and limiting the number of DNA samples that can be processed. To help ease the burden on the state crime lab and enable them to focus on more complex and high-priority cases, the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office will be able to process DNA samples that can lead to immediate investigative leads. Additionally, the Belgrade Police Department will acquire fully outfitted patrol sport utility cruisers to enhance the safety of the citizens of Belgrade. Belgrade is one of the fastest growing municipalities in Western Montana and budgets are stretched thin across city government to support that growth.

    Granite County, $5,000,000 – Clean Water Infrastructure Project “Phase 1”

    Provide a funding level of $5,000,000 for the town of Phillipsburg, Montana, located at 104 South Sansome St. Philipsburg, MT 59858, to construct a new water transmission line. The town of Phillipsburg derives over 82% of its municipal water supply from the Fred Burr Reservoir, a high mountain lake located approximately 7 miles from the town. The dependability of the Fred Burr supply hinges on the reliability of the 7-mile-long transmission main that connects the lake to the town. The transmission line recently experienced a catastrophic failure. The pipeline traverses through rugged, forested, mountainous terrain at high elevations. Replacement of this transmission line is critical for the community to ensure clean and plentiful drinking water.

    Lake County, $730,000 – Ronan Volunteer Fire Department Replacement of 30 Year Old Type 1 Fire Truck 

    Support $730,000 for the purchase of a Type 1 Structure Engine to replace the current vehicle which is over 30 years old. The purchase would replace aging equipment and improve emergency response capacity. This funding will directly strengthen emergency response capacity in Montana’s First Congressional District, where many rural and tribal communities face long response times and limited firefighting resources. By equipping the Ronan Fire Department with a modern, NFPA-compliant Type 1 engine, we not only enhance local fire protection but also regional mutual aid support across Lake County and surrounding areas. This project promotes public safety, supports rural infrastructure, and aligns with congressional priorities to invest in underserved communities. Additionally, it strengthens partnerships between local, tribal, and federal entities in protecting critical infrastructure and natural resources.

    Lincoln County, $820,319 – Rural Airport Reconstruction and Emergency Services Expansion  

    The Troy Airport runway is in poor condition at-best, requiring extensive runway restoration and repair. This rural airport is vital to search and rescue, wildland firefighting efforts and medical flights within Northwest Montana. With the wildland fire trend in NW Montana, the need for a central location for deploying firefighting aircrafts and for a well-maintained runway is essential and cannot be overstated. The Troy Airport is situated close to many forested regions that are susceptible to wildland fire allowing for quick response time to extinguish fires before they spread further. A poorly maintained runway can have significant negative effects on airport operations and safety including the delay of firefighting efforts. Additionally, the 797 residents of Troy rely on the airport for air ambulance service as the closest trauma center is located more than 2 hours away in Kalispell.

    Missoula County, $1,400,000 – Lolo Wastewater Treatment Plant

    The community of Lolo is deficient in the water supply requirements for having the largest well out of service and meeting the max day water demand for the system. The community currently operates a public water supply system through an RSID and requires an upgrade to Well No. 1 and Well No. 2, to increase the water supply for the community. The water rights exist, and the wells can easily be upgraded to increase their capacity. The project was bid last year, and the community didn’t have enough money to award the bid. The benefit is that the project is shovel-ready and already approved by DEQ to move forward as soon as funds are available for the community to use.  The community is concerned about having enough water for the citizens, but particularly concerned during the summer months when the fire season is imminent.  The lack of redundancy for the water system is a great concern for the community and upgrading these two wells would provide that necessary capacity and surety.

    Missoula County, $21,134,250 – Seeley Lake Wastewater Treatment Plant  

    The largest employer in Seeley Lake and one of the largest in Missoula County announced it was closing after 75 years in business citing it was “crippled” by labor shortages driven by a lack of affordable housing, inflation, and lumber prices. The mill employed roughly 250 employees. The town of Seeley Lake is very rural and unable to build additional housing because it does not have a municipal water system to support additional housing and the existing septic system is at capacity and contaminating the groundwater. Building a water system will allow developers to invest in affordable workforce housing to support reopening the mill and growing jobs and economic activity in the region.

    Mineral County, $1,000,000 – Alberton Water Tower 

    Currently, the storage volume for Alberton is inadequate. The proposed Water Storage Improvements Projects will add 200,000 gallons of drinking water storage in order to provide adequate water volume to satisfy maximum day demands and also to deliver sufficient fire flow/volume. The Town is implementing a major improvements project to its distribution system in ’24-’25 and the storage tank project is the next highest priority project according to the Town’s 2020 Preliminary Engineering Report. 

    Powell County, $1,009,934 – Equipment for Volunteer Fire Departments

    Provides a funding level of $1,009,934 to Powell County, Montana located at 409 Missouri Ave, Suite 203, Deer Lodge, MT 59722. Powell County is larger than the entire state of Delaware, and large sections of the County are very remote. First responders are responsible for responding to more than 800 miles of county road, 90 miles of state highway, and 36 miles of Interstate. Volunteer departments respond to hundreds of interstate accidents every year in addition to countless search and rescue operations on millions of acres of rugged wilderness. This request would fund the acquisition of equipment for EMS, fire department and search and rescue operations. This will help both Granite and Powell Counties, as both Gold Creek and Drummond’s Valley Fire work together per a mutual aid agreement, which further extends the impact of this request. 

    Ravalli County, $1,143,000 – Bridge Replacement, Groff Lane 

    Ravalli County is one of the fastest growing counties in Montana. Groff Lane provides access to larger agricultural tracts in Ravalli County and a future potential public access.  The narrow bridges need to be replaced to allow for safer passage and also to ensure that irrigation water delivery can continue to some larger agricultural water users in the Bitterroot Valley.

    Ravalli County, $5,500,000 – Old Corvallis Road Repair 

    The funding would be used for repair of the Old Corvallis Road in the critical north-south transportation corridor of the greater Hamilton area. The Project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because Old Corvallis Road serves as a crucial transportation artery in the greater Hamilton area, connecting the Corvallis community with essential services and employment opportunities in the City of Hamilton, notably a large pharmaceutical facility as well as a soon-to-be residential development that will consist of 140 units. The road suffers from poor pavement conditions and lacks dedicated non-motorized facilities, making walking hazardous. Traffic counts from 2023 reveal an average daily traffic of 2,705 vehicles with an anticipated increase of nearly 50% once the residential development is completed. Addressing these infrastructure challenges is crucial to ensuring safe and efficient travel along Old Corvallis Road. 

    Ravalli County, $10,000,000 – Wastewater Treatment Plant 

    Ravalli county is currently one of the most rapidly developing counties in Montana and one of the greatest in need of affordable housing. One of the greatest barriers to that is the lack of water and sewage treatment capacity. Ravalli county until recently has been forced to send its raw sewage by truck to Missoula county for disposal and treatment. Recently this arrangement was terminated due to Missoula counties own issues with sewage treatment capacity. Currently all sewage pumped from septic tanks in Ravalli county is being deposed of on National Forest lands. This is a concern both environmentally and economically due to the capacity barriers this creates. Septic seepage levels are reaching a dangerous level and because of this the county is limited in new septic permits it can issue to build new homes and dwellings. This new facility if funded would protect drinking water, ease capacity restrictions inhibiting development, and protect environmental quality by keeping septic seepage and human waste out of critical groundwater siphons and the Bitterroot river.

    Sanders County, $10,000,000 – Noxon Bridge Replacement Project Phase 1

    This funding would replace a failing 102-year-old bridge that is on an important emergency service, school bus, and commodity transportation route. The 102-year-old structure is now facing serious structural concerns, leading to its indefinite closure. This is the only bridge which links Highway 200 to the town of Noxon, and has developed cracks in its foundation and holes in the roadbed have opened, prompting urgent safety evaluations. The Sanders County Commissioners commissioned a study to assess the bridge’s condition, with findings recommending full replacement rather than rehabilitation. The closure has already disrupted daily life, affecting food deliveries, emergency services, and local businesses. School busses fully loaded are unable to traverse the bridge. Due to budget constraints of a small taxbase, the county is unable to fund the project alone. With its historical significance and essential role in local infrastructure, restoring the Noxon Bridge remains a top priority for both county and state officials. Securing the necessary funding remains a challenge, leaving the community in limbo as they await further action.

    Sanders County, $1,150,000 – Repaving Marten Creek Road 

    This project aims to rehabilitate and upgrade a surface transportation asset that if left unimproved threatens the mobility of people, delivery of services to residents, economic growth from tourism and vital national forest access. This project will improve the lifespan of Marten Creek Road, reduce future maintenance costs and allow more time, money and resources to be spent on other roads in the county. Sanders County proposes to hire a contractor to overlay 4.5 miles of Marten Creek Road with 2.5″ thick asphalt 22′ wide. Estimated cost of the project is $1,150,000.

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