Category: Education

MIL-Evening Report: ‘Do something about it before it gets worse’: young people want government action on gambling reform
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hannah Pitt, Senior Research Fellow – Institute for Health Transformation, Deakin University

David P. Smith/Shutterstock

Do something about it before it gets worse.

This was a response from a 16-year-old boy in one of our recent studies when asked what he would say to the prime minister about gambling in Australia.

This response is not uncommon.

Read more:
Gambling in Australia: how bad is the problem, who gets harmed most and where may we be heading?

Calls for action

Even before they can legally gamble at the age of 18, young people recognise the harms that the gambling industry (and those who profit from gambling, such as sporting codes) can cause to Australians.

And they are frustrated by a lack of government action to protect them from these harms.

They tell us that rather than prioritising the wellbeing of the community, the government is prioritising the profits of a harmful business.

Politicians are also hearing concerns about gambling from the young people they represent in their communities.

Urging parliamentary action on gambling advertising, former Australian rugby captain and Independent ACT Senator David Pocock told parliament:

Talk to parents and young people. They’ll name all the gambling companies. They’ll be able to recite odds. They’ll talk about the odds for the upcoming games of their favourite teams. What I’m hearing from people here in the ACT that I represent is that this is not the direction they want to go in.

Gambling has become a costly pastime for many young Australians.

Starting young

For more than a decade, our team has been talking to young people and their parents about the normalisation of gambling in Australia. We have carried out multiple studies that show how pervasive marketing tactics are normalising gambling for young Australians.

Young people tell us they see innovative marketing strategies for different gambling products (including betting, lotteries and casinos) everywhere, including during family-friendly television shows, through watching and attending sport and even while walking down the street.

They increasingly see promotions on social media sites such as TikTok and Snapchat.

They can name multiple gambling brands from a young age, and think gambling gives you a reason to watch sport.

When asked why, they say gambling adds to the fun and excitement of the game. Some tell us they would be convinced to gamble if they got a good “deal” from a company.

Newer forms of app-based gambling also make it is easier for young people to gamble anywhere, anytime when they turn 18.

As an example, a young person couldn’t sit in a classroom and drink alcohol when they reach the legal age, but it is not unusual for young people to tell us that classmates use apps to bet on major events while at school.

Some researchers have also documented the extent to which young people gamble before the age of 18.

One study found 31% of 12- to 17-year-olds had ever gambled and 6% had gambled in the past month. They found 8% were at some level of risk of gambling harm.

It’s no wonder parents are worried.

Their concern about the risks of gambling are similar to their concerns about alcohol: 70% are at least somewhat concerned about the risks associated with gambling for their children, and 27.7% are extremely concerned.

They comment that gambling products are “highly accessible”, “attractive” and “in your face”.

When parents try to talk to their children about gambling, they say it is almost impossible to “get the message across” given the constant exposure to ads that their children see in their everyday lives. As one father told us:

It’s advertised to children every day of the week when they watch their favourite sport stars, so they think it’s normal.

It’s time to act

Government decisions about how to respond to the gambling industry will have a major impact on young people’s futures. But young people have rarely (if ever) been given an opportunity by the government to put forward their views.

Research shows when they are given the opportunity to comment on gambling policy (and gambling industry tactics), they carefully consider the issues. They are also able to use their own experiences to suggest strategies that would help protect them and other young people from gambling industry harm.

The United Nations states children have the right to be consulted about issues that matter to them and impact their futures. This includes strengthening engagement with children and young people, recognising their “agency, resilience and their positive contributions as agents of change”.

Young people have been central actors in the climate justice movement, and have been key stakeholders in initiatives to respond to the tactics of the junk food and tobacco industries.

While we talk a lot about the impact of the gambling industry on young people, governments rarely consult them about the policies that are needed to protect them from harm.

Yet their message to the government in our research is clear. They:
- are concerned about the influence of gambling marketing on the normalisation of gambling for young people, and its short and long-term impacts
- believe current restrictions aimed at protecting young people are ineffective
- are critical of the overwhelmingly positive messages about gambling they are exposed to, with very limited information about the risks and harms associated with the industry and its products.
The following comment from a 15-year-old sums it up best:

The wellbeing of the population is more important than the revenue that comes in from these sorts of businesses.

Dr Hannah Pitt has received funding from the Australian Research Council, Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation, VicHealth, NSW Office of Responsible Gambling, Department of Social Services, ACT Office of Gambling and Racing Commission, and Deakin University. She is currently a member of the Editorial Board of Health Promotion International.

Grace Arnot has received funding for gambling related research from the ACT Office of Gambling and Racing Commission, VicHealth, and Deakin University. Grace is currently a member of the Editorial Board of the journal Health Promotion International.

Professor Samantha Thomas has received funding for gambling and related research from the Australian Research Council, ACT Office of Gaming and Racing, Department of Social Services, VicHealth, Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation, Healthway, NSW Office of Responsible Gambling, Deakin University. She is currently Editor in Chief for Health Promotion International, an Oxford University Press journal. She receives an honorarium for this role.

Dr Simone McCarthy has received funding for gambling and related research from ACT Office of Gaming and Racing Commision, the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation, VicHealth, Department of Social Services, and Deakin University. She is currently a member of the Editorial Board of Health Promotion International.

– ref. ‘Do something about it before it gets worse’: young people want government action on gambling reform – https://theconversation.com/do-something-about-it-before-it-gets-worse-young-people-want-government-action-on-gambling-reform-251614
MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –
April 29, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: 1 billion years ago, a meteorite struck Scotland and influenced life on Earth

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chris Kirkland, Professor of Geochronology, Curtin University

Stoer Head lighthouse, Scotland. William Gale/Shutterstock

We’ve discovered that a meteorite struck northwest Scotland 1 billion years ago, 200 million years later than previously thought. Our results are published today in the journal Geology.

This impact now aligns with some of Earth’s earliest known, land based, non-marine microbial fossils, and offers new insights into how meteorite strikes may have shaped our planet’s environment and life.

A rocky treasure trove

The Torridonian rocks of northwest Scotland are treasured by geologists as some of the finest archives of the ancient lakes and river systems that existed a billion years ago.

Those water bodies were home to microbial ecosystems consisting of eukaryotes. Eukaryotes are single-celled organisms with complex internal structures that are the ancestors of all plants and animals.

But the Torridonian environments and their associated microbial communities were dramatically disrupted when a meteor slammed into the planet.

A drone’s-eye view of the Stac Fada Member reveals towering blocks of sandstone preserving a meteorite impact frozen in time. Look closely and you’ll spot figures for scale, dwarfed by the chaotic jumble of rock fragments encased in impact-smashed debris.
Tony Prave

The record of this event is preserved in a geological unit known as the Stac Fada Member. It is comprised of unusual layers of rock fragments broken and melted by the impact.

Also, crucially, there are shock-altered minerals that closely resemble those found in famous impact sites such as Chicxulub (Mexico) and Sudbury (Canada).

In the case of the Stac Fada, these minerals were engulfed in high-energy, ground-hugging flows of smashed rock triggered by the impact that spread across the ancient landscape.

What is exciting about our new date for the Stac Fada impact is that it now overlaps in age with microfossils preserved elsewhere in the Torridonian rocks.

This raises some interesting questions. For example, how did the meteorite strike influence the environmental conditions those early non-marine microbial ecosystems relied on?

Finding out the date

Determining when a meteorite struck is no easy task.

We can use minerals to constrain the age, but they have to be the right kind. In this case it means something that wasn’t overly altered by the intense heat, pressure and fluids generated by the impact, yet robust enough to survive the ravages of deep geological time.

Suitable minerals are extremely rare, but we found a few in the Stac Fada rocks. One was reidite, a mineral that only forms under extreme pressure. The other was granular zircon, a uranium-bearing mineral formed by immense impact temperatures.

Electron microscope image of a shocked zircon: blue is granular zircon, red is reidite formed under extreme pressure from a meteorite impact.
Timmons Erickson

These minerals are, in effect, tiny stopwatches whose clocks start “ticking” at the time they form. Although these clocks are often damaged during the impact and the ensuing pulse of heat, we used mathematical modelling to determine the most probable time of impact.

Together, these techniques consistently pointed to an event 1 billion years old, not 1.2 billion years old as previously suggested. Given such vast spans of time, a 20% change in age might not seem dramatic.

However, the new age shows the timing of the impact coincides with early non-marine eukaryotic fossils. It also lines up with a major mountain-building event. This means the Torridonian lifeforms had to cope with significant, environment-altering phenomena.

Why this is important for you, me, and life in general

The origin of life is a deeply complex process that likely began with a series of pre-biotic chemical reactions.

While much remains unknown, it is intriguing that two ancient meteorite impacts, the 3.5-billion-year-old North Pole impact in Western Australia and now the 1-billion-year-old Stac Fada deposit in northwest Scotland, occur close in time to major milestones in the fossil record.

The North Pole impact occurs in a sequence of rocks containing stromatolites, some of the oldest-known fossils considered to be indicative of microbial life.

These rippled layers in the Torridon rocks were built by ancient microbial communities, evidence of some of the earliest life on land.
Tony Prave

All life requires energy. The earliest forms of life are thought to be associated with volcanic hydrothermal springs. Impacts offer a plausible alternative. The immediate aftermath of a meteorite strike is extreme and hostile, and would ruin your day. But the long-term effects could support key biological processes.

Meteorite strikes fracture rocks, generate long-lived hydrothermal systems and form crater lakes that enable the concentration of important ingredients for life, such as clays, organic molecules and phosphorus. The latter is a key element for all forms of life.

In Scotland, the Stac Fada impact lies within an ancient river and lake environment that housed microbial ecosystems colonising the land. What makes the Stac Fada impact deposits fascinating is that, unlike most other impacts on Earth, they preserve the environments in which those pioneering organisms lived immediately prior to the impact.

Further, the impact deposits were subsequently buried as non-marine microbial habitats became reestablished. So, the Stac Fada rocks provide an opportunity to see how microbial life recovered from impact.

Extraterrestrial visitors in the form of meteorite collisions may not just have scarred Earth’s surface, but shaped its future, turning catastrophic events into natural crater-cradles of life.

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. 1 billion years ago, a meteorite struck Scotland and influenced life on Earth – https://theconversation.com/1-billion-years-ago-a-meteorite-struck-scotland-and-influenced-life-on-earth-254285

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

April 29, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Major survey finds most people use AI regularly at work – but almost half admit to doing so inappropriately
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicole Gillespie, Professor of Management; Chair in Trust, Melbourne Business School

Matheus Bertelli/Pexels

Have you ever used ChatGPT to draft a work email? Perhaps to summarise a report, research a topic or analyse data in a spreadsheet? If so, you certainly aren’t alone.

Artificial intelligence (AI) tools are rapidly transforming the world of work. Released today, our global study of more than 32,000 workers from 47 countries shows that 58% of employees intentionally use AI at work – with a third using it weekly or daily.

Most employees who use it say they’ve gained some real productivity and performance benefits from adopting AI tools.

However, a concerning number are using AI in highly risky ways – such as uploading sensitive information into public tools, relying on AI answers without checking them, and hiding their use of it.

There’s an urgent need for policies, training and governance on responsible use of AI, to ensure it enhances – not undermines – how work is done.

Our research

We surveyed 32,352 employees in 47 countries, covering all global geographical regions and occupational groups.

Most employees report performance benefits from AI adoption at work. These include improvements in:
- efficiency (67%)
- information access (61%)
- innovation (59%)
- work quality (58%).
These findings echo prior research demonstrating AI can drive productivity gains for employees and organisations.

We found general-purpose generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT, are by far the most widely used. About 70% of employees rely on free, public tools, rather than AI solutions provided by their employer (42%).

However, almost half the employees we surveyed who use AI say they have done so in ways that could be considered inappropriate (47%) and even more (63%) have seen other employees using AI inappropriately.

Most survey respondents use free, public AI tools, such as ChatGPT.
Tada Images/Shutterstock

Sensitive information

One key concern surrounding AI tools in the workplace is the handling of sensitive company information – such as financial, sales or customer information.

Nearly half (48%) of employees have uploaded sensitive company or customer information into public generative AI tools, and 44% admit to having used AI at work in ways that go against organisational policies.

This aligns with other research showing 27% of content put into AI tools by employees is sensitive.

Check your answer

We found complacent use of AI is also widespread, with 66% of respondents saying they have relied on AI output without evaluating it. It is unsurprising then that a majority (56%) have made mistakes in their work due to AI.

Younger employees (aged 18-34 years) are more likely to engage in inappropriate and complacent use than older employees (aged 35 or older).

This carries serious risks for organisations and employees. Such mistakes have already led to well-documented cases of financial loss, reputational damage and privacy breaches.

About a third (35%) of employees say the use of AI tools in their workplace has increased privacy and compliance risks.

‘Shadow’ AI use

When employees aren’t transparent about how they use AI, the risks become even more challenging to manage.

We found most employees have avoided revealing when they use AI (61%), presented AI-generated content as their own (55%), and used AI tools without knowing if it is allowed (66%).

This invisible or “shadow AI” use doesn’t just exacerbate risks – it also severely hampers an organisation’s ability to detect, manage and mitigate risks.

A lack of training, guidance and governance appears to be fuelling this complacent use. Despite their prevalence, only a third of employees (34%) say their organisation has a policy guiding the use of generative AI tools, with 6% saying their organisation bans it.

Pressure to adopt AI may also fuel complacent use, with half of employees fearing they will be left behind if they do not.

Almost half of respondents said they had uploaded company financial, sales or customer information into public AI tools.
Andrey_Popov/Shutterstock

Better literacy and oversight

Collectively, our findings reveal a significant gap in the governance of AI tools and an urgent need for organisations to guide and manage how employees use them in their everyday work. Addressing this will require a proactive and deliberate approach.

Investing in responsible AI training and developing employees’ AI literacy is key. Our modelling shows self-reported AI literacy – including training, knowledge, and efficacy – predicts not only whether employees adopt AI tools but also whether they critically engage with them.

This includes how well they verify the tools’ output, and consider their limitations before making decisions.

Training can improve how people engage with AI tools and critically evaluate their output.
PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock

We found AI literacy is also associated with greater trust in AI use at work and more performance benefits from its use.

Despite this, less than half of employees (47%) report having received AI training or related education.

Organisations also need to put in place clear policies, guidelines and guardrails, systems of accountability and oversight, and data privacy and security measures.

There are many resources to help organisations develop robust AI governance systems and support responsible AI use.

The right culture

On top of this, it’s crucial to create a psychologically safe work environment, where employees feel comfortable to share how and when they are using AI tools.

The benefits of such a culture go beyond better oversight and risk management. It is also central to developing a culture of shared learning and experimentation that supports responsible diffusion of AI use and innovation.

AI has the potential to improve the way we work. But it takes an AI-literate workforce, robust governance and clear guidance, and a culture that supports safe, transparent and accountable use. Without these elements, AI becomes just another unmanaged liability.

This research was supported by the Chair in Trust research partnership between the University of Melbourne and KPMG Australia and funding from KPMG International. The research was conducted independently by Professor Nicole Gillespie and Dr Steve Lockey and their research team at Melbourne Business School, The University of Melbourne, and published in collaboration with KPMG.

– ref. Major survey finds most people use AI regularly at work – but almost half admit to doing so inappropriately – https://theconversation.com/major-survey-finds-most-people-use-ai-regularly-at-work-but-almost-half-admit-to-doing-so-inappropriately-255405
MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –
April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Events – REPORTERS FACING MULTIPLE CHALLENGES COVERING THE CLIMATE EMERGENCY – AUT

Source: Auckland University of Technology (AUT)

The challenges faced by journalists covering the climate emergency will be at the heart of a public symposium at Auckland University of Technology (AUT) next month.

The symposium, titled Framing the Emergency: Climate Journalism in Aotearoa New Zealand, will explore how journalists report on the climate crisis, what more they can do, and how more climate stories might be told.

Speakers will include leading journalists Eloise Gibson (RNZ), Marc Daalder (Newsroom), and Miriama Kamo (TVNZ).

Experts and activists in the line-up include Russel Norman (Greenpeace), Jessica Palairet (Lawyers for Climate Action), and Joe Nagera (Pacific Climate Warriors).

The symposium convenor, Professor Geoffrey Craig, said New Zealand climate journalists had a challenging job relating how the planetary crisis was impacting the nation.

They needed to “traverse the complexities of governmental policies and emission trading schemes, the power of corporations and the technicality of scientific research”, he said.

“They must cover the politics of land and water management, the advocacy of activists, and the struggles of citizens responding to disasters and building greater sustainability in their communities and everyday lives.”

Journalists also face the challenge of reporting independently on the “actions and discourses of stakeholders” who frame climate issues in different ways, based on their interests.

The climate emergency could be said to transforming our understanding of the relationships between economy, environment and society.

“Yet some might argue there is little sense of an ’emergency’ in our public responses to the climate crisis,” he said.

“Do we need other climate stories in our media where the mahi and hope of communities point the way forward?”

Auckland University of Technology (AUT) is one of the world’s best modern universities. Home to 28,000 students across three campuses, AUT has more than 60 research centres and institutes delivering leading research – from artificial intelligence to robotics,
and ecology to public health. As a contemporary university, AUT is connected to an extraordinary range of organisations sharing expertise and resources, collaborating on ground-breaking research, and connecting students with industry leaders and employers.

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Government takes leaps forwards in driving up school standards
Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

Press release

Government takes leaps forwards in driving up school standards

New regional improvement teams expanded to reach more than 200 schools and 120,000 children to drive up standards across the country.
Thousands more children are set to benefit from the government’s flagship new school improvement teams, as the programme significantly ramps up this week.

The government’s RISE (Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence) teams are expanding their reach from an initial 32 schools, to more than 200 reaching over 120,000 children.

The drive comes as the government’s Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill progresses in the Lords this week, with new laws to put money back in parents’ pockets, keep children safe and bring every school up to the standard of the best.

RISE teams are backed by £20 million, and central to the government’s mission to drive up school standards for children in all corners of the country, as part of its Plan for Change.

Each RISE school could be eligible for support of up to £100,000 to help turn around the quality of education for children and young people.

This expansion goes hand in hand with a tripling of the government’s team of RISE advisers, with an additional 45 starting their work this week, bringing the total to 65.

Every adviser is an expert with a track record of improving schools, with the majority academy trust leaders, with advisers already hitting the ground running to drive up improvement in schools.

There are more than 600 ‘stuck’ schools in England that have received consecutive poor Ofsted judgements, and which are attended by more than 300,000 children.

Data shows that the schools RISE advisers are supporting, have spent an average of 6.6 years rated by Ofsted as below good or equivalent, amounting to a child spending their whole primary or secondary school years in an underperforming school.

Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson said:

No child should be spending precious days, let alone years, in schools that are underperforming.

Our new RISE teams, made up of the best of the best in school improvement, can be the spark that turns around the life chances of tens of thousands of children.

RISE teams have already hit the ground running, and as we deliver on our Plan for Change, I am determined to make sure we lift every school, for every child, up to the standard of the best.

Dozens of the schools have been stuck for more than six years and 42 for more than 11 years, reinforcing the need to secure swift improvement for children across the country.

As part of the bespoke improvement plans drawn up by the RISE advisers, working with the school’s responsible body, the first 32 ‘stuck’ schools have already started to be paired with supporting organisations, including high-quality multi-academy trusts, who will provide support and expertise to assist the schools on their improvement journeys.

Some of these supporting organisations include high-performing multi academy trusts who have years of experience working with the sector. Mulberry Schools Trust, L.E.A.D Academy Trust and the Northern Education Trust are a few of many trusts involved in supporting other schools.

Gaenor Bagley, Chair of Trustees and Dr Karen Roberts, CEO, The Kemnal Academies Trust, whose schools, are receiving RISE support said:

We would like to say, at this juncture and for the record, just how refreshing, different and positive the experience of working with the RISE advisers has been – it really does feel like a genuine partnership.

More widely teams will also work across all schools up and down the country providing a universal service, signposting to best practice and bringing schools together to share their knowledge and innovation, focusing on four national priorities: attainment, attendance, inclusion and reception year quality.

RISE adviser, Dr Herminder K Channa, Oasis Community Learning Regional Director, said:

I am deeply honoured to take on the RISE Adviser role, fully aware of the responsibility it carries. At its heart, RISE reflects a powerful truth: we are stronger when we stand together.

This policy unites us as a sector regardless of trust, local authority, faith or context with a shared commitment to ensure every child can achieve and thrive.

By championing collaboration over fragmentation and support over intervention, RISE unlocks the collective expertise across our system. Together, we can build a future where excellence is not the exception, but the expectation for every school, every teacher, and every child.

RISE adviser, Anita Cliff, Chief Executive Advisor, Manor Multi Academy Trust, said:

I’m privileged to serve as a Regional Improvement Adviser for Standards and Excellence with the Department for Education. This role gives me the opportunity to support schools across the region in removing barriers to achievement—helping to transform children’s life chances and ensure every child can thrive, regardless of background.

RISE adviser, Lee Mason-Ellis, Chief Executive, The Pioneer Academy, said:

RISE is a fantastic opportunity to work across and within our sector, in a collaborative way; to ensure that every child, no matter where they live, receives a good education in strong schools. Who wouldn’t want to be part of this amazing opportunity to improve life chances of our children, across the nation.

I firmly believe that RISE will bring the education sector together, working in partnership, in collaboration – together sharing and problem solving for the benefit of all children across the nation.

As a further commitment to support its ongoing engagement with the sector the Department for Education is also establishing a new RISE operational stakeholder group to advise on delivery to ensure views are reflected.

Share this page

The following links open in a new tab

Share on Facebook (opens in new tab)

Share on Twitter (opens in new tab)

Updates to this page

Published 29 April 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Budget 2025: The Growth Budget

Source: New Zealand Government

Tēna koutou kātoa. Greetings everyone. Can I thank you Malcolm for that kind introduction and thank everyone who has taken the time to be here today. My special thanks go to our hosts Metco Engineering and the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce.
Let me also acknowledge my colleagues who join us today – your local MP and my Associate Minister of Finance the Hon Chris Bishop, together with the Minister of Education the Hon Erica Stanford.
This factory is a bit of a different setting than the conference centre or ballroom Ministers typically use for a pre-Budget speech. Why?
Because places like this are the engine room of the New Zealand economy.
Our Government knows that to speed up the economic recovery New Zealanders need we have to get this growth engine cranking.
I appreciate that economic growth can be a bit of an abstract concept: the work that happens on this factory floor is what it’s all about.
The workers at Metco solve problems, coming up with new products and manufacturing processes for a range of industries. They design and create clever components for customers around the world – producing everything from window stays through to bus stops.
Metco has grown successfully by making investments in its own machinery and technology and by hiring and up-skilling great people who come up with innovative ideas and then make them happen.
The growth of businesses like MetCo, and indeed of all the businesses represented in this room today, has created good jobs and livelihoods for the people of the Hutt Valley community.
It’s also allowed your businesses to make healthy tax contributions, which helps fund the Government’s investment in health services, schools, vital infrastructure and other important public spending.
Thank you for that contribution, we don’t take it for granted.
New Zealand needs more success stories like MetCo: Your growth is what’s needed to deliver the kind of country we all want: with better living standards, better job opportunities and more financially secure families.
That’s why our Government is going for growth.
Earlier this year we released a snapshot of the work we have underway to support this growth agenda. Going for Growth sets out 87 specific actions we are taking under five key themes:

Developing talent
Competitive business settings
Innovation, technology and science
Overseas investment and trade
Infrastructure for growth

I encourage you to check out the plan and the work underway. There’s more to come.
For today though, I’m going to switch out of my Economic Growth hat and into my Minister of Finance hat and focus my remarks on this year’s Budget.
The Context for Budget 2025
The Government’s growth ambition has been front and centre as we’ve put the Budget together.
We know that global uncertainty is challenging for many of you and we’re determined our Budget will play a role in giving you confidence for the future.
But let me be blunt: it’s not the easiest time to be putting together a Budget.
New Zealand is still recovering from the economic damage inflicted during the Covid period and we’re now facing the headwinds of further global instability.
There is a pressing need for greater investments in our health system, our education system, our defence force and other areas, and very little money to pay for those investments.
Our Government is also acutely conscious of the challenging economic circumstances many New Zealanders have experienced in the past few years as we’ve emerged from a period of very high inflation and rapidly rising interest rates.
The pain is still rippling through our communities. Kiwis feel it in the higher prices they still pay for almost everything, in higher levels of unemployment and in struggling local businesses. The cost of living remains a top-of-mind concern.
The good news is that, despite significant global challenges, a steady economic recovery is now taking place here, with export-led growth gathering strength, business confidence coming off its lows and the primary sector benefiting from higher commodity prices and mostly favourable growing conditions.
Having considered everything happening around the world, the Treasury is continuing to forecast accelerating growth in the New Zealand economy over the coming year, with falling unemployment forecast to follow in the second half of the year.
There’s no magic wand to wish away the price rises baked in over recent years, but getting inflation and interest rates under control has been essential to achieving this economic recovery.
That’s why I always take pause to celebrate that since our Government came to office inflation has returned to normal levels, resulting in a 200 basis point reduction in interest rates.
We must not take this progress for granted.
While some pretend we can fix all the post-Covid damage with yet more extravagant government spending, the economic truth is that they are wrong.
The only way to sustainably overcome cost of living pressures is through successive years of stable inflation, careful investment and sustained economic growth.
Our Government is committed to the responsible fiscal management and growth supporting policies needed to make that happen.
Debt, deficit and the path out
An important part of that effort is getting our own books in order. That’s a big task.
The previous Government’s spending decisions during and after Covid have left New Zealand with a sea of debt and red-ink in the government finances.
Government debt leapt up by almost $120 billion between 2019 and 2024, soaring from under $58 billion to $175 billion.
Those are big numbers, almost too big to comprehend, so let me explain it this way: That amounts to $22,000 more in debt for every New Zealander.
You may well ask: what do we have to show for all that debt?
To give you some further historical context, New Zealand’s net core Crown debt, which once hovered between five and 25 per cent of GDP, rose to around 42 per cent last year. That’s the highest level of government debt New Zealand has shouldered since the mid-1990s.
Servicing that debt is expensive.
The interest bill on government debt has soared from $3.6 billion in 2014 to $8.9 billion last year. That sum is more than annual core Crown expenses for the Police, Corrections, the Ministry of Justice, Customs and the Defence Force combined.
Our Government’s goal is to put net core Crown debt on a downward trajectory towards 40 per cent of GDP and in the longer term keep it below that percentage.
Why? Because allowing debt to keep spiralling would threaten the livelihood of every New Zealander.
We must ensure our country is financially strong and resilient enough to effectively respond to whatever the future may throw: be it earthquakes, extreme climatic events, biosecurity incursions or whatever. We need the world to keep seeing us as a good country to invest in and lend to. Manageable debt levels are an essential foundation for a strong economy and for your financial future.
Achieving lower debt levels isn’t easy: especially because the government books remain out of balance.
The post-Covid ‘structural deficit’ has left a big gap between what the country needs to fund to deliver on the spending commitments previous Budgets have made and what we need to earn to pay for that spending.
The Government is currently borrowing billions to bridge the gap.
Every Thursday afternoon, New Zealand Debt Management issues around $500 million of Government bonds. Some of this is to that roll over existing bonds that have expired, but large chunks of it are for new borrowing.
That level of borrowing obviously can’t go on forever, or else our kids and grandkids will be left with unsustainable debt and considerable economic uncertainty.
Most of you can probably relate to this if you think about your own household budget: sure, sensible borrowing has its place, but no overdraft can be extended forever, and while you can keep giving the credit card a hammering, left unpaid, it does, eventually, get declined.
It’s worth bearing this in mind next time somebody tries to suggest to you that the New Zealand Government needs to spend more on something.
The second question always needs to be: but how will we pay for it?
Our Government’s strategy is to reduce the deficit over time, through a gradual programme of consolidation and careful spending choices.
We are committed to maintaining stability for New Zealanders, by continuing to invest in essential frontline services, infrastructure for growth and social supports like superannuation.
But delivering those things requires us to make careful choices about what we spend elsewhere.
That’s why we’ve committed ourselves to ongoing reprioritisation and fiscal restraint. It isn’t easy, but it is essential.
Believe me, I’d rather we were in clover, with money to spend on all the good ideas we hear. But the reality is that we are governing in tighter times.
Economic growth is essential to our fiscal repair job. It’s simply the most effective way to raise government revenue, and to give us better choices for the future.
Some have suggested a different approach. They say New Zealand should seek to close the deficit by simply adding more and higher rates of taxes to Kiwis’ wages, savings, wealth or capital.
We reject that approach.
Punishing Kiwis with higher taxes right now would undermine our recovery, strangle growth and threaten the economic stability New Zealand needs.
It would pull the rug out from all those businesses and industries who are already just hanging on. And it would send an exodus of Kiwi talent and wealth to Australia and beyond.
It would be exactly the wrong recipe for a country whose future prospects depend on investment and growth.
Changes in the economic and fiscal outlook since HYEFU
The Treasury’s last set of economic forecasts was presented at the Half Year Update in December.
As you know, the global economic outlook has worsened considerably since that update.
Tarriff announcements by the US government, countervailing tariffs being imposed by China and an uncertain path for future tariffs and exemptions have created volatile global economic conditions with forecasters around the world agreeing that global growth will be lower this year and next year than they were previously predicting.
New Zealand can’t escape the fallout.
Accordingly, Treasury has adjusted the forecasts it presented in December, reducing their assumptions of real GDP growth in New Zealand in 2025 and 2026.
New Zealand’s economy will still be growing, but not as fast as forecast a few months ago.
That lower growth trajectory has an inevitable impact on the government books, reducing revenue and threatening our already difficult return to surplus and debt reduction.
At the same time, it’s clear that the country’s need for investment has not lessened: whether it be in the infrastructure we need for a more productive future, the funding needed to meet pressures in our health service and education system; or the need to rebuild our defence capability to meet the challenges of a less stable world.
On top of all of that, it’s also the case that New Zealand’s long-term productivity and savings challenges haven’t gone away.
So there’s a huge amount to juggle in this year’s Budget.
How has the Government managed these challenges?
We started with that question that I suggested to you earlier: How do we pay for the things we need now without putting our future economic stability at risk?
Our approach has been threefold.
First, there has been a very high bar for new initiatives in the Budget. I can confirm today that there will be no lolly scramble in Budget 2025. New spending initiatives are strictly limited to the most important priorities: our focus has been on health, education, law and order, defence, and a small number of critical social investments. We have also found room for modest measures to support business growth and to provide some carefully targeted cost of living relief.
Second, beyond a small number of exceptions, government departments are not receiving additional funding in the Budget. We expect government agencies to adjust themselves to New Zealand’s limited fiscal means. This will require restraint in public sector wage increases and an ongoing commitment to getting more impact out of every dollar spent.
Third, we have undertaken a significant savings drive.
That effort has involved Ministers identifying areas of previously committed spending that can no longer be justified in light of the challenging circumstances New Zealand now faces.
We’ve analysed spending decisions made by previous governments and re-evaluated them in the context of today’s constraints. This has involved a line-by-line review of previous funding commitments, including money put aside in contingency.
This reprioritisation exercise has required careful consideration and some tough, but necessary, choices.
At every step, we’ve asked ourselves two questions:

Can these dollars be justified when we are borrowing to pay for them?
Can we be sure these dollars will do more good in this area than if invested in our most pressing priorities – like funding essential health services, better educating our kids, defending New Zealand’s security or ensuring our future growth?

Taken together, the Government’s savings drive has freed-up billions of dollars. Those savings will now be re-deployed to fund New Zealand’s most pressing priorities.
Sticking to the fiscal strategy
In this year’s Budget we’ve also had to carefully consider whether, in light of major global economic events, our fiscal strategy still remains achievable.
The strategy is focused on two key goals: putting net debt on a downward trajectory and returning the books to an OBEGALx surplus by 2028.
This strategy matters, it matters for getting the books back in order and that’s about more than a set of numbers. It’s about keeping interest rates lower and providing a solid platform for future growth. It’s about ensuring New Zealand continues to be seen as a stable, reliable place to invest in and lend to. It’s about making sure we don’t leave our kids and grandkids with debts they just can’t repay.
At our last update in December – well before President Trump’s “Liberation Day” – we were expecting a small surplus in 2029, and it remained our intention to returning it a year earlier if possible.
I can confirm that our Government remains committed to those goals.
Sticking to them has required some careful adjustments in this year’s Budget.
The key change we have made is to the size of this year’s “operating allowance” – that is the amount of money put aside for new spending.
At the Half Year Update, the Treasury forecast that the “allowance” in Budget 2025 would be $2.4 billion.
That was always a small envelope. However, as I outlined earlier, our approach has been to supplement our new spending by reprioritising funds from elsewhere.
I am confirming today that the Government has reduced the size of our Budget 2025 operating allowance to $1.3 billion.
This means we will be spending billions less over the forecast period than would have otherwise been the case. This will reduce the amount of extra borrowing our country needs to do over the next few years and it will keep us on track towards balanced books and debt reduction.
The fiscal forecasts will not be finalised until later this week, but according to the latest numbers I have seen, this smaller operating allowance means we will continue to forecast a surplus in 2029.
The reality of global economic events is that if we’d pushed on with a larger operating allowance then we would be staring down the barrel of even bigger deficits and debt.
Let me emphasise once again: our Budget will still deliver increased investment in the things that really matter to Kiwis: like health, education, law and order, the defence force, business growth and targeted cost of living relief. Those things are important to you and they’re important to our Government.
Our careful reprioritisation approach means we can continue to make progress on today’s priorities while ensuring we are better positioned to face the challenges tomorrow will bring.
Yes, those challenges loom large.
But let’s get real: global instability may not be a passing trend. New Zealand can’t expect to keep borrowing as much as we are now. The world doesn’t owe us any favours.
This is not the time to kick the can down the road.
We must act now to secure our financial future.

Conclusion
In conclusion, Budget 2025 takes place against a difficult global backdrop.
We can’t wish that away. What we can do is focus on the things in our control.
Our Government is doing just that, by providing a predictable, steady approach to economic and fiscal management.
In an unstable world we are staying the course with responsible policies that provide stability, support investment and make New Zealand an attractive place for the world to trade and do business with.
These sensible policy approaches are the base from which we will deliver better choices and investments in the years ahead.
With those basics in place, there is much for Kiwi businesses to feel optimistic about.
New Zealand has enormous economic growth potential.
We are a safe, secure country with a growing constellation of free trade agreements and a global reputation as a good place to do business.
We are blessed with abundant natural resources – everything from ocean to freshwater, fertile land and temperate weather to abundant minerals.
In a world worried about food security, we feed more than 40 million people with levels of efficiency and sustainability that are the envy of many.
We have a long history of stable democracy, strong institutions and rule of law.
We’ve delivered scientific breakthroughs and global success stories and we will continue to do so. As I stand here today, we are world leaders in sending rocket to space – rockets that include components made right here in this factory.
Fundamentally, I’m optimistic about New Zealand’s economic future because I have faith in you: the New Zealanders who get out of bed each morning and go and make things happen.
I’m optimistic because I see how hard Kiwis work. I see how much effort Kiwi parents go to for their kids. I see how much employers and workers care about their communities. We are a smart, innovative, resilient people.
The next decade can be our decade. That requires good and steady government and careful spending choices. This year’s Budget will not be a lolly scramble. What this Budget will be is a responsible Budget that secures New Zealand’s future.

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Greasing the wheels of the energy transition to address climate change and fossil fuels phase out

Source:

29 April 2025

The global energy system may be faced with an inescapable trade-off between urgently addressing climate change versus avoiding an energy shortfall, according to a new energy scenario tool developed by University of South Australia researchers and published in the open access journal Energies.

The Global Renewable Energy and Sectoral Electrification model, dubbed ‘GREaSE’, has been developed by UniSA Associate Professor James Hopeward with three civil engineering graduates.

‘In essence, it’s an exploratory tool, designed to be simple and easy for anyone to use, to test what-if scenarios that aren’t covered by conventional energy and climate models,’ Assoc Prof Hopeward says.

Three Honours students – Shannon O’Connor, Richard Davis and Peter Akiki – started working on the model in 2023, hoping to answer a critical gap in the energy and climate debate.

‘When we hear about climate change, we’re typically presented with two opposing scenario archetypes,’ Assoc Prof Hopeward says.

“On the one hand, there are scenarios of unchecked growth in fossil fuels, leading to climate disaster, while on the other hand there are utopian scenarios of renewable energy abundance.”

The students posed the question: what if the more likely reality is somewhere in between the two extremes? And if it is, what might we be missing in terms of risks to people and the planet?

After graduating, the team continued to work with Assoc Prof Hopeward to develop and refine the model, culminating in the publication of ‘GREaSE’ in Energies.

Using the model, the researchers have simulated a range of plausible future scenarios including rapid curtailment of fossil fuels, high and low per-capita demand, and different scenarios of electrification.

According to Richard Davis, “a striking similarity across scenarios is the inevitable transition to renewable energy – whether it’s proactive to address carbon emissions, or reactive because fossil fuels start running short.”

But achieving the rapid cuts necessary to meet the 1.5°C targets set out in the Paris Agreement presents a serious challenge.

As Ms O’Connor points out, “even with today’s rapid expansion of renewable energy, the modelling suggests it can’t expand fast enough to fill the gap left by the phase-out of fossil fuels, creating a 20 to 30-year gap between demand and supply.

“By 2050 or so, we could potentially expect renewable supply to catch up, meaning future demand could largely be met by renewables, but while we’re building that new system, we might need to rebalance our expectations around how much energy we’re going to have to power our economies.”

The modelling does not show that emissions targets should be abandoned in favour of scaling up fossil fuels. The researchers say this would “push the transition a few more years down the road”.

Assoc Prof Hopeward says it is also unlikely that nuclear power could fill the gap, due to its small global potential.

“Even if the world’s recoverable uranium resources were much larger, it would scale up even more slowly than renewables like solar and wind,” he says.

“We have to face facts: our long-term energy future is dominated by renewables. We could transition now and take the hit in terms of energy supply, or we could transition later, once we’ve burned the last of the fossil fuel. We would still have to deal with essentially the same transformation, just in the midst of potentially catastrophic climate change.

“It’s a bit like being told by your doctor to eat healthier and start exercising. You’ve got the choice to avoid making the tough changes now, and just take your chances with surviving the heart attack later, or you get on with what you know you need to do. We would argue that we really need to put our global energy consumption on a diet, ASAP.”

The researchers have designed the model to be simple, free and open source, in the hope that it sparks a wider conversation around energy and climate futures.

Full paper details:

Hopeward, J., Davis, R., O’Connor, S. and Akiki, P. (2025) The Global Renewable Energy and Sectoral Electrification (GREaSE) Model for Rapid Energy Transition Scenarios, Energies 18(9). https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/9/2205

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Contact for interview: Assoc Prof James Hopeward
M: +61 408 819 175 E: james.hopeward@unisa.edu.au

Media contact: Candy Gibson
M: +61 434 605 142 E: candy.gibson@unisa.edu.au

MIL OSI News –

April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI: Granite Credit Union Foundation and the Granite School District Surprise 20 Educators with Classroom Grants

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

SALT LAKE CITY, April 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Earlier today, Granite Credit Union, its Foundation, and the Granite Education Foundation surprised 20 educators across the Granite School District with $350 classroom grants. These grants are designed to enhance students’ overall learning experience by funding innovative projects, music, SPED, STEM, STEAM, and other educational resources.

More than 320 applications were submitted by teachers throughout the district, demonstrating a remarkable commitment to creativity and student success. After a thorough review, 20 educators were selected and surprised to receive their checks during in-class presentations.

“At Granite Credit Union, we believe in the power of education to transform lives,” said Mary Woodard, President of the Granite Credit Union Foundation. “We are honored to support these outstanding teachers who go above and beyond every day to create engaging, dynamic learning environments for their students.”

Superintendent Ben Horsley of Granite School District praised the partnership and its impact. “We are incredibly grateful for the support from Granite Credit Union and the Granite Education Foundation,” said Horsley. “These grants provide our educators with meaningful resources to spark creativity, innovation, and excellence in the classroom.”

Granite Credit Union, the Granite Credit Union Foundation, and the Granite Education Foundation remain committed to supporting education and empowering teachers who inspire the next generation.

To learn more, please visit Granite Credit Union and Granite Education Foundation.

About Granite Credit Union
Founded in 1935, Granite Credit Union serves over 35,000 members and has over $800 million in assets. Committed to helping members achieve their financial goals, Granite Credit Union offers a variety of financial products and services, including competitive rates, flexible lending options, and personalized financial guidance. With a vision of “always there… so you can make life happen,” the credit union strives to empower members with the tools and support they need to succeed financially. Members enjoy access to secure mobile banking services, online tools, and personalized in-branch assistance at locations across Utah. Granite Credit Union is dedicated to positively impacting its communities through financial education, trusted relationships, and exceptional service. Granite Credit Union is always there… so you can make life happen. Learn more at granite.org.

Media Contact:
marketing@granite.org

The MIL Network –

April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: What Canada can learn from China on effectively engaging with Africa

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Isaac Odoom, Assistant Professor, Political Science, Carleton University

Canada’s recent launch of a new Africa Strategy comes at a moment of profound geopolitical change and growing shifts in global development co-operation.

As the western-led order and development model faces increasing scrutiny, countries like China are expanding their reach in Africa by linking development co-operation with commercial and strategic interests.

These approaches resonate with many African governments, while others raise concerns, prompting an important question: How well does Canada’s new strategy respond to these concerns?

Read more:
Canada’s Africa strategy is a landmark moment for Canada-Africa relations, but still needs work

Urgent need to diversify

Canada’s pivot toward deeper engagement with Africa is timely. With ongoing tariff threats from the United States and a tense relationship with China, the need to diversify economic partnerships has become urgent.

Africa’s fast-growing population, expanding middle class and continent-wide integration through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) offer real opportunities for commercial engagement.

While historic, Canada’s new Africa Strategy would benefit from a clearer alignment between Africa’s economic prospects and Canada’s domestic economic challenges, such as labour shortages and trade diversification. Without a stronger economic dimension, Canada risks being perceived as all talk and little commitment.

That said, Canada’s emphasis on “mutually beneficial partnerships” — echoing China’s language on Africa — is notable, especially as western donors pull back. However, without a coherent development focus, this principle may be viewed as transactional rather than strategic.

The strategy provides a foundation to build from, but it enters a competitive arena. To build meaningful partnerships in Africa, Canada will need a more focused approach grounded in robust market research, sharper priorities and an informed understanding of Africa’s political and economic realities as well as its geopolitical context.

As a researcher focused on Africa-China relations, I see important lessons Canada can draw from China’s engagement in Africa.

Cautious Canada vs. confident China

Over the past two decades, China has become Africa’s largest trading partner, with trade volumes reaching US$295 billion in 2024.

Backed by state financing, Chinese firms have built roads, ports, railways, dams and telecom infrastructure across the continent. This presence is no accident: for the past 30 years, every Chinese foreign minister’s first trip abroad has been to Africa.

Canada’s footprint, by contrast, remains modest. Canada’s merchandise trade with Africa was about $15 billion in 2024. Canada aspires to become a serious economic partner, but its commercial presence in Africa has been limited.

Notably, while China is often criticized in western media, its image in Africa is more positive. Many African leaders and citizens see China as a pragmatic partner that delivers visible infrastructure and investment.

China’s positioning as a fellow developing country also contrasts sharply with western models that often carry patronizing overtones. China’s readiness to finance large-scale projects in Africa with limited political strings attached has earned good will, even as concerns rightly persist about transparency, debt and governance.

Emphasizing Canada’s differences

Canada should take these dynamics seriously. The narrative of “countering China” in Africa, often promoted by western governments, is ineffective. It overlooks African agency, reduces the continent to a site of great power rivalry and fails to acknowledge that African governments are actively pursuing their choice of partners, instead of a single partner of choice.

Rather than compete with China, Canada can be different. While Chinese infrastructure projects often align with African priorities, my own work on Chinese engagement in Ghana’s energy projects shows that these projects are often negotiated behind closed doors, with few accountability mechanisms and scant transparency in financing. These gaps create space for Canada to offer a distinct and credible alternative.

Canada’s approach can be different, but it should be no less strategic. It may not match China in scale, but it can offer commercial partnerships rooted in transparency, accountability and collaboration with partners, including those from China.

Many African governments and civil society entities are calling for exactly this kind of engagement, particularly as citizens demand greater scrutiny over foreign investment. By focusing on responsible business practices, labour standards, environmental safeguards and good governance, Canada can develop a values-based model of economic engagement.

Despite this potential, Canada’s new Africa Strategy lacks financial commitment. Canada’s 2022 Indo-Pacific Strategy was backed by a $2.3 billion envelope. The Africa Strategy’s success will ultimately depend on its ability to mobilize concrete resources and sustained engagement.

The strategy rightly points to Africa’s economic potential, but stronger links to Canada’s domestic priorities, such as a workforce strategy, a trade road map and implementation tools, would enhance its impact.

References to the AfCFTA are promising, but Canadian businesses need clearer guidance and support. Realizing the strategy’s goals will require measurable targets, dedicated programming and sustained investment.

A different kind of engagement

Canada’s past engagement in Africa has been rooted in diplomacy, development co-operation and peacekeeping. These remain valuable, but today’s African leaders are also seeking trade, investment and private-sector partnerships.

To become a trusted economic partner, Canada should engage with purpose by introducing targeted financing tools — such as credit lines or investment guarantees — to help Canadian businesses manage risk and seize opportunities aligned with AfCFTA.

Read more:
African countries could unlock billions in local and global trade – what’s working and what’s not

It should also focus on strategic sectors where it already has strengths, like clean energy, health innovation, fintech, agri-business and infrastructure.

By investing in robust research and in dialogue with the African diaspora, business leaders and governance institutions, Canada strengthens commercial ties while prioritizing transparency, accountability and collaboration. Co-operation in innovation (for example, joint research on climate-smart agriculture or vaccines) could also yield benefits for both sides.

In an increasing multipolar environment, Africa is not waiting for Canada. It’s assessing and comparing competing external partners. Canada’s ability to position itself as a viable alternative depends not on replicating China’s scale, but on seeing Africa as a true partner and offering mutual partnerships that appeal to Africans and Canadian alike.

The new Africa Strategy sets an important tone for renewed engagement, but its success will depend on real investment and implementation, which so far lacks dedicated funding. Filling these gaps should be the next step, regardless of who wins Monday’s election.

Isaac Odoom 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. What Canada can learn from China on effectively engaging with Africa – https://theconversation.com/what-canada-can-learn-from-china-on-effectively-engaging-with-africa-252894

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Georgia’s 11th Congressional District Art Competition Winners Announced – U.S. Representative Barry Loudermilk

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Barry Loudermilk (R-GA)

First Place winner Alberto Garcia Melchor (left) and Congressmay Barry Loudermilk (right).

Washington D.C. (April 28, 2025) | Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-GA) issued the following statement to announce the winners of the 2025 Congressional Art Competition for Georgia’s 11th Congressional District. Alberto Garcia Melchor, who attends Gordon Central High School, won First Place for his entry entitled, Vanishing Stripes.

“The Congressional Art Competition is something I look forward to each year because I get to see the incredible artistic abilities of the students in our district. Having your artwork displayed in the halls of the U.S. Capitol is a great honor; and I look forward to seeing our winner’s artwork every time I walk through the Cannon tunnel to the House floor for votes. I appreciate all the students, teachers, judges, and parents who had a hand in making this year’s art competition one of the best ever.”

In the 2025 competition, a total of twenty-four entries were submitted from ten schools across Georgia’s 11th Congressional District.

2025 Congressional Art Competition Winners

First Place
Alberto Garcia Melchor
Art Piece: Vanishing Stripes
School: Gordon Central High School
Teacher: Kaitlyn Wood

Second Place
Erick Jaramillo
Art Piece: Que’ dijo?
School: Calhoun High School
Teacher: Kate Johnson

Honorable Mention
Luca Camay
Art Piece: Flathead Catfish
School: Walton High School
Teacher: Kathleen Petka

Honorable Mention
Liberty Carson
Art Piece: Lady Liberty
School: Homeschool Study Program
Teacher: Jennifer Tinsley

MIL OSI USA News –

April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: UConn Waterbury Joins Community to Dedicate The Neil O’Leary Building

Source: US State of Connecticut

A downtown Waterbury landmark has entered the next phase of its history as the new home of several UConn academic and research programs, complementing and expanding the wide range of offerings at the adjacent UConn Waterbury campus.

It also has a new name: The Neil O’Leary Building, honoring the former longtime Waterbury mayor who shepherded the 130-year-old Odd Fellows Hall from ruin to renaissance in partnership with UConn, local and state officials, and the building’s owners.

About 200 people, including scores of lifelong Waterbury residents, gathered last Thursday night at the building for the renaming and a ribbon-cutting event.

It included an open house and dedication ceremony with welcoming remarks from local and regional leaders including Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz, U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes, Waterbury Mayor Paul Pernerewski Jr., and several others.

“This is such an exciting time for UConn and our beautiful state, and this building is a testament to what’s possible,” Bysiewicz said of the six-story building, which had been unused and deteriorating for about 15 years before the restoration.

Lt Gov. Susan Bysiewicz speaks at the dedication of the newly renovated historic building (Steve Bustamante / University of Connecticut)

Green Hub Development III LLC purchased and renovated the landmark building through a public-private partnership, in which O’Leary was one of the most enthusiastic proponents. UConn is leasing about 26,300 square feet to expand the University’s offerings in nursing, allied health, and other programs.

Thursday night’s event celebrated not only UConn Waterbury’s growing downtown presence, but also O’Leary’s vision as the driving force in the rescue, restoration, and reuse of the once-crumbling historic structure.

“Mayor O’Leary recognized the potential of this structure when many considered it beyond saving,” said Fumiko Hoeft, UConn Waterbury’s dean and chief administrative officer.

“His vision – combined with the University’s leadership and strong partners – brought it back to life. Today, it stands ready to serve the community and generations of UConn students.”

Just a few years ago, O’Leary knew it might be a hard sell to convince others of the potential he’d long seen in the structure.

He laughed Thursday as he recalled shepherding UConn leaders through its dank, crumbling hallways – all wearing hard hats and face masks, led by flashlights, and carrying umbrellas to shield them from the rain that came in through the roof’s many holes.

Today, the building is pristine, bright, and welcoming.

It’s home to UConn’s clinic-style nursing and health care simulation rooms, research facilities, study lounges, office and administrative space, a spacious former banquet room, and other areas suitable for maker space, incubator studios, classes, and large gatherings.

The building also houses Access Rehab Centers, which held an open house during Thursday night’s event; and is home to the Waterbury Robotics Institute, a collaboration between UConn and Waterbury Public Schools.

Although speaker after speaker at Thursday night’s event lauded O’Leary, he said credit also goes to a wide range of partners that include Hoeft, UConn President Radenka Maric, UConn trustees Tom Ritter and Marilda Gandara, Waterbury’s current administration and legislative delegation, and many others.

“At the end of the day, what’s important is what we can do for the city’s and the state’s greatest assets – and that’s our students,” O’Leary said. “We must do everything in our power to support our rising students, and our partnership between our city and UConn is so strong.”

The six-story building, originally built for the local chapter of the International Order of Odd Fellows social group, is in a prime downtown location and dates to 1895.

UConn Waterbury Campus Dean Fumiko Hoeft (Steve Bustamante / University of Connecticut)

Its renovation was funded through a state grant to the City of Waterbury along with Green Hub’s private funding. It was modernized for today’s needs while retaining key elements of its history, including Venetian Gothic exterior features overlooking the Waterbury Green and the ornate ceiling in its former banquet hall.

UConn’s plan to expand its nursing education programs into the building is particularly noteworthy given the high demand in that profession, both statewide and specifically in Waterbury and the Naugatuck Valley region.

Maric, a frequent and enthusiastic visitor to UConn Waterbury, said Thursday night that the connections between the University and community go beyond the renovation of the Neil O’Leary Building.

“This is about vision, community, and unity … There’s something very special about this place, as a working-class community whose residents care deeply for each other,” Maric said.

The growth of UConn Waterbury’s campus and academic offerings also complements the UConn Strategic Plan, which includes ensuring that the campuses in Waterbury, Hartford, Stamford, and Avery Point offer signature programs that are destinations within UConn.

UConn’s Board of Trustees approved the expansion plans in 2023, which are part of a larger commitment to strengthen the University’s presence and partnerships in the Naugatuck Valley.

They include UConn’s deep involvement in the Waterbury Promise scholarship program, under which many dozens of Waterbury graduates are attending the University; and the establishment and growth of the allied health sciences major on the campus.

UConn Waterbury also prides itself on providing a tight-knit community that serves students’ individual needs while ensuring they can access world-class UConn programs in undergraduate and graduate-level fields that lead to strong, satisfying career paths.

UConn Waterbury’s new space in the Neil O’Leary Building will be ideal for serving current students while also advancing community partnerships with schools, the City of Waterbury, the regional business community, and other groups.

The 26,000 square feet of academic, research, and community space that UConn is leasing also provides resources for humanities and social sciences.

That includes the HACER Lab, a hub for humanistic inquiry, research, and pedagogy developed in collaboration with Waterbury students and community partners; the Ideas + Impact initiative; and other learning communities focused on social impact, sustainability, and health-related projects.

These facilities will be used by programs in nursing, allied health, psychological sciences, urban and community studies, humanities and social sciences, business, and community partnerships.

Former Waterbury Mayor Neil O’Leary. (Steve Bustamante / University of Connecticut)

Additionally, it will serve as the home for the Haskins Global Literacy Hub, a newly formed partnership between Yale, UConn Global Affairs, and UConn Waterbury focused on promoting education and conducting innovative research to enhance literacy globally.

The Odd Fellows Building has a rich history in the City of Waterbury, and its restoration and use by UConn carries strong emotional and economic significance to the area.

Built at a cost of $100,000 and said to be among the finest of its time in the region, the building’s opening in 1895 drew more than 5,000 members of the group from around the East Coast and was featured in the New York Times.

In fact, the opening was marked by a parade and the event was so important to the city that all factories and schools were closed for the day, and all business shut down at noon, according to another Times article.

A clothing store occupied the first floor for about its first five years in addition to the meeting rooms and social spaces used by the Odd Fellows and others on the higher floors. Later, the popular Grieve, Bissett & Holland department store was in the building from 1902 until the mid-1960s.

Pernerewski, who joked that his role as Waterbury’s current mayor includes many ribbon-cuttings at projects that O’Leary initiated during his tenure, said Thursday that the building’s revival is symbolic: Just as O’Leary envisioned a promising future for a crumbling building, that building now provides a promising future for those who will use it.

“Where others saw obstacles, Neil always saw potential. That’s exactly what he saw in this building: a structure that had seen better days, but which could be brought back to life and serve this community in a powerful way,” Pernerewski said.

“This building and all it’s going to bring to UConn Waterbury and to our city is a reflection of Neil’s vision for Waterbury: bold, hopeful, and committed to progress.”

MIL OSI USA News –

April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Kennedy announces $7 million in Hurricane Ida aid for southeast Louisiana
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator John Kennedy (Louisiana)

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced $7,044,721 in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grants for Louisiana disaster aid.

“Communities like Lafourche Parish, New Orleans and Dulac continue to deal with the impacts of Hurricane Ida today. This $7 million will help southeast Louisiana cover the costs of repairing key educational and recreational facilities,” said Kennedy.

The FEMA aid will fund the following:
- $4,262,342 to the Terrebonne Parish Recreation District #4 for repairs to the Grand Caillou Recreation Center Building in Dulac, La. resulting from Hurricane Ida damage.
- $1,643,621 to the Academy of the Sacred Heart of New Orleans for repairs to the Mater Campus Education Building resulting from Hurricane Ida damage.
- $1,138,758 to the Lafourche Parish School Board for repairs to South Lafourche High School athletic facilities due to Hurricane Ida damage.
MIL OSI USA News –
April 29, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: ‘Complaining is career suicide’: the hidden mental health crisis turning our screen industry upside down

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Hegedus, Associate Professor, Griffith Film School, Griffith University

Shutterstock

The Australian screen industry is often associated with fun, creativity and perhaps even glamour. But our new Pressure Point Report reveals a more troubling reality: a pervasive mental health crisis, which could see the screen industry lose a significant number of workers in the near future.

The two-year study led by Griffith University found burnout levels mirroring those found among healthcare workers.

Of the 864 survey responses we analysed, 72% said the screen industry is not a mentally healthy place to work, 36% frequently considered quitting in the past six months, and 25% said they would likely quit within the next six months.

The human toll of creativity

Working in film and television industry has been glamourised, with many aspiring creatives willing to endure difficult conditions to be part of making screen magic.

In a fast-paced environment, where budgets and timelines are squeezed, half of the survey respondents reported facing constant unreasonable deadlines, and 57% described themselves as completely drained by the end of the day.

Even more alarming, 59% struggled with work-life balance, having “little to no life outside of work”, and 62% felt pressured to not claim basic entitlements such as sick leave or holiday pay.

As one participant told us:

I’ve missed birthdays, weddings, and my kid’s school events because of impossible deadlines that could have been managed better with proper planning.

Historically, the industry has relied on workers’ passion to offset poor conditions. However, we’re now seeing a breaking point where even the most dedicated professionals are questioning if it’s worth the personal cost.

A culture of silence

The concerning statistics from our study uncover an underlying culture of misconduct by both practitioners and supervisors. Almost half of respondents experienced bullying in the past year, while 35% encountered sexual harassment or discrimination.

More troubling still, 36% of victims never formally reported incidents. They feared career damage, or that nothing would be done.

One respondent confided:

after witnessing how others were treated when they spoke up, I decided to stay quiet about my own experiences. It feels like complaining is career suicide in this industry.

This response echoes many of the other voices we heard from. Such experiences can lead to a toxic cycle in which unchecked workplace behaviours further damage people’s mental health across the industry.

Inequality compounds the problem

Our research demonstrates the mental health burden falls disproportionately on already marginalised groups.

Women face higher rates of unmanageable workload (54% compared to 38% for men) and poorer work/life balance. They also reported sexual harassment at more than triple the rate of men.

LGBTQIA+ practitioners are significantly worse off, too. They experience elevated rates of depression and sleep issues.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, culturally and linguistically diverse practitioners, and those living with a disability also face significantly higher rates of negative experiences.

The highest rates of adverse interactions were experienced by neurodivergent professionals and those with pre-existing mental health conditions. Many of them told us that others routinely disregard their professional opinions.

Beyond ‘wellness workshops’

“This industry needs more than a quick fix — it needs real, lasting change,” one veteran crew member emphasised. “That means calling out toxic behaviour, backing workers with proper support, and creating fair conditions where people are treated with respect.”

Our study highlights that surface-level solutions, such as isolated mental health workshops, can’t address the industry’s systemic problems.

Three-quarters of industry workers reported needing mental health support specifically because of their work. We have also found deep flaws in how productions are structured – and a need for the entire industry to see film sets as workplaces just like any other.

Genuine structural change is needed to stop the talent drain currently facing the screen industry.

A wake-up call

We recently presented our findings at Mental Health Matters: A Screen Leaders’ Summit, to a number of screen industry leaders, from producers to screen funding agency representatives.

The summit discussed potential reform models from other high-stress industries, including the construction industry’s MATES program and the UK Film and TV Charity’s Whole Picture Toolkit.

Doing more for Australia’s screen industry matters, not just because it produces entertainment for us — but because it captures our national identity and gives us a global voice.

An exodus of talent would threaten both the quantity and quality of local content. Australia has worked hard to position itself as a global production hub, attracting major international projects and Hollywood blockbusters that create jobs and build expertise.

If nearly a quarter of the workforce exits, the industry would severely diminish its capacity to capitalise on these opportunities.

Peter Hegedus receives funding from Screen Queensland for developing and producing documentaries.

Bobbi-Lea Dionysius receives funding from Screen Queensland for developing and producing documentaries and VR projects. She is affiliated with Women in Film & TV (WIFT).

– ref. ‘Complaining is career suicide’: the hidden mental health crisis turning our screen industry upside down – https://theconversation.com/complaining-is-career-suicide-the-hidden-mental-health-crisis-turning-our-screen-industry-upside-down-254593

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

April 29, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Forming new habits can take longer than you think. Here are 8 tips to help you stick with them
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ben Singh, Research Fellow, Allied Health & Human Performance, University of South Australia

SarahMcEwan/Shutterstock

If you’ve ever tried to build a new habit – whether that’s exercising more, eating healthier, or going to bed earlier – you may have heard the popular claim that it only takes 21 days to form a habit.

It’s a neat idea. Short, encouraging and full of promise. But there’s just one problem: it’s not true.

The 21-day myth can be traced back to Maxwell Maltz, a plastic surgeon in the 1960s, who observed it took about three weeks for his patients to adjust to physical changes. This idea was later picked up and repeated in self-help books, eventually becoming accepted wisdom.

But as psychologists and behavioural scientists have since discovered, habit formation is much more complex.

How long does it really take?

A 2010 study followed volunteers trying to build simple routines – such as drinking water after breakfast or eating a daily piece of fruit – and found it took a median of 66 days for the behaviour to become automatic.

We recently reviewed several studies looking at how long it took people to form health-related habits. We found, on average, it took around two to five months.

Specifically, the studies that measured time to reach automaticity (when a behaviour becomes second nature) found that habit formation took between 59 and 154 days. Some people developed a habit in as few as four days. Others took nearly a year.

This wide range highlights that habit formation isn’t one-size-fits-all. It depends on what the behaviour is, how often it’s repeated, how complex it is, and who’s doing it.

Read more:
Here’s what happens in your brain when you’re trying to make or break a habit

What determines whether a habit will stick?

Habit strength plays a key role in consistency. A 2021 systematic review focused on physical activity and found the stronger the habit (meaning the more automatic and less effortful the behaviour felt) the more likely people were to exercise regularly.

It’s not entirely surprising that easy, low-effort behaviours such as drinking water or taking a daily vitamin tend to form faster than complex ones like training for a marathon.

But whatever the habit, research shows sticking to it is not just about boosting motivation or willpower. Interventions that actively support habit formation – through repetition, cues and structure – are much more effective for creating lasting change.

For example, programs that encourage people to schedule regular exercise at the same time each day, or apps that send reminders to drink water after every meal, help build habits by making the behaviour easier to repeat and harder to forget.

Small, everyday actions can grow into powerful routines.
areporter/Shutterstock

Our research, which drew on data from more than 2,600 people, showed habit-building interventions can make a real difference across a range of behaviours – from flossing and healthy eating to regular exercise.

But what stood out most was that even small, everyday actions can grow into powerful routines, when repeated consistently. It’s not about overhauling your life overnight, but about steadily reinforcing behaviours until they become second nature.

8 tips for building lasting habits

If you’re looking to build a new habit, here are some science-backed tips to help them stick:
1. Give it time. Aim for consistency over 60 days. It’s not about perfection – missing a day won’t reset the clock.
2. Make it easy. Start small. Choose a behaviour you can realistically repeat daily.
3. Attach your new habit to an existing routine. That is, make the new habit easier to remember by linking it to something you already do – such as flossing right before you brush your teeth.
4. Track your progress. Use a calendar or app to tick off each successful day.
5. Build in rewards, for example making a special coffee after a morning walk or watching an episode of your favourite show after a week of consistent workouts. Positive emotions help habits stick, so celebrate small wins.
6. Morning is best. Habits practised in the morning tend to form more reliably than those attempted at night. This may be because people typically have more motivation and fewer distractions earlier in the day, making it easier to stick to new routines before daily demands build up.
7. Personal choice boosts success. People are more likely to stick with habits they choose themselves.
8. Repetition in a stable context is key. Performing the same behaviour in the same situation (such as walking right after lunch each day) increases the chances it will become automatic.
Habits practised in the morning tend to form more reliably than those attempted at night.
Ground Picture/Shutterstock

Why the 21-day myth matters

Believing habits form in 21 days sets many people up to fail. When change doesn’t “click” within three weeks, it’s easy to feel like you’re doing something wrong. This can lead to frustration, guilt and giving up entirely.

By contrast, understanding the real timeline can help you stay motivated when things feel slow.

Evidence shows habit formation usually takes at least two months, and sometimes longer. But it also shows change is possible.

Our research and other evidence confirm that repeated, intentional actions in stable contexts really do become automatic. Over time, new behaviours can feel effortless and deeply ingrained.

So whether you’re trying to move more, eat better, or improve your sleep, the key isn’t speed – it’s consistency. Stick with it. With time, the habit will stick with you.

Ashleigh E. Smith receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council, the Medical Research Future Fund and a Dementia Australia Research Foundation Henry Brodaty Mid-Career Fellowship.

Ben Singh 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. Forming new habits can take longer than you think. Here are 8 tips to help you stick with them – https://theconversation.com/forming-new-habits-can-take-longer-than-you-think-here-are-8-tips-to-help-you-stick-with-them-255118
MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –
April 29, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Arsenic is everywhere – but new detection methods could help save lives

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Magdalena Wajrak, Senior Lecturer in Chemistry, Edith Cowan University

Arsenic is a nasty poison that once reigned as the ultimate weapon of deception. In the 18th century, it was the poison of choice for those wanting to kill their enemies and spouses, favoured for its undetectable nature and the way its symptoms mimicked common gastrointestinal issues like stomach pain, diarrhoea and vomiting.

One of the most famous deaths believed to be due to arsenic poisoning was that of French general Napoleon Bonaparte in 1821. While there’s still considerable controversy over the definite cause of Napoleon’s death, there is enough evidence that arsenic did at least contribute.

Analysis of Napoleon’s hair in 1961 found it contained more than ten times the normal concentrations of arsenic. The most likely source of exposure was from an arsenic compound used as a pigment in wallpapers in the 18th century.

Centuries later, arsenic is still widespread in the world, and causing major health problems. But thankfully scientists – including myself – are developing more effective ways of measuring arsenic to reduce the harm it causes to people.

A tasteless poison

Arsenic in its elemental state is a grey, brittle solid. Its nucleus has 33 protons and 42 neutrons, giving it similar chemical properties to phosphorus.

The elemental form of arsenic is actually non-toxic; it is the compounds of arsenic that are poisonous. Pure elements have a tendency to bond to other elements and form compounds, because this provides elements with more stability.

When arsenic combines with oxygen, it forms an extremely toxic compound called arsenic trioxide. Only 70mg of this odourless and tasteless compound is needed to kill an adult human.

When arsenic enters our bodies, it can have major impacts on DNA. Phosphorous is an essential component of the backbone of DNA, but arsenic can replace it. This can lead to genome instability and a higher risk of genetic mutations, which can ultimately increase the risk of developing cancer.

Arsenic also inhibits the enzymes necessary for bodily functions.

When arsenic is inhaled or ingested, it is rapidly distributed around the body. It initially remains in the liver before being stored in the kidneys, then the spleen and lungs. Our bodies are very clever, however, and have a process capable of removing very small amounts of arsenic through urine.

But that process takes time. So if you are exposed to high levels of arsenic, your body will not be able to eliminate it fast enough and damage will occur.

One of the most famous deaths believed to be due to arsenic poisoning was that of Napoleon Bonaparte.
Jacques-Louis David/Wikipedia

Arsenic is everywhere

The main environmental sources of arsenic are volcanoes and the erosion of mineral deposits. This can contaminate groundwater sources, as happened in Bangladesh where the building of tube wells for irrigation and drinking water from the mid 20th century onwards accidentally caused the “world’s worst mass poisoning”.

Human sources of arsenic in the environment are predominantly from smelters of copper, gold and iron ores. These smelters often use arsenic compounds such as copper arsenate to treat and preserve wood. They also use pesticides and antiparasitic chemicals, some of which contain arsenic.

We also find very small amounts of arsenic compounds in LED lights and in bronze.

The most common sources of exposure to arsenic are from cigarettes and food products. Foods grown in arsenic-contaminated soil or exposed to contaminated water will absorb arsenic.

For example, rice is very susceptible to absorbing elements from soil and water, so can contain high levels of arsenic if grown in contaminated areas. However, rice is generally safe to eat and rinsing it removes most of the arsenic it might have absorbed.

Groundwater in Bangladesh is heavily contaminated with arsenic, posing a major public health risk.
HM Shahidul Islam/Shutterstock

Detecting arsenic

Being able to detect and monitor arsenic concentrations in our environment and in our bodies is important for our health.

However, common analytical techniques for arsenic detection are laboratory-based and require complicated infrastructure – such as constant access to argon gas to produce a plasma – and a specifically trained chemist or lab technician.

Thankfully scientists are developing new techniques. These are not only reliable and accurate, but highly portable and simple enough to be used outside laboratories to test for arsenic in environmental, biological and industrial samples.

One of these is an electrochemical technique, known as “anodic stripping voltammetry”.

This technique can detect trace amounts of arsenic. It works by measuring the minute electric current produced by the poison. The amount of current produced is directly proportional to the concentration of arsenic in the sample.

Being able to quickly, simply and accurately detect arsenic in, say, drinking water, could reduce people’s exposure to it. In turn, this would help reduce the likelihood of future health problems, such as skin cancers.

It is impossible to eliminate arsenic from our environment. So constant monitoring of arsenic levels in the environment and food products is the best way to reduce our exposure to this notorious poison.

Magdalena Wajrak 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. Arsenic is everywhere – but new detection methods could help save lives – https://theconversation.com/arsenic-is-everywhere-but-new-detection-methods-could-help-save-lives-248547

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: The IMF to Hold the Inaugural Annual Economic Research Conference on Middle East and North Africa (MENA)

Source: IMF – News in Russian

April 28, 2025

Washington, DC: Jihad Azour, Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department and Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas, Economic Counsellor and Director of the Research Department of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) issued a statement today:

“Global shocks are adding to regional factors resulting in exceptionally uncertain economic environment for Middle East and North Africa (MENA) economies. Conflicts, trade tensions, volatile commodity prices, changing climate conditions, energy transitions, rapid technological advances are altering the economic landscape of the region, posing severe challenges but also presenting opportunities for bold reforms that safeguard macroeconomic stability, build resilience, and raise living standards for all. Economic research is essential to provide reliable analysis and develop workable and innovative policy responses.

“In this context, we are pleased to announce that the IMF will organize an annual Economic Research Conference on MENA, partnering with leading universities in the region. The aim is to establish a forum for dialogue on pressing economic issues, promote policy-oriented academic research tailored to the needs and unique challenges of the region. It will also provide a platform for the exchange of ideas and insights for academics, researchers, and policymakers in the MENA region and worldwide.

“The inaugural conference, Steering Macroeconomic and Structural Policies in A Shifting Global Economic Landscape, will be co-organized with Onsi Sawiris School of Business at The American University in Cairo and take place in Cairo on May 18-19, 2025. It will feature presentations and panel discussions by leading economists and policymakers. The conference details and agenda are available here.

“The IMF is a long-standing partner to countries in the MENA region in the quest for more inclusive and resilient growth. The IMF-MENA Annual Research Conference is another step forward to further strengthen that partnership and engagement with the region and its people.”

IMF Communications Department

MEDIA RELATIONS

PRESS OFFICER: Angham Al Shami

Phone: +1 202 623-7100Email: MEDIA@IMF.org

@IMFSpokesperson

https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2025/04/28/pr-25125-imf-to-hold-inaugural-ann-economic-research-conf-on-middle-east-and-north-africa

MIL OSI

MIL OSI Russia News –

April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Sorensen Announces Nearly $1 Million for Monmouth College to Grow STEM Workforce Pipeline

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17)

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17) applauded the recent announcement of a $999,764 federal grant awarded to Monmouth College to fund scholarships for low-income students interested in pursuing a science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) degree. The funding will help prepare students for careers in high-paying STEM jobs.

“The best way to grow our economy and create good-paying jobs is to ensure we prepare our next generation with the tools necessary to succeed in a competitive world,” said Congressman Sorensen. “This funding will ensure that everyone – no matter their financial situation – has a chance to pursue a high-paying career in a STEM field.”

Congressman Sorensen has championed efforts to help colleges and universities across Illinois’ 17th district secure federal funding to boost their STEM programs, allowing many more Illinois students to graduate with a degree in a STEM field that prepares them for a high-paying job. In 2023, he announced $4.5 million in federal grant funding to support efforts to create STEAM talent development strategies. Last year, he supported a $15 million project to help Illinois State University build a new STEM/Science Lab building.

MIL OSI USA News –

April 29, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: New survey shows business outlook is weakening and uncertainty rising as the trade war bites

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Simon, Adjunct Fellow in Economics, Macquarie University

Vivid Brands/Shutterstock

Uncertainty is everywhere these days.

There is even uncertainty about the uncertainty.

The Reserve Bank of Australia, for example, noted in the minutes from its April 1 meeting:

The most significant development in the period leading up to the meeting had been the significant rise in uncertainty about global trade policy, although the effect of this on sentiment and economic developments in Australia was not yet clear.

A new monthly business survey, developed by a team of researchers at Macquarie University, the Business Outlook Scenarios Survey (BOSS), provides some clarity.

A key feature of the survey, which distinguishes it from other business surveys, is its focus on uncertainty about the future, not just expectations about the most likely outcome.

The most recent survey was conducted between April 10–17, after the announcement of the US “liberation day” tariffs on April 2. The results are concerning, but not yet alarming.

Big rise in uncertainty

The results suggest there has been a significant increase in business uncertainty stemming from the tariff and geopolitical tensions.

Our survey asks roughly 500 Australian businesses about their expectations for, and perceptions of uncertainty about, key business and macroeconomic conditions.

Running since June 2024, it tracks a sample that is representative of Australian businesses. It surveys key decision makers, such as chief financial officers and business owners, who have a detailed knowledge of their own business, and a general knowledge of the broader economy.

The jump in uncertainty is leading to an increase in pessimistic views about businesses’ prospects. Moreover, these expectations are surrounded by elevated uncertainty.

While this has yet to translate into plans to reduce employment and investment, businesses on average expect their costs will rise, and plan to counter the effect through increasing prices.

More importantly, uncertainty generally leads people to defer decisions, and we see evidence of that in the April survey. Firms on average are not expecting to reduce investment or employment – but neither are they planning on increasing it.

Inflation worries are off the boil

When asked about the main source of uncertainty over the next 12 months, businesses used to point to inflation. In June 2024, more than 65% of businesses cited inflation as the main source of business uncertainty. While this is still a significant concern, it has fallen to 48% of respondents.

More dramatically, however, geopolitical risk and tariffs combined were nominated by 52% of businesses in April as one of the main sources of uncertainty. This is up from about 20% of firms in June last year.

This global uncertainty is translating into uncertainty about individual business conditions. There is an increase in the percentage of businesses that expect deteriorating conditions for their business. And there is also an increase in uncertainty about the likely outcomes for their industry conditions, product demand, and access to credit and business inputs.

Risks for hiring and investment

While deteriorating expectations are a source of concern, the rise in uncertainty is like a one-two punch. Businesses that are uncertain about the future will stop hiring or investing until they have a better idea of what the future holds.

Indeed, during the Great Depression in the 1930s, uncertainty about the future exacerbated the initial downturn and helped turn it from a recession into a depression. This paralysing uncertainty is what led US President Franklin D. Roosevelt to utter the famous line “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”

While the situation in Australia is not nearly that dire, you can see the consequences of the uncertainty in businesses’ expectations for both their own businesses and the economy more generally.

In light of the tariff tensions, the majority of businesses are adopting a “wait and see” approach and expect to keep employment and investment unchanged in the next 12 months. The majority (62%) also expect their costs will be higher and, consequently, that they will have to raise their prices.

What it means for the RBA

Most businesses surveyed also anticipate higher inflation and lower economic growth in Australia. That is, stagflation.

This has important consequences for the next Reserve Bank board meeting in May.

The March quarter consumer price index, to be released on April 30, is unlikely to show the effects of the trade tensions. But monetary policy needs to be set in a forward-looking manner. That means business expectations of higher costs, prices and inflation over the next 12 months could argue for higher interest rates than otherwise.

Complicating the picture is the expectation of slower economic growth, which would usually argue for lower interest rates.

On balance, the majority of businesses surveyed in April expect the Reserve Bank to lower the cash rate in response to the trade war.

Regardless, what is undeniable is that uncertainty has increased in the last few months. And that means that policymakers need to deal with the uncertainty itself. Slightly lower interest rates or a little extra government spending cannot, of themselves, overcome the paralysing effects of uncertainty.

As such, the Reserve Bank and the government need to talk about not just their central expectations, but their strategy for dealing with the uncertainty around those expectations.

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. New survey shows business outlook is weakening and uncertainty rising as the trade war bites – https://theconversation.com/new-survey-shows-business-outlook-is-weakening-and-uncertainty-rising-as-the-trade-war-bites-255101

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

April 29, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Here’s how to make your backyard safer and cooler next summer
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Pui Kwan Cheung, Research Fellow in Urban Microclimates, The University of Melbourne

Varavin88, Shutterstock

Our backyards should be safe and inviting spaces all year round, including during the summer months.

But the choices we make about garden design and maintenance, such as whether to have artificial turf or real grass for a lawn, can have serious consequences. Children, elderly people and pets are particularly susceptible to burns from contact with artificial turf on a hot day.

Watering your lawn or planting a shady tree can also dramatically change how hot your backyard feels in summer. Ultimately, these factors will influence how much time you and your family spend outside.

No matter where in the world you live, it is never too late to find out how to make your backyard safer and cooler next summer.

The case against artificial turf

Artificial turf or synthetic grass, commonly used on sports fields, has become popular in private outdoor spaces such as backyards.

People may think it’s cheaper and easier to maintain than real turf. Perhaps they like the idea of saving water and having the look of lawn without the hassle of mowing and fertilising it.

But this type of plastic surface is known to become very hot on a sunny day.

We wanted to find out just how hot artificial turf can get in a suburban backyard over summer.

So we set up an experiment to compare the temperatures of artificial turf, dry natural turf, and watered natural turf in Melbourne. We took surface temperature measurements continuously for 51 days during the summer of 2023–24.

The research was part of a project demonstrating the benefits of green space in residential properties. The project received funding from Horticulture Innovation Australia, a grower-owned not-for-profit research and development corporation. That funding, in part, came from three water authorities.

Thermal imaging reveals artificial turf is hotter than natural turf on a hot sunny day.
Pui Kwan Cheung

Feeling the heat

In adults, irreversible burns occur when the skin is in contact with a surface that is 48°C or hotter for ten minutes.

The temperature needed to cause skin burns in children is approximately 2°C lower, because their skin is thinner and more sensitive.

Contact skin burns due to the high surface temperature of artificial turf has been identified as a health risk.

In our latest research, the artificial turf reached a scorching 72°C, which is sufficient to cause irreversible skin burns in just ten seconds. In contrast, the real turf was never hot enough to cause such burns (maximum temperature of 39°C).

Over the course of our experiment, the artificial turf was hot enough to cause adults irreversible skin burns for almost four hours a day. While adults might be expected to move away from the heat before it burns, vulnerable people such as babies and the elderly, as well as pets, are most at risk because they may be unable to move away.

We also took measurements in real backyards on a hot sunny summer’s day. We compared the risk of skin burns on four different surfaces: artificial turf, mulch, timber and real turf. The only surface that did not get hot enough to cause skin burns in adults was real turf.

Watering the grass can cool your backyard in more ways than one.
Stephen Livesley

Why should I water the lawn?

Grass and other plants release water vapour from little holes in their leaves into the atmosphere. This process helps the plant maintain a liveable leaf temperature on a hot day, but it also cools the air around the leaves.

It is a good idea to water your lawn throughout summer for two reasons:
1. well-watered lawn is healthier, stays green for longer, and has more leaves to release water vapour into the air (“transpire”).
2. more water is available to evaporate from the soil and leaves, adding to the cooling effect.
If you’re worried about wasting drinking water on your lawn, you can install a rainwater tank or household water recycling plant. Having access to alternative water sources will become increasingly important as the world warms and the climate dries.

More shade will cool your backyard.
Stephen Livesley

What about shade?

The most effective way to make you feel cooler in your backyard is to provide adequate shade. This reduces the amount of sun energy hitting your body or the ground, heating the surface and warming the surrounding air.

A single tree can lower the level of heat stress from extreme to moderate. This may be the difference between wanting to spend time outside on a hot day and avoiding your backyard altogether.

Even small trees can still make you feel cooler, if they provide some shade.

However, too-dense tree canopy cover may prevent air flow – so there is a happy medium. Air flow is necessary to move the heat away from your backyard and cool your body down.

Taking all the above measures will keep your backyard safe and cool throughout summer. This will allow you and your family to spend more quality time in your backyard, cool your home, and improve your quality of life.

Pui Kwan Cheung receives funding from Horticulture Innovation Australia (Hort Innovation) for the research project “demonstrating the benefits of increasing available green infrastructure in residential homes”, which is relevant to this article.
The project involves co-investment from South East Water, Greater Western Water, Yarra Valley Water, the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (Victoria), Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (New South Wales), The University of Melbourne, and the Australian Government. Hort Innovation is the grower-owned, not-for-profit research and development corporation for Australian horticulture.

Stephen Livesley receives funding from Horticulture Innovation Australia, the Australian Research Council and various water authorities.

– ref. Here’s how to make your backyard safer and cooler next summer – https://theconversation.com/heres-how-to-make-your-backyard-safer-and-cooler-next-summer-254928
MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –
April 29, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Democracy on display or a public eyesore? The case for cracking down on election corflutes

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Hughes, Lecturer in Marketing, Research School of Management, Australian National University

In my time researching political advertising, one common communication method that often generates complaints is the proliferation of campaign corflutes.

Politicians love them. Not so, many members of the general public. People are so fed up with candidate posters that there are numerous tales of late night vandalism, including deliberate acts of road rage aimed at destroying them.

And yet, at every single election – local, state and federal – the hated signs spring up once again to populate front gardens, streetscapes and open spaces.

Given how divisive they are, why do politicians persist with them? What are the laws around their use? And is South Australia on the right track by banning corflutes in public places?

It’s a jungle out there

To begin with, all corflutes must comply with the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC), which includes displaying a “written and authorised” statement

that enables voters to know the source of the electoral or political communication.

Posters can’t mislead voters regarding candidates’ political affiliation. In 2022, corflutes authorised by Advance Australia in the ACT were ruled misleading because they strongly implied independent Senate candidate David Pocock was running for the Greens.

But in terms of size, number, and placement – welcome to the wild west of Australian political communications.

Size varies from the standard 60cm x 90cm corflute, to much larger signs like the one promoting Liberal candidate Amelia Hamer that was stolen by the husband of Teal MP Monique Ryan in the seat of Kooyong.

Neither the number nor the placement of signs are regulated by electoral law, other than a requirement they not be placed within 6 metres of a polling place.

Corflutes are governed by local council laws and regulations relating to political signage. This leads to a wide variation around Australia. Some areas have no rules on number or placement, which is where you usually find the issues.

By contrast, corflutes are strictly regulated in South Australia. Laws passed last year banned election posters from public infrastructure, though they are still permitted on private property.

Democracy on show

Corflutes have several purposes, especially for new candidates.

Independent Jessie Price, who is running for Bean in the ACT, tells me corflutes are important for her to quickly achieve name and face recognition in the campaign.

Then there is their design. Campaign corflutes have traditionally incorporated faces, colours and slogans. These days, they can also include QR codes, URLs, and social media handles. These formal elements also aid differentiation and awareness.

Next is the strategy of placement. Being an offline method, you can’t hit “skip” when you see one. And they are often used as a way of marking out turf, especially when placed in front yards.

For minor parties and independents, they are an affordable way to help level the playing field against Labor and the Coalition. In a way, they act as a basic barometer of the strength of our democracy.

Do they work?

Yes. And no.

When it comes to design, corflutes that closely follow the same principles used for road signs work the most effectively. This is because of the speed at which we process information.

Research has found that around two seconds is needed to absorb the details printed on signs. Up to five seconds’ exposure is needed to commit the information to short-term memory. Repeated exposure to the same sign helps when it comes to recall.

That is why colour, font size and word count are all important. The bigger the font, the better the chances of it being seen from further away, and hitting that two-second count. For example, on a 100km/h road, letters need to be at least 35cm in size.

The same rules apply to election posters. Ideally, an effective corflute would have a single name in 70cm white font on a red background. Two colours for contrast, large lettering and using only two or three words, would have the best chance of being remembered.

Being novel with design, such as independent candidate Kim Huynh’s striking corflute in the 2016 ACT election, can also boost awareness and differentiation.

Just an eyesore

Corflutes will only work if the voter is already predisposed to the candidate being promoted. If that’s not the case, the sign may have the opposite affect by repeatedly reminding the voter of a person they don’t like.

For some, they will hate corflutes regardless of the candidates. That is because the outdoors is the last true escape from political communications in an era of digital and online advertising that runs up until election day. Some also dislike how politicians can get away with it, while most others would be fined.

Do they actually change behaviour? Not directly, but they raise awareness and change perceptions towards candidates and parties, which is their ultimate objective.

Time for a rethink

There is a case to reform the electoral laws to regulate the size, placement, and number of corflutes.

One proposal worth considering would be a strict limit of 50 standard-sized signs per candidate, per electorate and erected in designated places. This would mean more equal opportunity for minor parties and independents, and help reduce public anger over the visual pollution we see at election time.

No matter how much people hate corflutes, they do serve a higher purpose post election. Come Sunday, they will be much sought after as tomato stakes and flooring for chook pens.

Andrew Hughes 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. Democracy on display or a public eyesore? The case for cracking down on election corflutes – https://theconversation.com/democracy-on-display-or-a-public-eyesore-the-case-for-cracking-down-on-election-corflutes-255219

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

April 29, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: How ICE is becoming a secret police force under the Trump administration
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lee Morgenbesser, Associate Professor, School of Government and International Relations, Griffith University

Secret police are a quintessential feature of authoritarian regimes. From Azerbaijan’s State Security Service to Zimbabwe’s Central Intelligence Organisation, these agencies typically target political opponents and dissidents through covert surveillance, imprisonment and physical violence.

In contrast to the regular police and armed forces, secret police primarily use preemptive repression to thwart threats to the government.

In Nazi Germany, for example, Gestapo informants penetrated all levels of society, producing an atmosphere of distrust among those against Adolf Hitler. In Uganda, Idi Amin’s State Research Bureau employed sophisticated spying equipment and intercepted mail at the post office to root out supposed saboteurs.

In Syria, Bashar al-Assad relied on the General Intelligence Directorate to oversee a network of torture centres. And in Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro has used the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (Sebin) to spy on opponents overseas, often running operations out of diplomatic missions.

Since US President Donald Trump took power in January, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has become a far more visible and fearsome force on American streets.

Though ICE is ostensibly still bound by constitutional limits, the way it has been operating bears the hallmarks of a secret police force in the making.

As an expert on authoritarian regimes, I’ve studied historical and contemporary secret police forces extensively across Africa, Asia and Europe. They typically meet five criteria:
- they’re a police force targeting political opponents and dissidents
- they’re not controlled by other security agencies and answer directly to the dictator
- the identity of their members and their operations are secret
- they specialise in political intelligence and surveillance operations
- they carry out arbitrary searches, arrests, interrogations, indefinite detentions, disappearances and torture.
How close is ICE to becoming a secret police force? Let’s consider each of these criteria.

Targeting dissidents

ICE has used the pretext of combating antisemitism to target dissidents. A branch of the agency previously used to target drug smugglers and human traffickers has reportedly been directed to scan social media for posts sympathetic to Hamas.

On March 8, ICE arrested the prominent pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, a legal resident. It was a similar story for Rumeysa Ozturk, a university student grabbed off the street on March 25 by ICE agents.

Trump has cited the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 as the legal pretext for ICE’s actions in these cases and others. The law allows the US government to deport anyone whose presence has “adverse foreign policy consequences” for the country.

Because Khalil and others are being targeted for their activism, legal scholars say the government appears to be “retaliating” against constitutionally protected free speech it disagrees with.

Directly controlled by a dictator

While ICE does not report directly to Trump, the agency is controlled by people who have shown intense loyalty to him.

ICE is part of the Department of Homeland Security, which is overseen by stalwart Trump ally Kristi Noem. She is supported by Tom Homan, a former ICE director who Trump appointed as his “border czar” in November 2024.

Despite a court order barring the deportations of alleged Venezuelan gang members to a prison in El Salvador, Homan has remained defiant:

We are not stopping. I don’t care what the judges think.

The pertinent question now is whether Noem or Homan would refuse to follow a dictate from Trump in the face of a direct court order.

Opaque operations

ICE agents are increasingly operating in secret. The individuals who took Ozturk off the street in a widely shared video claimed to be police officers, even though they were in plain clothes and face marks.

Similarly, ICE agents in plain clothes detained two men during a raid on a courthouse in Charlottesville, Virginia, on April 22. When two bystanders asked to see a warrant, they were ordered not to “impede” the agents’ lawful duties. ICE later said the two women would be prosecuted.

Also last week, ICE agents attempted to arrest a man at a Wisconsin courthouse without a warrant. After a judge intervened, she was arrested herself by the FBI and charged with two felonies.

This shroud of opacity has been accompanied by an end to local agency liaison meetings aimed at helping people seek answers to ICE’s actions.

Surveillance capabilities

ICE is organised into two distinct law enforcement components, giving it both political intelligence gathering and surveillance capabilities.

Its Homeland Security Investigations arm includes an intelligence division, while its Enforcement and Removal Operations arm uses third-party companies such as Geo Group, Giant Oak, and Palantir to conduct mass surveillance.

Most worryingly, ICE is trying to procure greater intelligence and surveillance capabilities by soliciting pitches from private companies to monitor threats across the internet.

According to a procurement document, contractors would be directed to focus on the backgrounds of social media users and use facial recognition capabilities to gather information on people. Criticisms of ICE itself would be monitored, too.

Unlawful policing

There has been a stream of reports exposing how ICE is conducting arbitrary searches, arrests, interrogations, and indefinite detentions.

Some of the most egregious reported examples include:
- entering primary schools under false pretences in search of undocumented students
- carrying out “collateral arrests”, that is detaining people not previously identified as targets during operations
- detaining tourists and visa holders for weeks for unknown reasons
- and disappearing US citizens without any meaningful process.
Since Trump’s inauguration, at least three people have died in ICE detention facilities, the latest in a string of fatalities in recent years.

Prolonged solitary confinement is reportedly widespread. UN experts say this can amount to torture.

Potentially expanded scope

Overall, the evidence shows ICE meets most of the criteria for being a secret police force. It has yet to target political opponents, which I define narrowly as members of the Democratic Party. And it is not directly controlled by Trump, although the current structure provides him with plausible deniability.

While the agency is far from resembling history’s most feared secret police forces, there have so far been few constraints on how it operates.

The worst may be yet to come. A budget bill making its way through Congress would provide ICE with up to US$175 billion (A$274 billion) in funding over the next decade. (Its current annual budget is US$9 billion, or A$14 billion.) This would supercharge its use of surveillance, imprisonment and physical violence.

When combined with a potential shift towards targeting US citizens for dissent and disobedience, ICE is fast becoming a key piece in the repressive apparatus of American authoritarianism.

Lee Morgenbesser 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. How ICE is becoming a secret police force under the Trump administration – https://theconversation.com/how-ice-is-becoming-a-secret-police-force-under-the-trump-administration-255019
MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –
April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI: Skyward Specialty Announces Time Change for First Quarter Earnings Call on Friday, May 2, 2025

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

HOUSTON, April 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Skyward Specialty Insurance Group, Inc.™ (NASDAQ: SKWD) (“Skyward Specialty” or “the Company”) today announced a time change of its previously announced first quarter earnings call. The conference call and webcast will be held on Friday, May 2 at 9:30 a.m. EDT.

Skyward Specialty will issue its first quarter 2025 earnings results after the market closes on Thursday, May 1. The earnings results will be available on the Company website at investors.skywardinsurance.com/ under Quarterly Results.

Investors may access the live audio webcast via the link on the Company’s investor site at investors.skywardinsurance.com/ under Events & Presentations. Additionally, investors can access the earnings call via conference call by registering via the conference link. Users will receive dial-in information and a unique PIN to join the call upon registering.

A webcast replay will be available two hours following the call in the same location on the Company’s investor website.

About Skyward Specialty

Skyward Specialty is a rapidly growing and innovative specialty insurance company, delivering commercial property and casualty products and solutions on a non-admitted and admitted basis. The Company operates through nine underwriting divisions – Accident & Health, Agriculture and Credit (Re)insurance, Captives, Construction & Energy Solutions, Global Property, Professional Lines, Specialty Programs, Surety and Transactional E&S. SKWD stock is traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market, which represents the top fourth of all Nasdaq listed companies.

Skyward Specialty’s subsidiary insurance companies consist of Great Midwest Insurance Company, Houston Specialty Insurance Company, Imperium Insurance Company, and Oklahoma Specialty Insurance Company. These insurance companies are rated A (Excellent) with stable outlook by A.M. Best Company. Additional information about Skyward Specialty can be found on our website at www.skywardinsurance.com.

For investor relations information contact:

Natalie Schoolcraft
nschoolcraft@skywardinsurance.com
614-494-4988

The MIL Network –

April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Juggling dynamite? At 100 days in office, Donald Trump is no Franklin D. Roosevelt
Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Ronald W. Pruessen, Emeritus Professor of History, University of Toronto

Watching United States President Donald Trump weave and chainsaw his way through the first 100 days of his second term in office, I’ve been reminded of what Anthony Eden, the United Kingdom’s foreign secretary in the 1930s and later its prime minister, once said about Franklin D. Roosevelt.

FDR, Eden recalled in his memoirs, was “too like a conjurer, skilfully juggling balls of dynamite, whose nature he failed to understand.”

The image fits the 47th president much better than the 32nd.

The dynamite-wielding Trump

Dynamite has certainly been exploding regularly since Trump took office in January. His actions include:
- The firings (and sometimes re-hirings) of thousands of government employees.
- The attack on government agencies doing work delegated by Congress.
- Pardons for Jan. 6 rioters but deportations of asylum seekers and green card holders with no semblance of due process.
- Campaigns against universities for their supposed dereliction in terms of antisemitism or extravagance in adhering to diversity, equity and inclusion principles, and towards law firms linked to earlier prosecutions of the now-resurrected president.
- Cannonades of tariffs, tariff pauses and threats of re-imposition.
Read more:
How Project 2025 became the blueprint for Donald Trump’s second term

For non-MAGA enthusiasts, it is easy to surmise — similar to Eden’s remarks on FDR — that Trump does not understand the potential damage of the dynamite he is not just juggling, but hurling.

A case might be made that some lobs align with Trump’s personal penchant for retribution, or that the chainsaw is being wielded to make room in the federal budget for new tax cuts for the one per cent.

But such calculations disregard deeply rooted American values like respect for the rule of law and the separation of powers.

Trump’s actions could suggest a lust for mayhem apparently aimed at dismantling a century of efforts to shape a government that serves global security while also meeting the economic, social and health care needs of American citizens, including safety net provisions for senior citizens, children, farmers, veterans and others.

Threats today, damage tomorrow

His apparent fondness for dynamite is already having negative consequences, with seemingly little grasp of the likelihood of worse to come: today, he’s upending the lives of civil servants; tomorrow’s disruptions will likely include an attack on the services provided by agencies like the Social Security Administration and disruption of the flow of funds to many poor school districts.

Today, the U.S. is struggling with a measles outbreak. But the personal beliefs of Health and Human Services Director Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., a notorious vaccination and public health skeptic, doesn’t bode well for a fight against a rapidly evolving avian flu threat on the near horizon.

Today’s stock and bond market volatility creates the possibility of a trade war catastrophe and damage to economic stability as the U.S. appears poised to disregard its longtime status as the world economy’s “safe haven.”

The current tensions in what were once ironclad partnerships with allies that include Canada, the European Union and Ukraine — along with the whiplash reversal of American-Russian dynamics — are reminiscent of the global disruption in the 1930s that featured the Great Depression and the eruption of the Second World War.

How FDR coped with explosions around him

If Eden’s image of FDR as a dangerous juggler of dynamite might also apply to Trump, it fails to capture the essential attributes of the 32nd president’s White House career. Eden’s ego seems to have undercut his appraisal of FDR — compounded by his own failure to understand the historical developments that profoundly weakened the British Empire and brought his own career to an end.

There’s no question dynamite was exploding in 1933, the start of FDR’s 12 years in the White House. But the Depression and its evolving consequences, not FDR’s personal impulses and misconceptions, created a tinderbox decade.

One of Roosevelt’s great strengths, in fact, was his ability to recognize the acute dangers emanating from a fearful cortege of flaming fuses. Another was his success in turning insights into meaningful actions.

Roosevelt knew — far better than his predecessor, Herbert Hoover — that the onset of the Depression would require dramatic actions and fundamental reforms.

His New Deal expanded the government’s role in stimulating the economy (for example, the Public Works Administration), regulation (the Securities Exchange Commission), social welfare initiatives (the Social Security program) and infrastructure development (for example, the Tennessee Valley Authority).

The Depression wasn’t fully eradicated — that didn’t happen until after war broke out — but the lives of millions of Americans still improved significantly.

Of equal importance, FDR’s creative thinking and government transformations created building blocks for further post-war reforms, including Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society efforts three decades later.

Read more:
The Great Society: the forgotten reform movement

Roosevelt also knew that the devastation of the Depression and the unparalleled destruction of the Second World War required a transformation of the global arena. He believed technology — air power especially — had created an integrated world. In his January 1943 State of the Union address, he said:

“Wars grow in size, in death and destruction, and in the inevitability of engulfing all nations, in inverse ratio to the shrinking size of the world as a result of the conquest of the air.”

Sharing responsibilities

FDR believed the world he worked to create would be safer and more prosperous because multilateral organizations would encourage greater emphasis on shared resources and responsibilities. The United Nations, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank took shape during FDR’s presidency — as did long-term plans for decolonization and human rights initiatives.

Roosevelt knew too — better than many of his White House successors — that the U.S. needed to share leadership responsibilities. He believed emphatically in multilateralism, recognizing the limits of American resources and power, and the pragmatism of compromising with the priorities of others, whether they were powerful states or colonial peoples.

His “Four Policemen” approach to maintaining peace — comprising the U.S., the U.K., the Soviet Union and China — would sometimes create unpalatable situations. He was criticized harshly, for example, for naively opening the door to Soviet domination of eastern Europe via the Yalta agreement. Nonetheless, FDR focused on efforts he believed would avert another destructive cataclysm.

FDR was an imperfect leader in various ways — in not appreciating, for example, how global leadership could result in arrogance. He did, however, understand the explosive domestic and international developments of the 20th century and sought constructive solutions to grave challenges.

Trump, on the contrary, is seemingly prioritizing destruction over construction. Propelled by a “move fast and break things” mantra, there’s little evidence that he understands its pain nor the damaging consequences of his impulses.

Ronald W. Pruessen has received funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

– ref. Juggling dynamite? At 100 days in office, Donald Trump is no Franklin D. Roosevelt – https://theconversation.com/juggling-dynamite-at-100-days-in-office-donald-trump-is-no-franklin-d-roosevelt-254773
MIL OSI – Global Reports –
April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Kelly Announces Service Academy Appointment

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Trent Kelly (R-Miss)

Kelly Announces Service Academy Appointment

Washington, April 28, 2025

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Trent Kelly (R-MS) is pleased to announce the appointment of Conner Couch to the U.S. Naval Academy. A senior at Hernando High School, Conner has earned numerous academic honors and awards in the classroom, sports, and extracurricular activities.

Conner is dedicated to community service as a volunteer for HHES Mentoring and Hernando Parks and Recreation. He has been involved in various leadership roles, including serving on the Hernando Mayor’s Youth Leadership Council, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, as a student at Air Venture Flight Center, and as a Student Ambassador Leader.

“I am excited to attend the United States Naval Academy because I can pursue a desired STEM major and actively work toward a career in the Navy,” Conner said. “I hope to become a Naval Aviator, but if that doesn’t work out, I aspire to pursue a career in submarine warfare. I am very thankful for my family, community, and God for making this aspiration possible.”

For more information about Service Academy nominations through our office, please contact Robert Smith at (662) 687-1540 or send him an email at Robert.Smith@mail.house.gov

MIL OSI USA News –

April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Juan Vargas, Democratic Colleagues Defend Department of Education in Court

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Juan Vargas (CA-51)

April 28, 2025

WASHINGTON – U.S. Representative Juan Vargas (D-CA) joined nearly 200 House Democrats in filing an amicus brief challenging the Trump Administration’s efforts to close the Department of Education in State of New York v. Linda McMahon. Twenty states, including California, have moved to sue the Administration for its plans to place fifty percent of the Department’s workforce on administrative leave, effectively shuttering a congressionally authorized agency.

In their filing, the lawmakers argued that the Trump Administration cannot unilaterally create, dismantle, or reorganize the Education Department, nor can executive officials make solitary decisions regarding the agency’s organization and assignment of functions. The lawmakers also cited executive overreach, noting that efforts to strip support for the federal agency violate Congress’s power of the purse.

“The U.S. Department of Education—the federal agency representing the U.S. government’s commitment to improving educational opportunity—administers and coordinates most federal education activities, ensuring that federal funding reaches its intended recipients and serves Congress’s legally mandated goals,” the lawmakers wrote in their amicus brief. “Defying Congress’s clear mandate, President Trump and other Defendants have begun dismantling the Department part by part—not through legislation, but through executive fiat.”

“By taking steps to restructure, defund, and ultimately dismantle a federal agency that Congress created, the Trump administration has unlawfully overstepped the bounds of executive power. The administration’s actions not only contravene congressional will, they strike at the heart of the separation of powers which serve as the foundation of our constitutional American democracy,” the lawmakers continued.

Read the full brief HERE.

###

MIL OSI USA News –

April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Honoring Creative Leadership in Colorado: Gov. Polis Announces 2025 Governor’s Creative Leadership Awards

Source: US State of Colorado

To be presented at the Colorado Creative Industries Summit in Grand Junction, May 2

DENVER — Today, the Polis Administration and the Colorado Creative Industries (CCI) division of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) announced the 2025 recipients of the Governor’s Creative Leadership Awards to recognize Coloradans who have demonstrated a significant commitment to the state’s creative landscape through civic leadership and volunteerism.

“In Colorado, we celebrate the arts as a key economic driver, job creator, and important contributor to our thriving culture. The arts commemorate who we were, celebrate who we are, and shape who we want to be,” said Gov. Polis. “We are grateful to the recipients announced today for their work to continually elevate this important part of Colorado’s culture and economy.”

The Governor’s Creative Leadership awards will be presented on Friday, May 2, at the Colorado Creative Industries Summit at the Grand Junction Convention Center in Grand Junction, Colorado. The awards luncheon will also feature a keynote address by Theo Edmunds, Culture Futurist®, and poetry readings by Wendy Videlock, Western Slope Poet Laureate, and Rize Simmons, Poetry Out Loud State Champion. Press interested in attending and covering the awards luncheon should contact Libby Barbee at libby.barbee@state.co.us or Emma Acheson at emma.acheson@state.co.us.

“The arts and creative industries thrive in Colorado because every year, people and communities across the state promote and celebrate their many contributions to our way of life and our economy. We are thrilled to recognize the incredible contributions of the recipients announced today. Congratulations!” said OEDIT Executive Director Eve Lieberman.

Three categories of Creative Leadership Awards are presented to community members who have demonstrated a significant commitment to Colorado’s creative landscape through advocacy, vision, collaboration, or innovation: Arts and Community Action, Arts and Advocacy, and Arts and Creative Placemaking.

This year’s awards were created by local Grand Junction artist, Roni Schwinn. Schwinn was born and raised in Western Colorado, and is the owner of Working Artists Gallery & Studio in downtown Grand Junction. Her stained glass works presented to the recipients on May 2 will depict iconic Colorado landscapes from around the state.

“Arts and creativity play a critical role in community development and cultural identity,” said CCI Director, Josh Blanchard. “These outstanding artists and arts leaders work to support the growth of the creative economy, establish and maintain public creative spaces, and champion the arts as critical to healthy communities. Their leadership and commitment make Colorado better, a place where arts and culture are for everyone.”

The 2025 Creative Leadership Award recipients include the following (photos available by request):

Dana Valdez Maestas

Arts and Community Action Award: Presented to individuals that have demonstrated selfless service, inspired others to take action or catalyze change in their community using the arts.

Dana Valdez Maestas is a sixth-generation resident of the San Luis Valley and southern Colorado. She is a Latina business owner and art consultant at Jacales Fine Art, a gallery in San Luis, Colorado. Also a freelance journalist, Maestas is the author of Images of America: San Luis, a pictorial history book. She holds a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Communications and Marketing from the University of Colorado. Her writings have appeared in numerous publications and newspapers including the Colorado Springs Gazette, Muse, Santa Fe Circle, Valley Courier, Taos News, Costilla County Free Press and La Sierra. She is a grant writer for several San Luis Valley nonprofits, and Adams State University.

Maestas partnered with Social Practice Arts Resident Shelby Head and the Land Rights Council to co-produce and document seven land grant heirs’ personal stories concerning the historic use rights to La Sierra (formerly the Taylor Ranch), the Sangre de Cristo Land Grant. She co-authored and produced “The Miracle of San Acacio”, a historical play, worked with elementary students to create an ABC book on San Luis, and worked on a school curriculum project, “Preserving the Hispano Farm”. Currently Maestas is working on a Traditional & Folk Arts project to document and record the elders of the Rio Culebra Villages within the Culebra Watershed. Maestas has been a community advocate for the past 30 years, founding and spearheading art projects such as the Summer Arts Network, San Luis Performing Arts Series, Escultura San Luis, and ARTscape Sculpture Program in Alamosa, CO. She has also sat on several boards, namely the Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area, Colorado Arts Consortium, Soul Players of the Valley, and Adobe de Oro Concilio de Artes.

Andy Sanchez

Arts and Advocacy Award: Honors individuals who work to advance economically vibrant, healthy, and equitable communities by ensuring that arts, culture and the creative industries and its workforce are valued and supported through policy, research, civic engagement, professional services and access.

As a Pueblo, Colorado native, Andy Sanchez is an advocate for arts and culture in Colorado committed to furthering everyone’s access to quality of life through such advocacy. His past work for both the University of Colorado and Colorado State University systems and his post-graduate study in fine art and business supports his work in art administration now. His work as the CEO of the Sangre de Cristo Arts and Conference Center for the last three years and his board service there for nearly six years prior has been alongside a team that also recognizes the needs of the greater community that surrounds it. Sanchez and the team oversee an accredited American Alliance of Museums arts campus that has over 84,000 square feet inclusive of an award-winning Children’s STEAM Museum, galleries, theatre, conference space, and educational programming that includes the practice of dance, performance, and the visual arts. His focus through his advocacy and work is to bolster the growth of Colorado arts and culture responsibly, yet with impactful results that leave it better prepared for our future and the next group of collaborators in the arts. All with stakeholders that support and steward resources sustainably while always encouraging innovation and quality of work to come.

Cindy and David Starr

Arts and Creative Placemaking Award: Honors individuals who use the arts to envision new futures through activities such as activating a public space, animating a community or sparking redevelopment.

Cindy and David Starr have significantly impacted the cultural scene in Cedaredge, Colorado, a town of 2,400 residents, and beyond on the Western Slope of Colorado.

Cindy brought the Grand Mesa Arts and Events Center (GMAEC) to fruition after gathering a group of like-minded citizens from different backgrounds together in 2017 and working to open the center by June 2018. Cindy served as President of the Board of Directors for six years, a time in which GMAEC saw tremendous growth in programming, membership and reputation. It has grown into a campus, after securing a nearby auto repair garage that has been renovated into art and pottery studios. The campus is connected by a newly-acquired parking lot. Cindy recently retired from her presidency position, but remains on the board as past president and is very active at the center in various roles.

David is a professional musician and guitar store owner who has lived in Cedaredge for 24 years. He has singlehandedly changed the music scene in Cedaredge and the Surface Creek Valley through his musical advocacy and concert promotion. David was involved with the Art Center from the very beginning, overseeing the renovation of the 1904 historic Main Street building in Cedaredge. David created an outdoor venue in 2020, that allows 300-400 enthusiastic patrons to enjoy concerts every Friday night throughout the summer months. He also serves on the Board of Directors and continues to give generously of his resources and time. His 50+ years in the music business has been a valuable asset to the center.

Cindy and David Starr’s love of the community and the people extends beyond the Grand Mesa Arts and Events Center. Their generous contributions continue to improve the vitality and quality of life of Cedaredge.

About Colorado Creative Industries

Colorado Creative Industries is a division of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade. Established to capitalize on the immense potential for our creative sector to enhance economic growth in Colorado, the mission of Colorado Creative Industries is to promote, support and expand the creative industries to drive Colorado’s economy, grow jobs and enhance our quality of life. For more information, visit oedit.colorado.gov/colorado-creative-industries.

About the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade

The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) works to empower all to thrive in Colorado’s economy. Under the leadership of the Governor and in collaboration with economic development partners across the state, we foster a thriving business environment through funding and financial programs, training, consulting and informational resources across industries and regions. We promote economic growth and long-term job creation by recruiting, retaining, and expanding Colorado businesses and providing programs that support entrepreneurs and businesses of all sizes at every stage of growth. Our goal is to protect what makes our state a great place to live, work, start a business, raise a family, visit and retire—and make it accessible to everyone. Learn more about OEDIT.

###

MIL OSI USA News –

April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: All Kinds of Smart

Source: US State of Connecticut

All Kinds of Smart

Can we create a learning environment that plays to everyone’s strengths?

Having studied learning and brain development with a particular focus on literacy and dyslexia for decades, psychiatrist and cognitive neuroscientist Fumiko Hoeft understands more than most the variations in the ways people think and learn.

Hoeft, who currently serves as UConn Waterbury campus dean and chief administrative officer, has partnered with UConn engineering professor Arash Zaghi to launch the Neurovariability Initiative at her campus. The pilot program aims to create an environment where students are empowered to succeed based on their strengths, and where educators are equipped to support diverse ways of thinking and problem-solving — critical skills for today’s workforce and tomorrow’s leaders.

“Our goal is to cultivate an environment where every student’s potential can be maximized — regardless of how they process information,” says Hoeft.

“This is about unlocking talent that’s often overlooked — not by lowering the bar, but by rethinking how success is defined, supported, and scaled,” adds Zaghi.

Co-created by Hoeft and Zaghi, both of whom bring lived experience as dyslexic, ADHD-identifying individuals — and as parents of neurodivergent learners — the initiative integrates educational neuroscience, responsibly implemented AI tools, and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) into a cohesive framework.

According to the creators, it offers a forward-looking, research-based approach to education that focuses on talent development and innovation. Grounded in neuroscience and learning science, it recognizes that differences in how students think and process information are natural and valuable — not obstacles to overcome.

Rather than relying on labels or diagnoses, this model is about improving educational systems to better serve all learners, according to Hoeft.

This initiative complements university-wide efforts such as CETL’s inclusive teaching programs and UConn Engineering’s Include Program, which also emphasize neuroinclusivity, faculty training, and the responsible use of AI in education.

“The Neurovariability Initiative is a powerful example of how the Waterbury campus is leading with science, innovation, and compassion,” says UConn President Radenka Maric.

“By recognizing that students think and learn in different ways, and by designing systems that build on those strengths, this initiative reflects our UConn-wide commitment to empowering every learner and preparing them to thrive in a rapidly changing world.”

Learn more about the Neurovariability Initiative and the inaugural Neurovariability Level I training held at UConn Waterbury in March.

Big ideas come from out of the blue.

Behind every breakthrough, there’s a story of creativity and commitment. One where individuals come together, fueled by a shared vision and sustained by imagination and persistence.

MIL OSI USA News –

April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy Announces Over $8 Million for Hurricane Ida Recovery

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) announced Louisiana will receive $8,052,763.14 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for permanent repairs and recovery efforts following Hurricane Ida.
“Southeast Louisiana took the worst of Hurricane Ida,” said Dr. Cassidy. “This funding helps return schools, recreation centers, and critical infrastructure to these communities.”
Grant Awarded
Recipient
Project Description
$1,643,621.32
Academy of the Sacred Heart of New Orleans
This grant will provide federal funding for permanent repairs to the Mater Campus Education Building damaged by Hurricane Ida.
$4,262,341.50
Terrebonne Parish Recreation District #4
This grant will provide federal funding for permanent replacement of the Grand Caillou Recreation Center as a direct result of Hurricane Ida.
$1,138,757.94
Lafourche Parish School Board
This grant will provide federal funding for permanent repairs to South Lafourche High School athletic facilities damaged by Hurricane Ida.
$1,008,042.38
St. John the Baptist Parish
This grant will provide federal funding for permanent repairs to sewer lift stations damaged by Hurricane Ida.

MIL OSI USA News –

April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: Afreximbank announces specialized African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) training to empower African businesses

Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:

CAIRO, Egypt, April 28, 2025/APO Group/ —

To enable African businesses to fully capitalise on the opportunities presented by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) (www.Afreximbank.com) has announced a specialized training program designed to equip enterprises with a deep understanding of the agreement’s commercial implications and transformative potential.

Scheduled to take place in Abuja, Nigeria, from June 30 to July 2, 2025, the training program is designed to provide businesses with practical policy-relevant insights into the AfCFTA’s evolving regulatory and institutional landscape. It will help participants interpret key treaty instruments, ensuring compliance with new trade rules while enhancing their knowledge of regional integration and operational mechanisms. Additionally, the program will serve as a crucial platform for guiding both prospective and existing exporters on new trade developments, equipping them with the tools to navigate tariff and non-tariff barriers across the continent.

Conceived and implemented by Afreximbank in collaboration with the American University in Cairo (AUC) and the AfCFTA Secretariat, the training is expected to attract a diverse range of participants, including African corporates engaged in import and export activities, Trade Support Institutions such as Trade Promotion Organizations and Chambers of Commerce, Investment Promotion Agencies, Export Trading Companies, Financial Institutions, and the broader foreign trade community.

Participants will also benefit from tailored presentations on key Afreximbank products and initiatives that support the AfCFTA’s implementation, including the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), Africa Trade Gateway (ATG), and various trade finance solutions.

Addressing critical knowledge gaps to unlock AfCFTA’s potential

Reflecting on the significance of the program, Dr. Yemi Kale, Group Chief Economist & Managing Director of Research at Afreximbank, emphasized that while the AfCFTA holds immense potential for Africa’s economic growth, its success hinges on the ability of businesses to fully understand and operationalize its provisions. However, limited understanding of its technical and operational aspects has prevented many businesses from fully leveraging its benefits.

“The AfCFTA is not just a policy framework—it is a catalyst for a structural shift in Africa’s economic landscape,” said Dr. Kale. “However, many African businesses are still grappling with limited awareness of the agreement’s technical provisions, trade protocols, and strategic benefits. This knowledge deficit has constrained their ability to compete effectively, expand their market reach, and optimize value chains across the continent.”

He further explained that without a solid grasp of the AfCFTA’s tariff schedules, rules of origin, customs cooperation, and dispute resolution mechanisms, even the most competitive enterprises risk missing out on critical growth opportunities.

“This training is about more than compliance; it is about empowerment. It equips participants not only to meet regulatory requirements but also to develop export strategies, diversify markets, and improve competitiveness.”

Tsotetsi Makong, Director Coordination and Programmes at the AfCFTA Secretariat, reinforced this point, stating:

“This training program will help African businesses seeking export opportunities overcome key challenges, including understanding African markets in depth, navigating market rules and compliance requirements, and optimizing cross-border product transportation. To fully harness the AfCFTA’s potential, it is essential to address these barriers and build the capacity of African companies to transition from local production for domestic consumption to a model that supports exports across the continent and beyond.”

He further highlighted Afreximbank’s commitment to the AfCFTA’s full implementation, stressing that by developing the necessary competencies and industrial capacity, all African nations can maximize the benefits of a single market. He called on both public and private sector stakeholders to deepen their understanding of the agreement’s operationalization to drive sustainable economic growth.

Afreximbank’s role in advancing the AfCFTA

As a key partner to the African Union in the implementation of the AfCFTA, Afreximbank has spearheaded multiple initiatives that enhance intra- and extra-African trade and investment. Leveraging the expertise of its Trade Intelligence Solutions Unit and Human Resources and Learning Department, the Bank serves as the anchor institution for the AfCFTA Training Program, ensuring that African businesses are well-equipped to thrive in the new trade environment. The upcoming training is the second edition and will also mark a milestone as one of the first major events hosted at the recently launched Afreximbank African Trade Centre (AATC) in Abuja. Purposely designed as a strategic hub for trade facilitation, investment promotion, and business collaboration, the AATC features state-of-the-art conference facilities, premium hospitality services, and a dynamic environment conducive to learning and networking .

By equipping African businesses with the knowledge and tools needed to navigate the AfCFTA, Afreximbank continues to play a pivotal role in unlocking Africa’s vast trade potential and driving economic transformation across the continent.

MIL OSI Africa –

April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: AFSCME’s Saunders: A historic and relentless assault on working people and unions underscore the first 100 days of this administration

Source: American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Union

WASHINGTON – AFSCME President Lee Saunders released the following statement marking the first 100 days of the second Trump administration this week:

“During the campaign, Trump promised to put working people first, lower rising costs on groceries and gas and preserve our earned benefits and health care. Instead, the first one 100 days of this billionaire-run administration have been fueled by lies, broken promises, and a relentless assault on working people and unions.

“He has handed over the reins of government to billionaires — appointing the wealthiest cabinet in American history, kicking off a trade war that is raising prices on everyday goods, attacking Social Security and Medicaid, cutting wages for workers, and stripping collective bargaining rights from more than 1 million federal employees. The White House claimed it had nothing to do with Project 2025, yet it has already implemented over one-third of the anti-worker agenda, often sidestepping Congress and the courts to do so.

“The fallout has been immediate. Retirees are left wondering how to navigate Social Security as staff are laid off, offices are closed, and services are cut. People are watching their retirement savings shrink. Lifesaving health and safety regulations have been put on hold. Students with disabilities are losing vital support from the Department of Education. The Department of Health and Human Services is clawing back funding from states, cities and towns to fight infectious diseases as measles is on the rise, and it’s just the beginning. It is clear that Medicaid cuts are next on the agenda, kicking millions of retirees, children and working people off their health care and upending our entire health care system.

“This administration refuses to reverse course, because its No. 1 goal is to hand out massive tax breaks to billionaires by robbing our communities of public services and workers of our power. Make no mistake — this will devastate our economy.

“In response, workers across the country are organizing with AFSCME to build real people power. Tens of thousands of public service workers have joined AFSCME since the start of the year. They are getting organized — hosting town halls, mobilizing their co-workers, and flooding Congress with thousands of letters, calls and petitions demanding action to rein in this hostile takeover.

“In the courts, AFSCME is fighting to stop the mass firings of federal employees, safeguard Americans’ Social Security data, block the unlawful shutdown of federal agencies, challenge cuts of federal grants to state and local governments that fund essential public services, contest the elimination of collective bargaining rights, and more.

“No matter how this administration attempts to reframe and erase history, we will never forget: It is working people who are the backbone of this nation. We built the middle-class. We built this country, and we will fight to protect our freedom to thrive.”

MIL OSI USA News –

April 29, 2025