NewzIntel.com

Category: Education

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta Secures Preliminary Injunction to Block Mass Firings, Transfer of Core Functions from Department of Education

    Source: US State of California

    Thursday, May 22, 2025

    Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov

    OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today issued the following statement in response to a decision by the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts granting a preliminary injunction in a multistate lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration’s unlawful mass firing of U.S. Department of Education employees and the transfer of core statutory functions to other departments. These actions have devastated the Department of Education’s ability to meet its statutory obligations across numerous programs — direct funding for K-12 education, student aid, services for students with disabilities, civil rights enforcement, vocational training, and more.      

    “As long as the Trump Administration persists in violating the law, we will continue to hold him accountable,” said Attorney General Bonta. “The firing of Department of Education employees and outsourcing of core statutory functions, like the administration of federal student loans, violate the Administrative Procedure Act and are unconstitutional. I am encouraged by the court’s ruling today restoring fired Education Department employees to their positions while our case progresses. We will continue to fight to ensure the unlawful and absurd dismantling of the Department of Education is reversed — permanently. Our students deserve better.”     

    On March 11, the Department of Education initiated a mass termination impacting nearly 50% of the Department’s employees, as part of the Trump Administration’s “final mission” to dismantle the Department. The mass firings were not accompanied by any reasoning to explain why these employees — and indeed, some whole teams — were targeted. The rationale is nevertheless clear — the Trump Administration believes the Department should not exist and is using these firings as a tool in furtherance of that goal. President Trump’s directive for Education Secretary Linda McMahon to take all necessary steps to dismantle the Department is further evidence that the firings are part of a broader effort to undermine the Department’s ability to carry out its most vital, congressionally-mandated functions. These steps include transferring the administration of federal student loans to the Small Business Administration, which recently fired 40% of its workers, and of special needs and nutritional programs to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.    

    A copy of the decision is available here.

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Funding for redevelopment of Borrodale School on Isle of Skye.

    Source: Scotland – Highland Council

    The Scottish Government have awarded The Highland Council £450k from the Vacant & Derelict Land Investment Programme for a project to renovate Borrodale School and School House.

    The project aims to develop an innovative solution to the renovation which will provide much needed affordable housing, but which also supports the local community, businesses and minimises the carbon footprint both during construction and in use.

    Chair of the Council’s Economy and Infrastructure Committee, Councillor Ken Gowans said: “This is exactly the type of project the Vacant & Derelict Land Investment Programme should be supporting. The renovation of this derelict school and school house will create 5 or 6 fuel efficient user-friendly housing unit, in an area where affordable housing is very limited.”

    The Council will the administer the funding and the project will be delivered by the Communities Housing Trust Communities Housing Scotland (CHT) working with The Glendale Trust.

    The project will be a case study to demonstrate how derelict buildings can be refurbished cost effectively, provide significant benefits to the community and much needed housing.

    While undertaking the renovation, under existing building regulations, each stage will be analysed to determine improvements that could make renovations a more attractive and cost-effective option.

    Councillor Gowans added: “Improvements identified could include changes to regulations and planning status, project efficiencies, energy management, waste management and reduction in environmental impact.

    “I wish everyone involved all the very best as they move forward with this exciting transformation project.”

    22 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Secretary McMahon Announces Title IX Special Investigations Team with ED, Department of Justice

    Source: United States of America – Federal Government Departments (video statements)

    From day one, the Trump Administration has prioritized enforcing Title IX to protect female students and athletes.

    The U.S. Department of Education is partnering with the U.S. Department of Justice to form Title IX Special Investigations Team to ensure rapid and consistent investigations.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuqzv9Z0GeA

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Secretary Linda McMahon’s First Day as U.S. Secretary of Education

    Source: United States of America – Federal Government Departments (video statements)

    On March 3, 2025, Linda E. McMahon was sworn in as the 13th Secretary of Education. The work to prioritize our nation’s students is just beginning.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JB0JCu8h8hM

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: ED Visits the Arizona Autism Charter School

    Source: United States of America – Federal Government Departments (video statements)

    Charter schools like the Arizona Autism Charter School create specialized educational programs for students with autism and neurodivergence, helping them thrive not just academically but also socially.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaXD5Uer0FA

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: ED Visits FuturEdge Charter Academy in Nevada

    Source: United States of America – Federal Government Departments (video statements)

    FuturEdge Charter Academy in Nevada builds 21st century skills with their students, encouraging collaborative learning and helping students develop goals for their educational & career future, as we saw when Secretary McMahon and staff from the U.S. Department of Education visited the school.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnQ_Hk95R8E

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Secretary McMahon and Nicki Neily on ED’s Title IX Investigation in Maine Schools

    Source: United States of America – Federal Government Departments (video statements)

    The U.S. Department of Education will enforce all federal laws to safeguard students & families.

    Hear more from Secretary McMahon and Nicki Neily, founder and president of Defending Education, on the department’s Title IX investigation into Maine’s Department of Education.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGCXh5e4VBg

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Dangerous and underfunded school buildings – E-001960/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-001960/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Kostas Papadakis (NI)

    The vast majority of school buildings in Greece are in a deplorable condition. 30 % of schools do not comply with any earthquake code at all, and 30 % were built in line with the 1959 code, which is outdated and obsolete. The vast majority of schools are not in line with modern scientific knowledge on earthquake-proofing and protection, leaving pupils and teachers at risk.

    Can the Commission therefore answer the following:

    • 1.What view does it take of the fact that a large number of school buildings – attended by millions of children in Greece and across the EU – remain outdated and unsuitable, that they are not earthquake-resistant and are therefore dangerous, that they lack modern equipment and infrastructure, sports and leisure areas, that new buildings are needed, and that their maintenance and renovation is a matter of life and death?
    • 2.What view does it take of the fact that, although a billion euro treasure trove is being made available for the war economy through ReArm Europe, and while business groups are being supported through the Recovery Fund, the fact remains that, in order to build and renovate schools and to carry out the necessary structural, electrical and fire safety checks, they have to rely on PPPs, sponsorship by large companies and the pittances raised from appeals to private individuals with the aim of passing on costs to the parents themselves?
    • 3.What is its view on immediately meeting the demands of pupils, parents and teachers to carry out the structural, electrical and fire safety checks – necessary for everybody’s safety – and to proceed with all the necessary construction of new school buildings, the maintenance and renovation of older ones, without PPPs or concessions to private parties?

    Submitted: 15.5.2025

    Last updated: 22 May 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Press release – Employment and Social Affairs Committee to discuss just transition in Ruhr area

    Source: European Parliament

    An Employment and Social Affairs Committee delegation is travelling to Germany’s Ruhr area to visit chemical and steel plants and educational facilities.

    Five MEPs from Parliament’s Employment and Social Affairs Committee will be in the Ruhr area from 26 to 28 May 2025 to meet with business leaders, trade union representatives and the state government. The delegation will be led by Dennis Radtke (EPP, DE). The other four members of the delegation are:

    Interested journalists can accompany the delegation or join the concluding press briefing on 27 May.

    On Monday 26 May, MEPs will visit the Chemical Park Marl, one of the largest chemical industry centres in Europe. They will also visit thyssenkrupp Duisburg, an international industrial and technology group.

    On Tuesday 27 May, the parliamentarians will meet workers and trade union representatives for a discussion at the Quaz-Ruhr Qualification Centre in Bochum. The delegation will also stop at Ruhr University Bochum (RUB), where they will visit the Worldfactory Start-up-Center and Makerspace, both central RUB hubs for start-ups and technology transfer.

    In the afternoon, the MEPs will visit DASA − Germany’s largest exhibition on the world of work, where they will have a debate with the North Rhine-Westphalia State Minister for Labour, Health, and Social Affairs, Karl-Josef Laumann.

    Press briefing

    On Tuesday 27 May, at around 17:30, there will be a press briefing with Dennis Radtke (EPP, DE), the head of the delegation, and State Minister Karl-Josef Laumann at DASA, Working World Exhibit.

    For any media questions, or to register for the press briefing, you are kindly advised to get in touch with Parliament’s press officer in Germany, Thilo Kunzemann (email: thilo.kunzemann@europarl.europa.eu; phone: +49 171 388 4775).

    Background

    Historically, the Ruhr area is well-known across Europe for its production of coal, iron, and steel. Production reached peak levels in the 1950s, when the sector accounted for about 70% of the Ruhr’s total workforce. With decarbonisation, jobs in the sector have since decreased drastically, and the region has shifted from an industry-based economy to one based on services and knowledge. The region is often seen as a successful example of the just transition, having transformed into a major “green hub”.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation: proportionality, feasibility and health impacts of re-use obligations – E-000460/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation[1], adopted by the European Parliament and the Council, has entered into force and will apply from 12 August 2026. However, some obligations, including on reuse targets, will enter into force only as of 2030.

    The Commission has launched a study[2] to assess a possible exclusion of pallet wrappings and straps from the reuse targets for transport packaging as laid down in Article 29(2) and (3).

    The study relies on literature review and consultation of the relevant stakeholders to get primary information. The methodological approach to assess a possible exemption is based on the Commission’s empowerment outlined in Article 29(18).

    Therefore, food safety and hygiene issues, environmental issues and economic impacts (including possible supply chain disruptions) related to the exclusive use of pallet wrappings and straps in transport operations are being thoroughly assessed. In addition, the study is assessing the related administrative burden on concerned stakeholders.

    This comprehensive methodological approach ensures a high-quality outcome and a deep analysis of all relevant sustainability aspects.

    The study is to be completed by July 2025. Based on its results, the Commission intends to draft and propose the related delegated act under Article 29(18) of the regulation before the end of 2025 .

    This timeframe will ensure predictability for economic operators well before the application of the related targets, by 2030.

    • [1] Regulation (EU) 2025/40 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 December 2024 on packaging and packaging waste, amending Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 and Directive (EU) 2019/904, and repealing Directive 94/62/EC, OJ L, 2025/40, 22.1.2025.
    • [2] Study launched under the ordinary Commission’s procurement procedure: Framework Contract No ENV.B.3/FRA/2023/0012.
    Last updated: 22 May 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI: Calvetti Ferguson Expands Dallas Team with Business Development Officer

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    DALLAS, Texas, May 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Calvetti Ferguson continues to grow its North Texas presence with the addition of Steve Valenta as a business development officer in its Dallas office. With a career rooted in strategic relationship-building and business growth, Steve will focus on connecting companies to the firm’s advisory and accounting solutions.

    Steve brings more than 25 years of experience in business development and relationship management, including work with public and private companies, investment bankers, attorneys, and private equity sponsors across the Southwest. Known for his consultative approach and ability to deliver tailored solutions, he will now partner with business owners, executives, and other key stakeholders throughout the region.

    “It’s a privilege to join Calvetti Ferguson and be part of a team that’s committed to delivering real value to its clients,” said Steve Valenta. “I’m eager to support the firm’s momentum in Dallas and look forward to developing new relationships throughout the community.”

    Steve’s efforts will center on introducing middle-market businesses to Calvetti Ferguson’s full range of capabilities. He will focus on identifying opportunities that align with client needs and ensuring successful, long-term engagements.

    He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from the University of Oklahoma and a Master of Business Administration in Finance from Southern Methodist University. Steve is also an active member of the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG), where he remains engaged in industry developments.

    “Steve’s experience and relationship-focused mindset will help us deepen our connections in the region and uncover new ways to support clients across North Texas,” said Jason Cain, vice president of business development at Calvetti Ferguson. “We’re excited to welcome him as we continue to build our presence in Dallas.”

    With Steve joining the team, Calvetti Ferguson strengthens its ability to meet the evolving needs of the Dallas market. His arrival reinforces the firm’s commitment to trusted partnerships and insight-driven solutions that help clients thrive.

    About Calvetti Ferguson
    Calvetti Ferguson is a nationally recognized CPA and advisory firm serving companies across the United States. The firm provides assurance, tax, advisory, accounting, risk advisory, and technology advisory services to middle-market businesses, family offices, and private equity firms.

    Media contact:

    Emily Martin

    Chief Marketing Officer

    emartin@calvettiferguson.com

    (713) 726-5723

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: KANZHUN LIMITED Announces Board Change

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BEIJING, May 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —  KANZHUN LIMITED (“BOSS Zhipin” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: BZ; HKEX: 2076), a leading online recruitment platform in China, today announced that Ms. Hongyu Liu has been appointed as an independent non-executive director of the Company and a member of the nomination committee.

    Ms. Hongyu Liu, aged 52, is a financial expert with over 25 years of experience in the financial services industry. Ms. Liu currently serves as a managing director at Intermediate Capital Asia Pacific Limited, where she started her role in 2016. She previously served as a principal at TPG Capital, and held the position of vice president at Lazard China Limited. Her earlier career also includes over seven years at JP Morgan Chase, where she held various roles in the United States and Hong Kong, with her last position being a vice president.

    Ms. Liu earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in finance from Renmin University of China, a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from The Fletcher School of Tufts University, and an MBA from Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. She also serves on the International Board of Advisors at Tufts University. Ms. Liu is a Chartered Financial Analyst and is licensed under the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Chapter 571 of the Laws of Hong Kong) (the “SFO”) as a representative to carry out Type 1 (dealing in securities) and Type 4 (advising on securities) regulated activities.

    The Company would like to welcome Ms. Liu to the board. The Company believes that her expertise and experience will be a valuable asset to the Company’s development.

    Safe Harbor Statement

    This press release contains statements that may constitute “forward-looking” statements which are made pursuant to the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “will,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “aims,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates,” “likely to,” and similar statements. The Company may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, in announcements made on the website of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited, in its interim and annual reports to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including but not limited to statements about the Company’s beliefs, plans, and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in the Company’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

    About KANZHUN LIMITED

    KANZHUN LIMITED operates the leading online recruitment platform BOSS Zhipin in China. The Company connects job seekers and enterprise users in an efficient and seamless manner through its highly interactive mobile app, a transformative product that promotes two-way communication, focuses on intelligent recommendations, and creates new scenarios in the online recruiting process. Benefiting from its large and diverse user base, BOSS Zhipin has developed powerful network effects to deliver higher recruitment efficiency and drive rapid expansion.

    For more information, please visit https://ir.zhipin.com.

    For investor and media inquiries, please contact:

    KANZHUN LIMITED
    Investor Relations
    Email: ir@kanzhun.com

    In China：

    PIACENTE FINANCIAL COMMUNICATIONS
    Helen Wu
    Tel: +86-10-6508-0677
    Email: kanzhun@tpg-ir.com

    In the United States:

    PIACENTE FINANCIAL COMMUNICATIONS
    Brandi Piacente
    Phone: +1-212-481-2050
    Email: kanzhun@tpg-ir.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: “Eternal Deposits”: Development of Endowments in Russia Discussed at Polytechnic University

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    The Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University hosted the Eternal Deposits Assembly and the Endowment EXPO exhibition, organized by the National Endowment Association with the support of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation.

    The plenary session was opened by the Vice-Rector for Youth Policy and Communication Technologies of SPbPU Maxim Pasholikov.

    “The topic of endowments is in demand now, in recent years we have seen its rebirth, and the issues that the National Endowment Association raises, initiating various sessions and events, certainly influence the development and promotion of endowments,” Maxim Aleksandrovich noted in his welcoming speech. “These issues are related to motivational co-financing, and to the attraction of state corporations, and to the involvement of society as a whole in charity. I think many of you will agree that there is romance in the topic of endowments, because we are talking about eternal capital, about the fact that the result may appear not in a year or two, but in fifty or a hundred years, and our descendants will receive it. That is why our business seems so romantic and especially valuable to me.”

    Svetlana Lavrova, Chairperson of the Board of the National Endowment Association, agreed that there is a certain romanticism in the fact that an endowment, on the one hand, is important for the financial market, and on the other hand, it supports the non-profit sector, ensuring its sustainability and independence.

    “The financial sector is interested in finances, and the beneficiaries of all this are simply people,” Svetlana Nikolaevna explained. “The development of endowments balances the interests of business and society.”

    Director of NAE Alexey Anisin presented statistics on the endowment industry for 2024 and the dynamics of its development since 2011. Targeted capital is created to support universities, schools, sports associations, and cultural institutions. Today, there are already 407 of them, 360 are registered, and the volume of funds in endowments, according to management companies, amounted to 155.5 billion rubles.

    Alexey Anisin noted that this year the number of Assembly participants and partners has increased significantly: We held the First Assembly “Eternal Deposits” in 2023. Last year we decided to make exhibition “Endowment EXPO”. We invited not only endowment funds, but also management companies, universities, schools, museums. We realized that those people who, especially in the regions, are engaged in this topic, lack a community, communication, because if in Moscow, in St. Petersburg there are many endowments, there is a certain professional circle where people communicate, then in the regions it is much more difficult. The industry itself is not yet sufficiently represented in the media field. An important function of such an exhibition is to tell the widest possible circle of people, including donors, about the endowment.

    The plenary session was also attended by the co-founder and president of the Rybakov Foundation Ekaterina Rybakova, the general director of the Potanin Foundation Oksana Oracheva, the director of the Federal Center for Cultural Heritage Our Norilsk, and a member of the board of the National Association of Ecologists Anna Makukha.

    On the first day of the assembly, discussions were held on the tracks “Basics and Reviews”, “Consultations and Special Events” and “Special Sessions”, where participants discussed issues of investing and developing endowments in various fields.

    Maxim Pasholikov, Vice-Rector for Youth Policy and Communication Technologies at SPbPU, gave a presentation at the “University Endowment Review” track. He shared his experience of attracting funds to the Polytechnic’s endowment funds (there are currently six of them), and then the audience exchanged examples and ideas for filling their endowments. Maxim Pasholikov separately said that since this year, the monitoring system of the Ministry of Education and Science’s “Priority-2030” program has included an indicator of the effectiveness of attracting funds to endowment funds, so the universities participating in the program have an additional incentive to develop alumni communities, partnerships and other mechanisms for increasing endowment funds.

    At the end of the first day of the Assembly, the winners and prize winners of the Eternal Contribution Prize were awarded. The ceremony was hosted by Associate Professor of the Higher School of Law and Forensic Science of the Humanitarian Institute of St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, winner of the competition and recipient of the Eternal Contribution-2022 Prize Artem Klinitsky.

    In 2025, the special prize of the organizing committee of the award was received by a team of authors, which included Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor of the Higher School of International Relations and the Higher School of Social Sciences of the Humanities Institute of SPbPU Ilya Sidorchuk, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor of St. Petersburg State University Evgeny Rostovtsev and a student of the Humanities Institute of the Polytechnic University Svetlana Danilova.

    The study by the co-authors is dedicated to the Society for Assistance to Students of the Imperial St. Petersburg University and the importance of endowment capital in its activities.

    “The society was founded in 1873 and up until the revolution it successfully coped with its tasks,” said Ilya Viktorovich. “We came to the conclusion that there were many ways to support the society and raise funds, for example, membership fees, charity concerts. But, as practice has shown, the most effective was the use of perpetual deposits. It was thanks to them that it became possible to implement such projects as the construction of a sanatorium in Yevpatoria and the organization of a student canteen, which fed many needy young people for free.”

    “As they said today on one of the tracks, time goes by, but many students are still forced to look for money for clothing, food, housing, education, especially in the humanities, where there are fewer and fewer budget places every year,” added Svetlana Danilova. “That is why our work is relevant, and this historical experience can be useful.”

    Photo archive

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI: Rhino Federated Computing Raises $15M Series A to Scale Federated AI Across Regulated Industries

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BOSTON, May 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Rhino Federated Computing, the leading platform for federated AI collaboration, today announced the close of an oversubscribed $15 million Series A funding round led by AlleyCorp. All existing institutional investors participated, including LionBird, Fusion Fund, Arkin Digital Health, Qiming Venture Partners USA, Telus Global Ventures and Keren Maccabi, as well as new investors Wilson’s Bird Capital, Mr. Frank Sica, and Gaingels. The round brings Rhino FCP’s total funding to over $30 million to-date.

    Founded in 2020 by Dr. Ittai Dayan (who led AI development and deployment at Mass General Brigham and was a researcher at Harvard Medical School) and Yuval Baror (serial entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience building AI based production systems), Rhino FCP enables enterprises to work together on AI and data science initiatives without centralizing data—fueling a new era of federated AI that protects data ownership, complies with regulation, and accelerates innovation. The company is already powering major use cases, including:

    With this new capital, Rhino will scale these capabilities across more customers and regulated sectors, bringing to market a robust, enterprise-grade solution for organizations looking to collaborate with data at scale.

    “Federated AI is the future of innovation in regulated industries,” said Dr. Ittai Dayan, CEO and co-founder of Rhino Federated Computing. “We’re helping organizations unlock the power of their data—not in isolation, but as part of an interconnected, secure network. This investment allows us to accelerate that mission and expand the reach of our platform.”

    Dr. Alexi Nazem, General Partner head of healthcare at AlleyCorp, added: “In the rapidly advancing era of artificial intelligence, unique data is becoming incredibly valuable. But often that data is private and proprietary, so private, secure, and effective collaboration tools are necessary to activate and realize the true value of that data. It’s a difficult challenge, especially in highly sensitive fields like healthcare and financial services, and Rhino’s federated AI platform is the most compelling foundation we’ve seen for making that possible.”

    About Rhino Federated Computing
    Headquartered in Boston, MA, with an R&D center in Tel Aviv, Rhino has built the trusted end-to-end tech stack for federated AI in regulated industries. Rhino FCP enables data-driven collaboration across institutional and geographic boundaries—without requiring data centralization—empowering enterprises to safely scale AI and analytics across increasingly large networks. Rhino is committed to delivering scalable, secure, and compliant data collaboration without sacrificing speed or control.

    Media Contact
    media@rhinofcp.com
    www.rhinofcp.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: A representative of SPbGASU spoke about the use of artificial intelligence in course design at a conference in China

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Andrey Surovenkov at the conference

    Head of the Department of Architectural Design, Associate Professor of SPbGASU Andrey Surovenkov spoke at the forum of the International Alliance of Architectural and Technological Universities of the Silk Road (SRIAATU) at Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology (China). As reported by the Head of the International Activities Department of SPbGASU Shuainat Akhmadulaeva, our university is a partner of this university and a member of the alliance, which opens up new opportunities for interaction in the field of education and science.

    “The annual international conference attracts employees of universities from many countries with its relevant agenda: the topics raised are understandable and close to all participants. Our university is interested in exchanging experience and discussing important aspects, so it is participating in the conference for the second year in a row,” explained Shuainat Akhmadulaeva.

    This year, the conference “Joint Construction and Innovation along the Silk Road: Writing a New Chapter in Green Architecture of the Silk Road” discussed priority areas of cooperation between universities of the Silk Road countries in the field of construction science and technology, integration and development of educational innovations. In his speech, Andrey Surovenkov considered the advantages and risks of using artificial intelligence in the development of course projects in the discipline “Architectural Design”.

    “New tools are increasingly coming into architectural design, greatly accelerating and simplifying the work of an architect. But they come to education much later – only after they have become firmly established in business. For example, the computer-aided design system (CAD) came to the university only in the 2002/2003 academic year, when it was already fully used in real design. On the one hand, this is logical, since students begin to use only those design tools that have received recognition from business and have been tested in practice. On the other hand, without an understanding of how to work with new tools needed by a modern specialist, competencies are not fully acquired. At the same time, students are quite actively mastering new technologies and are already beginning to use AI when creating course projects. It is difficult to prohibit this, and it is also unnecessary. Therefore, it is better to identify possible areas of application of AI in course design and the boundaries within which this technology can be used in a dialogue with students, so as not to harm the acquisition of other important competencies. At the same time, it is already important for teachers to understand the principles of neural networks: what they are most often used for, and how it is possible to distinguish a picture drawn by a neural network from a picture made by a specialist,” explained Andrey Surovenkov.

    Andrey Viktorovich prepared his report with a team of students and identified a fairly large number of neural networks that are already successfully used in developing ideas and refining three-dimensional images. Seven neural networks were selected that were tested by students during design or received positive feedback in professional communities. The main options for using these neural networks in developing course projects were also identified: editing and improving three-dimensional images, selecting materials, searching for possible ideas during design.

    “This technology can facilitate and speed up the design process. Especially since it is developing very quickly. Currently, the neural network “operator” has to form the correct request to get a more or less suitable solution, but in two or three years, neural networks will learn to fully communicate with a person, understanding what he wants to get. However, as futurologists wrote, AI will free people from routine, giving them time for creativity. It seems that it is the creativity of the neural network that they are trying to take away from us. Therefore, the main danger for students is to become not a full-fledged specialist, but simply an operator of the neural network. To prevent this from happening, it is important to learn to design independently,” Andrey Surovenkov summed up.

    It should be noted that Andrey Surovenkov is participating in this conference for the second time. The topics he raises find a wide response from colleagues from different countries.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Council commits to learning and moving forward following Armada Way Independent Learning Review

    Source: City of Plymouth

    Plymouth City Council has today published the findings of an independent learning review into the events surrounding the felling of trees on Armada Way in March 2023 — and has committed to a comprehensive action plan to improve how it delivers major projects and engages with residents. 

    Commissioned by the current administration and led by a panel of independent experts through SOLACE, the review explored how decisions were made, how the project was managed, and how the Council communicated with the public. The panel reviewed extensive documentation, court evidence, and conducted interviews with staff, partners, and residents. 

    The report offers valuable insights into areas where the Council’s approach did not meet the standards expected — particularly in governance, project management, engagement, and staff wellbeing. It highlights opportunities that were missed and processes that did not function as effectively as they should have. 

    In response, the Council has reflected and acknowledged that there were weaknesses in the approach to bringing forward the project, many of which had underlying causes. As a result, a detailed action plan has been published outlining how the Council will address the findings and ensure that lessons are fully embraced. This includes strengthening decision-making processes, improving consultation and communication, and introducing a new corporate approach to project management. 

    Chief Executive Tracey Lee said: “I want to thank David Williams and the panel for their thorough and thoughtful work. We are grateful for the insights the review has provided — even where they are difficult to hear. It’s clear that in some key areas, we came up short of where we needed to be. And for that, we are sorry.  

    “Every single day, this Council delivers outstanding work. From supporting vulnerable families to delivering major infrastructure, we are making a real difference to people’s lives. The issues highlighted in this report are not reflective of the vast majority of what we do. But they do show us where we need to improve.  

    “We are committed to being a learning organisation — one that reflects honestly, adapts, and grows from experience. That’s not just important for us as a Council — it’s vital for the people we serve. When we learn, we improve. And when we improve, we deliver better outcomes for our communities. 

    “But, let me be clear — Plymouth City Council is not anti-tree. In fact, since November, thanks in part to a huge new partnership effort, there are over 35,000 new trees growing and establishing across the city. This has resulted in us being recognised by the Tree Cities of the World programme. But we are also ambitious for Plymouth. We want this city to grow — and that means making difficult decisions. 

     “This review was about how we made those decisions, and it’s evident that we didn’t always get it right. We are committed to learning from this experience and doing better.” 

    The Council’s action plan includes: 

    • A revised policy and training programme for public engagement and consultation 
    • A new project management framework, to be rolled out across the organisation 
    • Enhanced support and training to ensure stronger governance and decision-making processes 
    • Improved support for staff wellbeing  
    • A review of the Council’s Constitution, Scrutiny arrangements, and governance training 

    The report and action plan will be discussed at the Council meeting on 2 June, where the Chair of the Independent Review Panel will present the findings to members. 

    David Williams, Chair of the Review Panel, said: “This was a complex and sensitive situation. While there were clearly areas where the Council could have done better, what stood out to us was the genuine commitment to the city’s regeneration and the strong community voice advocating for green spaces. 

    “This review wasn’t about blame. It was about understanding how things unfolded, where opportunities were missed, and how the Council can move forward in a more inclusive and resilient way. We hope the findings support healing, strengthen trust, and help the Council deliver its ambitions with the community alongside them.” 

    Tracey Lee added: “We are committed to rebuilding trust through transparency and accountability. We won’t always get everything right, but we will always listen, learn, and strive to do the right thing for Plymouth.” 

    The Council has already begun implementing changes and will report regularly on progress through the Audit and Governance committee process. 

    You can read the full Independent Learning Review Report and Action Plan on our website. 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Goodbye, school: the last bell rang at the Pre-University of the State University of Management

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –

    On May 21, 2025, the last bell rang for 11th grade students of the Pre-University of the State University of Management.

    This year, the theme of the holiday was a train journey. And before departure, the rector of the State University of Management Vladimir Stroyev addressed the assembled students, their parents and teachers with a welcoming speech.

    “Two years have flown by and today you are already standing on the threshold of a new adult life. But the path of a graduate is not over yet, the most important thing is ahead – passing the Unified State Exam. As a parent, I myself went through this exciting stage and I want to wish you to worry less, because it is definitely impossible not to worry at all. Believe in your children, our Pre-University provides one of the best educations that Moscow has at the high school level. I am sure that the children will cope with all the tests with dignity and in a month we will award them with prizes and medals. I wish you all to pass the Unified State Exam with a hundred points and enter the State University of Management, because the guys from the Pre-University are already familiar with the university, know the basics of the first year and will be able to easily adapt to study,” concluded Vladimir Stroyev.

    The students of the Pre-University themselves prepared a festive concert, where they performed large-scale dance numbers, humorous skits, live performances of songs by groups and a choir, as well as live playing of musical instruments. In addition, the guys prepared several videos about their life during their studies at the Pre-University and humorous questions about teachers.

    The class teachers also came up on stage with their wishes and congratulations in return, which they read out without hiding their tears.

    Marina Grigorieva, Director of the Pre-University of the State University of Management, also congratulated the graduates.

    “I am very touched by your performance, I want to say that I love you very much too. I wish all your dreams come true: from little unicorns to presidents of large holding companies,” Marina Yuryevna admitted.

    The GUU Pre-University started working in 2020. The training is free of charge in the following term profiles: socio-economic, humanitarian and technical (IT-oriented). Depending on the choice, schoolchildren study in depth mathematics, English, computer science, information technology, social studies, economics, law, which in the future allows them to easily and successfully enter the GUU or any university in the country.

    More photos from the event in our VK community.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Speaker Johnson: The President is waiting with his pen. And the American people are waiting for relief.

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04)

    WASHINGTON — Ahead of passage, Speaker Johnson delivered the closing argument for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act on the House floor this morning, arguing for its swift passage and immediate consideration by the U.S. Senate.

    Click here to watch Speaker Johnson’s full remarks

    Below are Speaker Johnson’s remarks as delivered:

    After a long week and a long night and countless hours of work over the past year, a lot of prayer and a lot of teamwork, my friends, it quite literally is again Morning in America, isn’t it? And after four long years of President Biden’s failures, President Trump’s America First agenda is finally here, and we are advancing that today.

    What we’re going to do here this morning is truly historic, and it will make all the difference in the daily lives of hard-working Americans. The Dallas waitress pulling overtime, the Detroit mom counting bills late at night, the Kentucky coal miner waiting on his second chance. These are the forgotten men and women of our country that we are all called here to serve, and the One Big Beautiful Bill will deliver for those people.

    It revives our economy. It will deliver historic tax relief. It will make the largest investment in our border security in a generation. It will unleash affordable American energy again, restore common sense to government, secure generational savings and strengthen our national defense, while it also strengthens our essential programs like Medicaid for the people who need it the most. That’s what we’re doing with the One Big Beautiful Bill.

    To put it simply, this bill gets Americans back to winning again, and it’s been a long time coming. This One Big Beautiful Bill is the most consequential legislation that any party has ever passed, certainly under a majority this thin. Legislation of this magnitude is truly nation shaping and life changing. It’s the kind of transformational change that future generations will study one day.

    They’ll look back at this day as a turning point in American history, and it’s exactly what we were sent here to do. Let the record show that when the House Democrats vote in a few moments, this is what they’ll be voting for. Their vote will show that they are apparently for the largest tax increase in the history of our country. They will be voting for when they vote against this bill, waste, fraud, and abuse. They will be voting against safer communities, American energy dominance and American strength on the world stage.

    Today wouldn’t be possible without the leadership of arguably the most powerful and the most successful and the most respected president in the modern era of the United States. Our Democratic colleagues mock the objective truth. We were delivered unified government, my friends, in November, the White House, the Senate and the House were delivered to the party on this side of the aisle. So you can laugh all you want.

    None of this would be possible without the leadership of the 45th and the 47th president of the United States, Donald J. Trump, and it would not be possible without the really hard work of the men and women on this side of the aisle.

    I just want to name our chairman of their House committees that produced and did all the hard work to produce the big, beautiful bill. Scripture says we give honor where honor is due, Mr. Leader, and we’re going to do that here quickly: Chairman G.T. Thompson of the Agriculture Committee, Chairman Mike Rogers of the Armed Services Committee, Chairman Jodey Arrington of the Budget Committee, Chairman Tim Walberg, Education and Workforce Committee, Chairman Brett Guthrie, Energy and Commerce Committee, Chairman French Hill, Financial Services Committee, Chairman Mark Green, Homeland Security Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, Judiciary Committee, Chairman Bruce Westerman, House Natural Resources Committee, Chairman James Comer Oversight and Accountability Committee, Chairman Sam Graves, Transportation and Infrastructure, Chairman Jason Smith, Ways and Means Committee, and I want to make special mention of Chairwoman Virginia Foxx of the Rules Committee, who, by my count, sat in that chair and led that Rules Committee for almost seemed like two straight days. And I think she took two short breaks. She’s the “iron lady of the House,” and I’m so grateful for all their hard work.

    The beauty of what we produce with the One Big Beautiful Bill over here is that this was a team effort. This was men and women who were elected to come here, the duly elected representatives of the people back home. They rolled up their sleeves. They got down in the trenches. We began this effort over a year ago.

    It was actually March of last year, because we anticipated, and we believed, that we would be delivered unified government, that we would have a Republican leader in the White House, Donald J. Trump, that we would have the Senate and the house, and that we would have that moment of opportunity. And so, we planned, and we worked, and we locked arms together as a team, and we have delivered this against all odds.

    The media has tried to divide us. They’ve written our eulogy about 10 times, and you know what? Sometimes it’s good to be underestimated, isn’t it? But we got this done, and I’m so proud of the work of every member of this House Republican Conference who worked in their committees. Every single member had a say in this, every single constituent, the millions of people that are represented here, have their voices and their interests reflected, because we did this together as a team, and it’s quite an achievement.

    I just want to say that all that tireless work has led to the hard work of crafting this legislation, and we’ve been ready since day one to deliver on this agenda. Unified control of government is a rare mandate. It doesn’t happen very often. It’s happened just three times for our party in the last half century. We do not take it for granted, and we are delivering on that mandate here today.

    The American people gave us a mandate in November. They sent a message with their vote. They gave this side of the aisle the power, and we’re going to use it to make their lives better. What we’re achieving here today is nothing short of historic, and that’s true. House Republicans are getting it done again.

    In the Republican Party, see, we believe in a simple principle. We believe that America really is a shining city on a hill. Ronald Reagan used to talk about that, he was referencing Scripture. He understood that America is exceptional. He understood that, as it says right there above the Speaker’s rostrum, our national motto, that we trust in God, in God is our trust. These are the things that make our nation exceptional, and the people of our country, they deserve, they deserve better.

    We’ve been working hard to deliver so that the people of our country see this again as a shining city on a hill, and that people around the world see us for who we should be. One thing that we can all agree on, on both sides of the aisle, is that a strong America is good for everybody, all around the world. All of us together, regardless of party, were called here to stand together and defend those freedoms and to defend those foundations that made us the greatest nation in the history of the world. All of us have to look and recognize that the shine has not been on that city in a while. We’re here to restore it, and this piece of legislation, as large as it is and historic as it is, will do that very thing.

    Now look, we’re accomplishing a big thing here today, but we know this isn’t the end of the road just yet. We’ve been working closely with Leader Thune and our Senate colleagues, the Senate Republicans, to get this done and delivered to the President’s desk by our Independence Day, that’s July 4.

    Today proves that we can do that, and we will do that. And it doesn’t matter how much the media doubts this, or how much the Democrats, you know, give us their narratives. Doesn’t matter how long the speeches are. It doesn’t change the facts; we’re delivering, and we’re doing it in a big way.

    So, to our friends in the Senate, I would just say, the President is waiting with his pen. The American people are waiting for this relief. They are waiting for these life changing results, and we are going to finish this job. This is a historic moment that we will be talking to our children and our grandchildren about, and everyone will remember America’s back. I yield back.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: House Passes President Trump’s America First Agenda

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Rick Allen (R-GA-12)

    Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. After voting in support of the bill, Congressman Rick W. Allen (GA-12) issued the following statement:

    “House Republicans have met the moment before us with passage of today’s historic legislation. Through months of hard work, valuable input from all Members of our conference, and a clear mandate from 77 million Americans—the House has delivered the people’s agenda,” said Congressman Allen. “The One Big Beautiful Bill Act codifies President Trump’s priorities by providing resources to secure the border, making a generational investment in America’s defense, bolstering domestic energy dominance, avoiding the largest tax hike in history, and protecting our most vulnerable communities. My colleagues in the Senate must move expeditiously in passing our bill and sending it to President Trump’s desk. The sooner this legislation is signed into law, the sooner our economy will experience record growth and American families, workers, and businesses will see the relief they have long deserved.”

    THE ONE BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL ACT:

    • Makes the 2017 Trump tax cuts permanent – protecting the average taxpayer from a 22% tax hike.
      • The average taxpayer in GA-12 would see a 24% tax hike if the Trump Tax Cuts expire.
      • A family of 4 making $60,966, the median income in GA-12, would see a $1,160 tax increase if the Trump Tax Cuts expire.
      • Over 6,000 family-owned farms in GA-12 would have their death tax exemption slashed in half next year if the Trump Tax Cuts expire.
    • Delivers on President Trump’s priorities of no tax on tips, overtime pay, and car loan interest, and provides additional tax relief for seniors. 
    • Provides funding for 10,000 new Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel.
    • Provides an effective border wall system, specifically:
      • Completion of 701 miles of primary wall.
      • Construction of 900 miles of river barriers.
      • 629 miles of secondary barriers.
      • Replacement of 141 miles of vehicle and pedestrian barriers.
    • Rescinds wasteful Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) spending which led to runaway inflation.
    • Streamlines processes for developing energy infrastructure which will unleash American energy, help secure affordable and reliable energy for Americans, and support exporting energy to aid our allies.
    • Ensures that Medicaid only pays for American citizens and legal immigrants by strengthening citizenship verifications to determine eligibility, saving tens of billions of dollars.
    • Increases personal accountability to help lift Americans out of poverty by establishing work requirements in Medicaid for able-bodied adults who do not have dependent children or elderly parents in their care.
    • Strengthens accountability for students and taxpayers, streamlines student
      loan options, and simplifies student loan repayment.

    BACKGROUND: The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, otherwise known as the reconciliation bill, is a combination of individual bills advanced by 11 House committees as instructed by the Republican Budget Framework. Congressman Allen sits on two of the 11 committees, the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the House Education and Workforce Committee, in which he played an integral role in crafting and advancing the language under each committee’s jurisdiction. Legislation brought to a vote under the reconciliation process in the United States Senate only requires a simple majority vote.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Brag House, Florida Gators Athletics, and Learfield Successfully Launch Inaugural Brag Gators Gauntlet at University of Florida

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, May 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Brag House Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: TBH), the Gen Z engagement platform at the intersection of gaming, college sports, and digital media, announced the successful launch of the inaugural Brag Gators Gauntlet series. The first activation of this series, in partnership with Florida Gators Athletics and Learfield’s Florida Gators Sports Properties, took place online on Saturday, May 17, 2025, ahead of the Gators’ 9–3 college baseball victory over Alabama at Condron Family Ballpark.

    The Brag Gators Gauntlet: Baseball Edition featured a Fortnite (private lobbies, no-build) solos tournament and a baseball-inspired scoring format. Open to current students and alumni of both the University of Florida and the University of Alabama, the activation served as a digital gaming tailgate leading into the Florida–Alabama baseball game. The activation, which had capacity for 100 competitors, received nearly 300 gamer registrations ranging from freshman to alumni.

    “It was exciting to see so many UF students and alumni participate,” said Lavell Juan Malloy II, CEO and Co-Founder of Brag House. “The activation created a gamified digital tailgate, where they came together around school pride and competition in a Fortnite tournament designed with baseball-themed rules. It added a new layer to game day, especially as the Gators took the series with a commanding 9–3 win.”

    Michael Yencik, a third-year student at University of Florida on a pre-med track studying nutritional sciences, was crowned champion of the Brag Gators Gauntlet: Baseball Edition. Competing under the gamertag MrGittyGut, Yencik secured the top spot after consistently high placements across all heats and a standout performance in the final heat. “It was a surreal experience,” said MrGittyGut, when asked about this activation and how it ties into the Gators spirit and college baseball. He added “Gators all the way! We’ve had an unbelievable season, from playing well in football to a National Championship in Basketball. You can’t go wrong with the Gators no matter what.”

    The Gauntlet series also reflects Brag House’s broader strategy of integrating Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) opportunities, loyalty-driven engagement, and scalable digital experiences tailored to Gen Z audiences. This first activation at the University of Florida is what Brag House envisions as the first step in a larger series of campus experiences being planned in collaboration with Learfield, with more activations in the series being planned for select universities across the country in 2025.

    “This is the foundation of a broader initiative,” said Lavell Juan Malloy II, CEO and Co-Founder of Brag House. “By merging college sports with interactive digital gaming formats, we’re building a new layer of fan engagement that serves students, alumni, schools, and brand partners alike.”

    About Brag House

    Brag House is a leading media technology gaming platform dedicated to transforming casual college gaming into a vibrant, community-driven experience. By seamlessly merging gaming, social interaction, and cutting-edge technology, the Company provides an inclusive and engaging environment for casual gamers while enabling brands to authentically connect with the influential Gen Z demographic. The platform offers live-streaming capabilities, gamification features, and custom tournament services, fostering meaningful engagement between users and brands. For more information, please visit www.braghouse.com.

    About Learfield

    Learfield is the leading media and technology company powering college athletics. Through its digital and physical platforms, Learfield owns and leverages a deep data set and relationships in the industry to drive revenue, growth, brand awareness, and fan engagement for brands, sports, and entertainment properties. With ties to over 1,200 collegiate institutions and over 12,000 local and national brand partners, Learfield’s presence in college sports and live events delivers influence and maximizes reach to target audiences. With solutions for a 365-day, 24/7 fan experience, Learfield enables schools and brands to connect with fans through licensed merchandise, game ticketing, donor identification for athletic programs, exclusive custom content, innovative marketing initiatives, NIL solutions, and advanced digital platforms. Since 2008, it has served as title sponsor for the acclaimed Learfield Directors’ Cup, supporting athletic departments across all divisions.

     Forward-Looking Statements 

    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements involve risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, the execution and prospects of the Brag Gators Gauntlet and Brag House’s and Learfield’s plan to expand the Brag Gauntlet model. For a full discussion of these risks, please refer to Brag House’s SEC filings.

    Media Contact: 
    Fatema Bhabrawala
    Director of Media Relations
    fbhabrawala@allianceadvisors.com

    Investor Relations Contact: 
    Adele Carey
    VP, Investor Relations
    ir@thebraghouse.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: On guard of the HR brand: the HR forum named after A.Ya. Kibanov has started its work at the State University of Management

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –

    On May 21, 2025, the State University of Management’s Information Technology Center hosted the grand opening of the XVI All-Russian Interuniversity Personnel Forum named after A.Ya. Kibanov, which will last from May 21 to 23, 2025.

    The concept of this year’s forum is based on the images of Russian heroes, personifying strength, reliability and dedication to their work. Inspired by these images, the forum organizers presented the HR brand as a fortress that must be carefully guarded and strengthened.

    Vladimir Stroev, Rector of the State University of Management, addressed the participants of the event with a welcoming speech.

    “It is no coincidence that the forum is held every year at the State University of Management: the Department of Human Resources Management of our university is the oldest in Russia and the USSR, its founder Ardalyon Yakovlevich Kibanov is a pioneer in this field. Moreover, our department is known throughout the country and many of its graduates, who today hold high positions and often visit our university, confirm that it is still the leader in its field. I urge everyone to actively participate in the forum events and remember that you are the future of this field, and the policy and success of companies will directly depend on your work,” Vladimir Vitalyevich noted.

    Also at the opening of the forum, the head of the Department of Human Resources Management of the State University of Management Rafik Ashurbekov spoke, emphasizing the importance and practical significance of the forum.

    “Today we are opening the doors of the sixteenth forum, which has already become a good tradition for the State University of Management. I would like to note that every year our meetings are becoming more and more large-scale and significant. This time, more than 400 participants from 41 Russian universities have gathered here, 19 teams will compete in the Olympiad, and the forum already has 11 partners. This indicates a great interest in the field and a desire to exchange experience. The program will allow everyone to find something useful for themselves. Young people are the driving force that will allow us to make positive changes in the field of personnel management,” concluded Rafik Ashurbekovich.

    After the official part, the conference “HR Bogatyrs: Protection of corporate values and strength of spirit in personnel management” began.

    The invited experts did not just give presentations, but also had a dialogue with Polina Druzhinina, a student of the HR Department of the State University of Management and the host of the podcast “HR in the Heart”. The guests discussed the modern cultural code, HR brand, the country’s HR scientific potential, the role of corporate culture, the possibilities of neural networks in HR management and other topical issues.

    Also on the first day of the forum, the first stage of the student Olympiad “Human Resources Management: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow” began, where teams competed for victory in the quest “Corporate Tales”.

    The second stage of the Olympiad will take place on May 22 – teams will have to complete a practical case from the partner company ANCOR and present their work to a competent jury. In addition, the Competition of Innovative Projects in Personnel Management and Labor Economics for students and postgraduates will begin on this day, the final of which will take place in the form of a battle of the competition finalists on May 23.

    Also on May 22, within the framework of the forum, the Educational and Methodological Section on the training of specialists in the field of personnel management “Effective methods of training specialists in personnel management” will be held, in which representatives of various universities that train students in the field of “Personnel Management” will take part.

    The A. Ya. Kibanov Personnel Forum is an annual unique discussion platform that brings together students, young scientists, teachers and experts in the field of personnel management and labor economics in Russia and abroad. Its main goal is to develop the theory and practice of personnel management, improve personnel technologies, and promote the development of innovative solutions in the field of personnel management and intellectual resources of modern organizations.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Country Development Strategy and the Role of Statistics: GUU and Mosstat Held a Joint Forum

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –

    On May 22, 2025, the Information Technology Center of the State University of Management hosted the forum “Statistics of Modernity: Challenges and Opportunities”, organized jointly with the Office of the Federal State Statistics Service for Moscow and the Moscow Region (Mosstat).

    The Vice-Rector of the State University of Management Dmitry Bryukhanov addressed the audience with a welcoming speech.

    “It is nice that such a large-scale and significant event is taking place on the territory of our university. The data provided by statistics is the basis for management decisions, and the State University of Management trains personnel for the Russian economy. Our interaction with partners today is not limited to the event, we will also continue to plant an alley of famous statisticians in order to popularize this area in such an informal way,” Dmitry Yuryevich noted.

    The head of Mosstat, Leonid Kalimullin, expressed gratitude to the rector of the State University of Management for the provided venue and organizational assistance in holding the forum, as well as the lilac alley as a tribute to the memory of statisticians. In his speech at the plenary session, he also recalled the historical date that the organization is celebrating this year.

    “This June will mark 190 years of statistics in Moscow and the Moscow Region. For almost two centuries, we have been collecting and preserving the history of our country in figures and facts that help leaders make important management decisions aimed at improving the lives of citizens. This is our main role. I would like to note the close cooperation with the State University of Management in terms of recruiting young specialists. As part of project-based learning at the university, of which we have been participating for the second year, many interesting and high-quality projects have been implemented together with students, for which we are also grateful,” admitted the head of Mosstat.

    Deputy Head of the Federal State Statistics Service Sergei Egorenko spoke about the main indicators of the Development Strategy of Russia and the role of statistical agencies in its implementation.

    “The topic of our meeting is more relevant than ever. In December 2024, the development strategy of Russia was approved, and less than a month ago, the plan for its implementation. One of the points talks about creating a digital platform to ensure the quality and completeness of data analysis. This is what we have been talking about in recent years, that statistics should be made convenient for citizens and widely used, and also to improve statistical literacy in the country,” emphasized Sergey Egorenko.

    Also taking part in the plenary session were Pavel Smelov, Director General of the Center for Strategic Research, Dmitry Faikov, Head of the Analytics and Internal Communications Department of the Russian Federal Nuclear Center – All-Russian Research Institute of Experimental Physics, Anna Vedernikova, Deputy Director General of the Center for Strategic Research, and Elena Pryakhina, Head of the Department of Information Statistical Resources and Technologies of the Interstate Statistical Committee of the Commonwealth of Independent States.

    After the speeches, the guests went to plant trees on the Alley of Statisticians, which was laid out at the State University of Management in 2024, where they were met by the rector of the State University of Management Vladimir Stroyev.

    “Last year we started a good tradition – planting an alley of statisticians on the territory of our university – and today we will continue it. The oldest department in Russia and the USSR for training young specialists and managers in the field of statistics for a variety of fields operates at the State University of Management. This is our profile. And the choice of the State University of Management for planting the alley by the heads and specialists of federal and regional statistical bodies once again confirms the high role of our university in this field,” Vladimir Stroyev noted.

    The final part of the forum was the work of the participants in three thematic sections dedicated to the digital transformation of the statistical system, data quality standards and the human resources potential of the industry.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Power and Environmental Engineering Faculty Explore Wildfire and Power Grid Nexus in a Changing Climate

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    It’s a harsh irony.

    During a wildfire, firefighters depend on electricity to communicate, power emergency response, and keep hospitals running. But the electric grid is also one of the leading causes of the very fires they are working to contain.

    Junbo Zhao is the Castleman Term Professor in Engineering Innovation and director of the Department of Energy’s Northeast University Cybersecurity Center for Advanced and Resilient Energy Delivery (CyberCARED).

    “Power lines can ignite fires in several ways,” says Junbo Zhao, Castleman Term Professor in engineering innovation and director of the Department of Energy Northeast University Cybersecurity Center for Advanced and Resilient Energy Delivery (CyberCARED). “High winds can knock down poles or cause wires to clash and spark. Overgrown vegetation can brush against live wires. Aging infrastructure, such as decades-old transmission lines, can fail under stress.”

    These events, combined with drought, rising temperatures, fuel buildup, and a surge in ignition sources create a “perfect storm” for fire outbreaks, he says.

    In a recently published

    An article written by several College of Engineering faculty and students appears on the cover of the April 2025 Nature Reviews Electrical Engineering.

    “Strengthening the power grid resilience to storms and wildfires through advanced sensing and AI technology is critical to assuring reliable power during extreme weather and security events, which is more important than ever due to climate change,” says Emmanouil Anagnostou, Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor and executive director of the Institute of Environment and Energy. “Research at the Eversource Energy Center advances leading-edge technology on fire ignition modeling and global monitoring of fire severity from space-based sensors, which can support preparedness and inform near-real-time emergency response.”

    Zhao and Anagnostou, along with Fangni Lei, assistant research professor of civil and environmental engineering; UConn research assistant Soroush Vahedi; Ph.D. candidate Kang He; and other authors from Sandia National Laboratory, the University of California Santa Barbara, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory emphasize the urgent need for a comprehensive and collaborative approach to strengthen power grid resilience against the rising threat of wildfires.

    In Nature Reviews, they suggest a three-phase resilience strategy that involves understanding wildfire risks, developing detailed planning and mitigation strategies, and ensuring effective implementation and ongoing evaluation.

    The initial phase involves identifying high-risk regions and vulnerable infrastructure, integrating climate change data into wildfire models to improve risk assessment and long-term infrastructure planning. Accurate projections of wildfire impacts on system components—such as power lines and transformers—are critical for designing targeted, climate-adaptive responses.

    In the second phase, the focus shifts to developing actionable strategies for prevention, real-time mitigation, and recovery. This includes hardening infrastructure through undergrounding lines, enhancing protection systems, and managing vegetation to reduce ignition risks. Real-time monitoring technologies, remote sensing, and improved situational awareness are central to effective mitigation, while operational enhancements—like optimized grid management and emergency response coordination—support overall system resilience. Planning also incorporates predictive analytics to guide de-energization decisions and firefighting efforts.

    A fallen power line caused a small brush fire recently in Haddam, Connecticut. (Olivia Drake/UConn photo)

    The final phase involves putting strategies into practice through detailed action plans, financial investment, and regular evaluations. Evaluating the effectiveness of resilience measures requires setting clear benchmarks and timelines.

    Looking ahead, the researchers stress the importance of integrating dynamic vegetation and advanced and granular weather models to forecast risk conditions and inform preventive actions.

    “Further investments in R&D and the development of real-time operational risk management systems will be essential to ensure grid stability, safety, and adaptability in an era of increasing wildfire threats,” Zhao says.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Three Students Earn National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    Three students with ties to the University of Connecticut have recently earned National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships (NSF-GRFP). The trio includes one current graduate student and two recent alumni, one of whom is currently enrolled in UConn’s Research and Mentoring for Postbaccalaureates Program (RaMP).

    The oldest graduate fellowship of its kind, the NSF-GRFP was first awarded in 1952. The program recognizes and supports outstanding students in NSF-supported disciplines who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees at accredited institutions in the United States. In addition to a three-year annual stipend of $37,000, plus another $16,000 paid to the student’s home institution, fellows have access to a wide range of professional development opportunities over the course of their graduate careers.

    The Graduate Research Fellowships, always highly competitive, became even more so this year as the NSF drastically reduced the number of fellowships it awarded. Over the past decade, the NSF awarded approximately 2,100 fellowships per year out of an annual pool of nearly 14,000 applications – an acceptance rate of about 15%. In 2025, the NSF awarded just 1,000 fellowships.

    “Nearly three quarters of a century after its creation, the NSF-GRFP remains the gold standard of graduate fellowships supporting advanced study in STEM disciplines,” says Vin Moscardelli, director of UConn’s Office of National Scholarships and Fellowships. “Fellows are recognized not only for their academic and scholarly promise but for their demonstrated commitment to making an impact beyond their research endeavors. Earning an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship this year – when the total number of awards was reduced by more than half – is a testament to the remarkable promise shown by all three of these future scientists.”

    UConn’s 13 combined recipients in 2024 and 2025 lead all New England public universities. The school also had three undergraduate students, four graduate students, and nine recent alumni who earned Honorable Mention in this cycle.

    UConn’s most recent National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship awardees Savanna Brown and Hailey Baranowski along with their faculty mentor ecology and evolutionary biology professor Elizabeth Jockusch. (Contributed photo)

    The two students currently at UConn are:

    Hailey Baranowski ’24 (CAHNR, CLAS) was a member of the RaMP program and worked in the lab of ecology and evolutionary biology professor Elizabeth Jockusch. There they researched the developmental and morphological function of novel genes in red flour beetles.

    Baranowski will begin doctoral studies at the University of Illinois this fall and will continue research on bee health while pursuing a doctorate in entomology.

    “Bees are vital to food security and the beauty of our world,” says Baranowski. “This fellowship allows me to pursue the questions that need to be answered to help save them and us.

    “The support I received from my connections at UConn made this possible. As an undergraduate, I completed my first research project using a SURF grant from the Office of Undergraduate Research and worked with a wide variety of faculty and external collaborators who have continued to support me beyond graduation.”

    Savanna Brown is a second-year graduate student in ecology and evolutionary biology and is also mentored by Jockusch. Her research focuses on treehoppers and leafhoppers – a group of charismatic and morphologically captivating insects that thrive in nearly every corner of the world.

    “Being awarded the NSF-GRFP is an incredible honor, especially during a time when the value of science and our work at research institutions is doubted by many,” says Brown. “As a first-generation college student who has faced significant obstacles in my journey through academia, I feel profoundly grateful that this fellowship recognizes me not only for the value of my research, but more holistically as a human whose contributions to the scientific community go beyond intellectual merit alone.”

    Jockush, who is currently department head in ecology and evolutionary biology, described Baranowski and Brown as “a dynamic duo in the lab this year.”

    “Savanna is intellectually voracious. She is also a keen observer, self-starter and quick learner who embraces opportunities to be mentored and to serve as a mentor,” says Jockush. “I’m sure I have already learned as much from Savanna as she has from me. Savanna would probably say the same about Hailey, whom she mentors.

    “Little about Hailey’s UConn journey has been predictable. She’s been a beekeeper, a student farmer, and a host of a WHUS radio show ‘the Hive,’ which features fun facts about bees along with music. Hailey’s outsized enthusiasm for bees, along with their seemingly effortless ability to connect with people, makes them the glue of multiple communities, including this year’s post-baccalaureate research cohort.

    “In different ways, Savanna and Hailey have both earned this honor and the freedom it brings to pursue their curiosity.”

    In addition to Baranowski and Brown, Abigail Yu ’20 (CLAS), who earned her undergraduate degree in physiology and neurobiology, also received an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship. She is currently a graduate student at UCLA in the school’s interdepartmental doctorate program for neuroscience.

    The Office of National Scholarships & Fellowships (ONSF) is a resource for students interested in learning more about the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship and other prestigious scholarships and fellowships that support graduate study in all fields. ONSF is part of Enrichment Programs and is open to all graduate and undergraduate students at the University, including students at the regional campuses. For more information contact Vin Moscardelli, Director of UConn’s Office of National Scholarships and Fellowships.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Shaping Students’ Education, One Clinical Instruction at a Time

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    On May 13, 2025, UConn School of Nursing clinical instructors came together to celebrate the conclusion of the 24-25 academic year and all their hard work.

    About 50 clinical instructors from both pre-licensure programs – traditional four-year Baccalaureate program (B.S.) and Accelerated Second-Degree Certificate Entry into Nursing/BS program (CEIN/B.S.) – attended the event.

    Karen Stevens, pre-licensure clinical placement assistant, with Jonathan XV at the clinical instructor appreciation event on May 13, 2025. (Coral Aponte / UConn Photo)

    Before the celebration, instructors took part in a mini retreat led by Prelicensure Program Director Jean Coffey, Ph.D., APRN, CPNP, FAAN, and Assistant Director Elizabeth Mayerson, DNP, FNP-BC, CNE.

    The retreat “provided an opportunity for collaboration and idea-sharing on how best to support students during clinical placements,” said Aime Liggett, pre-licensure clinical placement assistant.

    Tina Huey, associate director of faculty development at the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, spoke on how to give verbal and written feedback to students. Other topics included post clinical conference ideas and clinical role-playing exercises.

    Following the mini retreat was the appreciation event. Everyone gathered on Storrs Hall Terrace for food, laughter, conversation, and a visit with Jonathan XV.

    “It was a meaningful way to express gratitude for our clinical instructors and recognize all of their hard work and the critical role they play in shaping our students’ education,” said Liggett.

    Preparing The Next Generation

    Clinical instruction is crucial in shaping a nurse’s education. For undergraduates, the last four semesters are dedicated to small-group clinical experiences in a variety of settings. This is where students take what they have learned and apply it in the real world.

    The Accelerated Second Degree, CEIN/B.S. program, is designed for individuals who hold a bachelor’s degree and are interested in pursuing a career in nursing. For this program, students are required to complete a series of clinical learning experiences to successfully meet the learning outcomes of their program of study.

    The School of Nursing is affiliated with about 70 health care agencies. These include hospitals, schools, day care centers, housing for the elderly, extended care facilities, community health agencies, ambulatory centers, and clinics. In addition to spending time with patients in the clinical setting, time is devoted to conferences with instructors and peers to discuss patient care experiences.

    Between the two programs, the school had 123 clinical instructors for the 24-25 school year.

    Dawn Sarage, MSN, RN, CNL, CMSRN, CHSE. (Contributed Photo)

    Dawn Sarage, MSN, RN, CNL, CMSRN, CHSE, is one of those instructors, serving as both a simulation facilitator and the lead didactic instructor for an adult medical-surgical nursing course.

    Sarage understands the importance of her role and knows how vital it is to prepare the next generation of nurses.

    “I became a clinical instructor because I wanted to help students smoothly transition from school to practice,” she said. “My own transition into nursing was difficult. I often felt unprepared and unsure of myself, despite doing well in school. That experience drives me to create learning environments where students can build confidence, apply their knowledge, and feel supported as they grow.”

    Having a dual role in simulation and a classroom setting, allows her to connect with her students on a deeper level. In simulation, the smaller groups give her the opportunity to observe her students more closely providing them with constructive feedback and support tailored specifically to them.

    When recalling something she loves about being a clinical instructor she mentioned being able to see the “aha” moments when a student suddenly understands a concept.

    “Knowing that something I explained helped something click for them is one of the most gratifying parts of this role,” Sarage remarked.

    Having such a strong impact on student nurses’ learning experience, the appreciation event is meant to highlight and congratulate those, like Sarage, who are a part of that clinical instructor team.

    “It was an honor to be recognized, and I truly appreciated it. But more than that, I saw it as an opportunity to express gratitude for the many other clinical instructors I work with in my lead instructor role,” said Sarage.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Sky Quarry Announces Strategic Growth Plan to Achieve Full Production Capacity at its Foreland Refinery

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    “Scalable roadmap sets stage for up to 800,000 barrels annually through steady operations and targeted investments”

    WOODS CROSS, Utah, May 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Sky Quarry Inc. (NASDAQ: SKYQ) (“Sky Quarry” or “the Company”), an integrated energy solutions company committed to revolutionizing the waste asphalt shingle recycling industry, today announced a comprehensive strategic roadmap for its wholly owned subsidiary, Foreland Refining Corporation (“Foreland”). The plan is designed to scale operations to a sustained production rate of up to 800,000 barrels per year.

    Titled the “Path to Full Production,” the phased plan positions Foreland, Nevada’s only operating refinery, as a key piece of regional energy infrastructure, helping to stabilize fuel supply across the Western U.S. Each stage is supported by clearly defined operational, technical, and financial benchmarks.

    The Refinery is currently operating at up to 3,600 barrels per day, with expansion efforts already underway. The roadmap outlines four key production milestones: 45,000, 60,000, 80,000, and 100,000 barrels per month. Foreland expects to reach this peak level during periods of high seasonal demand. These are monthly targets, with production rising in the summer and easing back in winter. At full capacity, this translates to an annualized peak rate of 800,000 barrels, though actual output will vary seasonally.

    “This initiative is designed to sharpen our operations and strengthen our bottom line, setting the stage for expected and sustained growth,” said David Sealock, Chairman & CEO of Sky Quarry. “Refining is a long game, and Foreland is building the foundation to be a high-integrity, high-performance facility for years to come.”

    Key components of the strategic growth plan include:

    • Operational Efficiency: Reducing downtime from shutdowns and startups improves safety and extends equipment life.
    • Workforce Expansion: New positions in operations, maintenance, and supervision will support the transition to higher capacity.
    • Stronger Supply and Customer Relationships: Steady production attracts long-term contracts, stronger pricing, and more reliable partnerships.
    • Revenue Growth Potential: Each production milestone significantly increases the refinery’s revenue-generating capacity.

    To support these goals, the Company has implemented a proactive maintenance and risk management framework. Infrastructure upgrades and crude supply contracts are already in progress to ensure safe and uninterrupted operations in anticipation of increased production.

    “These projects aren’t just about increasing production, they’re about building strong teams and lasting systems,” Sealock added. “I want to thank Cyla Apache, our Vice President, for spearheading this project from concept to implementation with vision and precision. I’m also grateful to our refinery staff for their hands-on expertise, to Kevin Arrington at TAR360 for his guidance, and to the University of Utah research team, whose work is helping us reduce energy use and lower utility costs. We’re confident in our path forward and proud of what it means for our community, customers, and shareholders.”

    The Refinery also intends to expand its capabilities to include recycled heavy oil from waste materials, expected to be sourced from PR Spring. The Company believes this roadmap will help support Sky Quarry’s mission to build a more sustainable and resilient energy future through operational excellence, safety, and long-term value creation.

    About Sky Quarry Inc.

    Sky Quarry Inc. (NASDAQ:SKYQ) and its subsidiaries are, collectively, an oil production, refining, and a development-stage environmental remediation company formed to deploy technologies to facilitate the recycling of waste asphalt shingles and remediation of oil-saturated sands and soils. Our waste-to-energy mission is to repurpose and upcycle millions of tons of asphalt shingle waste, diverting them from landfills. By doing so, we can contribute to improved waste management, promote resource efficiency, conserve natural resources, and reduce environmental impact. For more information, please visit skyquarry.com.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release may include ”forward-looking statements.” All statements pertaining to our future financial and/or operating results, future events, or future developments may constitute forward-looking statements. The statements may be identified by words such as “expect,” “look forward to,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “seek,” “estimate,” “will,” “project,” or words of similar meaning. Such statements are based on the current expectations and certain assumptions of our management, of which many are beyond our control. These are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties, and factors, including but not limited to those described in our disclosures. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize or should underlying expectations not occur or assumptions prove incorrect, actual results, performance, or our achievements may (negatively or positively) vary materially from those described explicitly or implicitly in the relevant forward-looking statement. We neither intend, nor assume any obligation, to update or revise these forward-looking statements in light of developments which differ from those anticipated. You are urged to carefully review and consider any cautionary statements and the Company’s other disclosures, including the statements made under the heading “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in the Company’s Form 10-K as filed with the SEC on March 31, 2025. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of the document in which they are contained.

    Investor Relations
    Jennifer Standley
    Director of Investor Relations
    Ir@skyquarry.com

    Company Website
    www.skyquarry.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: At Cannes, decency and dress codes clash with fashion’s red carpet revolution

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Elizabeth Castaldo Lundén, Research Fellow at the School of Cinematic Arts, University of Southern California

    Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson appear on the red carpet prior to the screening of ‘Die, My Love’ at the 78th annual Cannes Film Festival on May 17, 2025. Kristy Sparow/Getty Images

    Ahead of the Cannes Film Festival, the spotlight moved from movie stars and directors to the festival’s fashion rules.

    Cannes reminded guests to follow the standard black-tie dress code for evening events at the Grand Theatre Lumière – “long dresses and tuxedos” – while highlighting acceptable alternatives, such as cocktail dresses and pantsuits for women, and a black or navy suit with a tie for men.

    The real stir, however, came from two additions to the formal guidelines: a ban on nudity “for decency reasons” and a restriction on oversize garments.

    The new rules caught many stylists and stars by surprise, with some decrying the move as a regressive attempt to police clothing.

    It’s hard not to wonder whether this is part of some broader conservative cultural shift around the world.

    But I study the cultural and economic forces behind fashion and media, and I think a lot of the criticism of Cannes is unfounded. To me, the festival isn’t changing its identity. It’s reasserting it.

    Red carpet control

    Concerns about indecency on the red carpet have appeared before – most notably during the first televised Academy Awards in 1953.

    In 1952, the National Association of Radio and Television Broadcasters adopted a censorship code in response to concerns about television’s influence on young audiences. Among its rules for “decency and decorum” were guidelines against revealing clothing, suggestive movements or camera angles that emphasized body parts – all to avoid causing “embarrassment” to the viewers.

    Actress Inger Stevens at the 39th Academy Awards in 1967, a year before she was reprimanded for her skimpy attire.
    Bettmann/Getty Images

    To ensure that no actress would break the decency dress code, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences hired acclaimed costume designer Edith Head as a fashion consultant for the show in 1953.

    In my book “Fashion on the Red Carpet,” I explain how Head equipped backstage staff with kits to deal with any sartorial emergencies that might arise. That same year, the balcony cameras at the Pantages Theatre accidentally peeked down into the actresses’ cleavage as they walked to the stage. From then on, a supply of tulle – a type of versatile fabric that can easily cover revealing openings that expose too much skin – was kept backstage.

    The 1960s posed new challenges. Youth fashion trends clashed with traditional dress codes and television censorship. In 1968, after actress Inger Stevens appeared on the red carpet wearing a mini skirt, the Academy sent a letter reminding attendees of the black-tie – preferably floor-length – dress code. When Barbra Streisand’s Scaasi outfit accidentally turned see-through under the lighting in 1969, Head again warned against “freaky, far-out, unusual fashion” ahead of the 1970 ceremony.

    However, in the 1970s, the Oscars eliminated Head’s fashion consultant position. Despite maintaining its black-tie dress code, the absence of a fashion consultant opened the door to some provocative attire, ranging from Cher’s see-through, sheer outfits, to Edy Williams’ provocative, barely-there getups.

    Once the fashion consultant position was eliminated for the Oscars, many attendees – like actress Edy Williams – tried to stand out from the crowd with provocative attire.
    Fotos International/Getty Images

    Old rules in a new era

    Racy red carpet appearances have since become a hallmark of awards shows, particularly in the digital age.

    Extravagance and shock are a way for celebrities and brands to stand out amid a glut of social media content, especially as brands increasingly pay a fortune to turn celebrities into walking billboards.

    And in an era when red carpet looks are carefully curated ahead of time through partnerships with fashion brands, many celebrities expressed frustration about being unable to sport the outfits they had planned to wear at Cannes.

    Stylist Rose Forde lamented the restrictions, saying, “You should be able to express yourself as an artist, with your style however you feel,” while actress Chloë Sevigny described the code as “an old-fashioned archaic rule.”

    But I still can’t see the Cannes rules as part of any sort of broader conservative backlash.

    Whether at the Oscars or the MTV Video Music Awards, backlash over celebrities baring too much skin has gone on for decades. Cannes hasn’t been spared from controversy, either: There was Michelle Morgan’s bikini in 1946, La Cicciolina’s topless look in 1988, Madonna’s Jean Paul Gaultier lingerie in 1991, Leila Depina’s barely-there pearl outfit in 2023 and Bella Hadid’s sheer pantyhose dress in 2024, to name just a few.

    Cape Verdean model Leila Depina arrives for the screening of the film ‘Asteroid City’ during the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.
    Christophe Simon/AFP via Getty Images

    The festival has routinely reminded guests of its dress code, regardless of the cultural zeitgeist.

    The “decency” rule, for example, is actually required by French law. Article 222-32 of the French Criminal Code classifies showing private parts in public as a sexual offense, and can lead to a year in prison and a fine. While the legal definition hinges on intent and setting, the festival, as a public event, technically has to operate within that framework.

    Compared to white-tie events like the Nobel Prize award ceremony or a state banquet, Cannes’ black-tie requirement is relatively flexible. It allows for cocktail-length dresses and even accommodates pants and flat sandals for women.

    Meanwhile, the worry about voluminous clothes points to a practical issue: the movement of bodies in tight spaces.

    Unlike the Met Gala – where the fashion spectacle is the focus, and its red carpet is a stage for photo-ops – Cannes is a film festival. The red carpet is the main path thousands of people use to enter the theater.

    A dramatic gown – like the one worn at the Met Gala by Cardi B in 2024 – could block others and cause delays. While a photo-op may be the primary goal for celebrities and the brands they promote, the festival has a screening schedule to stick to, and attendees must be able to easily access the venue and their seats.

    Red carpet rules are fluid. Sometimes they adapt to cultural shifts. Sometimes they resist them. And sometimes, they’re there to make sure you can fit in your seat in the movie theater.

    Elizabeth Castaldo Lundén received funding from Fulbright (2023-2024)

    – ref. At Cannes, decency and dress codes clash with fashion’s red carpet revolution – https://theconversation.com/at-cannes-decency-and-dress-codes-clash-with-fashions-red-carpet-revolution-256948

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Young food entrepreneurs are changing the face of rural America

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Dawn Thilmany, Professor of Agricultural Economics, Colorado State University

    Many rural food businesses, like Daily Loaf Bakery in Hamburg, Pa., rely on farmers markets to reach customers. Susan L. Angstadt/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Images

    Visit just about any downtown on a weekend and you will likely happen upon a farmers market. Or, you might grab lunch from a food truck outside a local brewpub or winery.

    Very likely, there is a community-shared kitchen or food entrepreneur incubator initiative behind the scenes to support this growing foodie ecosystem.

    As rural America gains younger residents, and grows more diverse and increasingly digitally connected, these dynamics are driving a renaissance in craft foods.

    One food entrepreneur incubator, Hope & Main Kitchen, operates out of a school that sat vacant for over 10 years in the small Rhode Island town of Warren. Its business incubation program, with over 300 graduates to date, gives food and beverage entrepreneurs a way to test, scale and develop their products before investing in their own facilities. Its markets also give entrepreneurs a place to test their products on the public and buyers for stores, while providing the community with local goods.

    Food has been central to culture, community and social connections for millennia. But food channels, social media food influencers and craft brews have paved the way for a renaissance of regional beverage and food industry startups across America.

    In my work in agriculture economics, I see connections between this boom in food and agriculture innovation and the inflow of young residents who are helping revitalize rural America and reinvigorate its Main Streets.

    Why entrepreneurs are embracing rural life

    An analysis of 2023 U.S. Census Bureau data found that more people have been moving to small towns and rural counties in recent years, and that the bulk of that population growth is driven by 25- to 44-year-olds.

    This represents a stark contrast to the 2000s, when 90% of the growth for younger demographics was concentrated in the largest metro areas.

    The COVID-19 pandemic and the shift to remote work options it created, along with rising housing prices, were catalysts for the change, but other interesting dynamics may also be at play.

    One is social connectedness. Sociologists have long believed that the community fabric of rural America contributes to economic efficiency, productive business activity, growth of communities and population health.

    Maps show that rural areas of the U.S. with higher social capital – those with strong networks and relationships among residents – are some of the strongest draws for younger households today.

    Another important dynamic for both rural communities and their new young residents is entrepreneurship, including food entrepreneurship.

    Rural food startups may be leveraging the social capital aligned with the legacy of agriculture in rural America, resulting in a renewed interest in craft and local foods. This includes a renaissance in foods made with local ingredients or linked to regional cultures and tastes.

    According to data from the National Agricultural Statistics Service, U.S. local sales of edible farm products increased 33% from 2017 to 2022, reaching $14.2 billion.

    The new ‘AgriCulture’

    A 2020 study I was involved in, led by agriculture economist Sarah Low, found a positive relationship between the availability of farm-based local and organic foods and complementary food startups. The study termed this new dynamic “AgriCulture.”

    We found a tendency for these dynamics to occur in areas with higher natural amenities, such as hiking trails and streams, along with transportation and broadband infrastructure attractive to digital natives.

    The same dynamic drawing young people to the outdoors offers digital natives a way to experience far-reaching regions of the country and, in some cases, move there.

    A thriving food and beverage scene can be a pull for those who want to live in a vibrant community, or the new settlers and their diverse tastes may be what get food entrepreneurs started. Many urban necessities, such as shopping, can be done online, but eating and food shopping are local daily necessities.

    Governments can help rural food havens thrive

    When my colleagues and I talk to community leaders interested in attracting new industries and young families, or who seek to build community through revitalized downtowns and public spaces, the topic of food commonly arises.

    We encourage them to think about ways they can help draw food entrepreneurs: Can they increase local growers’ and producers’ access to food markets? Would creating shared kitchens help support food trucks and small businesses? Does their area have a local advantage, such as a seashore, hiking trails or cultural heritage, that they can market in connection with local food?

    The farm store at Harley Farm Goat Dairy in Pescadero, Calif., draws people headed for hiking trails or the coast in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
    Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images

    Several federal, state and local economic development programs are framing strategies to bolster any momentum occurring at the crossroads of rural, social connections, resiliency, food and entrepreneurship.

    For example, a recent study from a collaboration of shared kitchen experts found that there were over 600 shared-use food facilities across the U.S. in 2020, and over 20% were in rural areas. In a survey of owners, the report found that 50% of respondents identified assisting early-growth businesses as their primary goal.

    The USDA Regional Food Business Centers, one of which I am fortunate to co-lead, have been bolstering the networking and technical assistance to support these types of rural food economy efforts.

    Many rural counties are still facing shrinking workforces, commonly because of lagging legacy industries with declining employment, such as mining. However, recent data and studies suggest that in rural areas with strong social capital, community support and outdoor opportunities, younger populations are growing, and their food interests are helping boost rural economies.

    Dawn Thilmany receives funding from the United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Development Administration, and Colorado state agencies focused on agriculture, economic development and food systems.

    – ref. Young food entrepreneurs are changing the face of rural America – https://theconversation.com/young-food-entrepreneurs-are-changing-the-face-of-rural-america-245531

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Work requirements are better at blocking benefits for low-income people than they are at helping those folks find jobs

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Anne Whitesell, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Miami University

    Meeting work requirements to get government benefits can lead to burdensome paperwork. JackF/iStock via Getty Images Plus

    Republican lawmakers are battling over a bill that includes massive tax and spending cuts. But they’re having trouble agreeing on provisions intended to reduce the cost of Medicaid.

    The popular health insurance program, which is funded by both the federal and state governments, covers about 78.5 million low-income and disabled people – more than 1 in 5 Americans.

    The House is getting ready to vote on a budget bill designed to reduce federal Medicaid spending by requiring anyone enrolled in the program who appears to be able to get a job to either satisfy work requirements or lose their coverage. It’s still unclear, however, whether Senate Republicans would support that provision.

    Although there are few precedents for such a mandate for Medicaid, other safety net programs have been enforcing similar rules for nearly three decades. I’m a political scientist who has extensively studied the work requirements of another safety net program: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.

    As I explain in my book, “Living Off the Government?
    Race, Gender, and the Politics of Welfare,” work requirements place extra burdens on low-income families but do little to lift them out of poverty.

    Work requirements for TANF

    TANF gives families with very low incomes some cash they can spend on housing, food, clothing or whatever they need most. The Clinton administration launched it as a replacement for a similar program, Aid to Families with Dependent Children, in 1996. At the time, both political parties were eager to end a welfare system they believed was riddled with abuse. A big goal with TANF was ending the dependence of people getting cash benefits on the government by moving them from welfare to work.

    Many people were removed from the welfare rolls, but not because work requirements led to economic prosperity. Instead, they had trouble navigating the bureaucratic demands.

    TANF is administered by the states. They can set many rules of their own, but they must comply with an important federal requirement: Adult recipients have to work or engage in an authorized alternative activity for at least 30 hours per week. The number of weekly hours is only 20 if the recipient is caring for a child under the age of 6.

    The dozen activities or so that can count toward this quota range from participating in job training programs to engaging in community service.

    Some adults enrolled in TANF are exempt from work requirements, depending on their state’s own policies. The most common exemptions are for people who are ill, have a disability or are over age 60.

    To qualify for TANF, families must have dependent children; in some states pregnant women also qualify. Income limits are set by the state and range from US$307 a month for a family of three in Alabama to $2,935 a month for a family of three in Minnesota.

    Adult TANF recipients face a federal five-year lifetime limit on benefits. States can adopt shorter time limits; Arizona’s is 12 months.

    An administrative burden

    Complying with these work requirements generally means proving that you’re working or making the case that you should be exempt from this mandate. This places what’s known as an “administrative burden” on the people who get cash assistance. It often requires lots of documentation and time. If you have an unpredictable work schedule, inconsistent access to child care or obligations to care for an older relative, this paperwork is hard to deal with.

    What counts as work, how many hours must be completed and who is exempt from these requirements often comes down to a caseworker’s discretion. Social science research shows that this discretion is not equally applied and is often informed by stereotypes.

    The number of people getting cash assistance has fallen sharply since TANF replaced Aid to Families with Dependent Children. In some states caseloads have dropped by more than 50% despite significant population growth.

    Some of this decline happened because recipients got jobs that paid them too much to qualify. The Congressional Budget Office, a nonpartisan office that provides economic research to Congress, attributes, at least in part, an increase in employment among less-educated single mothers in the 1990s to work requirements.

    Not everyone who stopped getting cash benefits through TANF wound up employed, however. Other recipients who did not meet requirements fell into deep poverty.

    Regardless of why people leave the program, when fewer low-income Americans get TANF benefits, the government spends less money on cash assistance. Federal funding has remained flat at $16.5 billion since 1996. Taking inflation into account, the program receives half as much funding as when it was created. In addition, states have used the flexibility granted them to direct most of their TANF funds to priorities other than cash benefits, such as pre-K education.

    Many Americans who get help paying for groceries through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program are also subject to work requirements. People the government calls “able-bodied adults without dependents” can only receive SNAP benefits for three months within a three-year period if they are not employed.

    A failed experiment in Arkansas

    Lawmakers in Congress and in statehouses have debated whether to add work requirements for Medicaid before. More than a dozen states have applied for waivers that would let them give it a try.

    When Arkansas instituted Medicaid work requirements in 2018, during the first Trump administration, it was largely seen as a failure. Some 18,000 people lost their health care coverage, but employment rates did not increase.

    After a court order stopped the policy in 2019, most people regained their coverage.

    Georgia is currently the only state with Medicaid work requirements in effect, after implementing a waiver in July 2023. The program has experienced technical difficulties and has had trouble verifying work activities.

    Other states, including Idaho, Indiana and Kentucky, are already asking the federal government to let them enforce Medicaid work requirements.

    Then-Gov. Asa Hutchinson speaks during a news conference in 2017, in Little Rock, Arkansas, calling for Medicaid work requirements.
    AP Photo/Andrew DeMillo

    What this may mean for Medicaid

    One version of the Republican budget bill floated in 2025 would introduce Medicaid work requirements nationwide for childless adults age 19 to 64, with some exemptions.

    But most people covered by Medicaid in that age range are already working, and those who are not would likely be eligible for work requirement waivers. An analysis by KFF – a nonprofit that informs the public about health issues – shows that in 2023, 44% of Medicaid recipients were working full time and another 20% were working part time. In 2023, that was more than 16 million Americans.

    About 20% of the American adults under 65 who are covered by Medicaid are not working due to illness or disability, or because of caregiving responsibilities, according to KFF. This includes both people caring for young children and those taking care of relatives with an illness or disability. In my own research, I read testimony from families seeking work exemptions because caregiving, including for children with disabilities, was a full-time job.

    The rest of the adults under 65 with Medicaid coverage are not working because they are in school, are retired, cannot find work or have some other reason. It’s approximately 3.9 million Americans. Depending on what counts as “work,” they may be meeting any requirements that could be added to the program.

    The Congressional Budget Office estimates that introducing Medicaid work requirements would save around $300 billion over a decade. Given past experience with work requirements, it is unlikely those savings would come from Americans finding jobs.

    My research suggests it’s more likely that the government would trim spending by taking away the health insurance of people eligible for Medicaid coverage who get tangled up in red tape.

    Anne Whitesell is a 2024-2025 PRRI Public Fellow.

    – ref. Work requirements are better at blocking benefits for low-income people than they are at helping those folks find jobs – https://theconversation.com/work-requirements-are-better-at-blocking-benefits-for-low-income-people-than-they-are-at-helping-those-folks-find-jobs-256839

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Empathy can take a toll – but 2 philosophers explain why we should see it as a strength

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Emad H. Atiq, Professor of Law and Philosophy, Cornell University

    Empathy isn’t just about feelings. It’s also an aspect of knowledge. AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo

    In an interview with podcaster Joe Rogan, billionaire and Trump megadonor Elon Musk offered his thoughts about what motivates political progressives to support immigration. In his view, the culprit was empathy, which he called “the fundamental weakness of Western civilization.”

    As shocking as Musk’s views are, however, they are far from unique. On the one hand, there is the familiar and widespread conservative critique of “bleeding heart” liberals as naive or overly emotional. But there is also a broader philosophical critique that raises worries about empathy on quite different and less political grounds, including findings in social science.

    Empathy can make people weaker – both physically and practically, according to social scientists. Consider the phenomenon known as “empathy fatigue,” a major source of burnout among counselors, nurses and even neurosurgeons. These professionals devote their lives to helping others, yet the empathy they feel for their clients and patients wears them down, making it harder to do their jobs.

    As philosophers, we agree that empathy can take a toll on both individuals and society. However, we believe that, at its core, empathy is a form of mental strength that enables us to better understand the impact of our actions on others, and to make informed choices.

    The philosophical roots of empathy skepticism

    The term “empathy” only entered the English language in the 1890s. But the general idea of being moved by others’ suffering has been a subject of philosophical attention for millennia, under labels such as “pity,” “sympathy” and “compassion.”

    One of the earliest warnings about pity in Western philosophy comes from the Greek Stoic philosopher Epictetus. In his “Discourses,” he offers general advice about how to live a good life, centered on inner tranquility and freedom. When it comes to emotions and feelings, he writes: “He is free who lives as he wishes to live … And who chooses to live in sorrow, fear, envy, pity, desiring and failing in his desires, attempting to avoid something and falling into it? Not one.”

    Feeling sorry for another person or feeling pity for them compromises our freedom, in Epictetus’s view. Those negative feelings are unpleasant, and nobody would choose them for themselves. Empathy would clearly fall into this same category, keeping us from living the good life.

    A similar objection emerged much later from the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. Nietzsche framed his discussion in terms of “Mitleid” – a German term that can be translated as either “pity” or “compassion.” Like Epictetus, Nietzsche worried that pity or compassion was a burden on the individual, preventing them from living the good life. In his book “Daybreak,” Nietzsche warns that such feelings could impair the very people who try to help others.

    Epictetus’s and Nietzsche’s worries about pity or compassion carry over to empathy.

    Recall, the phenomenon of empathy fatigue. One psychological explanation for why empathic people experience fatigue and even burnout is that empathy involves a kind of mirroring of other people’s mental life, a mirroring that can be physically unpleasant. When someone you love is in pain, you don’t just believe that they are in pain; you may feel it as if it is actually happening to you.

    From a philosophical standpoint, empathy is intimately related to the domain of knowledge.
    AP Photo/Elise Amendola

    Results from neuroscience and cognitive psychology research indicate that there are different brain mechanisms involved in merely observing another’s pain versus empathizing with it. The latter involves unpleasant sensations of the type we experience when we are in pain. Empathy is thus difficult to bear precisely because being in pain is difficult to bear. And this sharpens the Stoic and Nietzschean worries: Why bother empathizing when it is unpleasant and, perhaps, not even necessary for helping others?

    From understanding knowledge to appreciating empathy

    The answer for why one should see empathy as a strength starts with a key insight from 20th century philosophy about the nature of knowledge.

    That insight is based on a famous thought experiment by the Australian philosopher Frank Jackson. Jackson invites us to imagine a scientist named Mary who has studied colors despite having lived her entire life in a black and white room. She knows all the facts about the spectrum distribution of light sources and vision science. She’s read descriptions of the redness of roses and azaleas. But she’s never seen color herself. Does Mary know everything about redness? Many epistemologists – people who study the nature of knowledge – argue that she does not.

    What Mary learns when she sees red for the first time is elusive. If she returns to her black and white room, never to see any colored objects again, her knowledge of the colors will likely diminish over time. To have a full, rich understanding of colors, one needs to experience them.

    Bertrand Russell was actively involved in political activism on behalf of the experiences of others.
    Douglas Miller/Keystone/Getty Images

    Thoughts like these led the philosopher and logician Bertrand Russell to argue that experience delivers a special kind of knowledge of things that can’t be reduced to knowledge of facts. Seeing, hearing, tasting and even feeling delivers what he called “knowledge by acquaintance.”

    We have argued in a book and recent articles that Jackson’s and Russell’s conclusions apply to pain.

    Consider a variation on Jackson’s thought experiment: Suppose Mary knows the facts about pain but hasn’t experienced it. As before, it would seem like her understanding of pain is incomplete. In fact, though Mary is a fictional character, there are real people who report having never experienced pain as an unpleasant sensation – a condition known as “pain asymbolia”.

    In Russell’s terminology, such people haven’t personally experienced how unpleasant pain can be. But even people without pain asymbolia can become less familiar with pain and hardship during times when things are going well for them. All of us can temporarily lose the rich experiential grasp of what it is like to be distressed. So, when we consider the pain and suffering of others in the abstract and without directly feeling it, it is very much like trying to grasp the nature of redness while being personally acquainted only with a field of black and white.

    That, we argue, is where empathy comes in. Through experiential simulation of another’s feelings, empathy affords us a rich grasp of the distress that others feel. The upshot is that empathy isn’t just a subjective sensation. It affords us a more accurate understanding of others’ experiences and emotions.

    Empathy is thus a form of knowledge that can be hard to bear, just as pain can be hard to bear. But that’s precisely why empathy, properly cultivated, is a strength. As one of us has argued, it takes courage to empathically engage with others, just as it takes courage to see and recognize problems around us. Conversely, an unwillingness to empathize can stem from a familiar weakness: a fear of knowledge.

    So, when deciding complex policy questions, say, about immigration, resisting empathy impairs our decision-making. It keeps us from understanding what’s at stake. That is why it is vital to ask ourselves what policies we would favor if we were empathically acquainted with, and so fully informed of, the plight of others.

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

    – ref. Empathy can take a toll – but 2 philosophers explain why we should see it as a strength – https://theconversation.com/empathy-can-take-a-toll-but-2-philosophers-explain-why-we-should-see-it-as-a-strength-254554

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –