NewzIntel.com

Category: Education

  • MIL-OSI USA: Shapiro Administration to Highlight Efforts to Recruit and Retain More Nurses in Pennsylvania at National Student Nurse Day Event

    Source: US State of Pennsylvania

    May 08, 2025 – Harrisburg, PA

    ADVISORY – Shapiro Administration to Highlight Efforts to Recruit and Retain More Nurses in Pennsylvania at National Student Nurse Day Event

    To celebrate National Student Nurse Day, officials from the Departments of Health, Labor and Industry, and Human Services will join leaders from HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College, to highlight Governor Josh Shapiro’s proposed 2025-26 budget, which significantly invests in recruiting and retaining nurses in Pennsylvania. As Pennsylvania tackles a nursing shortage, offering incentives to nurses proves to be a successful strategy for recruiting and retaining high-quality practitioners.

    The Governor’s budget proposal makes targeted investments to expand the health care workforce, including nurses, ensuring communities have access to high-quality health care. The budget proposal includes $5 million to expand the Department of Health’s Primary Care Loan Repayment Program, and a first-time state-level investment of $5 million to create the Nurse Shortage Assistance Program, which will provide funding to organizations that partner with hospitals and nursing schools to provide student loan repayment to nursing students who commit to a three-year work placement at Pennsylvania hospitals after graduation.

    WHO:
    Department of Labor and Industry Secretary Nancy A. Walker
    Department of Health Special Advisor Dr. Robert Bonacci
    Department of Human Services Deputy Secretary Sally Kozak
    HACC President and CEO John J. “Ski” Sygielski, MBA, Ed.D.
    HACC School of Health Science Associate Dean Cynthia L. Donell, MSN, RN

    WHEN:
    Thursday, May 8, 2025, at 2:00 PM

    WHERE:
    HACC’s Harrisburg Campus
    Select Medical Health Education Pavilion
    One HACC Drive
    Harrisburg, PA 17110

    MEDIA RSVP: Media interested in attending must RSVP with the name of the reporter and photojournalist to ra-dhpressoffice@pa.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Markey, Pressley, McGovern Applaud Second Circuit Decision Ordering Rümeysa Öztürk’s Transfer to Vermont

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey
    Lawmakers met with Öztürk at Louisiana ICE facility where she has been illegally detained since March
    Washington (May 7, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Representatives Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) and Jim McGovern (MA-02) released the following statement after the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit directed the Trump administration to comply with a lower court order to transfer Rümeysa Öztürk from ICE custody in Louisiana to Vermont. The court ordered the government to move Ms. Öztürk within one week. On March 25, 2025, Ms. Öztürk, a PhD student at Tufts University, was abducted by six plainclothes ICE agents off the streets of Somerville, Massachusetts. She was quickly moved across state lines and shipped more than 1,500 miles away from her community to a detention facility in Louisiana. 
    “We applaud the Second Circuit for rejecting the Trump administration’s attempt to delay complying with the district court’s order to transfer Rümeysa Öztürk from Louisiana to Vermont, where she will be closer to her community and to her legal counsel. Rümeysa should never have been abducted and transferred thousands of miles away to begin with. She is being unlawfully detained for writing an op-ed in her school newspaper and has not been charged with a single crime. Last month, we visited Rümeysa in detention in Louisiana, where she faces intolerable conditions and has suffered multiple asthma attacks. Rümeysa’s case is part of an alarming trend by the Trump administration to trample individuals’ constitutional rights to due process and free speech. Rümeysa must be released and have her visa restored immediately, and we will continue to ring the alarm loudly until that is the case.”
    On April 22, Senator Markey and Representatives Pressley and McGovern, along with Representative Bennie Thompson (MS-02), Ranking Member of House Committee on Homeland Security, and Representative Troy Carter (LA-02), visited the Louisiana ICE facility where Rümeysa Öztürk was being held. Also on April 22, Senator Markey, Representative Pressley, and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) sent a letter to Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Acting Director Todd Lyons to demand answers about the Trump administration’s concerning practice of detaining individuals, such as Öztürk, far from their attorneys and communities and in legal environments where their rights are more difficult to defend. The Trump administration is forum shopping to obtain a legal outcome favorable to its deportation agenda.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Indian airstrikes in Kashmir following tourist attack raises fears of a regional conflict

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By MD Rakib Jahan, PhD Student, Department of Political Studies, International Relations, Queen’s University, Ontario

    In response to the Pahalgam terrorist attack on tourists in Jammu and Kashmir last month,, India has launched “Operation Sindoor,” a series of targeted airstrikes on nine locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

    The killing of 26 tourists in Kashmir’s Baisaran Valley on April 22 did more than shatter a moment of peace in one of South Asia’s most scenic regions. The assault has significantly increased India-Pakistan tensions and generated worries of possible military conflict between two nuclear-armed countries.

    Though Pakistan denies the charges, India has specifically held Pakistan responsible for sheltering terrorist groups.

    In response to the attack, India has taken several actions against Pakistan, including downgrading diplomatic ties, recalling diplomats, suspending participation in a vital water-sharing agreement and closing a significant border crossing.

    This rapidly deteriorating situation underscores the broader consequences of the devastating Pahalgam assault.



    Read more:
    India and Pakistan have fought many wars in the past. Are we on the precipice of a new one?

    Human tragedy

    Described by the region’s chief minister, Omar Abdullah, as “much larger than anything we’ve seen directed at civilians in recent years,” the assault in Pahalgam is not only a humanitarian tragedy and a blow to Kashmir’s economy but a flashpoint in an already fragile regional relationship.

    The Pahalgam attack’s timing coincided with United States Vice President JD Vance’s visit to India in April. This mirrors a grim pattern that includes former U.S. president Bill Clinton’s 2000 trip, when militants struck Chittisinghpura in Jammu and Kashmir hours before his arrival.

    By staging violence during diplomatic milestones, militants aim to amplify global attention and send a message to the Indian government. As global attention shifts back to Kashmir, the Baisaran massacre appears to mark a new chapter in the long-fought battle over this territory — one that risks tourism, targets civilians and threatens to unravel regional stability.

    Strategic targeting of Kashmir’s economy

    Though Kashmir has seen warfare for decades, militant groups had mostly avoided targeting visitors because of the the economic significance of tourism to Kashmir.

    The calculated selection of Pahalgam — one of Kashmir’s top tourist sites — reveals a plan to attack the core of Kashmir’s economy. According to counter-terrorism expert Ajai Sahni, the local community and militant groups have an implicit understanding not to compromise the tourism industry.

    By breaking this unwritten rule, the militants have demonstrated a willingness to inflict economic harm on the population.

    Nearly everyone in Kashmir, particularly in the valley, depends on tourism either directly or indirectly. Tourism, which has seen a resurgence since the COVID-19 pandemic, generates thousands of direct and indirect jobs and more than eight per cent of Kashmir’s GDP.

    Experts like Amitabh Mattoo, from the School of International Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University, warn that Kashmir may experience long-term devastating effects from a drop in tourism. A significant exodus of travellers from Kashmir has already taken place.



    Read more:
    Why are India and Pakistan on the brink of war and how dangerous is the situation? An expert explains

    Challenging India’s post-2019 Kashmir narrative

    The assault also weakens India’s narrative on Kashmir, an area that has been disputed by both Pakistan and India since their independence from Britain in 1947.

    The attack took place as India Prime Minister Narendra Modi was scheduled to open a multi-billion-dollar railway project to the Kashmir Valley, which his government contends will enhance tourism and economic development.

    Modi’s administration has presented the rise in tourism as proof of “normalcy” coming back to Kashmir following India’s removal of special status to Kashmir.

    The intentional targeting of visitors sends a message that the illusion of normalcy is misleading.

    A deadly departure from past tactics

    The Resistance Front (TRF), a rather unknown militant group founded in 2019 and designated as a “terrorist organization” by the Indian government in January 2023, claimed responsibility for the assault via social media. They offered no proof to back their assertion.

    TRF represents a new breed of militant Kashmiri nationalism and resistance. Indian intelligence agencies have connected the group to the Pakistan-based terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Taiba.

    TRF’s communication regarding the assault emphasized resistance to new “outsider” residency rights. This corresponds with worries voiced by some Kashmiris after 2019 modifications permitted non-locals to acquire land and get employment in the area.

    The government disclosed in April 2025 that 83,000 individuals have been given residence certificates under these new standards in the last two years.

    The future of Kashmir’s stability

    Apart from causing obvious human sorrow, the Pahalgam slaughter also endangers years of economic development and could send Jammu and Kashmir back into a cycle of bloodshed and instability.

    Targeting tourists could mean militants are willing to risk Kashmir’s economic core. The assault appears to be an attempt to internationalize the Kashmir problem at a time when worldwide interest had started to fade. It also exploits religious divides, and has succeeded in inciting severe security reactions.

    The future seems more and more uncertain for ordinary Kashmiris caught between security crackdowns and militant brutality. Historical trends indicate that more militancy usually results in more security policies, putting more strain on civilian life.

    For many teenagers and young people in Jammu and Kashmir, the lack of consistent income, mobility limitations and increased monitoring intensifies sensations of marginalization and anger.

    Radical groups can take advantage of these frustrations. To counter this, economic policies must address these inequalities.



    Read more:
    India-Pakistan strikes: 5 essential reads on decades of rivalry and tensions over Kashmir

    A strategy for the way ahead

    The Pahalgam incident calls for a counter-terrorism strategy that balances security with socio-economic stability.

    For example, tourism profit-sharing systems could be implemented and tax advantages or subsidies could be offered to tour businesses, especially those employing young marginalized demographics. This could help to bring some financial respite as well as long-term stability and has been successful in countries like Rwanda.

    The failure to pre-empt the attack despite heightened security during the Vance’s visit and the Hindu pilgrimage season reveals systematic intelligence failures.

    The way ahead calls for tackling both security issues and the underlying complaints still driving militancy in Jammu and Kashmir as the region once again confronts the possibility of violence.

    United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has urged both nations to de-escalate and return to diplomacy.

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

    – ref. Indian airstrikes in Kashmir following tourist attack raises fears of a regional conflict – https://theconversation.com/indian-airstrikes-in-kashmir-following-tourist-attack-raises-fears-of-a-regional-conflict-256166

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hoyer Joins Alsobrooks, Maryland Democratic Delegation in Demanding Back Education Dollars Cut by Trump

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steny H Hoyer (MD-05)

    WASHINGTON, DC – As reported this week in The Washington Post, Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) joined a letter led by Senator Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD) along with the Maryland Democratic Delegation – U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and U.S. Representatives Kweisi Mfume (MD-07), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Glenn Ivey (MD-04), Sarah Elfreth (MD-03), April McClain Delaney (MD-06), and Johnny Olszewski (MD-02) to demand that the Trump Administration release the $98 million promised for education funding in the state and urging the Department to work with the delegation to ensure Maryland receives this vital funding.

    “Earlier this year, [Secretary McMahon testified that the President] wants to ‘return education to the states where it belongs.’ We believe that approving Maryland’s application for late liquidation of relief funds would do just that. We appreciate your offer to conduct a thorough review of the ESSER funds rescinded from Maryland and look forward to reaching a resolution in the best interest of the more than 860,000 students in our state who are depending on these Congressionally appropriated funds,” said the lawmakers. 

    “We stand ready to partner with the Department in ensuring the disbursement of this key funding to Maryland,” continued the lawmakers.

    You can read the full letter to Secretary McMahon here or below:

    Dear Secretary McMahon:

    We write with deep concern regarding the Department of Education’s (the Department) recent letter to State Chiefs of Education, which modified the time period for states to liquidate obligations under the Education Stabilization Fund. The loss of these dollars would be catastrophic for the state of Maryland and its students. We appreciate the fact that the Department did leave an opportunity open for collaboration with states, affording them the chance to appeal for an extension to the liquidation period on a project-specific basis. As such, the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) has applied for an extension. We strongly support MSDE’s application and urge the Department to approve MSDE’s requests for full reimbursement.

    As you know, on January 22, 2025 – after President Trump was sworn into office – the Department approved MDSE’s late liquidation plan for American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds through March 28, 2026. Similarly, on March 17, 2025, the Department approved a late liquidation plan for the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSA) from MSDE through March 31, 2025. Yet on March 28, 2025, the MSDE received notice from the Department that the liquidation period for all pandemic recovery resources authorized in the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) fund was rescinded. This sudden reversal has caused a great deal of confusion and would hinder Maryland’s efforts to address pandemic learning loss.

    The impact of this reversal by the Department will indeed be devastating for Maryland schools. Pandemic relief funds were set to go towards capital projects including school heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning repair and replacement that have been delayed because of supply chain and construction issues, as well as new curricula and instructional materials that Maryland Local Education Agencies (LEAs) are still awaiting.

    As such, Maryland has submitted a late liquidation request to the Department for $98,706,860, which includes $42 million spent by LEAs that have not been submitted to the State for reimbursement, as well as $56.7 million remaining to liquidate. The remaining funding is obligated toward projects to provide temporary housing and mental health support for students experiencing homelessness; community school mental health services; tutoring and technology for students; professional development for staff; Grow Your Own projects, including tuition reimbursement programs for staff to attain teacher certifications; the replacement of older and non-working windows and doors; restroom repairs; and security camera updates to keep students safe. 

    MSDE and the state’s LEAs have utilized ESSER funds to recover reading scores, sustainably address the teacher shortages exacerbated by the pandemic, support student mental and emotional health, and fortify other key ingredients in learning. The state’s reapplication in compliance with the Department’s guidance issued on March 28, 2025, also includes key details of our educational systems’ efforts to modernize classroom infrastructure to mitigate the threat of infectious diseases. 

    We proudly represent a state that places tremendous emphasis on high-quality education and MSDE’s implementation of federal funds is fundamental to that mission. We urge the Department to approve MSDE’s latest reapplication for late liquidation of this vital funding. Like students across the country, the COVID-19 pandemic set young Marylanders back substantially on key metrics of student achievement. As your office has noted, recent National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) results have revealed that “gaps are growing between higher-performing and lower-performing students.” Further, chronic absenteeism still is too high with the latest data indicating “a majority of students still attended schools with 20% or higher levels of chronic absence… in stark contrast to 2019, when slightly over a quarter of schools experienced such high levels of chronic absence.” Years after the COVID-19 pandemic, our schools and communities still have much work to do to help students recover.

    Again, we want to continue to be collaborative and work together to improve Maryland schools. As you noted in your testimony to the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee earlier this year, President Trump wants to “return education to the states where it belongs.” We believe that approving Maryland’s application for late liquidation of relief funds would do just that. We appreciate your offer to conduct a thorough review of the ESSER funds rescinded from Maryland and look forward to reaching a resolution in the best interest of the more than 860,000 students in our state who are depending on these Congressionally appropriated funds. 

    We welcome a further conversation between the Department and the Maryland Congressional delegation on this process and would be happy to help support engagements between the Department and MSDE. We stand ready to partner with the Department in ensuring the disbursement of this key funding to Maryland.

    Sincerely, 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Marvel’s Thunderbolts* shines a light on men’s mental illness – but falls down with this outdated plotline

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emily Baulch, Research Associate, Discipline of Media and Communications, University of Sydney

    Marvel Studios

    This piece contains spoilers.

    Marvel’s men are sad. And that’s a good thing.

    Thor’s depressed in Avengers: Endgame. Tony Stark has panic attacks in Iron Man 3. Peter grieves in Spider-Man: No Way Home.

    In Marvel’s latest release Thunderbolts* (or The New Avengers), we finally see a male superhero seek advice on how to deal with mental illness.

    The only problem? His impromptu therapist is a woman he’s only just met.

    A blanket of darkness

    Bob Reynolds (Lewis Pullman) is a new and damaged superhero experiment. Bob believes the world might be better off without him – foreshadowing that he’s not entirely wrong.

    Bob turns to Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) for help. Yelena understands, saying “that darkness gets pretty enticing”. As she struggles to describe the feeling, Bob supplies the word: a void.

    Yelena offers a survival tactic: push the darkness deep down and carry on. It’s terrible advice and they both know it. But in that moment, it’s honest, and it connects them.

    Thunderbolts explores suicidal thoughts, PTSD and bipolar disorder. Bob speaks of the euphoric highs and shattering lows he experiences, often resulting in blackouts. His mental illness becomes metaphoric: his internal darkness manifests in his powers, and he becomes the villainous superpower of the film.

    Some of the film handles these themes well. Bob’s bipolar spreads into a dangerous blanket of darkness into which others, literally, vanish. At the film’s climax, Bob battles the dark, depressed version of himself. He beats himself up, seeking to beat the evil version of himself and, metaphorically, his mental illness. It doesn’t work. The darkness spreads to his stable self, too.

    But Yelena and the Thunderbolts fight their way to him, embracing him in a hug, and their support gives him the strength to confront his trauma.

    Women as emotional supports

    Done well, positive depictions of mental health struggles can be important pieces of representation.

    Unfortunately, most mental health depictions in major films are not done well, when they are included at all. Accurate portrayals of bipolar disorder remain rare. Research shows on young adult literature continues to lack mental health representation, especially by authors with lived experience.

    Across Hollywood, from Rey saving Kylo Ren in Star Wars to Beauty fixing the Beast, women are constantly cast as emotional supports for men.

    This is also true throughout the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Black Widow offers the Hulk her hand; Tony Stark punches him to sleep. Scarlet Witch is forced to carry her grief for Vision. In Thunderbolts, Yelena becomes the latest emotional ballast for a traumatised man.

    The film’s depiction of men’s mental illness through the story of Bob Reynolds (Lewis Pullman) is an important one.
    Marvel Studios

    These women take these roles despite their own troubles, often without support or recognition from their male counterparts.

    Yelena steps into the dark emanating from Bob, believing her own struggles will allow her to help him. It’s poignant and beautiful in a way. Those who have walked through hell know the pathway through.

    But it’s also troubling.

    To save Bob from himself, she must risk her body, mind and mental wellbeing. Alone, her flashbacks become real as she comes face to face with her childhood trauma, undergoing psychological torture at Bob’s hands to reach him.

    The weight of emotional labour

    Yelena’s actions aren’t just a trope. They reflect a broader cultural script where women are expected to take on emotional responsibility not just for themselves but also for the men around them.

    Women are taught to care about others. At home and at work, the emotional labour undertaken by women often goes unnoticed, but it comes with real costs: stress, burnout and self-neglect.

    As men struggle with loneliness and a lack of friendships, women are expected to fill that gap. This dynamic, sometimes called “mankeeping”, leaves women doing the emotional work of informal therapy without support or reciprocity.

    Taking on these informal therapist roles results in disempowerment and dissatisfaction.

    The film’s depiction of Bob’s mental health issues has positive aspects: it goes against the pressure to conform to traditional ideas of masculinity, where men are taught to suppress their emotions and be stoic. Bob is allowed to be vulnerable and ask for help, and, despite his actions, is still shown to be worth helping.

    Too much caring responsibility falls on the shoulders of Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), who has her own struggles.
    Marvel Studios

    A significant number of young men who follow masculinity influencers believe they need to be stoic and control their emotions and that women should occupy traditional gender roles, being soft, nurturing, motherly and supportive.

    These beliefs can not only discourage men from seeking professional help: they set women up to carry the emotional burden in relationships, often at great personal cost.

    Addressing mental health

    Toxic masculinity is well and truly alive, but women aren’t the answer to it.

    Addressing mental health issues effectively requires a multifaceted approach that includes professional intervention, personal responsibility and mutual support within relationships.

    Thunderbolts gestures toward progress, but doesn’t quite escape old tropes. Bob’s pain is real, but it’s also weaponised. His mental illness becomes a threat, and his instability something others must contain.

    The film acknowledges he’s struggling, but ultimately treats his struggle as dangerous as his void-like inner turbulence is unleashed on those around him. It’s a reflection of a broader cultural pattern: when men’s emotional pain is left unaddressed, it festers, and women are often expected to absorb the cost.

    We’re left with a troubling question: in the stories we tell, are we promising struggling young men a fairytale ending of romance and self-sacrifice in the shape of a young woman coming to save them from themselves?

    If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.

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

    – ref. Marvel’s Thunderbolts* shines a light on men’s mental illness – but falls down with this outdated plotline – https://theconversation.com/marvels-thunderbolts-shines-a-light-on-mens-mental-illness-but-falls-down-with-this-outdated-plotline-255869

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Vietnam is poised to become a top 20 economy, so why is Australia taking so long to make trade and investment links?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anne Vo, Senior lecturer in Vietnamese culture and politics, University of Wollongong

    Aritra Deb/Shutterstock

    At a time of widespread global trade instability, Australia should be expanding and diversifying its economic partnerships. Supply chains remain fragile, and protectionist rhetoric is once again gaining traction in major Western economies.

    US President Donald Trump’s America First agenda includes sweeping tariffs on imports, withdrawal from multilateral agreements and pressure to take production in-house.

    At the same time, China, Australia’s largest trading partner, has often used trade for geopolitical leverage. In 2020, Beijing imposed tariffs of more than 200% on Australian wine. This wiped 30% off the sector’s export value.

    So economic diversification is not only desirable but strategically imperative.

    An opportunity

    Fifty years on from the fall of Saigon, Vietnam presents a compelling opportunity for economic and strategic diversification. The reunited country is eager to move beyond its wartime image and assert itself as an emerging economic powerhouse.

    Vietnam’s capital, Ho Chi Min City. The country has shifted from being a place synonymous with war to becoming one of the world’s top economies.
    Nguyen Quang Ngoc Tonkin/Shutterstock

    Since the launch of the Doi Moi reforms in 1986, Vietnam has embraced economic liberalisation and market-oriented policies. The Doi Moi reforms opened the economy to foreign trade, allowed private ownership and restructured state-owned enterprises.

    From a growth rate of just 1.6% in 1980, Vietnam is now set to become one of the world’s top 20 economies by 2050. In 2023 alone, it attracted A$8.5 billion in foreign direct investment, underscoring strong investor confidence.

    The 50th anniversary of reunification on April 30 provided insights into the country’s growth. Celebrations included military parades, 3D virtual reality displays and exhibitions promoting advances in technology.

    Slow to act

    Yet Australia has been slow to act. Despite geographic proximity and shared interests, Australia’s economic footprint in Vietnam remains surprisingly small. In 2023, Australian foreign direct investment totalled just A$3 million. It ranked 22nd, behind countries including Switzerland and Seychelles.

    In trade, the disparity is similarly stark. Vietnam accounts for only 2.33% of Australia’s exports and 1.4% of imports. Two-way trade between the two countries reached $26.3 billion in 2022. At the same time, Vietnam’s trade with the United States, topped A$191.9 billion.

    Some Australian firms are already making inroads. BlueScope Steel, Linfox, and SunRice have invested significantly in manufacturing, logistics and agriculture. And RMIT University has been a key player in transnational education since it opened the first of three campuses in Vietnam in 2000.

    ANZ and Qantas also have a visible presence. However, small and medium-sized enterprises – which comprise more than 98% of Australian businesses – remain largely absent. Many prefer export partnerships or distributor agreements over direct investment.

    Potential obstacles

    Australian companies have long favoured English-speaking or high-income markets. These offer greater institutional and cultural familiarity and regulatory certainty.

    Vietnam’s relationship-based commercial environment poses challenges, especially for firms lacking embedded networks and local knowledge. Concerns around regulatory transparency, intellectual property protection, contract enforcement and corruption – though improving – continue to weigh on corporate decisions.

    Small to medium enterprises, in particular, face extra barriers due to limited institutional support, regulatory understanding, market intelligence and in-country networks.

    Help from government

    The Australian government has taken some steps to catch up. The Enhanced Economic Engagement Strategy, launched in 2021, aims to double two-way investment and elevate both nations to top ten trading partner status.

    It identifies priority sectors such as agriculture, education, clean energy, digital technology and manufacturing. However, the strategy contains no enforceable legal protections, tariff concessions or means of dispute resolution.

    Manufacturing is one of the priority areas recognised in Australia’s Enhanced Economic Engagement Strategy for Vietnam.
    Hien Phung Tu/Shutterstock

    The lack of these matters. Japan, South Korea and the European Union have pursued coordinated economic strategies that include concessional loans, robust legal frameworks and in-market support services. These help their businesses thrive in Vietnam’s complex regulatory environment.

    Similarly, the EU has integrated trade promotion with legal certainty under agreements like the EU Vietnam Free Trade Agreement.

    More needs to be done

    Without comparable tools, Australia’s initiatives risk being more aspirational than actionable.

    Last year’s upgrade in bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, signals growing political will.

    For Australia to realise the potential of its relationship with Vietnam it should back long-term policies. These policies should reduce market entry barriers, incentivise small to medium enterprises and increase joint skills development.

    Investors also need legal and institutional support.

    Australia has strong potential to expand into emerging sectors. These include renewable energy, digital technology, healthcare, vocational education and training, green and smart infrastructure and agritech.

    Vietnam’s push for environmentally sustainable economic growth, digital transformation and workforce training aligns closely with Australian strengths. This creates opportunities for strategic investment and cooperation.

    There is the potential for Australia to build a dynamic partnership with Vietnam central to its long-term economic position in the Indo-Pacific.

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

    – ref. Vietnam is poised to become a top 20 economy, so why is Australia taking so long to make trade and investment links? – https://theconversation.com/vietnam-is-poised-to-become-a-top-20-economy-so-why-is-australia-taking-so-long-to-make-trade-and-investment-links-255722

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Why is hospital parking so expensive? Two economics researchers explain

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lisa Farrell, Professor of Economics (Health Economist), RMIT University

    ThirtyPlus/Shutterstock

    Imagine having to pay A$39 dollars a day to park your car while visiting your sick child in hospital.

    For families already struggling in a cost-of-living crisis, hospital parking fees are not just another expense. They can be a financial barrier to supporting loved ones in their most vulnerable moments.

    Hospital parking is a big revenue earner. In New South Wales, public hospitals collected almost $51.7 million in parking fees in 2024. That was up from $30.2 million in 2023.

    It may be tempting to view hospital parking fees as exploiting a captive market. But the reality is much more complex.

    It involves urban economics, pressures on health-care funding and competing demands for limited space, often in busy city centres.

    Let’s start with supply and demand

    Basic economics tells us that price is the mechanism for balancing supply and demand. This is known as the equilibrium price. If demand is greater than supply, the price rises. So for urban hospitals, where parking spaces are limited, this scarcity creates market conditions that, not surprisingly, drive up prices.

    But economics also tells us that if there’s still demand for parking despite the price, then under some circumstances suppliers can charge more than the equilibrium price. Put simply, this “inelastic demand” means it is possible to charge more to a captive audience.

    You could certainly argue hospital patients and visitors are a captive audience. While many hospitals are well serviced by public transport, hospital patients and visitors are often too sick or time-poor to use it. So they have little choice than to pay for parking. For rural hospitals, there is limited or no public transport, so visitors have to drive.

    So are hospitals taking advantage of the inelastic demand for parking? Are they price gouging – setting prices above what is considered reasonable or fair? Or are there reasons for setting such high prices?

    Location, location, location

    Car parks of hospitals in prime locations are not just attractive to hospital patients and visitors. They’re also attractive to other users, such as those working in the city or sightseeing. High parking fees deter these users, ensuring spaces are available for hospital users.

    High prices prevent hospital users from overstaying. This prevents them doing non-hospital activities (such as shopping) after their hospital appointment or visits and before returning to their cars.

    Hospitals also charge high prices to raise revenue for health care. In a statement to the ABC earlier this year, NSW Health said extra money raised from parking is reinvested into health services and facilities.

    Hospitals are often in prime locations, such as Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney’s inner west.
    Rose Marinelli/Shutterstock

    But it makes sense to encourage visitors

    However, raising parking fees to support hospital budgets could be a false economy. We know hospital visitors have an important role in patients’ recovery times. So if high parking costs deter visitors or carers, this could lead to longer hospital stays for their loved ones.

    Cheaper parking might allow for more visiting, leading to shorter hospital stays and significant cost savings per patient.

    I (Lisa) had firsthand experience of this when my elderly father with dementia was admitted to hospital recently. The hospital allowed 24/7 visitor access for carers (in this case, my mother) and free hospital parking. Access 24/7 is important for patients with dementia who are often disorientated in hospital. This disorientation is typically worse in the evening (known as sundowning).

    Having carers present meant staff could focus on medical issues. It facilitated visits outside normal visiting hours (when dementia patients typically need the extra support) and when the demand for parking spaces is lower.

    Visitors are great for patients’ wellbeing and help their recovery. So we want to encourage them.
    DC Studio/Shutterstock

    Who needs cheap parking?

    High parking prices reflect the high demand for a fixed supply of parking spaces that are rationed to those most willing to pay (those with the income). But a better solution is to ration according to need (that is, to boost patient wellbeing).

    The economics solution is to charge different users different prices. Most hospitals do this already by offering concessions. But concessions can differ by hospital or state. Not everyone knows concession-rate parking is available, and it can be hard for some people to find out if they qualify.

    So if you are concerned about the cost of hospital parking, know the fees and available concessions before you park. You can find this on most hospitals’ websites.

    Currently, concessions are generally based on income (including the possession of a concession card). But we need a greater shift towards providing concession rates based on need. For example those visiting long-stay patients clearly need concessions to support patient wellbeing.

    A media campaign has called for a national cap on hospital parking costs for frequent users.

    Most car parks have a daily limit but frequent users can soon accumulate large bills over weeks or months of hospital visits. For many patients, particularly those requiring frequent treatments such as dialysis, parking costs accumulate annually.

    For people having frequent treatments, such as dialysis, parking costs can add up over the years.
    ainata/Shutterstock

    How could we make things cheaper and fairer?

    We need to apply concession rates to hospital visitors on the basis of need, not just income. Need should be informed by patient wellbeing and the importance of visitors to the healing process.

    We need a consistent set of rules across hospitals about concession-rate parking. This would simplify the process for hospital car park users.

    We also need to look at longer-term solutions. When expanding hospitals or planning new ones, we can consider transitioning away from prime locations. This would help make parking less attractive to non-hospital users.

    The challenge for health-care systems is balancing operational necessity of recovering costs with the ethics of equity and access that prevent necessary care.

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

    – ref. Why is hospital parking so expensive? Two economics researchers explain – https://theconversation.com/why-is-hospital-parking-so-expensive-two-economics-researchers-explain-255716

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: While the Liberals haemorrhaged, the Nationals held their own. Is it time to break up the Coalition?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Linda Botterill, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University

    Among the notable features of this year’s election campaign was that Australia’s second-oldest political party was apparently missing in action. At the same time, it managed to avoid the rout inflicted on its coalition partner.

    The Nationals, who have represented rural and regional Australia in the federal parliament for more than a century, were nowhere to be seen as an identifiable, separate political party.

    This isn’t unusual. The parties that make up the Coalition do highly targeted messaging in their electorates, but then fall neatly into policy lockstep when an election is called. This time, however, the Nationals seemed particularly shy.

    Leader David Littleproud stopped issuing media releases on April 24, a full nine days before the election was held, and his speech to the National Press Club given that day was not available on the party website. It is hard to imagine former party leaders Tim Fischer, John Anderson or Ian Sinclair being quite so reticent.

    The focus of the commentary since election night has been on the Liberals’ failings, particularly in the major cities. You could be forgiven for thinking “Coalition” was a synonym for “Liberals”.

    But as the Liberal Party tries to reckon with these failings, the Nats are in a position of increasing power. The great survivors of Australian politics now appear to be better at surviving than their coalition counterparts. It’s just a question of how they want to use that power and longevity.

    Growing party power

    The Nationals are a uniquely Australian phenomenon. First, they are an avowedly agrarian party in a highly urbanised country.

    Second and more distinctly, they are part of what the rest of the world would see as a decidedly odd coalition arrangement. Elsewhere, coalition governments are negotiated after the election result is known and involve public bargaining and horse trading.

    In the Australian coalition arrangement, these negotiations occur behind closed doors and can hold even in opposition. The Nats benefit because they have access to ministerial and shadow ministerial positions with the power, salary and other advantages that these confer.

    The National Party largely held its own in the face of the Labor landslide. At most, it lost one of its 10 House of Representatives seats: Calare in northern New South Wales, which has been held by a former Nat, now independent.

    Its primary vote actually increased marginally from 3.6% in 2022 to 4.0%. This is less than One Nation (6.3%) but because of its dispersed vote, One Nation didn’t win a lower house seat.

    The Nats appear likely to lose a NSW senator as part of the joint party ticket. Nonetheless, the Nats are now a proportionally larger force in the Coalition, with Nats and Nationals-aligned LNP members accounting for just over 40% of Coalition MPs.

    On that basis they could become more influential over policies and shadow portfolios. Including senators, they now account for 30% of the Coalition party room.

    At a crossroads

    The demise of the Nationals has been predicted for decades, but still they persist.

    The peculiar Australian coalition arrangement works for them. They will benefit both from holding shadow ministerial positions if the Coalition is retained and likely having a greater role in determining policy direction.

    Whether the Liberals benefit from a continuing coalition is an open question. They need to rebuild in the cities and focus on regaining the support of voters who are socially liberal but economically conservative, younger, and female. There’ll inevitably be a review of what went wrong for the Liberals, and this might best be done free of ties to the Nats.

    The choice seems to be between shifting policy closer to the ten community independents or remaining hitched to the conservative Nationals. The ill-fated nuclear power policy has, after all, been attributed to David Littleproud.

    Deciding which way to fall won’t be easy. Apparently aware of his party’s increased leverage, Nationals Senator Matt Canavan has said they were led too much by the Liberals during the last parliament. He said:

    I worry that we have been gun shy in this last term of parliament in a futile attempt to give the Liberals space or some sort of opportunity to win seats in the city.

    So is now the time for the Coalition partners to go it alone? Probably not.

    On present numbers, the Liberals could struggle to form the opposition in their own right. The combined LNP in Queensland makes the situation even more complicated.

    The Nats have no incentive to leave. Open competition could see them lose seats to the Liberals in the future.

    And besides, two Liberal leadership contenders, Angus Taylor and Sussan Ley, hold seats with significant rural histories, both of which have been held by the Country/National Party.

    Linda Botterill has in the past received funding from the Australian Research Council, the Grains Research and Development Corporation, and Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (now Agrifutures).

    – ref. While the Liberals haemorrhaged, the Nationals held their own. Is it time to break up the Coalition? – https://theconversation.com/while-the-liberals-haemorrhaged-the-nationals-held-their-own-is-it-time-to-break-up-the-coalition-255626

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ‘Utu’ as foreign policy: how a Māori worldview can make sense of a shifting world order

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicholas Ross Smith, Senior Research Fellow, National Centre for Research on Europe, University of Canterbury

    Getty Images

    There is a growing feeling in New Zealand that the regional geopolitical situation is becoming less stable and more conflicted. China has ramped up its Pacific engagement, most recently with the Cook Islands, and the United States under Donald Trump is abandoning the old multilateral world order.

    As a result, we’re beginning to see New Zealand shift away from a two-decades-long preference for engaging with multiple partners towards a more conventional balancing strategy.

    Essentially, this attempts to counter the perceived threat from a strong country – namely China – with a combination of external alliances and internal policies.

    Externally, New Zealand has sought re-align itself within the US-led security sphere. Participation in pillar two of the AUKUS security pact has been seriously discussed, and New Zealand has actively engaged with NATO as a member of the “Indo-Pacific Four” (along with Australia, Japan and the Republic of Korea).

    Internally, a NZ$12 billion “defence plan” was announced in early April. This will see New Zealand increase defence spending from just over 1% of GDP to more than 2% over the next eight years.

    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made no secret of these changing priorities. He has said he is simply taking “the world as it is”, adding:

    this realism is a shift from our predecessors’ vaguer notions of an indigenous foreign policy that no-one else understood, let alone shared.

    This was a direct repudiation of the previous Labour government’s foreign minister, Nanaia Mahuta. Her tenure had offered a glimpse of what a foreign policy guided by te ao Māori – the Māori worldview – might look like.

    Four tikanga Māori principles underpinned the policy: manaakitanga (hospitality), whanaungatanga (connectedness), mahi tahi and kotahitanga (unity through collaboration), and kaitiakitanga (intergenerational guardianship).

    ‘The world as it is’: Foreign Minister Winston Peters speaks at Rātana celebrations in Whanganui, January 24 2025.
    Getty Images

    Beyond Western-centric thinking

    Clearly, te ao Māori offers a very different way of looking at international relations. At its core it adopts a “relational” understanding of the world that views reality as a series of entanglements: “human with human, human with nonhuman, nonhuman with human, human and nonhuman with transcendent”.

    It is also a non-anthropocentric view: humans are not the masters of the world but rather stewards or custodians of a complex web of relations.

    But as we argue in a recent Global Policy article, despite good intentions, Mahuta’s four tikanga Māori were mostly used rhetorically. They did not fundamentally alter New Zealand’s foreign policy, which remained firmly Western-centric.

    We suggest those four tikanga principles would be enhanced by adding the concept of “utu” as a kind of overarching framework.

    Largely thanks to the famous 1983 film of the same name, utu is often thought to simply mean violent revenge. In fact, it is a much deeper concept that refers to the “process of restoring physical and spiritual relationships to an equal or harmonious state”.

    Utu as a foreign policy framework

    A foreign policy underpinned by utu, therefore, would seek to build relationships that are harmonious and reciprocal.

    Harmony, in this sense, goes beyond notions of an international order characterised by global peace, greater connectedness, increased cooperation and interdependence.

    While these are important, an utu-informed view of harmony would also take into account the relationship between humans and the natural world, and between present, past and future generations.

    Similarly, in the Western-centric view, reciprocity is typically “invoked as an appropriate standard of behaviour which can produce cooperation among sovereign states”.

    But utu involves a reciprocity built through hospitality (manaakitanga), something which has to be given even if serious discord exists in a relationship. Reciprocity is also important in interactions between humans and the natural world.

    Consequently, an utu foreign policy doctrine would offer a radically different lens than New Zealand is currently using.

    A genuinely independent foreign policy

    Firstly, it would require New Zealand to reject the Western geopolitical construct
    of the “Indo-Pacific”, which vastly oversimplifies the complex realities of the region.

    And it would mean viewing China not as an existential threat, but rather as a crucial relationship that is subject to the principles of manaakitanga, despite growing discord and diplomatic challenges.

    Secondly, it would see New Zealand recognise climate change as the primary existential threat to the status quo. This would align closely with the country’s Pacific neighbours whose Blue Pacific initiative offers an alternative to the Indo-Pacific focus.

    Lastly, it would help New Zealand more consistently and coherently pursue a genuinely independent foreign policy. This should have bipartisan appeal, as it would give New Zealand a unique perspective on the world.

    Ultimately, as New Zealand faces a more complex regional environment and a range of national security challenges, utu in its true sense offers a more constructive framework.

    Perhaps adopting a more complex – and more humble – understanding of the world, as provided by te ao Māori, would give policymakers an alternative pathway to simply taking “the world as it is”.

    The author acknowledges the contribution of independent researcher Bonnie Holster, co-author of the Global Policy paper on which this article is based.

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

    – ref. ‘Utu’ as foreign policy: how a Māori worldview can make sense of a shifting world order – https://theconversation.com/utu-as-foreign-policy-how-a-maori-worldview-can-make-sense-of-a-shifting-world-order-255602

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to study looking at ultra-processed foods and early signs of Parkinson’s disease

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    A study published in Neurology looks at ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and signs of Parkinson’s disease. 

    Dr Katherine Fletcher, Research Lead at Parkinson’s UK, said:

    “Research into diet in general is difficult as people often will inaccurately self-report what their diet comprises. This could be down to forgetting to fill in the diary at the time, to subjective interpretation of amounts of UPFs.

    “The study group also lacked ethnic and socio-economic diversity, which is vital when looking to better understand factors that contribute to the causes of a health condition.

    “In respect of strengths, it was a long-running study with a reasonably large sample size, building on a theory that already exists about the impact of diet.  Nonetheless, a much wider body of research is required before drawing any conclusions i.e. looking globally at different diets.

    “This paper builds on previous research, such as the work of Dr. Laurie Mischley1 at Bastyr University, which has shown an association between processed foods and faster progression of Parkinson’s.  Additionally, evidence suggests that following a Mediterranean-style diet2 – rich in fresh fruits, vegetables, pulses, and olive oil – could reduce someone’s risk of going on to develop Parkinson’s.

    “Research into diet and nutrition is crucial, as there is growing evidence that, for some individuals, Parkinson’s may originate from changes in the gut.  Ongoing studies are exploring alterations in the gut microbiome in Parkinson’s and investigating potential interventions to address these changes and as well as investigating diet and supplements to help manage symptoms.”

     

    1 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29081890/

    Prof Eef Hogervorst, Professor of Psychology, Loughborough University, said:

    “Firstly, the outcome term ‘early symptoms of Parkinson’s disease’ is a bit misleading as symptoms such as constipation, and body pain here found to be associated with consumption of Ultra Processed Foods (UPF) are quite common in ageing and are not necessarily indicative of Parkinson’s disease.

    “Even the most likely predictor of Parkinson’s disease – probably REM sleep disorder – is seen in 65% of Parkinson patients but also in 10% of controls, with low (65%) sensitivity for Parkinson’s disease, even when people already have this disease (Kakazu, 2024: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleep.2024.09.042).  This symptom only shows relations with the highest intake of UPF.

    “Other symptoms like reduced sense of smell, daytime sleepiness, impaired colour vision and depression by themselves seem not related to consumption of UPF.

    “With regards to the UPF outcome, 30% of food consumption assessed by questionnaire was not agreed on and while experts apparently re-assessed these, it is not clear how they agreed on categorisation of foods, so whether they were UPF or not.

    “It seemed strange that non-UPF food included beef, pork, lamb chicken or turkey sandwich (all processed meats); cream; pancakes or waffles; pie, home-baked or readymade; popcorn; potato or

    corn chips; soy milk; and tomato sauce, as well as distilled alcohol and dairy coffee.

    “Individual foods such as UPF breads or cereals and indeed microwaveable meals were by themselves not associated with the ‘early Parkinson disease symptoms’ while sauces, sweets, artificial sweetened drinks and desserts were as well as savoury snacks, animal and dairy products including yogurts.  Such foods are associated with diabetes mellitus and vascular (heart) disease, respectively, which can impact on brain disease because of their sugar and trans fat contents, respectively.

    “However, it is not the first study to show associations of UPF and brain disease.  We early wrote a piece on studies investigating dementia risk and processed meat consumption

    https://theconversation.com/processed-red-meat-isnt-just-bad-for-your-heart-its-also-associated-with-dementia-247619   A healthy varied whole food diet is associated with prevention of many diseases including dementia.

    “Lastly, these two cohorts were mainly white health professionals so the results do not necessarily translate to everyone.

    “So this study may be affected by UPF categorisation as a predictor, where also not all UPF foods showed an association; the limited study group associations were assessed in (only mainly white health professionals and nurses) and also by the outcome, as these symptoms are not necessarily predictive of Parkinson’s disease, nor were these symptoms individually all associated with UPF consumption.”

     

    Dr Daniel J van Wamelen, Clinical Senior Lecturer in Neuroscience and Honorary Consultant Neurologist, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, said:

    “The findings in this study are interesting and appear to be based on solid research with conclusions well supported by the data.  However, it is important to highlight that the symptoms examined in this study are possible early signs of Parkinson’s disease, not definitive indicators that someone will go on to develop it.  The study did not track whether participants were diagnosed with Parkinson’s later on.

    “Many of the individual symptoms noted, such as sleep disturbances, constipation, and mood changes, are common in the general population.  While the study found that people who ate more ultra-processed foods tended to report more of these non-motor symptoms, it did not find a direct increase in the risk of Parkinson’s disease itself.  That said, having more of these symptoms suggests a higher risk over time.  For example, a person experiencing a combination of REM sleep behaviour disorder, constipation, and depressive symptoms has a higher likelihood of developing Parkinson’s down the line, but the risk is not absolute.  To better understand the long-term implications, we would need a longer follow-up to see how many participants go on to develop Parkinson’s and how this is associated with their diet.

    “In short, this is an interesting piece of research addressing important questions.  But the connection to Parkinson’s disease should be viewed with caution until more definitive evidence becomes available.”

     

     

     

    ‘Long-Term Consumption of Ultraprocessed Foods and Prodromal Features of Parkinson Disease’ by Peilu Wang et al. was published in Neurology at 21:00 UK time on Wednesday 7 May 2025. 

    DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000213562

     

     

    Declared interests

    Dr Katherine Fletcher: “The author declares that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence their comment reported in this article.”

    Prof Eef Hogervorst: “A previous consultancy for Proctor on omega 3 and folic acid supplement review to protect against dementia (these did not in meta-analyses), and unpaid but a travel reimbursed media appearance (breakfast TV BBC) to discuss the Lancet 2024 risk factors for dementia and her own articles including the Conversation piece on nutrition and dementia risk https://theconversation.com/processed-red-meat-isnt-just-bad-for-your-heart-its-also-associated-with-dementia-247619.  Eef also acted as unpaid but travel reimbursed consultant for NICE on menopausal HRT and dementia risk and has received travel reimbursement to speak at ESG and BMS conference on dementia prevention in 2024/2025.”

    Dr Daniel J van Wamelen: “Supported by research funding from CHDI Inc, MRC, and BRC; received travel grants and speaker fees for educational purposes from Bial Pharma; served on advisory boards for Britannia Pharmaceuticals and Invisio Pharma; received in kind contributions (equipment) from Chrono Eyewear BV for research projects.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Breaking barriers in child care

    Licensed child-care providers can now apply for up to $5 million in new funding through the second intake of the Inclusive Spaces Program Grant. Applications are open until June 13, as part of the $15-million federal-provincial investment in the Inclusive Spaces Program Grant under the Canada-Alberta Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement. Investing in inclusive child-care spaces is essential to supporting Alberta’s growing population, strengthening workforce participation and ensuring all children have an accessible space in Alberta’s high-quality child-care system.

    The Inclusive Spaces Program Grant helps licensed daycares, preschools and family day home agencies improve their spaces and programming for children with diverse cultural, linguistic and support needs. More than 100 projects were approved during the first intake. The second and third intakes will create hundreds of new opportunities to transform child-care spaces across the province.

    “Every child deserves access to high-quality care that meets their unique needs. This funding is expanding inclusive spaces throughout Alberta – making a difference in every corner of the province.”

    Matt Jones, Minister of Jobs, Economy and Trade

    More Alberta families can now access child care with personalized, inclusive or modified supports. Whether that means adding wheelchair-accessible washrooms, building sensory-friendly areas, or incorporating multilingual resources into daily programming, this funding provides better quality child care for Alberta’s kids.

    This work is part of Alberta’s broader effort to expand access to high-quality early learning and child care, while also ensuring existing child-care spaces work for as many families as possible. By reducing barriers for children requiring additional support, the government is empowering more parents to stay in the workforce and helping more children to thrive in safe, engaging environments.

    “As a proud recipient of the Inclusive Spaces Grant in Intake 1, we are thrilled to see the government’s continued commitment to inclusive child care. This funding will help child-care providers like us create a welcoming environment where children of all abilities and cultural backgrounds can grow, play and thrive together.”

    Hayat El-Ossmani, owner and director, B-Smart Learning Center

    The Inclusive Spaces Program Grant complements Alberta’s Inclusive Child Care Program and Access, Support and Participation Program, which provide ongoing supports to child-care providers and prevent the exclusion of children with diverse needs.

    Every child deserves to feel seen, supported and included. Alberta’s government, in partnership with the federal government, is making that dream a reality – helping child-care centres across the province open their doors even wider.

    Quick facts

    • Alberta launched the $15-million Inclusive Spaces Program Grant in December 2024 in partnership with the federal government. Its funding is being distributed in three equal intakes of $5 million.
    • Through this grant, Alberta’s government has already distributed $5 million across 105 programs, supporting projects that will make child care more welcoming and accessible to everyone.
      • 75 grants were issued for materials, with project costs ranging from $1,200 to $116,000.
      • 30 grants were issued for renovations, with project costs ranging from $9,700 to $256,000.
    • The second of three $5-million intake periods is now open and will close on June 13.
      • This will be followed by one more intake period in fall 2025 to finish allocating the full $15 million in funding.
    • Applications will be assessed through Alberta’s Ministry of Jobs, Economy and Trade.

    Related information

    • Child care – supports for inclusion
    • Inclusive Spaces Program Grant
    • Canada-Alberta Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement

    Related news

    • Alberta’s inclusive spaces transformation (Dec. 13, 2024)

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI: Silvaco Reports First Quarter 2025 Financial Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Achieved gross bookings of $13.7 million and revenue of $14.1 million in the first quarter 2025

    Signed 9 new customers in the first quarter 2025 and expanded relationship with existing customers across key markets including AI, Photonics, and IoT

    Expanded Product Portfolio with the Acquisition of Tech-X Corporation

    SANTA CLARA, Calif., May 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Silvaco Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: SVCO) (“Silvaco” or the “Company”), a provider of TCAD, EDA software, and SIP solutions that enable innovative semiconductor design and digital twin modeling through AI software and automation, today announced its first quarter 2025 results.

    “We are pleased to have completed our first acquisition since our IPO in the first quarter of 2025, and have since announced our second acquisition of 2025, advancing our inorganic growth strategy and expanding our product portfolio,” said Dr. Babak Taheri, Silvaco’s Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Taheri continued, “We believe our solid fundamentals and focus on innovation position us to sustain strong customer momentum and drive continued growth in our EDA and TCAD product lines through 2025. We are committed to defending shareholder value through performance, transparency, and responsible capital management. We believe the fundamentals of Silvaco are strong—and we’re taking clear, measurable steps to align our market presence with the long-term strength of our business.”

    Commenting on the financial results and outlook, Keith Tainsky, Silvaco’s Interim Chief Financial Officer, added, “Given the current economic uncertainty, we have provided a broad guidance range for the second quarter of 2025. The company remains well positioned to deliver solid growth, supported by strong customer demand. We also updated our full-year guidance and remain confident in our ability to achieve our strategic and financial objectives.”

    First Quarter 2025 and Recent Business Highlights

    • Acquired 9 new customers across key markets including AI infrastructure (Power, Memory, Foundry) Photonics, and IoT markets, which represented approximately 23% of gross bookings for the quarter. We also expanded opportunities with existing customers, which accounted for 38% of gross bookings.
    • Gained momentum with Power, Photonics, and Advanced CMOS customers as they expand adoption of the FTCO platform for their next-generation product development. We announced that Excelliance MOS adopted Silvaco DTCO Flow for next generation silicon carbide devices and our partnership with Korean Kyung Hee University’s Professor Jin Jang on FTCO for next generation display technologies.
    • Expanded SAM by an estimated $600 million with the acquisitions of Cadence’s PPC product line and Tech-X Corporation.
    • Faraday Technology selected Silvaco FlexCAN IP for advanced automotive ASIC design.
    • ProMOS adopted our Victory TCAD solution for the development of next generation silicon photonics devices.
    • On April 29, 2025, Silvaco closed the acquisition of Tech-X Corporation, expanding our product offerings into wafer-level and photonics digital twin modeling.
    • Beginning with this quarter, we will be providing a new performance metric called Annual Contract Value, or ACV. We use ACV internally as a supplemental measure to evaluate the performance of our customer agreements and the underlying momentum of the business. While not a measure calculated in accordance with GAAP, we believe ACV provides additional insight into the scale and timing of customer commitments, which may not be fully reflected in recognized revenue due to the timing of revenue recognition under ASC 606.

    First Quarter 2025 Financial Results

    GAAP Financial Results

    • Revenue of $14.1 million, down 11% year-over-year and down 21% quarter-over-quarter.
      • TCAD revenue of $7.9 million, down 26% year-over-year, primarily due to earlier renewals last year.
      • EDA revenue of $5.1 million, up 8% year-over-year, including the addition of PPC product revenue of $1.9 million.
      • SIP revenue of $1.1 million, up 89% year-over-year, primarily driven by new bookings in automotive and IoT customers.
    • GAAP gross profit and GAAP gross margin were $11.1 million and 79%, respectively, which includes the impact of $0.2 million in stock-based compensation expense, and $0.2 million in amortization of acquired intangible assets, down from $13.9 million and 88% in Q1 2024.
    • GAAP net loss of $19.3 million, compared to a GAAP net income of $1.4 million in Q1 2024.
    • GAAP basic net loss per share of $(0.67), compared to GAAP basic and diluted net income per share of $0.07 in Q1 2024.
    • As of March 31, 2025, cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities totaled $74.5 million.

    Key Operating Indicators and Non-GAAP Financial Results:

    • Gross bookings were $13.7 million, down 15% year-over-year.
    • As of March 31, 2025, the remaining performance obligation balance of $33.7 million, 45% of which is expected to be recognized as revenue in the next 12 months.
    • Non-GAAP gross profit and non-GAAP gross margin were $11.5 million and 82%, respectively, down from $13.9 million and 88% in Q1 2024.
    • Non-GAAP net loss of $1.9 million, compared to non-GAAP net income of $2.4 million in Q1 2024.
    • Non-GAAP diluted net loss per share of $(0.07), compared to non-GAAP diluted net income per share of $0.12 in Q1 2024.
    • On a trailing-twelve-month (TTM) basis ACV was $52.3 million for the first quarter, up 21% year-over-year. This increase was driven by the amount of growth in organic growth of term-based licenses and renewals, as well as the acquisition of PPC. While quarterly revenue may fluctuate, core annual recurring revenue from new bookings has shown consistent annual growth.

    For a discussion of the non-GAAP metrics presented in this press release, as well as a reconciliation of non-GAAP metrics to the nearest comparable GAAP metric, see “Discussion of Non-GAAP Financial Measures and Other Key Business Metrics” and “GAAP to Non-GAAP Reconciliation” in the accompanying tables below.

    Supplementary materials to this press release, including first quarter 2025 financial results, can be found at https://investors.silvaco.com/financial-information/quarterly-results.

    Second Quarter and Full Year 2025 Financial Outlook

    As of May 7, 2025, Silvaco is providing updated guidance for its second quarter of 2025 and its full-year 2025, which represents Silvaco’s current estimates on its operations and financial results. The financial information below represents forward-looking financial information and in some instances forward-looking, non-GAAP financial information, including estimates of non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP operating income (loss) and non-GAAP diluted net income (loss) per share. GAAP gross margin is the most comparable GAAP measure to non-GAAP gross margin and GAAP operating income (loss) is the most comparable GAAP measure to non-GAAP operating income (loss). GAAP diluted net income (loss) per share is the most comparable GAAP measure to non-GAAP diluted net income (loss) per share. Non-GAAP gross margin differs from GAAP gross margin in that it excludes items such as stock-based compensation expense, amortization of acquired intangible assets, and acquisition-related professional fees and retention bonuses. Non-GAAP operating income (loss) differs from GAAP operating income (loss) in that it excludes items such as acquisition-related estimated litigation claim and legal costs, stock-based compensation expense, amortization of acquired intangible assets, acquisition-related professional fees and retention bonuses and IPO preparation costs. Non-GAAP diluted net income (loss) per share differs from GAAP diluted net income (loss) per share in that it excludes certain costs, including IPO preparation costs, acquisition-related estimated litigation claim and legal costs, stock-based compensation expense, amortization of acquired intangible assets, acquisition-related professional fees and retention bonuses, change in fair value of contingent consideration, foreign exchange (gain) loss, and the income tax effect on non-GAAP items. Silvaco is unable to predict with reasonable certainty the ultimate outcome of these exclusions without unreasonable effort. Therefore, Silvaco has not provided guidance for GAAP gross margin, GAAP operating income or GAAP diluted net income (loss) per share or a reconciliation of the forward-looking non-GAAP gross margin or non-GAAP operating income or non-GAAP diluted net income (loss) per share guidance to GAAP gross margin or GAAP operating income or GAAP diluted net income (loss) per share, respectively. However, it is important to note that these excluded items could be material to our results computed in accordance with GAAP in future periods.

    Based on current business trends and conditions, the Company expects for second quarter 2025 the following:

    • Gross bookings in the range of $14.0 million to $18.0 million, which would compare to $19.5 million in the second quarter of 2024.
    • Revenue in the range of $12.0 million to $16.0 million, which would compare to $15.0 million in the second quarter of 2024.
    • Non-GAAP gross margin in the range of 80% to 83%, which would compare to 86% in the second quarter of 2024.
    • Non-GAAP operating loss in the range of ($4.0) million to ($2.0) million, compared to non-GAAP operating income of $1.7 million in the second quarter of 2024.
    • Non-GAAP diluted net loss per share in the range of ($0.10) to ($0.03), compared to net income per share of $0.07 in the second quarter of 2024.

    Based on current business trends and conditions, the Company expects for full year 2025, the following:

    • Gross bookings in the range of $67.0 million to $74.0 million, which would represent a 2% to 13% increase from $65.8 million in 2024.
    • Revenue in the range of $64.0 million to $70.0 million, which would represent a 7% to 17% increase from $59.7 million in 2024.
    • Non-GAAP gross margin in the range of 83% to 86%, which would compare to 86% in 2024.
    • Non-GAAP operating (loss) income in the range of ($2.0) million loss to $1.0 million income, which would compare to $5.5 million income in 2024.
    • Non-GAAP diluted net (loss) income per share in the range of ($0.07) net loss per share to $0.03 net income per share, compared to $0.25 net income per share in 2024.

    Q1 2025 Conference Call Details

    A press release highlighting the Company’s results along with supplemental financial results will be available at https://investors.silvaco.com/ along with an earnings presentation to accompany management’s prepared remarks. An archived replay of the conference call will be available on this website for a limited time after the call. Participants who want to join the call and ask a question may register for the call here to receive the dial-in numbers and unique PIN.

    Date: Wednesday, May 7, 2025
    Time: 5:00 p.m. Eastern time
    Webcast: Here (live and replay)

    About Silvaco

    Silvaco is a provider of TCAD, EDA software, and SIP solutions that enable semiconductor design and digital twin modeling through AI software and innovation. Silvaco’s solutions are used for semiconductor and photonics processes, devices, and systems development across display, power devices, automotive, memory, high performance compute, foundries, photonics, internet of things, and 5G/6G mobile markets for complex SoC design. Silvaco is headquartered in Santa Clara, California, and has a global presence with offices located in North America, Europe, Brazil, China, Japan, Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan.

    Safe Harbor Statement

    This press release contains forward-looking statements based on Silvaco’s current expectations. The words “believe”, “estimate”, “expect”, “intend”, “anticipate”, “plan”, “project”, “will”, and similar phrases as they relate to Silvaco are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements reflect the current views and assumptions of Silvaco and are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations.

    These forward-looking statements include but are not limited to, statements regarding our future operating results, financial position, and guidance, our business strategy and plans, our objectives for future operations, our development or delivery of new or enhanced products, and anticipated results of those products for our customers, our competitive positioning, projected costs, technological capabilities, and plans, and macroeconomic trends.

    A variety of risks and factors that are beyond our control could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements including, without limitation, the following: (a) market conditions; (b) anticipated trends, challenges and growth in our business and the markets in which we operate; (c) our ability to appropriately respond to changing technologies on a timely and cost-effective basis; (d) the size and growth potential of the markets for our software solutions, and our ability to serve those markets; (e) our expectations regarding competition in our existing and new markets; (f) the level of demand in our customers’ end markets; (g) regulatory developments in the United States and foreign countries; (h) changes in trade policies, including the imposition of tariffs; (i) proposed new software solutions, services or developments; (j) our ability to attract and retain key management personnel; (k) our customer relationships and our ability to retain and expand our customer relationships; (l) our ability to diversify our customer base and develop relationships in new markets; (m) the strategies, prospects, plans, expectations, and objectives of management for future operations; (n) public health crises, pandemics, and epidemics and their effects on our business and our customers’ businesses; (o) the impact of the current conflicts between Ukraine and Russia and Israel and Hamas and the ongoing trade disputes among the United States and China on our business, financial condition or prospects, including extreme volatility in the global capital markets making debt or equity financing more difficult to obtain, more costly or more dilutive, delays and disruptions of the global supply chains and the business activities of our suppliers, distributors, customers and other business partners; (p) changes in general economic or business conditions or economic or demographic trends in the United States and foreign countries including changes in tariffs, interest rates and inflation; (q) our ability to raise additional capital; (r) our ability to accurately forecast demand for our software solutions; (s) our expectations regarding the outcome of any ongoing litigation; (t) our ability to successfully integrate recent acquisitions; (u) our expectations regarding the period during which we qualify as an emerging growth company under the JOBS Act and as a smaller reporting company under the Exchange Act; (v) our expectations regarding our ability to obtain, maintain, protect and enforce intellectual property protection for our technology; (w) our status as a controlled company; and (x) our use of the net proceeds from our initial public offering.

    It is not possible for us to predict all risks, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements we may make. Accordingly, you should not rely on any of the forward-looking statements. Additional information relating to the uncertainty affecting Silvaco’s business is contained in Silvaco’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These documents are available on the SEC Filings section of the Investor Relations section of Silvaco’s website at http://investors.silvaco.com/. These forward-looking statements represent Silvaco’s expectations as of the date of this press release. Subsequent events may cause these expectations to change, and Silvaco disclaims any obligation to update or alter these forward-looking statements in the future, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

    Discussion of Non-GAAP Financial Measures and Other Key Business Metrics

    We use certain non-GAAP financial measures to supplement the performance measures in our consolidated financial statements, which are presented in accordance with GAAP. These non-GAAP financial measures include non-GAAP gross profit, non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP operating income (loss), non-GAAP net income (loss), and non-GAAP diluted net income (loss) per share. We use these non-GAAP financial measures for financial and operational decision-making and as a means to assist us in evaluating period-to-period comparisons.

    We define non-GAAP gross profit and non-GAAP gross margin as our GAAP gross profit and GAAP gross margin adjusted to exclude certain costs, including stock-based compensation expense, amortization of acquired intangible assets and acquisition-related professional fees and retention bonuses. We define non-GAAP operating income (loss), as our GAAP operating income (loss) adjusted to exclude certain costs, including IPO preparation costs, acquisition-related estimated litigation claim and legal costs, stock-based compensation expense, amortization of acquired intangible assets, and acquisition-related professional fees and retention bonuses. We define non-GAAP net income (loss) as our GAAP net income (loss) adjusted to exclude certain costs, including IPO preparation costs, acquisition-related estimated litigation claim and legal costs, stock-based compensation expense, amortization of acquired intangible assets, acquisition-related professional fees and retention bonuses, change in fair value of contingent consideration, foreign exchange (gain) loss, and the income tax effect on non-GAAP items. Our non-GAAP diluted net income (loss) per share is calculated in the same way as our non-GAAP net income (loss), but on a per share basis. We monitor non-GAAP gross profit, non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP operating income (loss), non-GAAP net income (loss) and non-GAAP diluted net income (loss) per share as non-GAAP financial measures to supplement the financial information we present in accordance with GAAP to provide investors with additional information regarding our financial results.

    Certain items are excluded from our non-GAAP gross profit, non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP operating income (loss), non-GAAP net income (loss) and non-GAAP diluted net income (loss) per share because these items are non-cash in nature or are not indicative of our core operating performance and render comparisons with prior periods and competitors less meaningful. We adjust GAAP gross profit, GAAP gross margin, GAAP operating income (loss), GAAP net income (loss), and GAAP diluted net income (loss) per share for these items to arrive at non-GAAP gross profit, non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP operating income (loss), non-GAAP net income (loss), and non-GAAP diluted net income (loss) per share because these amounts can vary substantially from company to company within our industry depending upon accounting methods and book values of assets, capital structure and the method by which the assets were acquired. By excluding certain items that may not be indicative of our recurring core operating results, we believe that non-GAAP gross profit, non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP operating income (loss), non-GAAP net income (loss) and non-GAAP diluted net income (loss) per share provide meaningful supplemental information regarding our performance.

    We believe these non-GAAP financial measures are useful to investors and others because they allow for additional information with respect to financial measures used by management in its financial and operational decision-making and they may be used by our institutional investors and the analyst community to help them analyze our financial performance and the health of our business. However, there are a number of limitations related to the use of non-GAAP financial measures, and these non-GAAP measures should be considered in addition to, not as a substitute for or in isolation from, our financial results prepared in accordance with GAAP. Other companies, including companies in our industry, may calculate these non-GAAP financial measures differently or not at all, which reduces their usefulness as comparative measures.

    Annual Contract Value (“ACV”) is a key performance metric for Silvaco and is useful to investors in assessing the strength and trajectory of the business. ACV is a supplemental metric to help evaluate the annual performance of the business. Over the life of the contract, ACV equals the total value realized from a customer. ACV is not impacted by the timing of license revenue recognition. ACV is used by management in financial and operational decision-making. ACV is not a replacement for, and should be viewed independently of, GAAP revenue and deferred revenue, as ACV is a performance metric and is not intended to be combined with any of these items. There is no GAAP measure comparable to ACV.

    ACV is composed of the following: (i) the annualized value of term based software licenses with start dates or anniversary dates during the period, plus; (ii) the value of perpetual license contracts with start dates during the period, plus; (iii) the annualized value of maintenance & support as well as any fixed-term services contracts with start dates or anniversary dates during the period, plus; (iv) the value of fixed-deliverable services contracts. Silvaco and the Silvaco logo are registered trademarks of Silvaco Group, Inc. All other trademarks and service marks are the property of their respective owners.

    SILVACO GROUP, INC.
    CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
    (Unaudited, in thousands except share and par value amounts)
           
      March 31, 2025   December 31, 2024
    ASSETS      
    Current assets:      
    Cash and cash equivalents $ 29,489     $ 19,606  
    Current marketable securities   45,048       63,071  
    Accounts receivable, net   5,783       9,211  
    Contract assets, net   15,102       11,932  
    Prepaid expenses and other current assets   4,500       3,460  
    Total current assets   99,922       107,280  
    Non-current assets:      
    Non-current marketable securities   —       4,785  
    Property and equipment, net   890       865  
    Operating lease right-of-use assets, net   1,534       1,711  
    Intangible assets, net   9,997       4,369  
    Goodwill   14,337       9,026  
    Non-current portion of contract assets   9,860       12,611  
    Other assets   1,595       1,698  
    Total non-current assets   38,213       35,065  
    Total assets $ 138,135     $ 142,345  
    LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY      
    Current liabilities:      
    Accounts payable $ 2,137     $ 3,316  
    Accrued expenses and other current liabilities   32,426       19,801  
    Accrued income taxes   1,728       1,668  
    Deferred revenue, current   8,618       7,497  
    Operating lease liabilities, current   644       744  
    Vendor financing obligation, current   1,191       1,462  
    Total current liabilities   46,744       34,488  
    Non-current liabilities:      
    Deferred revenue, non-current   3,604       3,593  
    Operating lease liabilities, non-current   866       946  
    Vendor financing obligation, non-current   2,995       2,928  
    Other non-current liabilities   333       307  
    Total liabilities   54,542       42,262  
    Stockholders’ equity:      
    Preferred stock, $0.0001 par value; 10,000,000 shares authorized, no shares issued and outstanding as of March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024 , respectively   —       —  
    Common stock, $0.0001 par value; 500,000,000 shares authorized; 28,805,280 and 28,526,615 shares issued and outstanding as of March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, respectively   3       3  
    Additional paid-in capital   132,937       130,360  
    Accumulated deficit   (47,285 )     (28,012 )
    Accumulated other comprehensive loss   (2,062 )     (2,268 )
    Total stockholders’ equity   83,593       100,083  
    Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity $ 138,135     $ 142,345  
           
           
    SILVACO GROUP, INC.
    CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF (LOSS) INCOME
    (Unaudited, in thousands except share and par value amounts)
           
      Three Months Ended March 31,
        2025       2024  
    Revenue:      
    Software license revenue $ 10,009     $ 12,258  
    Maintenance and service   4,083       3,631  
    Total revenue   14,092       15,889  
    Cost of revenue   3,016       1,973  
    Gross profit   11,076       13,916  
    Operating expenses:      
    Research and development   4,800       3,616  
    Selling and marketing   4,719       3,312  
    General and administrative   8,120       4,600  
    Estimated litigation claim   13,069       —  
    Total operating expenses   30,708       11,528  
    Operating (loss) income   (19,632 )     2,388  
    Interest income   863       —  
    Interest and other expense, net   (291 )     (205 )
    (Loss) income before income tax provision   (19,060 )     2,183  
    Income tax provision   213       805  
    Net (loss) income $ (19,273 )   $ 1,378  
    Net (loss) income per share:      
    Basic and diluted $ (0.67 )   $ 0.07  
    Weighted average shares used in computing per share amounts:      
    Basic and diluted   28,694,295       20,000,000  
           
           
    SILVACO GROUP, INC.
    CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
    (Unaudited, in thousands)
           
      Three Months Ended March 31,
        2025       2024  
    Cash flows from operating activities:      
    Net (loss) income $ (19,273 )   $ 1,378  
    Adjustments to reconcile net (loss) income to net cash (used in) provided by operating activities:      
    Depreciation and amortization   438       120  
    Stock-based compensation expense   2,277       —  
    Provision for credit losses   10       222  
    Estimated litigation claim   13,069       —  
    Accretion of discount on marketable securities, net   (261 )     —  
    Change in fair value of contingent consideration   35       (8 )
    Changes in operating assets and liabilities:      
    Accounts receivable   3,520       (1,844 )
    Contract assets   440       (3,679 )
    Prepaid expenses and other current assets   (1,026 )     788  
    Other assets   119       (274 )
    Accounts payable   (1,183 )     877  
    Accrued expenses and other current liabilities   55       (729 )
    Accrued income taxes   58       574  
    Deferred revenue   567       (21 )
    Other non-current liabilities   20       24  
    Net cash used in operating activities   (1,135 )     (2,572 )
    Cash flows from investing activities:      
    Maturities of marketable securities   23,000       —  
    Acquisition of Process Proximity Compensation   (11,500 )     —  
    Purchases of property and equipment   (96 )     (10 )
    Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities   11,404       (10 )
    Cash flows from financing activities:      
    Proceeds from loan facility   —       4,250  
    Deferred transaction costs   —       (364 )
    Payroll taxes related to shares withheld from employees   (252 )     —  
    Contingent consideration   (46 )     (13 )
    Payments of vendor financing obligation   (205 )     —  
    Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities   (503 )     3,873  
    Effect of exchange rate fluctuations on cash and cash equivalents   117       27  
    Net increase in cash and cash equivalents   9,883       1,318  
    Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period   19,606       4,421  
    Cash and cash equivalents, end of period $ 29,489     $ 5,739  
           
    SILVACO GROUP, INC.
    REVENUE
    (Unaudited)
        2024   2025
        Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Year   Q1
    Revenue by Region:                
    Americas   27 % 51 % 31 % 40 % 38 %   20 %
    APAC   62 % 41 % 58 % 52 % 53 %   66 %
    EMEA   11 % 8 % 11 % 8 % 9 %   14 %
    Total revenue   100 % 100 % 100 % 100 % 100 %   100 %
                     
    Revenue by Product Line:                
    TCAD   66 % 69 % 59 % 71 % 68 %   56 %
    EDA   30 % 20 % 24 % 24 % 24 %   36 %
    SIP   4 % 11 % 17 % 5 % 8 %   8 %
    Total revenue   100 % 100 % 100 % 100 % 100 %   100 %
                     
    Revenue Item Category:                
    Software license revenue   77 % 74 % 62 % 78 % 74 %   71 %
    Maintenance and service   23 % 26 % 38 % 22 % 26 %   29 %
    Total revenue   100 % 100 % 100 % 100 % 100 %   100 %
                     
    Revenue by Country:                
    United States   26 % 50 % 30 % 39 % 37 %   20 %
    China   11 % 17 % 25 % 23 % 18 %   14 %
    Other   63 % 33 % 45 % 38 % 45 %   66 %
    Total revenue   100 % 100 % 100 % 100 % 100 %   100 %
                     
    SILVACO GROUP, INC.
    GAAP to Non-GAAP Reconciliation
    (Unaudited, in thousands except per share amounts)
     
      Three Months Ended
      3/31/2025   3/31/2024
           
    GAAP Cost of revenue $ 3,016     $ 1,973  
    Less: Stock-based compensation expense   (199 )     —  
    Less: Amortization of acquired intangible assets   (249 )     —  
    Less: Acquisition-related professional fees and retention bonus   (8 )     —  
    Non-GAAP Cost of revenue $ 2,560     $ 1,973  
    GAAP Gross profit $ 11,076     $ 13,916  
    Add: Stock-based compensation expense   199       —  
    Add: Amortization of acquired intangible assets   249       —  
    Add: Acquisition-related professional fees and retention bonus   8       —  
    Non-GAAP Gross profit $ 11,532     $ 13,916  
    GAAP Research and development $ 4,800     $ 3,616  
    Less: Stock-based compensation expense   (244 )     —  
    Less: Acquisition-related professional fees and retention bonus   (18 )     —  
    Less: Amortization of acquired intangible assets   (51 )     (70 ) 
    Non-GAAP Research and development $ 4,487     $ 3,546  
    GAAP Selling and marketing $ 4,719     $ 3,312  
    Less: Stock-based compensation expense   (323 )      —  
    Less: IPO preparation costs   —       -127  
    Non-GAAP Selling and marketing $ 4,396     $ 3,185  
    GAAP General and administrative $ 8,120     $ 4,600  
    Less: Stock-based compensation expense   (1,511 )     —  
    Less: Acquisition-related estimated litigation claim and legal costs   (726 )     (594 )
    Less: Acquisition-related professional fees and retention bonus   (677 )     —  
    Less: Amortization of acquired intangible assets   (62 )     —  
    Less: IPO preparation costs   —       (139 )
    Non-GAAP General and administrative $ 5,144     $ 3,867  
    GAAP Estimated litigation claim $ 13,069     $ —  
    Less: Acquisition-related estimated litigation claim and legal costs   (13,069 )     —  
    Non-GAAP Estimated litigation claim $ —     $ —  
    GAAP Operating expenses $ 30,708     $ 11,528  
    Less: Stock-based compensation expense   (2,078 )     —  
    Less: Acquisition-related estimated litigation claim and legal costs   (13,795 )     (594 )
    Less: Acquisition-related professional fees and retention bonus   (695 )     —  
    Less: IPO preparation costs   —       (266 )
    Less: Amortization of acquired intangible assets   (113 )     (70 )
    Non-GAAP Operating expenses $ 14,027     $ 10,598  
    GAAP Operating (loss) income $ (19,632 )   $ 2,388  
    Add: Stock-based compensation expense   2,277       —  
    Add: Acquisition-related estimated litigation claim and legal costs   13,795       594  
    Add: Acquisition-related professional fees and retention bonus   703       —  
    Add: IPO preparation costs   —       266  
    Add: Amortization of acquired intangible assets   362       70  
    Non-GAAP Operating (loss) income $ (2,495 )   $ 3,318  
    GAAP Net (loss) income $ (19,273 )   $ 1,378  
    Add: Stock-based compensation expense   2,277       —  
    Add: Acquisition-related estimated litigation claim and legal costs   13,795       594  
    Add: Acquisition-related professional fees and retention bonus   703       —  
    Add: IPO preparation costs   —       266  
    Add: Amortization of acquired intangible assets   362       70  
    Add (Less): Change in fair value of contingent consideration   35       (8 )
    Add (Less): Foreign exchange (gain) loss   205       130  
    Add (Less): Income tax effect of non-GAAP adjustment   (5 )     (33 )
    Non-GAAP Net (loss) income $ (1,901 )   $ 2,397  
    GAAP Net income (loss) per share:      
    Basic and diluted: $ (0.67 )   $ 0.07  
    Non-GAAP Net income (loss) per share:      
    Basic and diluted $ (0.07 )   $ 0.12  
    Weighted average shares used in GAAP and non-GAAP net income (loss) per share:      
    Basic and diluted   28,694,295       20,000,000  
           

    Investor Contact:
    Greg McNiff
    investors@silvaco.com 

    Media Contact:
    Farhad Hayat
    press@silvaco.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: No matter who the next pope is, US Catholics stand ‘at a crossroads’ − a sociologist explains

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Maureen K. Day, Research Fellow, Center for Religion and Civic Culture, University of Southern California

    Parishioners attend a memorial Mass in honor of Pope Francis at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles on April 21, 2025. Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

    More than 130 cardinals entered the Sistine Chapel on May 7, 2025. With the announcement “Extra omnes” – “all out” – the doors have been closed and the cardinals sequestered to elect the next leader of the Catholic Church. They will vote, confer, pray and vote again until a candidate acquires the two-thirds majority needed to become pope.

    Ten of the men voting this week are from the United States. The Conversation U.S. asked Maureen Day, a researcher at the University of Southern California who has written several books about the contemporary church, to explain what Catholicism looks like in the U.S. at this high-stakes moment.

    How is Catholic identity and practice in the U.S. changing, compared with a generation ago?

    In 1987, the year of the first American Catholic Laity survey, nearly half of American Catholics said that faith was “the most” or “among the most” important parts of their life. Now, only 37% say the same.

    Others are leaving the Catholic Church completely. The General Social Survey, a national survey conducted every year or two since the 1970s, asks people about the faith they grew up with, as well as their present religious identity. According to our analysis of its data, in 1973 only 10% of Americans who grew up Catholic had changed religions, and another 7% had left religion altogether. By 2018, each of those percentages had increased to 18%.

    A Pew Research Center study conducted in 2024 found that for every American who converts to Catholicism, another 8.4 leave. The only reason that Catholicism is able to maintain a relatively steady share of the U.S. population – about 20% – is due to the high percentage of immigrants and migrants who are Catholic.

    So my co-authors and I chose the title of our 2025 book, “Catholicism at a Crossroads,” quite intentionally. The church has been facing a variety of challenges for decades, both nationally and across the globe. It’s not just about disaffiliation, but also issues such as the sexual abuse crises and bishops’ decreasing influence on lay Catholics’ personal decisions.

    The Rev. Athanasius Abanulo celebrates Mass in Lanett, Ala., in 2021. Many international clergy, like Abanulo, are helping to ease a shortage of priests in the U.S.
    AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski

    In response, church leaders have mostly offered minor adjustments, such as encouraging parishes to become more family- or young adult-friendly. They have not yet made larger shifts that could substantially alter some of those trend lines.

    Some of your work focuses on what you call ‘cultural Catholics’ − defined as Catholics who attend Mass less than once per month. How would you describe cultural Catholicism in the U.S. today?

    A big concern of Catholic leaders right now is decreasing Mass attendance, as weekly Mass is an important precept of the Catholic Church. Sunday Mass is a place for Catholics to participate in the sacraments, strengthen their faith and build relationships with other Catholics.

    One of the things Catholic leaders tend to attribute this drop in attendance to is a broader trend of secularism. There might be some merit to this, but it can’t be the whole story. In our analysis of General Social Survey data, for example, the percentage of Protestant Christians who say they attend worship services weekly was 35% in 1950 and 40% in 2023. Among Catholics, however, weekly Mass attendance has declined from 63% to 30% in these same years.

    “Cultural Catholics” who say they attend Mass “a few times a year” or “seldom or never” account for 53% of U.S. Catholics. Many of them demonstrate strong ties to Catholic teachings in other ways. For example, around 70% to 80% of cultural Catholics say that it is “essential” or “somewhat essential” to Catholicism to help the poor, have a devotion to Mary and practice daily prayer.

    There are findings that can lend themselves to either a “glass half empty” or “glass half full” interpretation. For instance, it might be heartening to Catholic leaders to know that 62% of cultural Catholics say it is important that future generations of their family are Catholic – although this is much lower than the 89% among those who attend Mass frequently.

    Sister Maris Stella Vaughan teaches a religion class at St. John Paul II Catholic School in Phoenix, Ariz., in 2020.
    AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills

    And when these cultural Catholics imagine future generations of their family being Catholic, what does that mean? Perhaps it entails simply a few milestones, like receiving baptism, First Communion and possibly Confirmation – the three sacraments that initiate a person into the Catholic faith. The way many cultural Catholics are loosely tethered to the church, without much involvement in parish life, is a great concern for many Catholic leaders.

    What main challenges do you see for the American church under the next pope?

    I would argue that the American church’s biggest challenge is how to heal the factionalism within itself.

    On the one hand, there is a great deal of common ground among the most active Catholics, even with the diversity still found here. According to our analysis, 20% of Catholics are “high commitment”: those who say they attend Mass weekly, are unlikely to leave the faith, and that the church is very important to them. These Catholics are more likely to depart from their political party’s position on an issue if it does not align with Catholic teachings. For example, high-commitment Catholic Republicans are much more likely to support the bishops’ position on making the immigration process easier for families. High-commitment Catholic Democrats, meanwhile, are more likely to be against abortion than are their moderate- or low-commitment counterparts.

    In other words, these high-commitment Catholics tend to be less polarized and could find common cause with one another.

    Catholics pray during Mass at Benedictine College on Dec. 3, 2023, in Atchison, Kan.
    AP Photo/Charlie Riedel

    However, there are more extreme pockets – such as those who called into question the legitimacy of Francis’ papacy – that are more militant about their vision of Catholicism. While these Catholics are few in number, they are very vocal. There are fringe groups that mobilized to try to change the direction of the Catholic Church after Francis’ papacy, which they saw as a series of liberal reforms.

    Within more mainstream Catholicism, there are divides over styles of worship, with media attention on some young Americans flocking to more conservative or traditional parishes. However, sociologist Tim Clydesdale and religion scholar Kathleen Garces-Foley found that young adult Catholics are split: While some are attracted to churches with pastors who demonstrate “orthodoxy,” a similar number prefer “openness.”

    What do you wish more people understood about Catholicism in the U.S.?

    I think the “missing piece” for many is the incredible diversity of U.S. Catholicism, from race and ethnicity to politics and practice. Many Americans tend to associate the religion with one or two issues, such as abortion and same-sex marriage, and assume that Catholics are fairly monolithic, both in their demographics and their politics.

    Catholics themselves can also forget – or never learn – that their small slice of Catholicism is not the whole of Catholicism.

    Recognizing and elevating what unites this vast family of Catholics, both personally and collectively, is going to be critical as the church moves forward.

    The work mentioned in this article was funded largely by the Louisville Institute. Her previous research has received funding from many sources, including the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

    – ref. No matter who the next pope is, US Catholics stand ‘at a crossroads’ − a sociologist explains – https://theconversation.com/no-matter-who-the-next-pope-is-us-catholics-stand-at-a-crossroads-a-sociologist-explains-255177

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wicker, Merkley Lead Bipartisan, Bicameral Resolution Celebrating National Nurses Week

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Mississippi Roger Wicker

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., introduced a bipartisan, bicameral resolution recognizing National Nurses Week from May 6 through May 12, 2025. U.S. Representatives Dave Joyce, R-Ohio-14, Suzanne Bonamici, D-Ore.-01, Lauren Underwood, D-Ill.-14, and Jen Kiggans, R-Va.-02, introduced a companion resolution in the House of Representatives. 

    The National Nurses Week resolution honors and celebrates the important contributions of America’s nurses to safe, high-quality care and the invaluable role that nurses have. The resolution also highlights the extra care nurses provide in treating injured and sick patients during wartime, natural disasters, and public health emergencies. 

    “Nurses are essential to our nation’s health care system,” said Senator Wicker, Co-Chair of the Senate Nursing Caucus. “They ensure patients receive timely and quality care, and their dedication is unmatched. Our country needs more of these heroes, and I hope more young people will consider joining the nursing profession. This resolution is a small token of our gratitude for their service.”

    “As the husband of a nurse, I’ve seen up-close how difficult nurses’ jobs are and how important they are to patients,” said Senator Merkley, Co-Chair of the Senate Nursing Caucus. “In every corner of Oregon, nurses offer vital care, support, and advocacy to patients and their families during challenging times. Let’s pause this week to express gratitude and honor the nurses in our communities for their unwavering commitment and compassion. We must remain dedicated to providing them with the support necessary to continue their life-saving work.” 

    As of 2025, there are nearly 4.9 million registered nurses in the United States. However, despite this substantial number, the nursing sector faces pressing challenges, including a continuing shortage of nurses, mental health struggles, and the need for safer working conditions. According to the 2024 National Nursing Workforce Study released by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, more than 138,000 nurses left the workforce since 2022 due to stress, burnout, and retirement. This same study also outlined that by 2029, almost 40 percent of nurses intend to leave the workforce. 

    This week’s resolution is a timely acknowledgment of the indispensable role nurses play in delivering quality care, advancing medical research, providing services to all communities and individuals, increasing access to nursing care, promoting healthy behaviors, and much more. The lawmakers’ bipartisan resolution encourages Americans to recognize and celebrate National Nurses Week this year and to support our nursing workforce today and every day. 

    Full text of the resolution can be found here.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reconciliation Recommendations of the House Committee on Financial Services

    Source: US Congressional Budget Office

    Legislation Summary

    H. Con. Res. 14, the Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for Fiscal Year 2025, instructed the House Committee on Financial Services to recommend legislative changes that would decrease deficits by at least $1 billion over the 2025-2034 period. As part of the reconciliation process, the House Committee on Financial Services approved legislation on April 30, 2025, that would reduce deficits.

    Estimated Federal Cost

    The reconciliation recommendations of the House Committee on Financial Services would, on net, decrease deficits by $5.2 billion over the 2025-2034 period. The estimated budgetary effects of the legislation are shown in Table 1. The costs of the legislation fall within budget functions 370 (commerce and housing credit) and 600 (income security).

    Table 1.

    Estimated Budgetary Effects of Reconciliation Recommendations Title V, House Committee on Financial Services, as Ordered Reported on April 30, 2025
     

    By Fiscal Year, Millions of Dollars

    		    
     

    2025

    2026

    2027

    2028

    2029

    2030

    2031

    2032

    2033

    2034

    2025-2029

    2025-2034
     

    Decreases in Direct Spending

    		    

    Budget Authority

    -138

    -527

    -863

    -889

    -933

    -978

    -1,026

    -1,109

    -1,178

    -1,219

    -3,350

    -8,860

    Estimated Outlays

    -16

    -352

    -800

    -926

    -948

    -973

    -1,013

    -1,090

    -1,160

    -1,200

    -3,042

    -8,478
     

    Increases or Decreases (-) in Revenues

    		    

    Estimated Revenues

    0

    -473

    -724

    -720

    -752

    1,081

    -410

    -427

    -443

    -455

    -2,669

    -3,323
     

    Net Increase or Decrease (-) in the Deficit

    From Changes in Direct Spending and Revenues

    		    

    Effect on the Deficit

    -16

    121

    -76

    -206

    -196

    -2,054

    -603

    -663

    -717

    -745

    -373

    -5,155

    Basis of Estimate

    For this estimate, CBO assumes that the legislation will be enacted in summer 2025. CBO’s estimates are relative to its January 2025 baseline and cover the period from 2025 through 2034.

    Direct Spending and Revenues

    CBO estimates that enacting the bill would decrease direct spending by $8.5 billion and decrease revenues by $3.3 billion; the deficit would decrease by $5.2 billion over the 2025‑2034 period (see Table 2).

    Green and Resilient Retrofit Program for Multifamily Family Housing

    Section 50001 would rescind the unobligated balances of the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Green and Resilient Retrofit Program. Using information from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, CBO estimates that enacting the rescission would decrease direct spending by $138 million over the 2025-2034 period.

    Public Company Accounting Oversight Board

    Section 50002 would transfer the authorities of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) no later than one year after enactment. At the time of that transfer, the SEC would not be permitted to collect and spend accounting support fees authorized under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 that the PCAOB currently collects. Those fees, which fund the board’s activities, are treated as revenues and are available to be spent without further appropriation.

    CBO expects that the board’s authorities would be transferred to the SEC around the end of fiscal year 2026 and that, starting in 2027, accounting support fees would no longer be collected and spent. CBO estimates that eliminating the authority to collect the fees would decrease direct spending by $3.2 billion over the 2027-2034 period.

    Eliminating the fee authority also would reduce collections of fees by $3.3 billion. However, reducing such fees tends to increase taxable income for workers and businesses, leading to increased collections of income and payroll taxes. As a result, CBO expects that the reduction in fee collections would be partially offset by increases in tax receipts of about 25 percent of the gross fee reduction each year. CBO estimates that, on net, revenues would decrease by $2.4 billion over the 2027-2034 period.

    Although CBO anticipates that the SEC would collect fees of similar magnitude to fund those activities, the collection and spending of fees imposed by the SEC are contingent on annual appropriations providing that authority to the agency. CBO has not reviewed this legislation for effects on spending subject to appropriation, so any costs for the SEC to implement the legislation are not included in this estimate.

    Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection

    Section 50003 would decrease the maximum amount that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) may request from the Federal Reserve each year to cover operating expenses. Under current law, the CFPB may request a transfer of up to 12 percent of the Federal Reserve’s operating expenses from 2009, adjusted for inflation each year beginning in 2013. The provision would reduce the cap to 5 percent of the Federal Reserve’s operating expenses in 2009, adjusted for inflation each year beginning in 2025.

    CBO expects that the new cap would take effect at the beginning of 2026 and that the CFPB will have already received its final quarterly funding from the Federal Reserve for 2025. CBO estimates that enacting the provision would reduce transfers from the Federal Reserve by about $4.2 billion and reduce direct spending by $3.9 billion over the 2026-2034 period.

    The Federal Reserve System transmits its net income to the Treasury as remittances, which are recorded as revenues. Transfers to the CFPB reduce those remittances but are recorded as other miscellaneous receipts in the budget; those two revenue streams net to zero over the 2025-2034 period. Changes in costs for the Federal Reserve banks have historically resulted in changes to remittances during the same year. However, since fiscal year 2023, the central bank has recorded a deferred asset to account for accrued net losses from expenses in excess of income. As a result, remittances have been largely suspended. In CBO’s projections, remittances from the Federal Reserve will generally be suspended until 2030, and most of the changes in costs incurred by the system during that time will not be recorded as a change in remittances until they resume.

    Consumer Financial Civil Penalty Fund

    Section 50004 would prohibit the CFPB from spending amounts in the Civil Penalty Fund for any purpose other than to pay victims of violations of consumer financial law for which penalties have been imposed. Under current law, the CFPB deposits penalties collected from judicial or administrative actions into the Civil Penalty Fund; in addition to paying victims of violations, the CFPB uses those amounts for consumer education and financial literacy programs.

    Under current rules, the CFPB may use amounts associated with one penalty to pay victims associated with another penalty. This provision would effectively prohibit that practice and also would bar the CFPB from spending amounts on consumer education or financial literacy programs. Based on an analysis of the amounts returned to the fund in recent years and using other information from the CFPB, CBO expects that enacting this provision would reduce direct spending by $9 million over the 2025-2034 period.

    Financial Research Fund

    Section 50005 wouldcap assessments collected by the Office of Financial Research (OFR) and deposited into the Financial Research Fund at a three-year moving average of the expenses of the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC). Under current law, the OFR collects assessments from large financial institutions to fund its operations and the operations of the FSOC. Those assessments are recorded as revenues and are available to be spent without future appropriation. CBO estimates that enacting the provision would decrease direct spending on OFR and FSOC activities by $1.2 billion.

    Capping assessments also would reduce revenues by $1.2 billion. However, reducing such fees tends to increase taxable income for workers and businesses, leading to increased collections of income and payroll taxes. As a result, CBO expects that the reduction in fee collections would be partially offset by increases in tax receipts of about 25 percent of the gross fee reduction each year. On net, CBO estimates that revenues would decrease by $906 million under this provision.

    Pay-As-You-Go Considerations

    The Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 establishes budget-reporting and enforcement procedures for legislation affecting direct spending or revenues. The net changes in outlays and revenues that are subject to those pay-as-you-go procedures are shown in Chief, Finance, Housing, and Education Cost Estimates Unit

    Joshua Shakin
    Chief, Revenue Estimating Unit

    Kathleen FitzGerald
    Chief, Public and Private Mandates Unit

    Christina Hawley Anthony
    Deputy Director of Budget Analysis

    H. Samuel Papenfuss 
    Deputy Director of Budget Analysis

    Chad Chirico 
    Director of Budget Analysis

    Phillip L. Swagel

    Director, Congressional Budget Office

    [Table 2 is on the next page.]

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: UConn Health Disparities Institute is Breaking the Silence Around Menopause

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    On May 3 , the UConn Health Disparities Institute (HDI), in partnership with the Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity and Opportunity (CWCSOEO); the Farmington

    May 3, 2025 menopause awareness event at Legislative Office Building.

    Valley (CT) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated; the Aurora Foundation for Women and Girls; and the UConn Institute for Collaboration on Health, Intervention, and Policy, kicked off Women’s Health Month by welcoming over 100 women to the Legislative Office Building in Hartford. Attendees gathered to learn, share, and connect around a natural life transition that impacts all women but is rarely discussed: menopause.

    The event began with a screening of The (M) Factor: Shredding the Silence on Menopause, a PBS documentary that explores menopause through personal stories, expert insights, and powerful truths. A lively and candid panel discussion followed, moderated by Melvette Hill, executive director of CWCSOEO. Panelists included:

    • Ivy M. Alexander, UConn School of Nursing, expert in midlife women’s health
    • Jessica Kluewer-D’Amico, UConn Health psychiatrist and geriatric mental health specialist
    • Feier Liu, UConn Health psychiatrist with expertise in women’s mental and holistic health
    • Carla Rae-Gunn Samson, OB-GYN and Director of Women’s Health at Community Health Services

    Together with the audience, the panel explored the medical, psychological, and cultural dimensions of menopause, emphasizing the racial and ethnic disparities in care, symptoms, and treatment access.

    In addition to the film screening and panel, resource tables from local organizations and our partners were present. These tables offered valuable information, support, and tools related to menopause and women’s health, giving attendees access to practical resources and care pathways.

    “We weren’t just talking. We were learning, laughing, and loving ourselves and our bodies,” said Dr. Linda Sprague Martinez, director of UConn Health Disparities Institute. “Menopause is a natural part of women’s development that has been both overlooked and pathologized for far too long. If we don’t talk about it, we can’t address it and certainly won’t understand it. All women experience menopause, and it has implications for family and community health. Yet despite its widespread impact, it remains under-researched, underfunded, and widely misunderstood.”

    Each year, approximately two million women enter menopause. This natural transition brings physical and emotional changes that can profoundly affect a woman’s well-being, relationships, and quality of life. Yet many women go through it alone, suffering in silence without access to the health information, care, or support they need.

    Research shows that racial and ethnic disparities affect both the experience of menopause, and the quality of care received. For example, the early onset of menopause—more common among Black and Hispanic women—has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease later in life. Additionally, hot flashes and night sweats tend to last longer than expected, especially for women of color:

    • Black women: 10.1 years
    • Latinas: 8.9 years
    • Non-Hispanic white women: 6.5 years
    • Chinese American women: 5.4 years
    • Japanese American women: 4.8 years
      (Source: Pausitive Health)
    Yukiyo Iida, associate director of Parent Leadership and Family Engagement with the Connecticut General Assembly’s CWCSOEO with UConn Health Disparities Institute’s Trisha Pitter and Dr. Linda Sprague Martinez.

    “We know health care inequities are pervasive and that women’s health has not been a priority,” said Trisha Pitter, director of Community Learning and Engagement at HDI. “Providers aren’t getting the training they need to understand and support women fully across the life course. This is a problem. We’re prioritizing menopause and menopause education to break the silence and address health care inequities.”

    Real Stories, Real Support

    The heart of the event came from the attendees themselves. Many women bravely shared personal stories about managing symptoms like hot flashes, sleep disruptions, mood swings, and joint pain, experiences that have often been both physically and emotionally overwhelming.

    Audience members expressed deep gratitude for having a space to finally speak openly.

    Notably, men also attended to support their partners. One participant shared: “This event helped me understand what my wife is going through, and how I can support her instead of standing on the sidelines.”

    What Comes Next

    As the event came to a close, a collective call to action was clear: “Carry what you’ve learned back into your communities. Let’s keep the conversation going, so no one has to face this natural transition alone.”

    HDI and its partners are committed to expanding their efforts through:

    • Raising awareness and education about menopause across Connecticut
    • Advocating for inclusive, research-informed policies that prioritize women’s health based on their lived experiences
    • Hosting a statewide Menopause Celebration in October to honor and empower women in this life stage

    “We’re committed to breaking the silence and ending the disparities,” said Dr. Sprague Martinez. “This is just the beginning.”

    About the UConn Health Disparities Institute
     HDI was formed in 2011 through a legislative mandate.

    Our vision is equitable health, education, and economic opportunity for all in Connecticut.

    Our mission is to advance systemic change by tackling root causes of health inequities and implementing sustainable solutions through interdisciplinary community-based participatory research partnerships, data-driven community action, and workforce development efforts with communities disproportionately impacted by inequities.

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Ensuring access to justice for Albertans

    Albertans deserve to have access to a fair, accessible and transparent justice system. To strengthen the judiciary and improve access to justice for those involved in civil, criminal and family matters, Alberta’s government has appointed a new assistant chief justice and justice.

    “Alberta’s government is keeping its commitment to filling vacancies at the Alberta Court of Justice. We will continue to strengthen the capacity of our courts to ensure Albertans can get timely access to justice. I congratulate Justice Hancock and Clarissa Pearce, and I am confident they will excel in their new roles.”

    Mickey Amery, Minister of Justice and Attorney General

    The Honourable Justice David G. Hancock, ECA, is appointed assistant chief justice of the Alberta Court of Justice, Edmonton Family and Youth Division, effective today, and Clarissa V. Pearce, KC, will be appointed as a justice of the Alberta Court of Justice, Calgary Criminal Division and Calgary Region, effective May 14.

    “Congratulations to Justice Hancock on his appointment to assistant chief justice of Edmonton Family and Youth. His experiences and abilities will serve him well in maintaining access to justice for families in the Edmonton area. Further congratulations to Ms. Pearce on her appointment to the Alberta Court of Justice. She brings a wealth of experience and ability to the court.”

    James Hunter, chief justice, Alberta Court of Justice

    Since June 2023, Alberta’s government has made 23 judicial appointments including three assistant chief justices and nine new justices in 2024, and one assistant chief justice and two new justices in early 2025. These latest appointments bring that total to 25 appointments in less than two years.

    The Honourable Justice David G. Hancock, ECA received his bachelor of laws degree from the University of Alberta in 1979. Justice Hancock has been serving in the Edmonton Family and Youth Division since 2017. He began his career at Matheson & Company and became a partner. A former Premier, deputy premier, government house leader and cabinet minister, Justice Hancock was an elected representative in the Alberta legislature for more than 17 years. Currently, he is a committee board member for the Alberta Law Reform Institute, and – at the Alberta Court of Justice – is a member of the Edmonton Family and Youth Child Protection Committee, the Indigenous Strategies Committee, the Reforming Family Justice Advisory Committee and co-convener of the Reforming Family Justice System.

    Clarissa V. Pearce, KC received her bachelor of laws degree from Dalhousie University in 2007 and her master of laws degree from Harvard University in 2010. She started her career as an articled clerk at the Court of Queen’s Bench in Calgary (now Court of King’s Bench), practiced law at Norton Rose Fulbright (formerly Macleod Dixon LLP) until 2016, then was legal counsel at the Provincial Court of Alberta (now Alberta Court of Justice) and is presently executive legal counsel to the chief justice of the Alberta Court of Justice. In 2024, she was a member of the Indigenous Justice System – Knowledge Sharing Symposium Planning Committee for the Canadian Institute for the Administration of Justice and acted as a facilitator and co-master of ceremonies at the symposium when it took place on Tsuut’ina Nation. Currently, she is a board member of the Canadian Child Abuse Association.

    Quick facts

    • Lawyers with at least 10 years at the bar can apply to become a justice with the Alberta Court of Justice. 
    • Lawyers with at least five years at the bar can apply to become a justice of the peace. Justice of the peace appointments are for 10 years.
    • Applications are reviewed by the Alberta Judicial Council and Alberta Judicial Nominating Committee, and then recommended to the minister of justice and cabinet for appointment.

    Related information

    • Alberta’s government is actively recruiting justices and justices of the peace and encourages qualified lawyers to apply. Qualified lawyers who wish to be considered for appointment can access the application form online.

     Related news

    • Judicial appointments increase Albertans access to justice (April 9, 2025)
    • Increasing court capacity (Jan. 15, 2025)
    • Strengthening Alberta’s courts (Dec. 4, 2024)

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta Announces Fifth Edition of Disability Rights Handbook

    Source: US State of California Department of Justice

    Tuesday, May 6, 2025

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

    Releases updated chapters on access to buildings, telecommunications, benefits and services, service animals, and more

    OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today, through the California Department of Justice’s Disability Rights Bureau, announced the release of the fifth edition of “Legal Rights of Persons with Disabilities,” a publication that provides information regarding the rights of people with disabilities in California. This handbook summarizes state and federal laws that protect the rights of individuals with disabilities in many arenas, including in the workplace and in accessing facilities open to the public. The handbook covers disability rights and obligations in a variety of contexts including businesses and places of public accommodation, employment, housing, K-12 education, healthcare, voting, and telecommunications, with chapters released on an ongoing basis since January 2024.

    “At California DOJ, we are committed to ensuring that all individuals have access to inclusive and respectful environments free from discrimination, including discrimination based on disability,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Nearly one quarter of adults in California have a disability, and with the latest edition of this handbook, we aim to provide valuable information on disability rights to support accessibility and full participation for all Californians in every aspect of daily life.”

    Californians with disabilities face widespread discrimination, segregation, and exclusion in many aspects of everyday life. California’s disability rights laws are designed to provide protection from these harmful practices, but Californians are often unaware of the nature and scope of these complex laws. All chapters of the “Legal Rights of Persons with Disabilities” handbook are available at https://oag.ca.gov/civil/disability-rights including new and updated chapters on:

    1. Introduction to State and Federal Disability Rights Laws: This chapter provides an overview of major California state and federal laws that protect the rights of people with disabilities.
    1. Access to Businesses and Other Public Accommodations for People with Disabilities: This chapter discusses California and federal laws that prohibit disability-based discrimination in business establishments and other public accommodations. It also describes an individual’s options when they have experienced disability-based discrimination in business establishments and other public accommodations.
    2. Access to Healthcare for People with Disabilities: This chapter describes the state and federal laws that protect the rights of people with disabilities to access healthcare services, including hospitals and other facilities, services, insurance plans, and information offered by doctors’ offices and other medical providers. It also describes an individual’s options when they have experienced disability-based discrimination in healthcare services.
    3. Disability Rights in Employment: This chapter discusses major California and federal laws that protect people with disabilities from discrimination, harassment, and retaliation in employment. It also describes an individual’s options when they have experienced discrimination in employment because of their disability.
    4. Disability Rights in Housing: This chapter discusses California and federal laws that protect persons with disabilities from public and private housing discrimination. It also describes options when persons with disabilities have experienced discrimination in housing because of their disability.
    5. Disability Rights in K-12 Education: This chapter discusses the rights of students with disabilities in pre-school, primary, and secondary education under California state and federal law.
    6. Access to Voting for People with Disabilities: This chapter discusses access to polling places and the voting process under federal and state election laws. Additionally, this chapter describes an individual’s options when they have experienced dis­crimination because of their disability while registering to vote or voting.
    7. Access to Public and Private Buildings and Facilities for People with Disabilities: This chapter provides an overview of state and federal laws that set requirements for physical accessibility of both public and private buildings and facilities. In addition, this chapter provides information regarding options for individuals who have experienced discrimination regarding physical accessibility.
    8. Access to Telecommunications for People with Disabilities: Telecommunications services are services that allow people to communicate through cable, radio, television, satellite, or wire equipment and include a variety of services like telephone and text message services. This chapter details state and federal laws regarding telecommunication services ensuring that people with disabilities have equal access to said service. It also provides information if there are concerns about accessibility of a product or service.
    9. Benefits and Services for People with Disabilities: This chapter highlights state and federal benefits, programs, and services that are designed to assist people with disabilities.
    10. Service Animals: This chapter discusses the rights of people with disabilities to use service animals and emotional support animals under both federal and California laws. This chapter also provides the various complaint options people have when their rights regarding service or emotional support animals have been violated.

    Attorney General Bonta is committed to supporting the rights of Californians with disabilities and enforcing state laws that protect people from discrimination. He has supported an update to the Americans with Disabilities Act’s (ADA) Title II regulations concerning accessibility of web information and services of state and local government entities, defended access to housing for persons with disabilities, and recommended revisions to strengthen and protect the rights of students with disabilities under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. This handbook demonstrates the Attorney General’s ongoing commitment to enforcing these laws and ensuring that all Californians are protected from discrimination.

    For more information about the Disability Rights Bureau, visit our webpage at https://oag.ca.gov/civil/disability-rights.

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: IADC Suez University Chapter Organizes Petroleum Engineering Advancements & Knowledge Summit

    Source: International Association of Drilling Contractors – IADC

    Headline: IADC Suez University Chapter Organizes Petroleum Engineering Advancements & Knowledge Summit

    On 29 April, the IADC Suez University Student Chapter organized an impactful one-day event alongside the SPE Student Chapter at the British University in Egypt (BUE). The first-ever Petroleum Engineering and Advancements Summit, also known as PEAKS 2025, brought together students, professionals, and industry leaders. 

    Attendees had the opportunity to engage with industry pioneers through expert-led sessions that delivered real-world knowledge and valuable technical insights. There were many technical sessions and live demonstrations, as well as opportunities for students to network in person with top energy companies. The event celebrated dedication and potential through exciting giveaways and competitions. 

    According to Ahmed Mobasher, IADC Suez University Treasurer: 

    “We’re incredibly proud of what we achieved together and grateful to every speaker, guest, and student who made it possible. We can’t wait to continue this journey and make the next edition of PEAKS even bigger. Here’s to the future of petroleum engineering — and to the bright minds who will lead it.”

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Congrats to IADC’s Brooke Polk for Being Named an OTC 2025 Emerging Leader!

    Source: International Association of Drilling Contractors – IADC

    Headline: Congrats to IADC’s Brooke Polk for Being Named an OTC 2025 Emerging Leader!

    Brooke Polk, IADC VP – Accreditation Operations, was recently named a 2025 Emerging Leader by the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC). The prestigious program recognizes young professionals with less than 10 years of experience in the energy industry who have demonstrated exceptional talent, commitment, and promise as future leaders in the offshore energy sector.

    Alex Martinez, Chair of the OTC Board, stated: 

    “Our Emerging Leaders are clear representations of the talent and excellence that will define the next generation of the offshore industry. We’re proud to recognize the contributions of these young professionals and remain eager spectators to the many future accomplishments they will undoubtedly achieve.” 

    The following honorees were recognized in a special ceremony in the Energy Evolution Exchange Theater and Lounge on Tuesday, 6 May 2025 at NRG Center in Houston. 

    2025 Emerging Leaders:

    • Dr. Ellen Reat Wersan, Exploration Geoscientist, Chevron, AAPG
    • Dr. Yingda Lu, Assistant Professor, Petroleum & Geosystems Engineering Department, The University of Texas at Austin, AlChE
    • Dr. Olusola Komolafe, Project Engineer, Geosyntec Consultants Inc., ASCE
    • Brooke Polk, Vice President-Accreditation Operations, International Association of Drilling Contractors, IADC
    • Gabriel Correa Perocco, Project Manager, MODEC do Brasil, IBP
    • Dr. Zheng Fan, Assistant Professor, University of Houston, IEEE-OES
    • Sridhar Krishnamoorthy, Senior Research Fellow, PhD Research Scholar, Indian Institute of Technology Madras Chennai India, MTS
    • Daniel Toerner, Technical Sales Engineer, Bardex Corporation, SNAME
    • Olawale Ajayi, Reservoir Engineer, NNPC Limited, SPE
    • Scott Pisarik, Lead Materials and Corrosion Engineer, Chevron, TMS

    IADC wishes to congratulate Brooke and all other recipients on this impressive achievement! 

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warren Announces Senate Forum on Trump’s Attacks on Education Access, Invites Secretary McMahon to Defend Actions

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
    May 07, 2025
    Spotlight forum entitled “Stealing the American Dream: How Trump and Republicans Are Raising Education Costs for Families.”
    Text of Letter (PDF)
    Washington, D.C. – Today, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ranking Member of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, announced that she will host a spotlight forum entitled “Stealing the American Dream: How Trump and Republicans Are Raising Education Costs for Families.” The forum is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, at the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Room G11.
    The latest action in Senator Warren’s Save Our Schools campaign, this forum will examine how both the Trump administration’s attacks on the Department of Education and Congressional Republicans’ legislative plans will increase education costs and limit access to higher education for America’s students and borrowers.
    Senator Warren invited the following witnesses to attend the forum:
    Linda McMahon, Secretary, U.S. Department of Education
    Bonnie Latreille, Former Student Loan Ombudsman, U.S. Department of Education
    Jonathan Glater, Professor of Law & Associate Dean of J.D. Curriculum and Teaching, UC Berkeley School of Law
    Gilberto Gonzalez, Truck Driver, Prime Inc. 
    Tiffany Aliche, Personal Finance Creator, @thebudgetnista
    In a letter to Secretary McMahon, Senator Warren wrote, “Your appearance will provide you with an opportunity to defend the Trump administration’s policies, offer context for your actions to dismantle the Department of Education, and share your vision for ensuring that the American Dream becomes more attainable for all.”
    This forum follows President Trump’s signing of a March 2025 executive order seeking to abolish the Department of Education, and House Republicans advancing legislation last month to slash $351 billion in education spending. 
    Senator Warren has been a leader in the coordinated effort to fight back against President Trump’s attempts to abolish the Department of Education:
    On April 24, 2025, Senator Warren launched a new investigation into the harms of President Trump’s attacks on the Department of Education, seeking information on the impact of the Trump administration’s actions from the members of twelve leading organizations representing schools, parents, teachers, students, borrowers, and researchers.
    On April 10, 2025, following a request led by Senator Warren, the Department of Education’s Acting Inspector General agreed to open an investigation into the Trump administration’s attempts to dismantle the Department of Education.
    On April 2, 2025, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Mazie Hirono, along with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, sent a letter to Secretary of Education Linda McMahon regarding the Department of Government Efficiency’s proposed plan to replace the Department of Education’s federal student aid call centers with generative artificial intelligence chatbots.
    On April 2, 2025, Senator Elizabeth Warren launched the Save Our Schools campaign to fight back against the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle the Department of Education (ED) and highlight the consequences for every student and public school in America.
    On March 27, 2025, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) led a letter to Acting Department of Education Inspector General (IG) René Rocque requesting that the IG conduct an investigation of the Trump Administration’s attempts to dismantle the Department of Education.
    On March 20, 2025, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders led a letter to Secretary of Education Linda McMahon regarding the Trump Administration’s decision to slash the capacity of Federal Student Aid to handle student aid complaints.
    On February 24, 2025, in a response to Senator Warren, Secretary McMahon gave her first public admission that she “wholeheartedly” agreed with Trump’s plans to abolish the Department of Education.
    On February 11, 2025, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Andy Kim sent Linda McMahon, Secretary-Designate for the U.S. Department of Education, a 12-page letter with 65 questions on McMahon’s policy views in advance of her nomination hearing.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Business Insider: Elizabeth Warren is challenging Trump’s top education official to defend policies that could put student-loan borrowers at risk

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
    May 07, 2025
    Sen. Elizabeth Warren wants President Donald Trump’s top education chief to answer for her policies that impact millions of student-loan borrowers.
    Warren is holding a forum on May 14 to examine the Trump administration’s education policies and how Republicans’ plans for education, including a recent bill that would eliminate affordable monthly student-loan payment plans, will impact borrowers and America’s students.
    A letter exclusively viewed by Business Insider and sent on Wednesday from Warren to Education Secretary Linda McMahon outlined the issues Warren plans to examine at the forum. It included an invitation for McMahon to attend and defend her policies to students and lawmakers.
    …
    Read the full article here.
    By:  Ayelet SheffeySource: Business Insider
    Previous Article

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: MAGA’s ‘war on empathy’ might not be original, but it is dangerous

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Michael Cameron, PhD Candidate of English, Dalhousie University

    During his most recent appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast, Elon Musk levelled a critique at empathy, calling it “the fundamental weakness of western civilization.”

    If your first instinct is to brush this off as another example of Musk’s awkwardness, we suggest you think again. As journalist Julia Carrie Wong noted in The Guardian in April, Musk’s comments have appeared “amid a growing wave of opposition to empathy from across the American right.”

    A diverse coalition of figures have taken up this “war on empathy,” including pastor Joe Rigney, conservative podcaster Allie Beth Stuckey and marketing professor Gad Saad.

    Each has coined their own meme-able phrase: “The Sin of Empathy,” “Toxic Empathy” and “Suicidal Empathy,” respectively.

    You may find a war on empathy perplexing — even downright dangerous — given that our contemporary global historical moment is one marked by climate-induced migration, rising political authoritarianism and a “relentless opposition” against LGBTQIA+ rights.

    Doesn’t this moment call out for more empathy rather than less?

    What is empathy anyway?

    But first, we need to know what we are talking about.

    Some recent criticisms of empathy have been premised on bad definitions. For instance, Albert Mohler, the president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, recently claimed that empathy is “destructive” for immigration policy because “empathy means never having to say no.” This definition is not accurate.

    Though a precise definition of empathy still eludes us, empathy is simply the ability to feel what someone else might be feeling. “Imagining yourself in another’s place,” writes neurologist Richard E. Cytowic, “is the basis of empathy.” Coming from a different angle, literary scholar Suzanne Keen defines empathy as “a vicarious, spontaneous sharing of affect” that “can be provoked… even by reading.”

    The word “empathy” was coined in 1909. Previously, what we today call “empathy” fell under the name “sympathy.” For instance, writing in the 18th century, Scottish economist and philosopher Adam Smith described sympathy as the imaginative capacity to “enter as it were into [another’s] body, and become in some measure the same person.”

    With the discovery of “mirror neurons,” modern neuroscience has in a sense validated Smith’s theories. As neuroscientist Christian Keysers explains: “The mirror system builds a bridge between the minds of two people,” showing that our brains are not only “deeply social” but also “magically connected to each other.”

    Put simply, we are hardwired for empathy.

    Sympathy and social contagion

    In our research, we have explored literary depictions of self-destructive, suicidal and monstrous sympathies. We recognize some parallels between MAGA’s war on empathy and conceptual debates of the past, parallels at times interesting and worrisome.

    During his appearance on Rogan’s podcast, Saad criticized Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde’s appeal to Trump for mercy on behalf of undocumented immigrants and those in the LGBTQIA+ community, suggesting it was indicative of the “parasitic idea” of open borders and an example of “suicidal empathy.”

    A few months later, Canadian pop-psychologist Jordan Peterson echoed Saad and told Rogan that today’s political left is vulnerable to those who “parasitize empathy.”

    This association between empathy and parasitic contagion is not at all new.

    As literary scholar Mary Fairclough explains, in the 18th and 19th centuries, sympathy was “understood as a disruptive social phenomenon which functioned to spread disorder and unrest between individuals and even across nations like a ‘contagion.’”

    As an example, Fairclough quotes the author Thomas De Quincey, who opined that “many a man has been drawn, by the contagion of sympathy with his own class acting as a mob, into outrages of destruction.”

    The writer Mary Shelley literalized this notion of contagious sympathy in her 1826 novel The Last Man, which depicts a (perhaps uncomfortably familiar) plague pandemic. The novel paints sympathy as a method of mass control and societal dissolution just as contagious as the plague.

    But unlike De Quincey, Shelley also celebrates sympathy as our most valuable and effective collective resource in times of crisis. This celebration is most notable in the character of Adrian, who devotes his life to “bring[ing] patience, and sympathy, and such aid as art affords, to the bed of disease.’”

    The uses and abuses of empathy

    Much as Shelley suggests for sympathy, research shows that empathy must be properly channelled so it isn’t used to divide and manipulate.

    For example, research shows that empathy is not impartial. People tend to empathize more easily with those who share their racial or social background, and less with those who are perceived as different. In other words, racial prejudices may bias our instinctive empathetic responses.

    At the same time, empathy has been linked to problematic practices like racial impersonation and colonial appropriation, where members of dominant groups claim to identify with marginalized people in ways that often reinforce power imbalances rather than dismantle them.

    But MAGA’s approach to empathy is less a well-meaning critique than an all-out war and comes at the issues with a far less benevolent set of assumptions and goals. As Wong noted: “We are witnessing the construction of the ideological architecture to excuse violence and suffering on a mass scale.”

    Consider what Musk said to Rogan regarding immigration:

    “I believe in empathy, like I think you should care about other people, but you need to have empathy for civilization as a whole and not commit to a civilizational suicide.”

    This comment is strikingly similar to the idea of “racial suicide” endorsed by eugenicist thinkers in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Racial suicide was a concept rooted in the xenophobic fear that one’s own ethnic population would be replaced by another racialized population that happened to have a higher birth rate.

    As the historian Rob Boddice notes, “eugenic morality” was “to be guided by sympathy construed as sympathy for the whole of society” rather than towards individuals. For the eugenicists, this ideology justified extreme measures, such as forced sterilizations and racial segregation. The horrors of eugenics and its influence on the Nazi Holocaust are well documented.

    Despite these history lessons, Musk and his ilk, however, seem unperturbed and even enthusiastic about repeating history.

    Much can be said about empathy’s potential limitations alongside its many virtues. But while MAGA supporters may have balked at her speech and her call for empathy, we would do well to remember the words of Bishop Budde:

    “We should be merciful to the stranger, for we were once strangers in this land.”

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

    – ref. MAGA’s ‘war on empathy’ might not be original, but it is dangerous – https://theconversation.com/magas-war-on-empathy-might-not-be-original-but-it-is-dangerous-255300

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Tips for starting a business in Canada, according to entrepreneurs who have done it

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Nazha Gali, Assistant Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship, University of Windsor

    Each year, about 100,000 small businesses are created in Canada. But what does it actually take to start a business in Canada — not just on paper, but in practice?

    To better understand what launching a startup in Canada truly involves, we interviewed entrepreneurs across various sectors. As experts in strategy and entrepreneurship, we combined their first-hand experiences with research findings to determine key factors that contribute to business success.

    What emerged is a clearer picture of the realities of Canadian entrepreneurship that shows building a business is as much about managing relationships, risks and resilience as it is about having a novel idea.

    Solving real consumer problems

    Before launching a business, it’s essential to identify your target customers. Successful ventures begin by solving a real problem for a clearly defined group. Conducting market research to ensure a strong product-market fit is a critical first step in this process.

    One of the most common blind spots for new entrepreneurs, according to Ariz Bhimani, founder of apparel brand BRFZY, is assuming the problem they face is universal. “Without genuine data from potential customers, you’re just guessing,” he said in an email interview.

    This is where customer discovery comes in. It involves understanding customers’ situations, needs and pain points. Techniques such as user interviews and creating detailed customer personas can help founders better understand who their product is for.

    This approach is crucial for both startups and established organizations looking to enter new markets.

    Another vital part of the early-stage process is building a minimum viable product (MVP): a basic version of a product that includes only the core features needed to test the idea with users.

    MVPs allow entrepreneurs to gather feedback and refine the product before investing significant time or money in full development.

    Manage your money wisely

    Once a market need is identified, securing funding is often the next major challenge. This process typically begins with creating a compelling pitch — a presentation that outlines the product or service and financial projections to attract potential investors.

    This pitch is crucial to a startup’s success, Mohammad Faiyaz, founder and CEO of Wavermark, told us.

    There are tools and resources available to help, such as the pitch deck developed by PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel and AI feedback tool AI Fornax.

    Having a solid pitch prepared is a necessary step to attract potential investors for your business.
    (Shutterstock)

    But while funding is essential, managing those funds wisely is equally important. Chris Colasanti, vice president at Rocket Mortgage Canada, explained via email that one of the most common mistakes new entrepreneurs make is failing to control costs.

    Many first-time founders become preoccupied with revenue growth while overlooking expenses. Colasanti argued that unless you have endless investor backing, your survival depends on lean operations. “Obsess about your costs,” he advised.

    Bhimani echoed this caution. “I would budget two to three times more time and money to get a task done, especially in the ideation stage,” he wrote to us. Entrepreneurs should be prepared for unexpected costs.

    Building a business plan

    Many startup founders are eager to scale their businesses quickly, but doing this prematurely can increase the risk of failure by 20 to 40 per cent.

    “Growth is one of the most taxing activities a company can experience,” Colasanti told us. “Fight the urge to grow. Hire when it hurts and let sales drive your growth.”

    To scale successfully, companies need a strong foundation. This means having a comprehensive business plan in place. A well-structured plan outlines a company’s mission, market strategy, operations, finances and key milestones.

    Beyond serving as a roadmap for internal decision-making, business plans also help communicate a company’s vision and strategy to investors and other stakeholders.

    The Business Development Bank of Canada offers guides to help entrepreneurs build effective business plans.

    Hire the right people for the job

    Hiring the right employees for the job is crucial for startup success. “You cannot overpay for talent,” Colasanti told us. “The first 10 people you hire will make or break your business.”

    Hiring decisions should go hand-in-hand with intentionally building a workplace culture. Research shows that a positive workplace culture leads to higher employee satisfaction, retention and overall productivity.

    “Your business will develop a culture whether you create it or not,” he said. Many first-time founders let poor behaviours slide to avoid conflict, but this is risky.

    Hiring the right employees for the job is crucial for startup success.
    (Shutterstock)

    Bhimani also emphasized the importance of hiring those who genuinely understand your company’s mission. “Then I know they’re invested and will put forth their best effort,” he told us.

    There are important legal considerations to keep in mind. Employers must comply with federal and provincial labour laws, and entrepreneurs should seek legal advice or consult government resources when building their teams.

    Seek out a knowledgeable mentor

    While entrepreneurship is often seen as a solo pursuit, research and experience suggest otherwise. In reality, founders who are mentored by successful entrepreneurs are over three times more likely to be successful themselves.

    Both Bhimani and Dhwani Shah, founder and CEO of Aadhya Navik Inc., highlighted the importance of mentors.

    “Even if you just have an idea,” Bhimani told us via email, “you should strive to talk about it as much as possible with people in the industry who have relevant experience.”

    Shah similarly attributed her growth to constant learning and expert guidance: “I have a long-term vision and actively seek advice while working on the product.”

    Resources like the Business Benefits Finder and programs like Futurpreneur Canada and Startup Canada can connect early-stage founders with financing and mentorship.

    Passion and persistence are key

    Mindset is also a differentiating factor that sets successful entrepreneurs apart. The entrepreneurial mindset is a way of thinking that involves seeing opportunities where others see obstacles, and maintaining a strong sense of initiative and resilience.

    All the entrepreneurs we interviewed said intrinsic motivation was the key to longevity. “Starting a business makes you wear multiple hats, which can be intimidating but also gives you immense satisfaction,” Shah told us. Research has also confirmed this to be true.



    Read more:
    Entrepreneurs know that failure is sometimes necessary – here’s what we can learn from them

    Colasanti told us fear often leads founders to switch from experimentation to protection mode too early. “They stop taking big swings and start firing bullets instead of cannonballs,” he said. That mindset shift can lead to complacency and stagnation.

    Successful entrepreneurs are often those who can stay agile, embrace discomfort and persist even when the stakes are high.

    Make use of resources

    There are a number of supports for entrepreneurs in Canada. National initiatives like Futurpreneur Canada and Startup Canada, and financial supports from Business Development Bank of Canada, are also available.

    Most provinces and territories have web pages dedicated to resources for small businesses and entrepreneurs, including British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario.

    In southern Ontario, WETech Alliance offers a model example of how regional innovation hubs can support founders. Their programs help connect entrepreneurs to expertise, capital and community.

    Starting a business in Canada has never been more possible or more competitive. As the experts we spoke to remind us, success lies in execution. The journey is hard, but for those who are ready, it can also be deeply rewarding.

    Bharat Maheshwari has received funding from Mitacs, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, and several other organizations that regularly fund academic research in Canada.

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

    – ref. Tips for starting a business in Canada, according to entrepreneurs who have done it – https://theconversation.com/tips-for-starting-a-business-in-canada-according-to-entrepreneurs-who-have-done-it-247985

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reps. Titus and Kiggans Advocate for Additional School Nurses

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Dina Titus (1st District of Nevada)

    WASHINGTON, DC – On National School Nurse Day, Congresswoman Dina Titus (NV-01) and Congresswoman Jen Kiggans (VA-02) introduced the Nurses for Under-Resourced Schools Everywhere (NURSE) Act. This bipartisan legislation would establish a grant program within the U.S. Department of Education to give high-need schools the ability to hire and retain additional school nurses.

    “All too often, when school districts like Clark County are forced to stretch limited funding, school nurse positions are overlooked,” Congresswoman Titus said. “In fact, Clark County needs over a 100 more school nurses to meet the demands of its students. School nurses play a critical role in our children’s learning and success. Students who have the appropriate healthcare resources are better equipped for studies, sports, and everyday activities.”

    “As a nurse practitioner, I know firsthand how vital nurses are to the health and wellbeing of our communities,” said Congresswoman Kiggans. “I’m proud to support the NURSE Act, which builds on efforts I championed in the Virginia State Senate to increase access to care in our schools. By investing in school nurses, we’re ensuring that our children have the support they need to stay healthy and succeed in the classroom. Introducing this bill during National Nurses Week underscores our commitment to recognizing the incredible contributions our nurses make in communities across the country.”

    “We ar thrilled that Representative Titus has re-introduced the Nurses for Under-Resourced Schools Everywhere Act (NURSE Act) on School Nurse Day, a day that celebrates the contributions of school nurses to children and their academic success,” said Kate King, President of the National Association of School Nurses. “It is important that children have their physical and behavioral healthcare needs met at school, particularly in case of an emergency. Every school should have a school nurse on staff every day. Passage of the NURSE Act is the first step to achieving student health equity.”

    As educator and educator support personnel shortages ravage schools across the nation, the National Education Association is pleased that Rep. Titus is re-introducing the Nurses for Under-Resourced Schools Everywhere (NURSE) Act. It is vital that public schools and the students they serve have a school nurse to support the health and wellness of their students, and the school overall. In particular, this measure focuses on those schools serving communities and the families that face economic challenges, where students might not have access to healthcare supports, and where school nurses are vital. Every student, regardless of zip code, deserves a healthy and caring environment to learn and thrive,” said Marc Egan, Director, Government Relations for the National Education Association.

    According to the National Association of School Nurses, only 39.3 percent of schools employ full-time school nurses, even though the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that more than 40 percent of school-aged children and adolescents have at least one chronic health condition.

    Under the NURSE Act, schools with 20 percent of their student body qualifying for low-cost or free lunches would be eligible for grants to hire more school nurses. The legislation targets schools with the highest healthcare needs.

    The National Association of School Nurses, the National Education Association, and the American Federation of Teachers have endorsed the NURSE Act.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Bergman Announces Winner of the 2025 Congressional Art Competition

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jack Bergman (MI-1)

    Today, Rep. Jack Bergman announced that EmmaRay, a talented student from Johannesburg-Lewiston High School, has been named the First District winner of the 2025 Congressional Art Competition. Her captivating artwork, titled “The Darkness Needs Its Light,” features a luminous jellyfish and impressed judges with its originality, message of resilience, and creative composition.

    Held each spring, the Congressional Art Competition highlights the artistic talents of high school students nationwide. As the First District winner, EmmaRay’s artwork will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol for one year, alongside winning pieces from across the country.

    “I’m proud to congratulate EmmaRay on her remarkable piece, ‘The Darkness Needs Its Light.’ Her work is not only visually stunning, but also a powerful reminder that light can shine even in the darkest places,” said Rep. Bergman. “Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula are home to so many gifted young artists, and this competition is a great way to showcase their talent on a national stage.”

    Later this year, EmmaRay will be honored at a national reception in Washington, D.C., where she and fellow winners will celebrate their achievements alongside Members of Congress and young artists from across the country.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Establishing 10 Youth Assertive Community Treatment Teams

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Kathy Hochul today announced that $4.5 million in state funding was awarded to establish 10 new Youth Assertive Community Treatment teams, including five in New York City, two on Long Island and three in areas north of the metropolitan area. Administered by the state Office of Mental Health, the new multidisciplinary teams will support 360 additional youth with serious emotional disturbances who are either at risk of entering, or are returning home from high intensity services, such as inpatient settings or residential services.

    “Children and youth living with mental illness sometimes require additional care to remain at home or return back into the community,” Governor Hochul said. “This expansion of our Youth ACT program will help provide more families with this critical support and the services they can rely on to bring their child home after inpatient care or from a residential facility.”

    OMH provided $450,000 in one-time start-up funding to 10 service providers to establish the new teams, with each serving up to 36 children between the ages of 10 and 21. Award recipients include:

    • Access Supports for Living Inc., serving Westchester County
    • The Charles Evans Center, serving Nassau County
    • Central Nassau Guidance and Counseling, serving Suffolk County
    • Children’s Home of Wyoming Conference, serving Chenango County
    • Interborough Developmental & Consultation Center, serving Brooklyn
    • The Child Center of NY, two teams serving Manhattan and Queens
    • Jewish Child Care Association of NY, serving the Bronx
    • Child and Family Services of Erie County, serving Erie County
    • Richmond University Medical Center, serving Staten Island

    In addition to announcing the awards, Governor Hochul also issued a proclamation designating Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week in New York State. The proclamation was presented this week during the annual ‘What’s Great in Our State’ Celebration of Children’s Mental Health event in Albany, which recognizes individuals and programs successfully advancing the cause of children’s mental health.

    With the first teams established in 2022, New York was the first state nationally to adapt the successful Assertive Community Treatment model to serve youth and young adults. The state now hosts 20 Youth ACT teams in 27 counties, providing services including youth and family therapy, medication management, family and peer supports, and skill-building.

    Office of Mental Health Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan said, “New York’s Youth ACT program is a fantastic first-in-the-nation adaptation to a model that has proven extremely successful with adults living with mental illness. By adding teams statewide, we can help more young people and their families to access the care and support they can use to live and thrive within their community. The expansion of this successful program demonstrates Governor Hochul’s ongoing commitment to expand access to mental healthcare throughout our state.”

    Youth ACT teams include mental health clinicians and psychiatric prescribers, peer advocates, and clinical support staff, offering 24-hour support, seven days per week. These teams are focused on improving or ameliorating the significant functional impairments and severe symptomatology experienced by the youth due to mental illness or serious emotional disturbance.

    Clinical and rehabilitative interventions are also focused on enhancing family functioning to foster wellbeing, stability, and re-integration. Services are delivered using a family-driven, youth-guided, and developmentally appropriate approach that comprehensively addresses the needs of the youth.

    Governor Hochul’s support for youth mental health has resulted in major investments into youth services and supports and nation-leading legislation to address online safety. Her $1 billion mental health initiative and the FY 2025 Budget has significantly expanded access to mental health care and is providing resources for young people and their families.

    Last year, Governor Hochul established the Youth Mental Health Advisory Board, a 30-member advisory board which includes youth between the ages of 11 and 17. The advisory board convenes quarterly and is designed to ensure that youth-informed best practices continue to be incorporated in developing behavioral health programs and policies.

    New York also now supports more than 1,200 school-based mental health clinic satellites to provide mental health services at districts statewide. These clinics bring a licensed mental health care provider to school campuses, allowing students to access these services in a familiar stigma-free setting.

    Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, the state has also significantly expanded HealthySteps, an innovative program that supports young families with high-quality care for mental and physical health development for children 3 years old or younger. New York now supports 125 sites in 35 counties statewide.

    Additionally, the state continues to expand Home-Based Crisis Intervention teams, which provide critical mental health services so that at-risk children and youth can avoid psychiatric hospitalization. The state now funds 55 teams, which have the capacity to assist 3,500 families annually.

    New York State Coalition for Children’s Behavioral Health President and CEO Kayleigh Zaloga said, “New York’s Youth ACT program fills a critical role in the behavioral health service continuum for adolescents and families, enabling hundreds of young people with significant mental health needs to remain or reintegrate into their families, schools, and communities. The multidisciplinary team approach offers families the support they need when they need it, delivering intensive in-home therapy, peer support, medication management, and crisis intervention centered on each young person’s goals. This work not only stabilizes youth and families in the short term, but also helps them build the skills, resilience, and community connections necessary to thrive into adulthood.”

    Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon said, “Youth Assertive Community Treatment teams are meeting young people where they are at, in their homes, in their communities, and often at their most critical moments. This investment means more families won’t have to choose between getting help and staying together. By surrounding youth with compassionate and expert care, we’re not just addressing symptoms, we’re giving them the support they need,” said

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Professor Bird Awarded Fulbright Scholarship to Conduct Legal Research in Finland

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    Business Law professor Robert Bird has been selected as a U.S. Fulbright Scholar and will spend three months studying human-centered legal strategy and design in Finland next semester.

    “I’m excited about this opportunity to collaborate with my peers in Finland, who are doing some interesting work on strategic legal design,’’ he said. “I believe this research will add value to organizations, make complex contracts easier to understand, and benefit my students as well.’’

    The Fulbright is a prestigious award granted to faculty based on their previous leadership and contributions to society. The program was created to increase mutual understanding between the people of the U.S. and other countries, and is the world’s largest international educational exchange program. UConn typically has four or five Fulbright professors each year.

    Bird will be based at the University of Vaasa, a seaside campus, approximately a four-hour train ride north of Helsinki. The university is ranked as the top college in Finland for business administration, and recently underwent extensive renovations to enhance sustainability. The Fulbright award is co-sponsored by the Fulbright Finland Foundation and the University of Vaasa.

    The goal of the project is to develop innovative contracts and other legal tools to make the documents easier for people to understand, minimize disputes, and add more valuable for organizations.

    For example, sustainable supply chain contracts and codes of conduct are typically filled with complex language and legal jargon, Bird said. By using design methods to transform them into visually appealing and accessible documents, the professor and his colleagues believe they can foster greater participation, enhance trust-building, and maximize collaboration.

    In addition to his work in Finland, Bird plans to complete some guest lectures at other universities in Europe, as part of his sabbatical.

    When he returns to UConn for the spring 2026 semester, Bird will host a Legal Strategy Summit at UConn which will include a discussion of new legal designs based on his Fulbright experience.

    “I’m looking forward to being an ambassador for UConn, for Husky values, and for the United States,’’ he said. “I’m looking forward to working with outstanding Finish colleagues. European scholars often think about things differently than we do and I hope to bring that back to UConn and to the United States.’’

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: FBI New Orleans Announces Results of Operation Restore Justice

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

    Four individuals from across the state of Louisiana were charged between April 29 and May 2, 2025, during Operation Restore Justice, a nationwide initiative to identify, track, and arrest child predators. The operation coincided with the annual nationwide observance of Child Abuse Prevention Month in April. FBI agents were joined by our partners across the country in arresting 205 subjects and rescuing 115 children during the surge of resources deployed for Operation Restore Justice.

    “The FBI is unwavering in its fight to protect children,” said Jonathan Tapp, special agent in charge of FBI New Orleans. “Each arrest is a powerful testament to the tireless efforts of the FBI and our dedicated law enforcement partners to protect the most vulnerable among us. It reaffirms the FBI’s commitment to pursuing justice for victims and hold predators accountable.”

    “This joint operation signals our unrelenting effort to identify and prosecute those individuals responsible for the sexual exploitation of our nation’s youth,” stated Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson. “Together with our law enforcement partners, our office stands ready and committed to utilizing our collective resources to bring justice to both the victims and the perpetrators of these crimes.”

    “This nationwide effort has made its way to the Western District of Louisiana and the U.S. Attorney’s Office stands ready to join with the FBI and our state and local law enforcement partners to continue this investigation,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook. “These types of crimes against minor children are reprehensible and we are committed to doing what we can to get these child predators off of our streets.”

    Three of the subjects arrested in Louisiana were charged following a joint undercover operation by the FBI, Alexandria Police Department, and Louisiana State Police. One of those individuals faces federal charges that will be prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana. The other two face state charges that will be prosecuted by the Rapides Parish District Attorney’s Office. The fourth subject was indicted in the Eastern District of Louisiana on five separate counts, including sexual exploitation of children, distributing child sexual material (CSAM), receiving CSAM, and transmitting extortionate interstate communications (see press release from the USAO EDLA).

    The FBI proactively identifies individuals involved in child sexual exploitation and the production of child sexual abuse material through our far-reaching, nationwide network of personnel and law enforcement partners. The Crimes Against Children (CAC) program provides a rapid, proactive, and comprehensive capacity to counter all threats of abuse against children. This capacity leverages partnerships within the FBI’s 89 Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Forces (CEHTTFs) across the country. Additionally, the FBI has Intelligence Analysts assigned to address the VCAC threat, both at Headquarters and the field. The FBI also leads a Violent Crimes Against Children International Task Force which includes nearly 100 International Task Force Officers representing over 60 countries to expand our ability to address the threat worldwide. 

    The FBI also partners with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org. In further partnership and collaboration with NCMEC, the FBI launched the Endangered Child Alert Program (ECAP) in 2004 to identify individuals involved in the sexual abuse of children and the production of child sexual abuse material. To date, ECAP has identified 36 individuals.

    For more information about the crimes investigated by the FBI as well as the variety of resources we provide to protect and keep children safe, please visit:

    Violent Crimes Against Children — FBI

    Parents, Caregivers, Teachers — FBI

    Welcome to sos.fbi.gov — FBI Safe Online Surfing (SOS)

    As always, the FBI urges the public to remain vigilant and report any suspect crime against a child to 911 and local law enforcement immediately, as well as the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), online at tips.fbi.gov, or by contacting your local FBI field office.

    Additional Resources

    An electronic press kit that includes an interview with the Darren Cox, the FBI’s Deputy Assistant Director for the Criminal Investigative Division can be found here: FBI DVIDS Page (suggested: “Courtesy: FBI”). The raw interview is designed to be edited by each media outlet for the needs of their media market.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Rand Paul Honored Retiring Murray State University President Dr. Bob Jackson in Bowling Green

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kentucky Rand Paul
     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 
    May 6th, 2025 
     Contact: Press_Paul@paul.senate.gov, 202-578-8903 
    Senator Rand Paul Honored Retiring Murray State University President Dr. Bob Jackson in Bowling Green 
    BOWLING GREEN, KY – U.S. Senator Rand Paul honored Dr. Bob Jackson, retiring President of Murray State University, during a recognition ceremony this week at the Senator’s State office 
    During his remarks, Senator Paul stated, “If you’re looking for people who are the next generation of farmers and agriculture, they’re most likely to be kids of people who are farming in agriculture. So, it’s great to have a university that has expertise in the agricultural sciences and the kids who want to remain in and have an opportunity. I see it as serving a great purpose. We’ve worked well with Doctor Jackson over the years, and we wish him success.” 
    “It has been an honor to work with Sen. Paul during these past many years as we worked to advance our Commonwealth and Murray State University,” said Dr. Bob Jackson. “Importantly, we greatly appreciate the Senator’s support of a School of Veterinary Medicine at Murray State University which will have a major and lasting impact on agriculture in Kentucky.” 
    Under Dr. Jackson’s leadership, Murray State established an accredited school of veterinary medicine—a transformative achievement aimed squarely at addressing the severe shortage of large-animal veterinarians in rural Kentucky. This initiative has positioned Murray State as a leader in supporting Kentucky’s animal agriculture economy, equipping local students to serve farm communities and helping ensure the long-term viability of the state’s livestock industry. 
    Dr. Jackson will retire on June 30, 2025, and begin serving as President Emeritus on July 1. During the ceremony, he presented Senator Paul with a commemorative gift from Murray State to be displayed in the State office. 

    MIL OSI USA News –