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Category: Education

  • MIL-OSI Security: NATO Deputy Secretary General discusses a stronger and fairer NATO, and deterring aggression, at LANDEURO symposium

    Source: NATO

    On Thursday (17 July 2025), NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Shekerinska addressed the LANDEURO symposium of The Association of the United States’ Army, discussing the role of the Allies’ armed forces and industry in deterring aggression.

    Thank you, General Brown.

    And good afternoon, everyone.

    It’s great to be here in Wiesbaden, home to the US Army’s Europe and Africa Headquarters.

    And a critical hub for America’s efforts to ensure stability across the region, but also beyond.

    Wiesbaden also houses our NATO command, the Security Assistance and Training command for Ukraine.

    With hundreds of personnel from NATO and partner countries who work hard, every day.

    To support Ukraine and to coordinate thousands of movements of military supplies, so that Ukraine can fight for it’s freedom, for peace, and for security.

    So what a better place to discuss the role of our armed forces and industry in deterring aggression.

    Let me start by thanking the organisers, the Association of the United States’ Army, for bringing us together to discuss this and many other important topics.

    Less than a month ago, leaders of all Allied nations gathered for the NATO Summit in The Hague.

    And they all had one clear objective.

    How to keep one billion people living in NATO countries safe today.

    And how to deter any possibility of aggression in the future.

    How to make sure that our Alliance can fulfil and I would say continue, in the next 75 and more years, to fulfil our sacred mission.

    What we saw in The Hague at the NATO Summit was bold decisions from our political leaders.

    A strong demonstration of our transatlantic unity and resolve.

    Allies have managed to agree on a very ambitious Defence Investment Plan, a new one, The Hague one,

    to invest 5 percent of GDP for our security by 2035.

    And this really is a game-changer.

    And I shouldn’t be saying this in this room, because you can understand how much of an impact will this have for our deterrence and our defence.

    It will massively increase NATO’s strength and war-fighting capabilities.

    And it will definitely ensure that we continue what we do best, and this is deliver peace, but through strength.

    At least 3.5% of GDP out of the 5% target will be spent on so called core miliary requirements.

    They will be spend on what one can say is the heavy metal of our armed forces — many of you here today.

    And this is the heavy metal that you all need to deter and defend.

    Among all these capability requirements that all Allies have agreed to even a month before the Hague Summit,

    What we have included in this number is a five-fold increase of our air and missile defence systems,

    thousands more armoured vehicles and tanks,

    and millions more artillery shells,

    and drones, and air jets.

    All these things contribute to the capability targets that we need, and the capability targets that require 3.5% of GDP so that they can be financed in due time.

    At the same time, Allies agreed to spend 1.5% of GDP on defence and security related expenses.

    This means more money to support our militaries and societies to become more secure.

    In a world where microchips matter as much as the latest missiles every part of our society and our economy must step up for security.

    From strong cyber defences to secure supply chains.

    From greater resilience to more investment in roads, railways and ports for the sake of our defence plans.

    This is all about making sure that we can get our forces to the right place at the right time, but equipped with the right capabilities.

    It’s also about responding to the world as it is now, not as we wish it to be.

    Preparing for war costs money, 5% is a lot of money.

    But not preparing for it will cost us far more, both in terms of money and in terms of lives. We are no longer fighting wars of choice, where everything is plannable and we set the timetable.

    It is our adversaries that are setting the pace of production and defining the moment.

    Russia is rearming faster than many people have imagined.

    It is enabled by Chinese technology, Iranian drones, and North Korean missiles but also boots on the ground.

    What’s more, Putin has shown that he will not hesitate to use military force to achieve his goals.

    China is also carrying out its own massive military modernisation.

    It is rapidly expanding its nuclear arsenal, completely unconstrained by any arms control agreements.

    It is flexing its muscles in the South China Sea and sharpening its tools of economic coercion in the Euro-Atlantic.

    And while all this is happening, we also cannot underestimate the persistent instability in the Middle East,

    divisive rhetoric in the Western Balkans,

    and the ongoing threats of terrorism.

    So as the world becomes more dangerous, more turbulent,

    NATO must become stronger, fairer and, and this is the right place to use the word, more lethal.

    To leave no adversary in any doubt that we will do what it takes to protect and defend each other.

    A couple of weeks ago, we bid a fond farewell to General Cavoli, who as you know wore two hats.

    He was both NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander, our SACEUR, but also Commander of the US’s European forces.

    And let me use this opportunity to say that he has played really a fundamental role in transforming the Alliance, even prior to the NATO Summit.

    He has really supported us in fostering a stronger bond between NATO’s Supreme Allied Headquarters in Mons, SHAPE, and the United States’ European Command in Stuttgart.

    General Cavoli made sure that we have robust regional plans to defend every inch of Allied territory.

    And that we continue to modernise NATO’s multi-domain warfighting capabilities.

    From the seabed to outer space, we cannot afford to have any weak links.

    The conflicts in Ukraine, but also the instability and the conflicts in the Middle East have transformed modern warfare.

    In Ukraine, we have seen tactics and trench-warfare from the last world wars, combined with the completely new technology from the next.

    Ukraine has pioneered the use of drones, I was able to see remarkable examples for this, but not only in the air domain.

    But also to neutralise the threat of the Russian army in the Black Sea.

    And to strike Russian military targets far beyond the frontlines.

    Both Russia and Ukraine have carried out kinetic and non-kinetic attacks — across land, sea, air, cyber and information space — and all of this simultaneously.

    This was done to certain extent in devastating ways.

    And we need to therefore think differently about how we operate.

    Not in silos — but really seamlessly across all domains — and at the same time.

    So when we develop our capabilities, this is the thinking, this is the logic.

    This is the philosophy that we have to take into account.

    We also need to think about how we integrate the latest technologies with conventional capabilities to gain the maximum effect.

    And this was very much what SACEUR and SACT worked on in the last years.

    But this is why we were also delighted to welcome General Alexus Grynkewich as our new Supreme Allied Commander.

    He has championed innovation and developed cutting-edge capabilities for our armed forces.

    His appointment demonstrates the United States’ ironclad commitment to our shared security.

    As America continues to put forward its brightest and best in service of the United States of America, but also in the service of the Alliance.

    At the Summit, we heard really strong statements from the US leadership, from President Trump, but also from the two Secretaries and all the representatives.

    How dedicated and how committed they are to NATO and to our collective defence.

    The US continues to stand foursquare with its NATO Allies.

    Because it is good for America’s security and it is vital for the transatlantic security.

    The US has played and continues to play an indispensable role in our Alliance.

    Providing critical enablers, reinforcements, and of course its nuclear deterrence – the ultimate guarantor of our security.

    At the same time, America’s Allies, European and Canada, are stepping up.

    All Allies, all 32 of them, will spend 2 percent of GDP on defence this year, as we have agreed time ago in Wales.

    And many are already going much further and much faster.

    Some of them have stepped up and approached 5% even before the Summit. And this is remarkable leadership.

    They are making sure that we have collectively what we need to deter and defend.

    That’s why the other major focus of the Summit in The Hague was defence production.

    Because cash alone does not deter our adversaries. It does not by itself provide security.

    But concrete capabilities do.

    Our adversaries won’t be deterred just because of our statements, because of our pledges, because of our words.

    But by strong defences, well-equipped troops, and the latest weapons systems.

    This is why the Secretary General has been tireless in his efforts to engage not only with Allied leaders or with the militaries, but also with defence industries on both sides of the Atlantic.

    He has been urging them to open new production lines, put in the extra shifts, really ramp up production.

    But also to boost innovation and come up with capabilities that are actually meaningful today and tomorrow.

    And they are.

    They are really prepared for this game-changing environment around us.

    Across the Alliance, industry has opened hundreds of new production lines and expanded existing ones.

    We are now on course to produce more ships, more planes and ammunition than we have done in decades.

    But we still need to do more.

    NATO Allies today are home to world-class defence companies – some of them present today here with us – the best researchers, and the most innovative entrepreneurs.

    But we need to do these things more, better and faster to drive even more production both on the American but also on the European side of the Atlantic.

    And, again, we need to think differently about how and who we partner with.

    This means working with everyone from the defence primes to civilian start-ups to integrate the latest technologies into our defence.

    But it also means working together not among us in the Alliance, but also with our partners, from Ukraine, European Union, to the Indo-Pacific. All of them joined us for the Hague Summit and we agreed to do more, together, including or especially focusing on defence production.

    There is so much we can learn from Ukraine, and we already are learning.

    We have opened a new joint centre in Poland, the so-called JATEC [the NATO-Ukraine Joint Analysis, Training and Education Centre] to do that exactly. To help Ukraine, but also, in the same way use the experience so that we can create stronger deterrence and defence.

    We are also determined to work even more closely with our partners — Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea — including on defence production.

    They are the source of so many of today’s cutting-edge capabilities.

    Ladies and gentlemen,

    NATO is the strongest and most successful defensive Alliance in history of mankind.

    We have done that. We have secured. We have protected one billion citizens.

    Because we combine the finest armed forces, with the most innovative economies.

    And because of our solemn promise to protect and defend each other.

    So this sense of unity, solidarity, joint work is very strong and continues to be very important for us.

    So let me end by thanking all of you here for the vital role you have played in our security.

    I know I can count and we can count on you to keep our Alliance strong and our one billion people safe.

    Thank you very much for your attention and I look forward to our discussions.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Supreme Court news coverage has talked a lot more about politics ever since the 2016 death of Scalia and GOP blocking of Obama’s proposed nominee

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Joshua Boston, Associate Professor of Political Science, Bowling Green State University

    Reporters used to treat the Supreme Court as a nonpolitical institution, but not anymore. Tetra Images/Getty

    The U.S. Supreme Court has always ruled on politically controversial issues. From elections to civil rights, from abortion to free speech, the justices frequently weigh in on the country’s most debated problems.

    And because of the court’s influence over national policy, political parties and interest groups battle fiercely over who gets appointed to the high court.

    The public typically finds out about the court – including its significant decisions and the politics surrounding appointments – from the news media. While elected officeholders and candidates make direct appeals to their voters, the justices and Supreme Court nominees are different – they largely rely on the news to disseminate information about the court, giving the public at least a cursory understanding.

    Recently, something has changed in newspaper coverage of the Supreme Court. As scholars of judicial politics, political institutions and political behavior, we set out to understand precisely how media coverage of the court has changed over the past 40 years. Specifically, we analyzed the content of every article referencing the Supreme Court in five major newspapers from 1980 to 2023.

    Of course, people get their news from a variety of sources, but we have no reason to believe the trends we uncovered in our research of traditional newspapers do not apply broadly. Research indicates that alternative media sources largely follow the lead of traditional beat reporters.

    What we found: Politics has a much stronger presence in articles today than in years past, with a notable increase beginning in 2016.

    When public goodwill prevailed

    Not many cases have been more important in the past quarter-century or, from a partisan perspective, more contentious than Bush v. Gore – the December 2000 ruling that stopped a ballot recount, resulting in then-Texas Governor George W. Bush defeating Democratic candidate Al Gore and winning the presidential election.

    Bush v. Gore is particularly interesting to us because nine unelected, life-tenured justices functionally decided an election.

    The New York Times story about the Supreme Court’s decision in Bush v. Gore indicated the justices’ names and votes but neither the party of the president who appointed them nor their ideological leanings.
    Screenshot, The New York Times

    Surprisingly, the court’s public support didn’t suffer, ostensibly because the court had built up a sufficient store of public goodwill.

    One reason public support remained steady following Bush v. Gore might be newspaper coverage. Although the court’s decision reflected the justices’ ideologies, with the more conservative members effectively voting to end the recount and its more liberal members voting in favor of the recount, newspapers largely ignored the role of politics in the decision.

    For example, the New York Times case coverage indicated the justices’ names and their votes but mentioned neither the party of the president who appointed them nor their ideological leanings. The words “Democrat,” “Republican,” “liberal” and “conservative” – what we call political frames – do not appear in the Dec. 13, 2000, story about the decision.

    This epitomizes court-related newspaper articles from the 1980s to the early 2000s, when reporters treated the court as a nonpolitical institution. According to our research, court-related news articles in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times and The Wall Street Journal hardly used political frames during that time.

    Instead, newspapers perpetuated a dominant belief among the public that Supreme Court decisions were based almost completely on legal principles rather than political preferences. This belief, in turn, bolstered support for the court.

    Recent newspaper coverage reveals a starkly different pattern.

    A contemporary political court

    It would be nearly impossible to read contemporary articles about the Supreme Court without getting the impression that it is just as political as Congress and the presidency.

    Analyzing our data from 1980 to 2023, the average number of political frames per article tripled. To be sure, politics has always played a role in the court’s decisions. Now, newspapers are making that clear. The question is when this change occurred.

    Across the five major newspapers, reporting about the court has gradually become more political over time. That isn’t surprising: America has been gradually polarizing since the 1980s as well, and the changes in news media coverage reflect that polarization.

    Take February of 2016, when Justice Antonin Scalia unexpectedly died. Of course, justices have died while serving on the court before. But Scalia was a conservative icon, and his death could have swung the court to the center or the left.

    How the politics of naming his successor played out after Scalia’s death was unprecedented.

    President Barack Obama’s nomination effort to put Merrick Garland on the court were stonewalled. The Senate majority leader, Republican Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, said the Senate would not consider any nomination until after the presidential election, nine months from Scalia’s death.

    Republican candidate Donald Trump, seeing an opening, promised to fill the vacancy with a conservative justice who would overturn Roe v. Wade. The court and the 2016 election became inseparable.

    President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama pay respects to Justice Antonin Scalia, whose 2016 death brought lasting change in newspaper coverage of the court.
    Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via Getty Images

    Scalia vacancy changed everything

    February 2016 brought about an abrupt and lasting change in newspaper coverage. The day before Scalia’s death, a typical article referencing the court used 3.22 political frames.

    The day after, 10.48.

    We see an uptick in political frames if we consider annual changes as well. In 2015, newspapers averaged 3.50 political frames per article about the Supreme Court. Then, in 2016, 5.30.

    Using a variety of statistical methods to identify enduring framing shifts, we consistently find February 2016 as the moment newspapers shifted to higher levels of political framing of the court. We find the number of political frames in newspapers remained elevated through 2023.

    How stories frame something shapes how people think about it.

    If an article frames a court decision as “originalist” – an analytical approach that says constitutional texts should be interpreted as they were understood at the time they became law – then readers might think of the court as legalistic.

    But if the newspaper were to frame the decision as “conservative,” then readers might think of the court as ideological.

    We found in our study that when people read an article about a court decision using political frames, court approval declines. That’s because most people desire a legal court rather than a political one. No wonder polls today find the court with precariously low public support.

    We do not necessarily hold journalists responsible for the court’s dramatic decline in public support. The bigger issue may be the court rather than reporters. If the court acts politically, and the justices behave ideologically, then reporters are doing their job: writing accurate stories.

    That poses yet another problem. Before Trump’s three court appointments, the bench was known for its relative balance. Sometimes decisions were liberal; other times, conservative.

    In June 2013, the court provided protections to same-sex marriages. Two days earlier, the court struck down part of the Voting Rights Act. A liberal win, a conservative win – that’s what we might expect from a legal institution.

    Today the court is different. For most salient issues, the court supports conservative policies.

    Given, first, the media’s willingness to emphasize the court’s politics, and second, the justices’ ideologically consistent decisions across critical issues, it is unlikely that the news media retreats from political framing anytime soon.

    If that’s the case, the court may need to adjust to its low public approval.

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

    – ref. Supreme Court news coverage has talked a lot more about politics ever since the 2016 death of Scalia and GOP blocking of Obama’s proposed nominee – https://theconversation.com/supreme-court-news-coverage-has-talked-a-lot-more-about-politics-ever-since-the-2016-death-of-scalia-and-gop-blocking-of-obamas-proposed-nominee-259120

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Canada’s proposed Strong Borders Act further threatens the legal rights of migrants

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Shiva S. Mohan, Research Fellow, Canada Excellence Research Chair in Migration & Integration program, Toronto Metropolitan University

    Canada’s federal government recently introduced the Strong Borders Act, also known as Bill C-2, that proposes Canada tighten migration controls and modernize border enforcement between Canada and the United States.

    Critics have warned the bill “could pave the way for mass deportations” as well as increase precarity for legal migrants.



    Read more:
    Why Canada’s Strong Borders Act is as troublesome as Donald Trump’s travel bans

    Even now, under existing laws, a migrant could be “legal” and still be denied health care, lose their job or effectively be unable to leave Canada for fear of being denied re-entry.

    Bill C-2’s expanded enforcement powers and increased risk of status revocation could make these precarities much worse.

    This is already the quiet reality for thousands of migrants in Canada under their “maintained status”, formerly “implied status.” This status is a legal provision designed to protect continuity for temporary residents who apply to extend their permits.

    Maintained status itself is not the problem. On paper, it offers legal protection.

    But in practice, it often collapses because of the ecosystem in which it operates: fragmented institutions, absent co-ordination and lack of transparency.

    Maintained status has been narrowed

    In May 2025, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) quietly narrowed the scope of maintained status.

    Under the new rules, if a person’s first application is refused while they are on maintained status, any second application submitted during that period is now automatically refused.

    This effectively strips applicants of legal status, including protections under maintained status, to remain in Canada. The change shows how even compliant migrants can lose status abruptly, further heightening the insecurity built into the system.

    This is a clear expression of complex precarity: a condition in which migrants face legal, economic and social insecurity, even when they follow all the rules.

    Maintained status is just one example of this larger phenomenon of Canadian policy generating hidden forms of exclusion.

    Legal, but not recognized?

    Migrants on maintained status are legally allowed to stay in Canada and continue working or studying under the same conditions as their expired permit. Yet no new permit is issued to confirm this status.

    Proof of this legal standing varies depending on how a person applies. Those who apply online may receive a WP-EXT letter confirming their right to continue working. However, this isn’t issued to post-graduation work-permit holders, and expires after 365 days.

    Paper-based applicants are advised that no such letter will be provided. Instead, they must rely on a copy of their application, a fee payment receipt or courier tracking information to demonstrate continued legal status.

    If no letter is available, or once it expires, IRCC advises applicants to direct employers to the Help Centre web page as proof of their right to remain and work.

    These workarounds are legally valid but fall short of what many employers, landlords and service providers consider adequate proof of status.



    Read more:
    Canada’s new immigration policy favours construction workers but leaves the rest behind

    The limits of informal proof

    My current ongoing research points to how employers following rigid HR protocols often reject informal documentation. Some migrants even obtain letters from immigration lawyers to explain their legal right to remain and work.

    IRCC does not publish public data on the number of people on maintained status or how long they remain in that condition. Some front-line organizations have adjusted their services in response to this gap.

    MOSAIC, for example, a major settlement agency in British Columbia, explicitly lists “migrant workers on maintained status” as eligible for support. This signals institutional recognition of the category.

    The broader situation, however, reflects a disconnect between legal recognition by the state and practical verifiability in everyday life.

    The risk of travel

    Travel while on maintained status is legally permitted only under narrow conditions, such as holding a valid Temporary Resident Visa, being visa-exempt or returning from the U.S. under specific circumstances.

    But even in these cases, leaving Canada terminates maintained status.

    Migrants may be allowed to re-enter as visitors, but they cannot resume work or study until a new permit is issued. This introduces major uncertainties for people who may need to travel for family, emergencies or professional obligations.

    Disparities in provincial health access

    Access to public health insurance during maintained status varies widely across provinces.

    In Ontario, OHIP (Ontario Health Insurance Plan) cards are directly tied to the expiration of work permits. Unless migrants know to proactively request extended coverage and can meet specific document requirements, they risk losing health insurance entirely. Even when eligible, coverage is not automatic and may require out-of-pocket payment pending reimbursement.

    In Québec, RAMQ (Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec) treats migrants on maintained status like new arrivals. They must reregister for coverage and face a three-month waiting period from the time of renewal, regardless of continuous legal presence.

    In British Columbia, by contrast, the MSP (Medical Services Plan) offers temporary coverage for up to six months (extendable) to individuals on maintained status, provided they previously held MSP and submit IRCC receipt proof.

    This more inclusive approach highlights how uneven provincial co-ordination amplifies the precarity of federal policy.

    Infrastructure is needed immediately

    Migrants face great risks on maintained status.

    Despite investments in automation and digital infrastructure, IRCC continues to experience chronic processing delays, leaving migrants in prolonged uncertainty: legally present, but practically unrecognized.

    To address this, Canada needs systems and resources designed to uphold legal recognition in daily life. It needs to:

    • Create a secure centralized portal that allows migrants to control who can verify their legal status in real time. The U.K.’s share code platform and the American myE‑Verify system provide clear examples of how this can work, reducing confusion for employers, landlords, and service providers.

    • Issue co-ordinated provincial guidance, particularly regarding access to essential services such as health care, so that front-line staff have clarity on migrants’ rights under maintained status.

    • Protect continuity of status after international travel, ensuring that those who leave Canada while on maintained status do not lose the ability to return and resume work or study.

    As Canada advances legislation like Bill C‑2, we must not ignore the country’s quiet erosion of its existing legal architecture for migrants.

    Migrants on maintained status have followed the rules.

    If we are serious about building trust in immigration systems, we must commit to infrastructure that is workable, visible and fair.

    Shiva S. Mohan receives funding from the Canada Excellence Research Chair in Migration and Integration Program at Toronto Metropolitan University. He has no other affiliations or financial interests that would benefit from this article.

    – ref. Canada’s proposed Strong Borders Act further threatens the legal rights of migrants – https://theconversation.com/canadas-proposed-strong-borders-act-further-threatens-the-legal-rights-of-migrants-259349

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Colonization devastated biodiversity, habitats and human life in the Pacific Northwest

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Meaghan Efford, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia

    Burrard Inlet, known traditionally as səl̓ilwəɬ (Tsleil-Wat) in the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ language, has been the heart of the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the səl̓ilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation) since time immemorial.

    An image of part of Burrard Inlet and the City of Vancouver taken from the International Space Station in April 2022.
    (NASA)

    The inlet is a water system that wraps through and around what we now know today as the city of Vancouver on the coast of British Columbia. The ecosystem is home to essential habitat for species like Pacific herring, Pacific salmon and harbour seals.

    Burrard Inlet is also host to many commercial, industrial and urban developments and interests. This includes the Port of Vancouver, one of the largest marine ports in Canada and the terminal end of the Trans Mountain Pipeline. Today, more than 2.5 million people call the area home and it’s a popular tourism spot.

    This is relatively new, however. Colonization and urbanization have caused intense change and damage since Europeans first settled in the area in around 1792, with most changes occurring since the 1880s.

    Through a collaborative research project between the Tsleil-Waututh Nation, the University of British Columbia, engineering consultant firm Kerr Wood Leidal and Mitacs Canada, we assessed the impact of colonization on the Burrard Inlet ecosystem since Europeans first settled in the area.

    When we look at the cumulative effects of specific events, we are adding the individual impacts of each event together to get a fuller picture of how colonialism impacted the ecosystem.

    How we tracked change over time

    We chose four sources of stress to the ecosystem to assess for this research:

    1) The impact of smallpox on the ancestral Tsleil-Waututh population and the resulting health of the inlet.

    2) The impact of settler fisheries, including Pacific salmon and Pacific herring.

    3) The impact of settler hunting on land animals, including deer.

    4) The impact of urbanization on the health of the ecosystem.

    We used an ecosystem modelling software program called Ecopath with Ecosim, and modelled how these events impacted the inlet ecosystem between 1750-1980. We found there was a significant decrease in biomass (how much of a given organism is in an ecosystem) and available habitat.

    We focused on 12 animal groups based on another collaborative project that focused on traditional Tsleil-Waututh diets.

    To do this, we drew on multiple sources of data, including Tsleil-Waututh traditional ecological knowledge, archeological data, historical and archival work and ecological resources.

    By combining these different sources of information, we can address gaps in each data source and weave together information to paint a fuller picture of ecological change over time.

    An aerial photo of the Burrard Inlet’s North Shore and the Maplewood Mudflats taken by a Tsleil-Waututh field survey team by drone during a kelp survey in August 2020.
    (Tsleil-Waututh Nation)

    What we found

    Our research highlights how shoreline change from events like the construction of the Port of Vancouver resulted in the loss of more than half of the intertidal habitat that clams, crabs, birds and fish rely on.

    Along with over-harvesting, this has resulted in a dramatic population decline for these species. Clams and other bivalves have also become unsafe to eat due to pollution.

    Over-fishing has been a huge problem. Forage fish, including Pacific herring, eulachon, surf smelt and Northern anchovy, collectively experienced a 99 per cent decline in biomass.

    Pacific herring was completely wiped out by dynamite fishing, and only recently returned.

    Pink salmon and chum salmon both experienced more than 40 per cent losses in biomass due to over-fishing. White sturgeon were almost wiped out.

    Mammals didn’t fare any better: three-quarters of the deer and elk populations and over one-quarter of the harbour seal population in the area around the inlet were lost to hunting.

    Smallpox had a devastating effect on Salish communities throughout the region. The loss of lives caused dramatic change in the ecosystem because it reduced how much food was taken out of the ecosystem significantly.

    The smallpox epidemics only touch the surface of how colonization impacted Indigenous lives. Other events that we didn’t include in the model — like the Residential School system and the Reserve System, for example — severely limited or criminalized stewardship activities that Tsleil-Waututh and other Nations have been using to take care of their territory for millennia.

    Tsleil-Waututh stewardship and sovereignty

    Tsleil-Waututh people are specialists in managing and stewarding the marine, tidal and terrestrial resources of the inlet’s ecosystem. Tsleil-Waututh salmon stewardship sustainably maintained a chum salmon fishery for almost 3,000 years.

    The research questions, priorities and direction of our project were established through frequent collaborative meetings. This approach ensured Tsleil-Waututh co-authors and colleagues were involved in every step of the research.

    This kind of community-driven work is complex. It is also incredibly valuable for understanding ecosystem change over time. Without the leadership and knowledge of Tsleil-Waututh knowledge-holders, this research would have had massive data and knowledge gaps and the work would have much less significance.

    This is an example of transdisciplinary research: research that is interdisciplinary, that draws on multiple disciplines for data and methods and is grounded in community from the beginning.

    Our research shows that colonialism has had a devastating impact on habitats and biodiversity in and around Burrard Inlet. This is not just an ecological story, but a human story that speaks to the wide-reaching impacts of colonization. It is an intertwined story that shows how harmful colonization and rapid urbanization can be, both to humans and to the ecosystems we call home.

    Meaghan Efford received funding from Mitacs Canada through a collaborative project with Tsleil-Waututh Nation.

    – ref. Colonization devastated biodiversity, habitats and human life in the Pacific Northwest – https://theconversation.com/colonization-devastated-biodiversity-habitats-and-human-life-in-the-pacific-northwest-260791

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: The Honourable Maria V. Carroccia’s Questionnaire

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Under the new judicial application process introduced by the Minister of Justice on October 20, 2016, any interested and qualified Canadian lawyer or judge may apply for federal judicial appointment by completing a questionnaire. The questionnaires are then used by the Judicial Advisory Committees across Canada to review candidates and submit a list of “highly recommended” and “recommended” candidates for consideration by the Minister of Justice. Candidates are advised that parts of their questionnaire may be made available to the public, with their consent, should they be appointed to the bench. The information is published as it was submitted by the candidates at the time they applied, subject to editing where necessary for privacy reasons.

    Below are Parts 5, 6, 7, and 11 of the questionnaire completed by the Honourable Maria V. Carroccia.

    Questionnaire for Judicial Appointment

    PART 5 – LANGUAGE

    Please note that in addition to the answers to the questions set out below, you may be assessed as to your level of language proficiency.

    Without further training, are you able to read and understand court materials in:

    • English: Yes
    • French: No

    Without further training, are you able to discuss legal matters with your colleagues in: 

    • English: Yes
    • French: No

    Without further training, are you able to converse with counsel in court in: 

    • English: Yes
    • French: No

    Without further training, are you able to understand oral submission in court in: 

    • English: Yes
    • French: No

    If you have answered yes to all four questions above, for both English and French, please answer the additional two questions below:

    Without further training, are you able to write decisions in both French and English? *

    Without further training, are you able to conduct hearings in both French and English? *

    *Please note that the Office of the Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs may conduct random verifications and assessments of candidates’ language proficiency as stated in their questionnaire.

    PART 6 – EDUCATION

    Name of Institutions, Years Attended, Degree/Diploma and Year Obtained:

    University of Windsor, 1980-1984 Bachelor of Arts, Honours, English Language and Literature

    University of Windsor, Faculty of Law, 1984-1987, Bachelor of Laws

    Continuing Education:

    n/a

    Honours and Awards:

    Special achievement, University of Windsor, Faculty of Law 1986-1987

    PART 7 – PROFESSIONAL AND EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

    Please include a chronology of work experience, starting with the most recent and showing employers’ names and dates of employment. For legal work, indicate areas of work or specialization with years and, if applicable, indicate if they have changed.

    Legal Work History:

    1995-present, self-employed as a Barrister and Solicitor practicing in Windsor, Ontario. Practice restricted to criminal defence;

    1990-1995 Gordner, Klein, Barristers and Solicitors, employed lawyer practicing criminal law;

    1989-1990 Gignac, Sutts Barristers and Solicitors, employed lawyer practicing criminal law.

    Non-Legal Work History:

    1980-1987 part-time Pharmacy Assistant, Patterson Big V Drug Store;

    1980-1986 part-time waitress, Caboto Club of Windsor.

    Other Professional Experience:

    List all bar associations, legal or judicial-related committees of which you are or have been a member and give the lilies and dates of any offices which you have held in such groups.

    Windsor Essex County Criminal Lawyers’ Association, President 20 1 2-present, past president from 1999-2001

    Windsor Justice on Target Leadership Team Committee 2010-2015

    Windsor Criminal Justice Modernization Committee, 2015-present

    Windsor Bail Committee, (Ontario Court of Justice) 2016-present

    Pro Bono Activities:

    n/a

    Teaching and Continuing Education:

    List all legal or judicial educational organizations and activities you have been involved with (e.g. teaching course at a Law Faculty, bar association, National Judicial Institute, Canadian Institute for the Administration of Justice, etc.)

    University of Windsor, Faculty of Law, Criminal Law and Procedure, Sessional Instructor, Winter Term 2011 (taught course together with Michael Gordner)

    Occasional lecturer in various courses at the University of Windsor, Faculty of Law, most recently on Nov. 1 1, 2018 in a course taught by Justice Sharman Bondy: Law Ethics

    Community and Civic Activities:

    List all organizations of which you are a member and any offices held with dates.

    Member of the Board of Directors, Leone Residence for Women, 2008-present

    PART 11 – THE ROLE OF THE JUDICIARY IN CANADA’S LEGAL SYSTEM

    The Government of Canada seeks to appoint judges with a deep understanding of the judicial role in Canada. In order to provide a more complete basis for evaluation, candidates are asked to offer their insight into broader issues concerning the judiciary and Canada’s legal system. For each of the following questions, please provide answers of between 750 and 1000 words.

    1. What would you regard as your most significant contribution to the law and the pursuit of justice in Canada?

    I have been practicing criminal law for about 30 years. During most of that time, I have been a sole practitioner or worked in association with other lawyers. I do not work in a large firm. I view myself as a trial lawyer who “works in the trenches”. My contribution to the law is to represent my clients to the best of my ability, whether they are charged with minor offences or the most serious offences.

    Over the years, I have conducted countless trials in both the Ontario Court of Justice and the Superior Court. I have represented many different people from all walks of life. Some of the trials involved minor charges, while others involved very serious charges where the consequences upon conviction were also serious. While the majority of my clients have lengthy criminal records, I have also represented first time offenders, police officers, lawyers, doctors, and other people who are unfamiliar with our criminal justice system.

    I have always tried my best to ensure that everyone I represented felt that they were treated respectfully and fairly, no matter what the outcome of their matter. As a sole practitioner, sometimes it’s hard to devote the time necessary to every client, but that’s exactly what you have to do. I have to remind myself that while I may have hundreds of files to deal with, for the individual client, their matter is the only one that matters.

    Having said that, I try to maintain a relationship with my clients that allows for communication. In many ways, I am the one who interprets the law for them and explains the criminal justice system to them. Some clients have unrealistic expectations about the outcome of their matter. I have to explain and advise them on their jeopardy, their legal rights, their best course of action. In doing that, I always maintain that I will be honest with my clients, even if the information I am providing to them is not what they want to hear.

    I also have several clients that I’ve represented for over 20 years. I have represented and continue to represent 3 generations of one family. These people trust me and rely on me. I deal with people who very often are at a low point in their lives, facing criminal charges.

    I am mindful of the fact that I stand between the individual and the criminal justice system. In doing so, I try to conduct myself with integrity and honesty and try to accomplish the best possible outcome for my client in the circumstances of their case.

    2. How has your experience provided you with insight into the variety and diversity of Canadians and their unique perspectives?

    Practicing criminal law exposes a lawyer to clients from all walks of life. In my work, it is not unusual for me to deal not only with the client, but with their spouses and families. Their needs are individual, but in many ways, there are similarities. I am mindful of an individual’s background and beliefs and try to be respectful of those. My community is multicultural and as a result, I deal with people from a variety of cultural, racial and religious backgrounds. I find that I can learn from my clients just as they learn from me.

    I try to accommodate their individual needs as much as is reasonably possible in the circumstances. For example, it is my practice to inquire as to whether or not my client identifies as aboriginal since that is a relevant factor to be taken into account at the bail stage or the sentencing stage in criminal matters.

    I must fearlessly advance my client’s case in accordance with his or her instructions while maintaining my obligations as an officer of the Court. I am always mindful of the fact that my client’s perspective is without doubt influenced by his or his background and as a result, I try to make myself aware of his or her background, and I try to ensure that my client has an understanding of the process, whether that involves a guilty plea and sentencing, or a trial.

    I believe it is important to have an understanding of the clients you are serving in order to better represent them.

    3. Describe the appropriate role of a judge in a constitutional democracy.

    All branches of government have a role to play within our democracy. Put simply, the role of a judge is to interpret the law. In the minds of most Canadians, a judge is the embodiment of the law. Therefore, I believe that judges must strive to be above reproach in both their personal and professional lives. They must be fair, open-minded and able to communicate effectively. A judge must be an impartial decision maker.

    It is important to remember that judges do not create the law in a constitutional democracy, they interpret the law and apply it appropriately within the confines of the Constitution Act. One of the most important roles of a judge is to determine whether a law is constitutional or whether actions by the state comply with the requirements of the Charter.

    4. Who is the audience for the decisions rendered by the court(s) to which you are applying?

    The audience for the decisions of the Superior Court of Justice is the average Canadian citizen.

    It is my view that a judge’s decision ought to make sense to an ordinary person, not just to lawyers, scholars and other judges. An individual should be able to understand the decision of a judge and the law upon which it is based even if he or she is not well-versed in the law. The law applies to all Canadian citizens, and judges should keep in mind that in order for the ordinary person to understand the judgment of a Court, they must be able to understand the interpretation of the law set out in that decision.

    It seems that more recently, Courts have been striving to simplify the language used in their decisions so that an ordinary person can understand them more easily. For instance, the Charter is written in simple language so that it can be easily understood.

    The recent decision of the Supreme Court of Canada in Regina v. Jordan garnered a lot of public attention. I believe that it was easily understood by the public because the Court established a simple formula to determine what constitutes unreasonable delay in the context of criminal trials. It is cases such as this one which make the law more easily understood by the public.

    5. Please describe the personal qualities, professional skills and abilities, and life experience that you believe will equip you for the role of a judge.

    I believe that I have an ability to deal with people from different walks of life. In my practice I have dealt with clients, other lawyers, judges, crowns, court staff and members of the public. I do this on a daily basis.

    I believe I have an understanding of both sides of the issues in criminal law despite the fact that I have spent my career defending people charged with criminal offences rather than prosecuting them.

    I have been the President of the Windsor Essex Criminal Lawyers’ Association for the last 6 years and as a result, I have participated in various committees which were made up of stakeholders in both the Ontario Court of Justice and the Superior Court, including judges, crowns, police officers, court staff, lawyers, and corrections officials.

    This allowed me an opportunity to have input into the decision-making process in both levels of courts and to represent the interests of criminal lawyers on those issues.

    I am the mother of two children, and as such, I have developed an ability to balance my professional life with my personal life.

    6. Given the goal of ensuring that Canadians are able to look at the justices appointed to the bench and see their faces and life experiences reflected there, you may, if you choose, provide information about yourself that you feel would assist in this objective.

    I am the oldest child of immigrant parents from Italy. The first generation of my family born in Canada. My parents were not educated. They did not finish grade school, but they valued education for their children. Their first language was not English. My father was a construction worker; my mother was a homemaker. While I was growing up, I was often their intermediary when dealing with government agencies and English-speaking people.

    While they encouraged me to further my education, financially, they were not always able to assist, so I worked part time jobs as a student to pay for my education. They taught me the value of hard work. We have a close-knit and loving large family.

    As a female lawyer practicing criminal law, I was one of a very few when I started my practice in 1989, but I found guidance and mentors among the more established, mostly male criminal lawyers in Windsor. They answered my questions and gave me guidance when I needed it. I try to do that now with the new lawyers when I am asked to.

    I have represented people who have committed violent acts, people with mental illness and people who are substance abusers. A good criminal lawyer has to have the ability to see beyond the “case” and see the person that they are dealing with. In order to do so, you must have a willingness to listen to your client.

    I think it’s important that judges have that understanding of the people who appear before them.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Brownley Introduces Bill to Ensure Federal Employees Access to Personnel Records

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Julia Brownley (D-CA)

    Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Julia Brownley (D-CA) announced the introduction of the Protecting Federal Employee Rights to Personnel Files Act of 2025, legislation that would prevent the Trump administration from withholding personnel files containing critical documents from current, separated, and retired federal employees. The bill would require federal agencies to provide these records within seven days of the employee’s date of separation. 

    “In a reckless and egregious overreach of power, the Trump administration has carried out mass firings and used aggressive tactics to intimidate and push federal employees out of their jobs,” said Congresswoman Brownley. “To make matters worse, they have shown a blatant disregard for these workers by delaying or outright denying access to personnel files that contain critical documents needed to file taxes, apply for new jobs, or claim unemployment benefits. I introduced this bill to ensure federal employees can access the records they are rightfully entitled to, without delay.”

    “I have heard from federal employees across multiple agencies who have been unable to access their personnel files or who have discovered serious errors in their personnel records with no clear way to correct them,” Brownley continued. “Many were terminated after hours and immediately lost access to their electronic official personnel folders when they were required to return their government-issued devices on the spot. As a result, they were left without the paperwork they need to move forward with their lives, both professionally and personally.”

    “Current and former federal employees have long faced challenges accessing their personnel files in a timely manner, for both professional and personal reasons,” said Randy Erwin, National President of National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE). “While OPM has made progress for current employees, the system still falls short for those with limited or unsecure internet access, and completely excludes former employees. This bill is a game-changer, enabling employees and the government to process critical information more efficiently, allowing both to move forward without unnecessary delays.”

    “In recent months, numerous high-performing, skilled federal employees faced unwarranted termination by this administration. The process through which they were notified was chaotic and disorganized. Questions were left unanswered, and the necessary documentation related to their termination was not provided prior to their dismissal,” said Doreen Greenwald, National President of National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU). “The result is disappointing and heartbreaking: separated employees have been unable to file for unemployment insurance, enroll in new health care plans, and access the resources they need to survive in the wake of their termination. We’ve had reports of employees in the middle of cancer treatment losing their FEHBP insurance while unable to enroll in their spouse’s plan because they lack the required paperwork owed to them. I commend Representative Brownley for introducing this bill to ensure federal employees are provided access to their personnel files and appropriate paperwork so that they are not further harmed by these removals. This bill goes a long way to ensuring they are equipped to face the uncertainty that comes with unemployment; passing it is a matter of common sense and basic respect.” 

    Background

    The Protecting Federal Employee Rights to Personnel Files Act of 2025 will guarantee access to official personnel records for all current and former federal employees — whether separated due to retirement, termination, reassignment to another federal agency, or other circumstances — by:

    • Requiring federal agencies to provide a separated employee with a copy of their official personnel file, in electronic and physical form, no later than 7 days after their date of separation
    • Requiring the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to furnish a copy of a current employee’s personnel file within seven days upon request
    • Entitling any former employees, who were separated prior to enactment, to their personnel files within 21 days of requesting their files be provided by OPM

    The Protecting Federal Employee Rights to Personnel Files Act of 2025 is endorsed by the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE-IAM), National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), American Federation of Teachers, American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO (DPE), Federal Managers Association (FMA), International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), IAFF Federal Fire Fighters Joint Council, International Association of Machinists, International Plate Printers Union, National Association of Assistant United States Attorneys (NAAUSA), Professional Managers Association (PMA), Senior Executives Association (SEA), National Association of Agriculture Employees (NAAE), National Weather Service Employees Organization (NWSEO), and Patent Office Professional Association.

    Read the text of the bill here.

    ###

    Issues: 119th Congress

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: From crisis to classroom: How the UN supports education in conflict zones

    Source: United Nations 2

    Of the 234 million school-age children affected by conflict globally, 85 million children are completely out of school.  

    The figures are “unprecedented,” Helena Murseli, who leads the UN Children’s Fund’s (UNICEF) Global Education in Emergencies team, told UN News. 

    © UNICEF/Jospin Benekire

    UNICEF’s Helena Murseli.

    “These are not isolated incidents. They are part of a global pattern of escalating conflict that affects children’s right to learn,” she said.  

    Childhood without education

    In the short and long-term, the consequences of missing out on education during violent crises are severe.

    “Education is not just lifesaving, it’s also life-sustaining and life-changing,” Ms. Murseli emphasised.

    “When schools close, families also lose their anchor. Children miss the structure, the safety, the normalcy that education provides,” she said. “The day-to-day reality becomes about immediate survival, rather than building a future for them.”

    Ms. Murseli stressed that the long-term impacts are just as or even more significant. “Education breaks cycles of conflict and poverty. When entire generations miss school, countries lose the human capital needed for recovery and development. We risk creating what we call a ‘lost generation’—children who grow up knowing only crisis, without the skills or hope to rebuild their society.”

    Sudan: The world’s largest education crisis

    In terms of numbers, Sudan is the world’s largest education emergency. An estimated 19 million children are out of school, and 90 per cent of schools are closed nationwide due to ongoing violent conflict.

    To help address this crisis, Ms. Murseli highlighted that over 2.4 million children have returned to school through more than 850 UNICEF-run Makanna centres – meaning “our space” in Arabic.  

    UNICEF has also supported over 250,000 children with holistic education services, providing students with water, sanitation, nutrition and protection so they’re able to successfully continue their studies.  

    The also organization utilises solar-powered tablets for education, “perfect for a country with more than 10 hours of daily sunshine,” said Ms. Murseli.

    © UNICEF/Ahmed Mohamdeen Elfatih

    Children in Kassala, Sudan, study with the help of digital tablets.

    Additionally, a $400 million Transitional Educational Plan led by the UN’s education organization (UNESCO) aims to restore access to education and vocational training.

    Looking ahead, UNICEF’s education support project in Sudan plans to support relatively stable states with printed materials and remote learning tools. 

    Systematic destruction of schools in Gaza

    The war in Gaza and the destruction of 95 per cent of educational infrastructure has left over 660,000 children out of school – nearly all of Gaza’s school-aged population.

    Many former UN-run schools are now being used as shelters for displaced people.

    A report to the UN Human Rights Council found that Israeli forces systematically destroyed education infrastructure in Gaza and described these actions as possible war crimes. 

    Learning with what’s available

    According to Ms. Murseli and the UN Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) more than 68,000 children in Gaza have been reached through temporary learning spaces offering education and psychosocial support.

    UNICEF is also recycling pallets into school furniture and converting supplied boxes into tables and chairs.  

    © UNICEF/Mohammed Nateel

    In addition, digital tools to study literacy and numeracy lessons have been provided to nearly 300,000 Palestinian refugee children. 

    Ukraine: education under fire

    Within Ukraine, 5.3 million children face barriers to education, and around 115,000 are completely out of school due to the ongoing war.

    With many schools on the front lines either closed or operating remotely, over 420,000 children attend school fully online, while 1 million use a hybrid model. 

    However, ongoing energy shortages have reduced access to online learning to as little as two and a half hours each day, and in-person school is often disrupted by indiscriminate attacks.

    In Russian-controlled areas of Ukraine, the UN Human Rights Office said that authorities are enforcing a militarised, patriotic curriculum and banning the Ukrainian language – actions that violate international law, which requires occupying powers to respect children’s national identity and education.

    Catch-up classes and safe spaces

    UNICEF has established 150 student learning centres in frontline areas and offers twice-weekly catch-up classes in maths and Ukrainian language.  

    To adapt to the situation on the front lines, Ms. Murseli also highlighted UNICEF’s running of schools in underground metro systems and bomb shelters.

    © UNICEF/Kristina Pashkina

    Children study in a shelter in Kharkiv metro in Ukraine.

    In 2025, the organization aims to help over 500,000 children across the country access formal education and recreational activities.  

    To increase safety, UN Ukraine has also launched an initiative to create protected shelters for students and staff during air raids. 

    The costs of inaction

    As crises deepen and humanitarian funding continues to decline, education programmes have faced dramatic cuts.  

    Ms. Murseli underscored that as humanitarian funding could drop up to 45 per cent by the end of this year, “despite being families’ top priority in emergencies, education receives only 3 per cent of humanitarian aid.”

    “I think we are at the critical turning point where we need urgent prioritisation of education and not further cuts,” she said.  

    Amid rhetoric of a “humanitarian reset” – saving funds by making the humanitarian system more effective – Ms. Murseli emphasised that holistic education programmes that provide students with the humanitarian resources to thrive are the key to withstanding crises and development in the aftermath.

    “We’re talking about 234 million children’s future and ultimately, global stability and development. The cost of inaction far exceeds the investment needed to get every crisis-affected child learning,” she concluded.  

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Chief of the Air Staff speech at Global Air & Space Chiefs’ Conference 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Speech

    Chief of the Air Staff speech at Global Air & Space Chiefs’ Conference 2025

    Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Rich Knighton’s speech at the Global Air & Space Chiefs’ Conference 17 July 2025

    Susannah thank you very much and Dave thank you A – for being here and B – for giving such a great presentation, I am now starting to doubt the fact that I took out the animal videos from last year out of my presentation.

    As you heard yesterday this is the last appearance for me as the CAS at the Global Air Space Chiefs Conference and I am going to miss it. This conference provides a fantastic opportunity for us to get to know each other, build relationships, and most importantly to share ideas.

    Combined with RIAT and the invitation to our crews, to our industries, and to our spouses, this always feels like a very special event. 

    You might remember that two years ago I showed this picture of Caitlin and me on holiday in Greece as a mechanism to try and build a rapport or relationship. I got in trouble because I hadn’t cleared it with her before I showed it but I’m doing it again, it’ll be fine.

    I wanted to start today by saying a huge thank you to the global air and space chief community for your friendship and support over the two years while I’ve been chief and particularly over the last year.

    Some of you know that Caitlin was not at RIAT last year as she underwent a pretty aggressive form of chemotherapy, and that camaraderie and support that I felt from this international community was incredible. It’s those bonds of friendship and understanding that will sustain us both in peacetime and in war.

    I am pleased to say that Caitlin is doing well and she’ll be back at RIAT.

    And for those of you who are wondering she is still a divorce lawyer. So, if she hands you her business card you should be afraid, if she hands your spouse her business card – be very very afraid!

    Two years ago in 2023 when I stood on this stage, the war in Ukraine was just over a year old and my key conclusion was that after 3 decades of peace dividend and fighting impressive counter-terrorism campaigns globally, we – the Royal Air Force and other air forces needed to change if we were going to avoid the kind of war that we saw playing out in Ukraine. 

    Our response to this demand for change intellectually was to update our air operating concept. At the heart of it is this idea of decision superiority supported by agility, integration, and resilience.

    Roll forward a year, last year we focused on deterrence. In whatever way you describe it, warfare is costly, and I argued that our job as military leaders was to stop these wars from starting.

    I also explained last year where our priorities lay in terms of developing the capabilities to ensure we could deter the kind of fight we’ve seen in Ukraine.

    It started with command and control. Capabilities to counter the A2 AD threat. Integrated area missile and defence and agile combat employment. And taking a leaf out of Dave’s book I also showed you this picture of my good friend Patrick Sanders, shortly after he finished being the head of the British Army at Glastonbury. I’m pleased to say that Patrick has gone past his Glasto phase and is now a successful podcaster and it’s really good, I can really recommend it. But Patrick was in the news again last weekend with a warning that we should head as we think about the pace of change.

    As you heard from the Minister, last month the UK published its Strategic Defence Review, a vision about making Britain safer, secure at home, and strong abroad. It played back to us much of the logic and analysis we’ve talked about in conferences like this for several years. As you’ve heard today, it focuses on warfighting readiness, it’s clear about putting NATO first, and using defence as and engine for growth, with UK innovation driven by lessons from Ukraine, and a whole of society response.

    This is a radical shift for the UK.

    And all of that is before The Hague Summit where many of our allies signed up to spend significantly more on Defence.

    This is a watershed moment for the UK and the West.

    Throughout my whole career Defence budgets have shrunk, armed forces have got smaller. I was at RAF Cranwell recently talking to our officer cadets about to graduate and coming out into their next phase of training and into the Air Force. I told them that they are entering an air force that none of us have known. An Air Force where budgets are growing, and numbers are increasing.

    Last year, I also talked about the high low mix and its importance and autonomous collaborative platforms, and you’ve heard about that from the minister this morning.

    I got Jim Beck our Director of Capability, who we saw yesterday, to promise in front of all of you he would deliver this year the first of a family of ACPs that would improve the lethality and survivability of our crewed platforms.

    I want to pay tribute to Jim today and the wider team for delivering in April this year StormShroud.

    It is an impressive capability that was delivered with a different attitude towards risk both in terms of its acquisition and in the terms of the way it’s operated.  It also delivered through collaboration with warfighters, traditional defence industry, and new entrants to it.

    I am enormously proud of what Jim, the team and the wider team have done to deliver it, and I am enormously pleased that what SDR sets out is a direction of travel that we have been on as air forces for several years.

    But the SDR is clear, and I’m clear that we have to do this quickly, and we can’t do it on our own.

    To borrow a phrase from my great friend Jabba Steur the Dutch chief, we need to be ready to fight tonight, tomorrow, and together.

    These alliances, that these conferences help build are incredibly important to us, and frankly the alliance with the United States of America is the most important of all.

    Arthur Tedder and Tooey Spatz, the first Chief of Staff for the US Air Force, forged a relationship during the second world war that sustained them through peace. Today the relationships we form in peacetime need to sustain us through war.

    This year has seen many of us in this room flying alongside our US friends and fighting alongside them globally.

    But is not just about working together as allies, this evolving battlespace demands that we work together across all 5 domains, and that’s why that is the theme of this conference how do we integrate air and space power into this evolving battlespace.

    I want to use 3 stories from the past, present and future to illustrate why this is important and what lessons we might draw about how we do it.

    Now looking round the room, I think quite a lot of us in the room remember the early days in our career the end of the Cold War.

    Every self-respecting junior officer would have read Tom Clancy’s Red Storm Rising.

    In it, NATO face the task of repelling Russian aggression from Eastern Europe through or by, as Tom said,

    ‘…penetrating the most concentrated SAM belt the world had ever known.’

    In Tom Clancy’s day that was a job for Air Forces it required large packages of aircraft, it was what our flag exercises, Red Flag, Green Flag, Maple Flag, were all about. Honing our Large Force Employment skills – we relished the opportunity; we loved flying and fighting alongside the very best from other nations.

    I’m sure just the mention of it evokes warm memories at the time when it was the air force that we knew and loved, when we had more hair, slimmer waists, and we didn’t groan when we got out of chairs.

    This was air power’s World Cup. I was also going to say this was, for our American audience, it’s like the World Series, but I found out that Donald Trump seems to recognise Soccer is the more important game, and if you’re going to have a world event you do have to invite people from other countries to it, just saying. Sorry Dave!

    This was a complex mission and attrition was expected. In Tom Clancy’s novel, more than a dozen of the most technologically advanced aircraft the West had were lost on that first mission. In the 1980s we had the mass to cope with that kind of level of attrition. Today, we know that this is going to require more than just brilliant air forces. Even the most ardent advocate of air power, Dave Deptula agrees.

    In Tom Clancy’s time, other terrestrial domains lacked the tools to be able to really influence this fight. Space and cyber weren’t even nascent capabilities.

    Today, not only is it feasible to integrate effects across multi domains, it is essential. And this is hard, it’s hard to do it on a national level, trying to do it multi-nationally, across a continent is exponentially more difficult but it is the challenge of our generation, and our adversaries know that and they’re trying to emulate us. Fortunately, however they are showing us how not to do it.

    When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, it looked like integrated multi-domain operations. With two combined armies, supported by strategic fires, tactical and strategic air power provided by VKS, land launched, sea launched, air launched cruise missile, electronic warfare, and critical space and cyber effects, surely that was integrated?

    But the reality is Russia’s sees air power differently to the west, in the western way of warfare, air power is at the heart of the way we fight. In Russia it’s about supporting the land campaign, and we know as Justin Bronkin and Dag Henrikson have pointed out that Russia has always struggled to integrate air power emissions to deliver strategic effect. So in those first few hours and days after the war started, what we saw was Russia’s actions were stove pipped, they were deconflicted in time and space and fratricide both electronically and kinetically was commonplace. But three years and a million causalities later, Russia is learning. And we have to learn too, as General Patton said,

    Our job as air chiefs is to educate our aviators and our commander so that we are ready for the next Storm Rising. There’s no way I could write it.

    I’ve stood on this stage and said, that we should not image that Ukraine is the way in which we would fight in the future. Ukraine is a 19th Century war, fought with 20th Century tactics and 21st Century weapons.

    What we need to do is fight 21st Century war, with 21st Century capabilities, and 21st Century thinking.

    2025 has given for us some examples of how this air led innovation and integration can make a difference. We’ve heard about Ukraine’s audacious attack against Russia’s strategic assets and operations in Iran have really shown us what exquisite air power integrated with other multi-domain effects can do at both the strategic and campaign level.

    But when the war starts, we know that it’s going to be a dynamic environment, and so whilst the tactics and the targets might be the same as they were in Tom Clancy’s day, the threat has changed, and the tactics need to change too.

    There’s breadth, scale, depth coupled with three years of operational experience mean the threat is much greater than it was in Tom Clancy’s time. And so the tactics need to change, and we need an integrated approach.

    We need space, cyber, land, sea, and air to work together.

    We know space will deliver PNT, we know it will deliver ISR, we know it will deliver battle damage assessment, but it can also be used to disrupt our adversaries’ communications. We can shield our own forces from their satellites.

    Cyber can disrupt and degrade C2 systems.

    The maritime environment might deliver fires or air defence.

    The land domain might launch Stromshroud, project special forces or launch attacks against key targets.

    We get this right; we create control of the air. We might be limited in time and geography, but it opens up the opportunity for our forces to target and exploit other opportunities.

    But no plan survives contact with the enemy and we need a mechanism to adapt and react, to ensure that we’re able to exploit opportunities and make the right decisions at the right time in this complex environment.

    In the UK we’ve developed NEXUS, it’s our combat cloud and it will form part of the digital targeting web the minister talked about this morning and it’s through that that we’ll deliver the tempo and deliver that all domain C2. But C2 is about more than the network, it’s about our commanders, our decision making and our training. We’ve got challenge in NATO in particular, how do we command and control in a dynamic environment, multi-domain operations when we’re structured by component and organised by components or geography.

    NATO’s land component commander argues that it’s the Army’s task, the Army should, alone deal with the counter A2 AD threat in Kaliningrad. He might be right in that specific environment, but it’s not proven or tested. It would be like me saying that actually it’s air power that should be the soul force that blunts Russian attacks into NATO territory. We need to lift ourselves out of these historic rivalries and reductive arguments and think about how we deliver truly integrated multi-domain effects.

    How do we set the board at risk in the way Dave said yesterday to make sure we are ready for the next Storm Rising.

    We can learn lessons from other campaigns and operations and the next panel will talk about some of those. But I think we need to test, to train, and to educate our people.

    In the real world, exercises like Bamboo Eagle provide high-end, multi-domain, multinational and long-range exercises where we can test ourselves against these kinds of scenarios. Red Flag has always been the pinnacle air exercise, in this case Red Flag was just the starter to the main course which was exercise Bamboo Eagle.

    175 aircraft from Canada, the UK, Australia, and the US. In an operation that ranged right across the indo-pacific. But we don’t just need to rely on the real world anymore, the synthetic environment provides us with opportunities to test and train in ways we’ve not been able to before.

    In the UK, we’ve developed Gladiator, a synthetic, multi-domain environment that connects national and international components so they can mission rehearse the most complex of multi-domain operations that we are unable to imagine.

    Earlier last year, in Exercise Cobra Warrior, the weather meant that we were unable to conduct some of the flying that we intended, quite a common thing in the UK.

    What we did was, we flew the mission in Gladiator. The full COMAO flew real-time, and then the combined synthetic and real picture that came from that was fed into the was fed into the ops centre which allowed our C2 and ISR teams to test themselves as though it had been for real.

    We can no longer wait to find out what we know and adapt when the war starts.

    For those, like Dave and Shawn Harris who have walked the corridors of the USAF’s School of Advanced Air and Space Power Studies, they’ll see this quote.

    We need to provide those opportunities for our people, so that they are ready for the next Storm Rising.

    The Americans have shown the way with Bamboo Eagle and the phenomenal capability off the coast of California, but I think we need something like this in Europe too.

    Somewhere where we can bring our Armies, Navies, and Air Forces together. Where we can test the land component commander’s assertion that he can alone address the counter A2 AD task in Kaliningrad. Where we can find out how do we command and control multi-domain effects in NATO when we’re organised by components.

    We have talked and sat around the NATO Air Chiefs table about creating some airspace we can turn on and off over the North Sea. But for our agencies and our airlines it’s all a bit too difficult.

    Now to be fair, North Sea might not be the right place. Our friends in Sweden and Finland have got a lot of space and are keen to help. What I would like to do is to see our European and NATO forces pool our resources and create that capacity and capability here in Europe.

    So let me sum up.

    We have to be ready for this next Storm Rising.

    We know it is going to be harder than it was in Tom Clancy’s day.

    Fighting a bespoke, exquisite air campaign that’s not integrated into this evolving battlespace will lead to campaign failure.

    What we need is genuinely integrated multi-domain effects, at this operational and strategic level not just at the tactical level where we know that we excel. How we do that is through thinking and practice. We can do some of that in synthetic environment and that also allows us an opportunity to exploit some of those tools that Keith and others talked about yesterday. But we need to do it in the real world too, so we can identify the frictions and fix them.

    I’ll be honest, I don’t know the answer to this NATO conundrum about command and control and how we do that command and control integrated action and deliver multi-domain effects when we’re organised by component. But the answer to it starts with thinking and practice, and it’s through that we will be able to deter, to fight and to win – tonight, tomorrow and together.

    Thank you very much.

    Updates to this page

    Published 17 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Dee Colbert Appointed to Lead IAM Women’s and Young Workers Department 

    Source: US GOIAM Union

    IAM Union International President Brian Bryant has announced the appointment of Demetress “Dee” Colbert as the union’s next Women’s and Young Workers Director, effective Jan. 1, 2026. Colbert will succeed Julie Frietchen, who will become the Winpisinger Center’s director on Jan. 1, 2026. 

    Colbert brings decades of leadership and organizing experience to the role, recently serving as an Education Representative at the William W. Winpisinger Education and Technology Center.

    “Dee has shown a lifelong commitment to advancing the rights of workers, especially women and young workers,” said IAM Union International President Brian Bryant. “Her leadership, passion, and deep union values make her the best person to lead this department, which is crucial to our union’s future strength and growth.”

    Colbert joined IAM Local 846 in 1998 while working as a customer service agent for Southwest Airlines. A current member of Local 2665, she has held several key roles at the Local level, including Shop Steward, Trustee, Conductor Sentinel, Recording Secretary and Vice President. She also served on the Negotiation Prep Committee, the Women’s Committee, and as her Local’s CREST Hazmat instructor.

    Before joining the staff at the Winpisinger Center in 2023, Colbert was the Organizing Director for IAM District 142. She is currently a mentor in the IAM’s Leadership Excellence Assembly of Dedicated Sisters (LEADS) Program.

    The IAM Union’s Women’s and Young Workers Department is a crucial part of the union’s efforts to ensure that all members have a voice and a seat at the table. Under Colbert’s leadership, the department will continue to build power through education, advocacy, and organizing.

    The post Dee Colbert Appointed to Lead IAM Women’s and Young Workers Department  appeared first on IAM Union.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Mauritius: African Development Bank Urges Bold Reforms to Unlock Capital and Accelerate Sustainable Growth in 2025 Report

    Source: APO

    The African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org) has urged Mauritius to accelerate structural reforms to unlock its vast capital potential and advance long-term, sustainable growth. The Bank made the call during the launch of its 2025 Country Focus Report for Mauritius, titled “Making Mauritius’ Capital Work Better for its Development.”

    The report notes that while Mauritius continues to post strong economic performance—recording real GDP growth of 4.9% in 2024, slightly down from 5% in 2023—structural constraints and external shocks continue to undermine the country’s growth trajectory. Key growth drivers in 2024 included construction, financial services, trade, and tourism, with arrivals reaching 1.38 million, representing 97% of pre-pandemic levels. On the demand side, consumption and investment were the primary drivers of growth.

    Despite the persistent challenges, the report underscores Mauritius’ significant untapped potential. In 2020, the island nation’s total national wealth was estimated at over $96 billion—more than six times its GDP—comprising human, financial, natural, and produced capital. In addition, Mauritius’ vast ocean economy resources, within its 2.3 million km² Exclusive Economic Zone, offer immense opportunities for developing a sustainable blue economy.

    Speaking at the launch event, Mahess Rawoteea, Deputy Financial Secretary at the Ministry of Finance, welcomed the recommendations in the report. “We are confident that the structural reforms outlined in the 2025–2026 Budget Speech will unlock significant investments, particularly in renewable energy, and contribute to higher GDP growth,” he said.

    Rawoteea emphasized the central role of human capital in Mauritius’ development, while acknowledging persistent challenges such as education quality, skills mismatches, low female labor participation, demographic shifts, and youth emigration. He announced the establishment of a Climate Finance Unit within the Ministry of Finance to help bridge the country’s climate financing gap.

    “Mauritius is undertaking institutional reforms to better mobilize domestic and foreign capital and promote sustainable development,” he added. “We are streamlining processes, enhancing transparency, and improving the ease of doing business. Environmental protection, including addressing beach erosion, is also a key priority.”

    Rawoteea expressed appreciation for the African Development Bank’s support, particularly in mobilizing investments in renewable energy and the ocean economy—two sectors identified as future growth pillars.

    In his keynote remarks, Prof. Kevin Urama, the Bank Group’s Chief Economist and Vice President for Economic Governance and Knowledge Management, emphasized Africa’s broader potential for transformation. “If Africa commits to investing in its own development and managing its assets efficiently, it can reduce external dependency and harness its enormous capital for transformative growth,” he said.

    Urama cited weak tax administration and inefficiencies in revenue collection as major constraints to development, urging a fundamental rethink of public financial management across the continent.

    Wolassa Kumo, the Bank’s Principal Country Economist for Mauritius presented an overview of the report. The launch event attracted senior government officials, development partners, private sector leaders, and civil society representatives.

    Among those in attendance were Hervé Lohoues, the Bank’s Division Manager for the Country Economics Department covering Nigeria, East Africa and Southern Africa, and Nontle Kabanyane, the Bank’s Principal Country Programme Officer, who moderated a panel discussion.

    The panel explored strategies for mobilizing domestic capital more effectively by strengthening institutions, improving regulatory frameworks, increasing transparency and accountability, and deepening regional trade integration. Panelists included:

    • Dr. Zyaad Boodoo, Ministry of Environment, Solid Waste Management and Climate Change (natural capital), Mauritius?
    • Mr. Sanjev Bhonoo, Principal Statistician, Statistics Mauritius (natural capital)
    • Mr. Ricaud M. Auckbur, Chief Technical Officer, Ministry of Education and Human Resources (human capital), Mauritius?
    • Ms. Zaahira Ebramjee, Head of National Economic Collaboration, Business Mauritius (business capital)
    • Mr. Vikram Ramful, Head of Listing, Stock Exchange of Mauritius (financial capital)

    Click here (https://apo-opa.co/46KmHkM) to download the report.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

    Media Contact:
    Emeka Anuforo
    Communication and External Relations Department
    media@afdb.org

    About the African Development Bank Group:
    The African Development Bank Group is Africa’s leading development finance institution. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). Represented in 41 African countries, with an external office in Japan, the Bank contributes to the economic development and social progress of its 54 regional member countries. For more information: www.AfDB.org

    Media files

    .

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Security chief, youths visit Jiangsu

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung, leading 75 members of the Security Bureau Youth Uniformed Group Leaders Forum – along with others from its partners, Shenzhen University and the youth groups of Macau’s public security forces – today continued on a six-day study tour of Jiangsu.

     

    This morning in Nanjing, they visited Dr Sun Yat-sen’s Mausoleum and the Nanjing Yunjin Brocade Museum.

     

    In the afternoon, Mr Tang led the group on a visit to the “Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders”, where they paid their respects to the victims by participating in a worship ceremony.

     

    In the evening, Mr Tang and the group met CPC Jiangsu Provincial Committee Standing Committee Member and CPC Jiangsu Provincial Committee Political & Legal Commission Secretary Li Yaoguang. Mr Tang thanked provincial and municipal leaders for their strong support for the Security Bureau Youth Uniformed Group Leaders Forum and the work done to make arrangements for the visit. He said members had been able to experience Jiangsu’s profound historical and cultural heritage, understand the country’s development from ancient times to the present, and enhance their national identity.

     

    Led by Under Secretary for Security Michael Cheuk, the group have also visited other notable sites – including Niushou Mountain, Jinling small town, the Purple Mountain Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Nanjing Museum – as part of the study tour. Yesterday they also attended a thematic seminar at Nanjing University to deepen their understanding of the country’s foreign policies.

     

    Over the next three days, the study group will visit the Nanjing Public Security Bureau’s Qilihe special police training base and the Nanjing Treaty Historical Materials Exhibition Hall. They will then depart for Wuxi, where they will call on the city’s leaders.

     

    In addition to seeing historical landmarks in Wuxi, members will visit the National Supercomputing Center and key enterprises to gain insights into China’s high-tech advancements and development.

     

    Mr Tang will return to Hong Kong on Sunday.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Autonomous drones take flight at NATO-backed competition

    Source: NATO

    From 6-10 July, four teams of seven researchers and professors from universities in the Netherlands, United Kingdom, United States and Austria challenged each other at the Huntsville UAS (Unmanned Aircraft System) and C-UAS (Counter UAS) test range in Alabama, as part of a competition supported by the NATO Science for Peace and Security (SPS) Programme.

    The event, hosted by the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), was the second of three competitions organised through the SPS-supported “SAPIENCE” initiative, which aims to demonstrate how autonomous drones that cooperate with each other may be used in crisis management scenarios.

    Expanding in scope from the first competition, which took place on 29 and 30 August 2024 in an indoor arena in London, United Kingdom, the Huntsville event required participating teams to develop autonomous drones suitable for outdoor conditions and for a scenario grounded in local conditions: the aftermath of severe storms that generated several tornadoes, which are an annual occurrence in the southeastern United States.

    A flight test range simulated just such a disaster scenario, and the four university teams were assigned tasks such as damage assessments of residential communities, search and rescue for victims, and the delivery of lifesaving medical supplies. They were encouraged to perform these tasks using multiple fully autonomous drones simultaneously, thus demonstrating innovative approaches to the technical challenges of autonomous multi-platform systems.

    The third and final SAPIENCE competition will take place in 2026 in the Netherlands, where the four university teams will build on the lessons learned in London and Huntsville to complete tasks in a scenario combining indoor and outdoor conditions.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin Questions Witnesses In Senate Judiciary Subcommittee Hearing On The Way AI Interacts With Copyrights

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin

    July 16, 2025

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned witnesses during a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee hearing entitled “Too Big to Prosecute?: Examining the AI Industry’s Mass Ingestion of Copyrighted Works for AI Training.” Today’s hearing examined the way AI interacts with intellectual property rights, particularly copyrights.

    Durbin asked Edward Lee, a Law Professor at the Santa Clara University School of Law, about Section 230 in relation to AI.

    “You’re suggesting this is the age of innovation—deep learning deserves special treatment. We’ve been through this argument in Congress before—Section 230—[which] is a good illustration of that. We decided this fledgling industry called the internet just may not have a future [and] we better be careful, so we exempted them from liability. Is that what you’re suggesting?” Durbin asked.

    Professor Lee responded, “not at all,” and continued to highlight the existing Supreme Court precedent on “fair use.” AI companies argue that training their models on copyrighted works does not constitute infringement because that activity falls under the doctrine of “fair use,” which allows limited use of copyrighted works without the permission of the author for purposes such as commentary, parody, teaching, research, and news reporting. Courts determine whether use of a work is fair use on a case-by-case basis. He continued to say there is a fair balance between protecting copyrighted works, authors, and innovation.

    “It looks to me like you’re shifting the burden to the author of the creative work when there’s an assertion of ‘fair use’ here. So, Meta or others can virtually steal this creative product of Mr. Baldacci [an author witness at the hearing] and others, and then he has the responsibility of proving there’s been an economic loss to him as a result?” Durbin asked.

    Professor Lee responded that the initial burden of “fair use” is on the defendant.

    “Why do we have AI? Why are we interested in AI? Clearly it is for a commercial purpose, is it not?” Durbin asked.

    Professor Lee responded, “entirely, for the AI companies.”

    “So, the companies are ultimately the winners in the approach you are taking. Assume we’re in the world of new innovation here and there is a use of someone else’s creative work—the burden is on them to prove they lost money because of that piracy… they can use Mr. Baldacci’s product and make money off of it,” said Durbin.

    Professor Lee responded that if using copyrighted works like Mr. Baldacci’s is considered “fair use,” the direct benefit would be to the AI companies. He continued to say that the United States has a priority in AI development and if we are in an arms race with China, winning the AI race is important.

    “And Mr. Baldacci should be prepared to pay the price for that?” Durbin asked.

    Professor Lee responded, “I would suggest that if it is so easy to generate copies of Mr. Baldacci novels, that should go in the complaint in these lawsuits… we should not throw out the window the established Supreme Court precedent on how to apply ‘fair use.’”

    Video of Durbin’s first round of questions in Committee is available here.

    Audio of Durbin’s first round of questions in Committee is available here.

    Footage of Durbin’s first round of questions in Committee is available here for TV Stations.

    Durbin then asked Maxwell Pritt, a Partner at Boies Schiller Flexner LLP, who represents plaintiffs in Kadrey v. Meta Platforms. In this case, authors, including Richard Kadrey and Sarah Silverman, sued Meta, alleging copyright infringement related to the training of Meta’s LLaMA AI model using copyrighted books. Durbin asked Mr. Pritt about Meta’s use of pirated databases to obtain copyrighted works to train its GenAI model. 

    “Did Meta compensate any of the copyright owners for the use of their works?” Durbin asked.

    Mr. Pritt responded, “No, but Meta did spend money on contributing its processing power to pirate from illicit websites and also to pay Amazon to host pirated data.”

    “How does the downloading and uploading of pirated copyrighted material impact the analysis of whether a copyright infringement could meet the mens rea requirement of willfulness necessary for criminal infringement?” Durbin asked.

    Mr. Pritt responded, “As to willfulness in the civil copyright context, the documents Senator Hawley showed—I think the answer is clear the piracy committed by Meta was knowing and intentional.”

    Video of Durbin’s second round of questions in Committee is available here.

    Audio of Durbin’s second round of questions in Committee is available here.

    Footage of Durbin’s second round of questions in Committee is available here for TV Stations.

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin Questions Witnesses In Senate Judiciary Subcommittee Hearing On The Way AI Interacts With Copyrights

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin

    July 16, 2025

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned witnesses during a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee hearing entitled “Too Big to Prosecute?: Examining the AI Industry’s Mass Ingestion of Copyrighted Works for AI Training.” Today’s hearing examined the way AI interacts with intellectual property rights, particularly copyrights.

    Durbin asked Edward Lee, a Law Professor at the Santa Clara University School of Law, about Section 230 in relation to AI.

    “You’re suggesting this is the age of innovation—deep learning deserves special treatment. We’ve been through this argument in Congress before—Section 230—[which] is a good illustration of that. We decided this fledgling industry called the internet just may not have a future [and] we better be careful, so we exempted them from liability. Is that what you’re suggesting?” Durbin asked.

    Professor Lee responded, “not at all,” and continued to highlight the existing Supreme Court precedent on “fair use.” AI companies argue that training their models on copyrighted works does not constitute infringement because that activity falls under the doctrine of “fair use,” which allows limited use of copyrighted works without the permission of the author for purposes such as commentary, parody, teaching, research, and news reporting. Courts determine whether use of a work is fair use on a case-by-case basis. He continued to say there is a fair balance between protecting copyrighted works, authors, and innovation.

    “It looks to me like you’re shifting the burden to the author of the creative work when there’s an assertion of ‘fair use’ here. So, Meta or others can virtually steal this creative product of Mr. Baldacci [an author witness at the hearing] and others, and then he has the responsibility of proving there’s been an economic loss to him as a result?” Durbin asked.

    Professor Lee responded that the initial burden of “fair use” is on the defendant.

    “Why do we have AI? Why are we interested in AI? Clearly it is for a commercial purpose, is it not?” Durbin asked.

    Professor Lee responded, “entirely, for the AI companies.”

    “So, the companies are ultimately the winners in the approach you are taking. Assume we’re in the world of new innovation here and there is a use of someone else’s creative work—the burden is on them to prove they lost money because of that piracy… they can use Mr. Baldacci’s product and make money off of it,” said Durbin.

    Professor Lee responded that if using copyrighted works like Mr. Baldacci’s is considered “fair use,” the direct benefit would be to the AI companies. He continued to say that the United States has a priority in AI development and if we are in an arms race with China, winning the AI race is important.

    “And Mr. Baldacci should be prepared to pay the price for that?” Durbin asked.

    Professor Lee responded, “I would suggest that if it is so easy to generate copies of Mr. Baldacci novels, that should go in the complaint in these lawsuits… we should not throw out the window the established Supreme Court precedent on how to apply ‘fair use.’”

    Video of Durbin’s first round of questions in Committee is available here.

    Audio of Durbin’s first round of questions in Committee is available here.

    Footage of Durbin’s first round of questions in Committee is available here for TV Stations.

    Durbin then asked Maxwell Pritt, a Partner at Boies Schiller Flexner LLP, who represents plaintiffs in Kadrey v. Meta Platforms. In this case, authors, including Richard Kadrey and Sarah Silverman, sued Meta, alleging copyright infringement related to the training of Meta’s LLaMA AI model using copyrighted books. Durbin asked Mr. Pritt about Meta’s use of pirated databases to obtain copyrighted works to train its GenAI model. 

    “Did Meta compensate any of the copyright owners for the use of their works?” Durbin asked.

    Mr. Pritt responded, “No, but Meta did spend money on contributing its processing power to pirate from illicit websites and also to pay Amazon to host pirated data.”

    “How does the downloading and uploading of pirated copyrighted material impact the analysis of whether a copyright infringement could meet the mens rea requirement of willfulness necessary for criminal infringement?” Durbin asked.

    Mr. Pritt responded, “As to willfulness in the civil copyright context, the documents Senator Hawley showed—I think the answer is clear the piracy committed by Meta was knowing and intentional.”

    Video of Durbin’s second round of questions in Committee is available here.

    Audio of Durbin’s second round of questions in Committee is available here.

    Footage of Durbin’s second round of questions in Committee is available here for TV Stations.

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Over 50,000 free school meals served to pupils as part of York Hungry Minds campaign

    Source: City of York

    Over 50,000 free school meals have been served to children in York as part of the city’s York Hungry Minds campaign since it started in 2024.

    York Community Fund’s York Hungry Minds Appeal was set up in a bid to address disadvantage and the impact of the cost of living crisis, responding to national evidence suggesting that providing children with healthy, nourishing food can make a significant difference to school attendance, concentration and learning and their physical and mental wellbeing.

    Westfield Primary Community School pupils were the first school to benefit from the free school meals in January 2024, with Burton Green Primary School pupils receiving free breakfasts later that month and Fishergate Primary School joining the pilot in March 2025.

    Around 50 children now attend the free breakfast sessions at Burton Green every day, with school staff reporting a significant improvement in pupils’ attendance and punctuality as a result of the breakfast offer.

    Ash McGann, Principal at the school said:

    “There is a family atmosphere [at the breakfast club] where older children play games with younger children. Children are more focussed and motivated as they have eaten a nutritious meal and also had time with their friends before the structure of lessons.”

    Cllr Bob Webb, the council’s Executive Member for Children, Young People and Education, said:

    “There is a wealth of national evidence supporting the positive impact of universal free school meals and it is so heartening to hear about the impact the pilots are having for school pupils in York.

    “Universal Free School Meals are about so much more than food, as the breakfast offer at Burton Green Primary School is showing. Ensuring that children are well fed with healthy, nutritious food, helps children to attend school regularly and concentrate fully in their lessons, which will support their learning and success in school as they grow up.”

    Cllr Claire Douglas, Leader of City of York Council, said:

    “I am absolutely delighted that we’ve been able to provide 50,000 meals to children in York through the York Hungry Minds initiative. I’d like to thank all those involved in helping to get the universal free school meal pilots up and running, including school and education staff, city partners and the children and their families, who have helped to make the pilots such a positive part of their school day.”

    The free school meals campaign is part of the council’s wider commitment both to address affordability challenges and to ensure that  good health and wellbeing is prioritised as early as possible in residents’ lives – part of the council’s four year plan – One City for all.

    The meals have been made possible thanks to funding from the council and donations to the York Community Fund’s York Hungry Minds Appeal.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Carter, Bera Introduce Bill to Strengthen Palliative and Hospice Care Workforce

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Earl L Buddy Carter (GA-01)

    Headline: Carter, Bera Introduce Bill to Strengthen Palliative and Hospice Care Workforce

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Reps. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-GA) and Ami Bera, M.D. (D-CA) today introduced the Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act (PCHETA), bipartisan legislation to invest in training, education, and research for the palliative care and hospice workforce, allowing more practitioners to enter these in-demand fields. 

    Palliative and hospice care focus on providing comfort and quality of life improvements for those seriously ill, extending quality of life and reducing the length of hospital stays for many patients.

    “Caring for someone living with serious illness or at the end of their life is one of the most compassionate, selfless things one can do, and we must ensure that these heroes have the assistance, training, education, and tools available to provide the highest quality care possible. As a pharmacist, I understand the toll burnout takes on the health care industry, and I am committed to bolstering the workforce so nurses, doctors, and all health care workers can continue to pursue their passion for helping others,” said Rep. Carter.

    “As a doctor, I know how important it is to provide patients with comfort, clarity, and support when they’re facing serious illness,” said Rep. Bera. “The Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act is a smart, bipartisan step to ensure more health care professionals are trained to deliver this kind of care. By expanding training programs and strengthening our health care workforce, we will make sure that patients and families have access to the care they need to manage pain, make informed decisions, and live with dignity.”

    In 2001, just 7% of U.S. hospitals with more than 50 beds had a palliative care program, compared with 72% in 2019. Those working in the field, 40% of whom are 56 years of age or older, report high rates of burnout, in response to the increasing number of patients requiring treatment. 

    Reps. Carter and Bera’s bill, which has a Senate companion led by Senators Baldwin and Capito, alleviates these strains through workforce training, education and awareness, and enhanced research.

    “As we face a critical shortage of health professionals with expert knowledge and skills in palliative care, AAHPM applauds Representatives Carter and Bera for their leadership in introducing the Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act to ensure all patients facing serious illness or at the end of life can receive high-quality care,” said Kristina Newport, MD FAAHPM, HMDC, Chief Medical Officer of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. “We urge Congress to recognize the importance of a well-trained, interprofessional healthcare team to providing coordinated, person-centered serious illness care and to act now to build a healthcare workforce more closely aligned with America’s evolving healthcare needs. Advancing PCHETA will go a long way towards improving quality of care and quality of life for our nation’s sickest and most vulnerable patients, along with their families and caregivers.”

    “Palliative care treats the whole person, not just the disease. Ensuring health care providers can be trained in this specialized, coordinated form of care and providing funding for robust public education through the Palliative Care Education and Training Act can help increase access to palliative care for cancer patients and make their cancer journey less difficult,” said Lisa A. Lacasse, president of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network. “We commend Reps. Carter and Bera for their leadership and steadfast commitment to palliative care and to improving quality of life for patients, including those impacted by cancer.”

    “Every person living with serious illness or facing the end of life deserves compassionate, expert care that honors their choices and helps them live comfortably on their own terms. The Alliance celebrates Representatives Carter and Bera’s leadership in introducing the Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act, which will ensure families have access to the trained professionals they need during life’s most difficult moments. As our population ages, this critical investment in education and training will help us meet the growing demand for quality palliative and hospice care,” said Dr. Steve Landers, CEO for the National Alliance for Care at Home.

    Supporting Organizations Include: Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer’s Disease Resource Center, Alzheimer’s Impact Movement, American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Physician Associates, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American College of Surgeons, American Geriatrics Society, American Heart Association, American Psychological Association, American Psychosocial Oncology Society, The American Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Association for Clinical Oncology, Association of Oncology Social Work, Association of Pediatric Hematology/ Oncology Nurses, Association of Professional Chaplains, The California State University Shiley Haynes Institute for Palliative Care, Cambia Health Solutions, Cancer Support Community, CaringKind, Catholic Health Association of the United States, Center to Advance Palliative Care, Children’s National Health System, Coalition for Compassionate Care of California, Colorectal Cancer Alliance, Courageous Parents Network, The George Washington Institute for Spirituality and Health, GO2 for Lung Cancer, The HAP Foundation, HealthCare Chaplaincy Network, Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association, LEAD Coalition, LeadingAge, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Motion Picture & Television Fund, National Alliance for Care at Home, National Alliance for Caregiving, National Brain Tumor Society, National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship, National Coalition for Hospice and Palliative Care, National Comprehensive Cancer Network, National Marrow Donor Program, National Palliative Care Research Center, National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation, National Patient Advocate Foundation, National POLST Paradigm, Oncology Nursing Society, Pediatric Palliative Care Coalition, PAs in Hospice and Palliative Medicine, Prevent Cancer Foundation, Second Wind Dreams, Social Work Hospice & Palliative Care Network, Society of Pain and Palliative Care Pharmacists, St. Baldrick’s Foundation, Supportive Care Matters, Susan G. Komen, Trinity Health, West Health Institute, The Alliance for the Advancement of End-of-Life Care, Alzheimer’s Los Angeles, Alzheimer’s Orange County, Arizona Association for Home Care, Arizona Hospice & Palliative Care Organization, Association for Home & Hospice Care of North Carolina, California Association for Health Services at Home, The Center for Optimal Aging at Marymount University, Children’s Hospice and Palliative Care Coalition, Delaware Association for Home & Community Care, Florida Hospice & Palliative Care Association, Georgia Association for Home Health Agencies, Georgia Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, Granite State Home Health & Hospice Association (NH), Healthcare Association of Hawaii, Home Care Association of Florida, Home Care Association of NYS, Home Care Association of Washington, Home Care and Hospice Association of Colorado, Homecare and Hospice Association of Utah, Hospice and Palliative Care Association of Iowa, Hospice and Palliative Care Association of New York, Hospice Care and Kentucky Home Care Association, Hospice Council of West Virginia, Hospice & Palliative Care Federation of Massachusetts, Idaho Health Care Association, Illinois Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, Indiana Association for Home, Kokua Mau, LeadingAge California, LeadingAge Georgia, LeadingAge New Jersey/Delaware, LeadingAge Ohio, LifeCircle-South Dakota’s Hospice and Palliative Care Network, Louisiana Mississippi Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, Maryland-National Capital Homecare Association, Michigan HomeCare and Hospice Association, Minnesota Network of Hospice and Palliative Care, Missouri Alliance for Home Care, Missouri Hospice & Palliative Care Association, Nebraska Association for Home Healthcare and Hospice, Nebraska Home Care Association, Ohio Council for Home Care & Hospice, Ohio Health Care Association, Oklahoma Association for Home Care and Hospice, South Carolina Home Care & Hospice Association, The Oregon Hospice & Palliative Care Association, Texas Association for Home Care & Hospice, Texas ~ New Mexico Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, Virginia Association for Home Care and Hospice, VNAs of Vermont, The Washington State Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, and West Virginia Council for Home Care and Hospice.

    Read full bill text here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Representatives Torres, Lofgren, Jacobs, and Tran Lead Entire CA Democratic Delegation in Demanding Immediate Release of $928 Million Education Funding Owed to California

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Norma Torres (35th District of California)

    July 17, 2025

    Washington, D.C. – Today, Representatives Norma Torres (CA-35), Zoe Lofgren, Chair of the California Democratic Congressional Delegation (CA-18), Sara Jacobs (CA-51), Derek Tran (CA-45), and U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff (both D-CA) led the entire California Democratic Congressional Delegation in demanding the Department of Education (ED) and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) immediately release nearly $7 billion in Congressionally-appropriated funding for K-12 schools and adult education—including $928 million owed to California.

    With the start of the new school year approaching in California, on June 30, 2025, the Trump Administration gave states just one day’s notice that these critical funds would be indefinitely frozen past their typical release on July 1. As a result, California schools are already being forced to roll back programs, lay off staff, and cut services that help students thrive.

    “These programs support some of the most vulnerable and underserved students and communities in California and have been demonstrated to have lifelong benefits to students’ educational attainment, income, and other measures of wellbeing. Each passing day that these funds are unlawfully withheld hurts our schools and students and strains already limited budgets,” said the members. “In California alone, the Trump Administration’s funding freeze is affecting hundreds of thousands of students and educators. For many of California’s school districts, this funding had already been accounted for in school budgets for the upcoming school year. Now, our schools are being forced to delay hiring and reduce resources to help students.”

    The withheld funding includes vital investments in:

    • Reducing class sizes and teacher recruitment and retention, especially in underserved areas.
    • After-school, before-school, and summer learning programs in low-income communities.
    • School-based mental health services, accelerated learning courses, STEM education, and college and career counseling.
    • Academic Support for English learners and children of migrant workers.
    • Adult education and workforce readiness programs.

    With nearly 5.8 million K-12 students in California, the illegal freezing of these Congressionally appropriated funds is already hurting our schools and students. Many school districts had already budgeted for these federal dollars, leaving them scrambling to fill massive funding gaps just weeks before the school year begins.

    “We demand that the Department of Education and the Trump Administration stop holding K-12 student funding hostage and release the nearly $7 billion in funding meant to help our students, teachers, and families, including the $928 million being unlawfully withheld from California,” the members continued. “This illegal freeze in funding is setting our students and schools up for failure. Our teachers, families, and children deserve better than the Trump Administration’s reckless upheaval and chaos.”

    Additional signers of the letter include: Reps. Pete Aguilar (CA-33); Nanette Barragán (CA-44); Ami Bera (CA-6); Julia Brownley (CA-26); Salud Carbajal (CA-24); Judy Chu (CA-28); Gilbert Cisneros (CA-31); Lou Correa (CA-46); Jim Costa (CA-21); Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10); Laura Friedman (CA-30); John Garamendi (CA-8); Robert Garcia (CA-42); Jimmy Gomez (CA-34); Adam Gray (CA-13); Josh Harder (CA-9); Jared Huffman (CA-2); Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37); Ro Khanna (CA-17); Mike Levin (CA-49); Sam Liccardo (CA-16); Ted Lieu (CA-36); Doris Matsui (CA-7); Dave Min (CA-47); Kevin Mullin (CA-15); Jimmy Panetta (CA-19); Nancy Pelosi (CA-11); Scott Peters (CA-50); Luz Rivas (CA-29); Raul Ruiz (CA-25); Linda Sánchez (CA-38); Brad Sherman (CA-32); Lateefah Simon (CA-12); Eric Swalwell (CA-14); Mark Takano (CA-39); Mike Thompson (CA-4); Juan Vargas (CA-52); Maxine Waters (CA-43); George Whitesides (CA-27).

    Link to full letter

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Device-as-a-Service (DaaS) Market Set to Soar with 26.90% CAGR, Projected to Reach US$ 233.2 Billion by 2032 Amid Growing Demand for Scalable and Cost-Effective IT Solutions: AnalystView Market Insights

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    San Francisco, USA, July 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Device-as-a-Service (DaaS) market was valued at USD 34,680.33 million in 2024 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 26.90% from 2025 to 2032. DaaS transforms the conventional IT ownership model by offering a subscription-based solution that integrates hardware, software, and managed services into a single, streamlined package.

    DaaS model is transforming how businesses equip their workforce, especially in the era of hybrid and remote work. Rather than purchasing devices outright, companies lease them as part of a service contract that includes setup, maintenance, security, and replacement. This approach simplifies IT asset management, reduces upfront costs, and ensures that devices are consistently updated and secure. For instance, the General Services Administration (GSA) has adopted the DaaS model through its Federal Acquisition Service (FAS). The GSA offers IT hardware and managed services bundles under long-term contracts, helping federal agencies streamline procurement and reduce capital expenditures.

    Access Your Free Sample Report PDF Now @ https://www.analystviewmarketinsights.com/request_sample/AV3807

    Global Device-As-A-Service Market Key Players- Detailed Competitive Insights

    • Accenture PLC
    • Amazon Web Services
    • Apple Inc.
    • Box Inc.
    • Cisco Systems, Inc.
    • Dell Technologies
    • Fujitsu Limited
    • Google LLC
    • HP Inc.
    • IBM Corporation
    • Lenovo Group
    • Microsoft Corporation
    • Oracle Corporation
    • Panasonic Corporation
    • Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    • Xerox Corporation
    • Others

    DaaS Market Insights:

    By 2023, a growing number of medium to large organizations across North America had embraced the Device-as-a-Service (DaaS) model to enhance device provisioning and minimize operational downtime. Government initiatives such as the U.S. GSA’s managed IT services contracts and the UK Crown Commercial Service’s tech leasing frameworks have played a key role in accelerating DaaS adoption. With the ability to scale device fleets rapidly and maintain centralized monitoring and lifecycle management, DaaS is increasingly favored across sectors like finance, education, healthcare, and public administration. 

    In addition to cost and operational benefits, sustainability is becoming a key motivator behind DaaS adoption. Companies increasingly seek ways to reduce electronic waste and improve environmental accountability. DaaS aligns with Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) goals by promoting device reuse, refurbishment, and proper recycling. Global tech leaders, such as HP, report that a significant number of Fortune 100 companies are exploring DaaS to meet both IT needs and environmental targets.

    Government agencies are also recognizing DaaS’s potential. A 2023 procurement update from the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) highlighted growing interest in DaaS as a strategic solution for federal departments to manage IT assets while meeting sustainability objectives.

    However, the shift to DaaS is not without its challenges. Businesses must evaluate concerns related to data privacy, dependency on vendors, service-level agreement (SLA) reliability, and compatibility with legacy systems. Despite these barriers, the model’s scalability, financial flexibility, and security features are encouraging widespread adoption, especially among small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in emerging markets that benefit from low upfront investment and simplified IT operations.

    North America DaaS Market:
    North America dominated the Device-as-a-Service (DaaS) market in 2024, accounting for over 38% of global revenue. The region benefits from widespread hybrid work adoption and government-driven IT modernization programs. The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) actively promotes DaaS contracts across federal agencies, boosting efficiency and reducing upfront costs for public sector IT infrastructure.

    Asia Pacific DaaS Market:
    Asia Pacific is witnessing the fastest DaaS market growth, projected to expand at a CAGR exceeding 29% through 2032. Growth is fueled by rapid digital transformation across India, China, and Southeast Asia. Government programs like India’s Digital India initiative and Smart Cities Mission are increasingly leveraging DaaS for secure, cost-effective device deployment in education, public service, and local governance.

    TABLE OF CONTENT:

    1. Device-as-a-Service Market Overview
    1.1. Study Scope
    1.2. Market Estimation Years
    2. Executive Summary
    2.1. Market Snippet
    2.1.1. Device-as-a-Service Market Snippet by Device Type
    2.1.2. Device-as-a-Service Market Snippet by Service Model
    2.1.3. Device-as-a-Service Market Snippet by Deployment Mode
    2.1.4. Device-as-a-Service Market Snippet by End-User
    2.1.5. Device-as-a-Service Market Snippet by Country
    2.1.6. Device-as-a-Service Market Snippet by Region
    2.2. Competitive Insights
    3. Device-as-a-Service Key Market Trends
    3.1. Device-as-a-Service Market Drivers
    3.1.1. Impact Analysis of Market Drivers
    3.2. Device-as-a-Service Market Restraints
    3.2.1. Impact Analysis of Market Restraints
    3.3. Device-as-a-Service Market Opportunities
    3.4. Device-as-a-Service Market Future Trends
    4. Device-as-a-Service Industry Study
    4.1. PEST Analysis
    4.2. Porter’s Five Forces Analysis
    4.3. Growth Prospect Mapping
    4.4. Regulatory Framework Analysis…..

    DaaS Market Competitive Insights:

    The Device-as-a-Service (DaaS) market is highly competitive, driven by global players offering integrated hardware, software, and support services. Accenture PLC leads with strong consulting and managed service capabilities. Amazon Web Services supports cloud-based DaaS platforms. Apple Inc. leverages its hardware ecosystem for enterprise DaaS solutions. Box Inc. enhances DaaS with secure content management. Cisco Systems integrates networking and security features, while Dell Technologies offers comprehensive end-to-end DaaS packages. These companies focus on innovation, scalability, and strategic partnerships to maintain a strong market presence and cater to diverse enterprise and government needs in the evolving digital workplace landscape.

    Map the full market terrain with regional insights, segmented views, consumer intelligence, and competitor studies@

    https://www.analystviewmarketinsights.com/reports/report-highlight-device-as-a-service-market

    Market Segementaion:

    GLOBAL DEVICE-AS-A-SERVICE MARKET, BY DEVICE TYPE- MARKET ANALYSIS, 2019 – 2032

    • Smartphones
    • Laptops
    • Desktops
    • Tablets
    • Wearables

    GLOBAL DEVICE-AS-A-SERVICE MARKET, BY SERVICE MODEL- MARKET ANALYSIS, 2019 – 2032

    • Leasing
    • Subscription
    • Full-service

    GLOBAL DEVICE-AS-A-SERVICE MARKET, BY DEPLOYMENT MODE- MARKET ANALYSIS, 2019 – 2032

    • Cloud-based
    • On-premises

    GLOBAL DEVICE-AS-A-SERVICE MARKET, BY END-USER- MARKET ANALYSIS, 2019 – 2032

    • Enterprises
    • SMBs
    • Individual Consumers

    Reasons to Invest in the Device-as-a-Service (DaaS) Market:

    1. Rising Demand for Scalable IT Infrastructure
    Businesses increasingly require flexible IT solutions to support hybrid and remote work models. DaaS enables organizations to scale device fleets up or down on demand, reducing capital expenditures while maintaining operational agility.

    2. Government Push for Digital Transformation
    Public sector initiatives such as the U.S. GSA’s DaaS contracts and India’s Digital India program are accelerating adoption. These efforts create stable demand and long-term contract opportunities for vendors in the DaaS space.

    3. Built-in Security and Lifecycle Management
    DaaS integrates device provisioning, security updates, and end-of-life recycling into one service. This reduces IT burden and strengthens cybersecurity across enterprises, making it a preferred choice for regulated industries.

    Browse more Report:

    EMS Products Market

    Vehicle Intelligence Systems Market

    Over-The-Air Updates Market

    Vehicle Diagnostics Market

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    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: After Supreme Court Greenlights Mass Layoffs at ED, New Warren Report Reveals Impact of Trump Administration’s Attacks On Public Education

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
    July 17, 2025
    11 national organizations warn of dangers from dismantling the Department of Education. 
    Warren: “If President Trump succeeds in completely eliminating the Department of Education, millions of students, teachers, and families will pay the price.”
    Text of Report (PDF)
    Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) released a new 23-page report, “Education At Risk: Frontline Impacts of Trump’s War on Students,” highlighting warnings from 11 major national education and civil rights organizations on the impact of the Trump administration’s dismantling of the Department of Education (ED), slashing support to millions of American students, primary and secondary school teachers, administrators, parents, and student loan borrowers. Since the Trump Administration took office, President Trump, Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), and ED Secretary Linda McMahon have:
    Eliminated hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding for ED programs that serve America’s students, families, and educators. 
    Fired nearly half of the department’s employees, severely limiting its ability to support public education around the country.
    Attempted to further dismantle ED by illegally transferring core ED functions to other agencies. 
    In April 2025, Senator Warren asked leading national organizations representing teachers, parents, students, student loan borrowers, and administrators to collect firsthand accounts of the impacts of the administration’s policies. 
    Key findings of Senator Warren’s report include:
    Cuts to the Office of Federal Student Aid staff and student loan programs will limit college attendance and delay borrower access to loans and debt relief.
    According to the American Council on Education, “delayed funding, especially in the instances of student financial aid, can result in the inability of students to enroll for classes and persist through to completion in a timely fashion, causing them to take on more student loan debt to complete their degrees.”

    Dismantling the Office of Civil Rights will impede ED’s ability to ensure that students receive an education free from discrimination.
    According to the National Parents Union, this “leaves 46.413 million students in 27 states and territories without dedicated civil rights investigators in regional offices.”

    Cuts to the Institute of Education Sciences threaten the collection and dissemination of critical federal data.
    ED collects data that helps students and parents get a comprehensive evaluation of the quality and financial cost of colleges and secondary schools. Without this data, the Institute for Higher Education Policy says, “Families would be left without the only reliable federal resource to help them make informed choices about one of the most significant financial and personal decisions of their lives.”

    Plans to transfer responsibilities to other agencies are wasteful and will increase the cost and complexity of performing essential department functions that America’s students and families rely on.
    For example, the National Center for Youth Law notes that President Trump’s proposal to move special education services into the Department of Health and Human Services risks “stripping away decades of hard-won progress for students with disabilities, returning to an outdated medical model that treats disabilities as pathologies to be contained rather than differences to be accommodated.”

    The report reveals that this damage will continue to worsen if the Department of Education is further defunded and dismantled, harming over 62 million students across the country. 
    The organizations that were cited in this report include the American Council on Education (ACE), National Parents Union (NPU), National Education Association (NEA), American Federation of Teachers (AFT), Student Borrower Protection Center (SBPC), Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA), National Center for Youth Law (NCYL), National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), National Women’s Law Center (NWLC), Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP), and the Association for Institutional Research (AIR).
    Senator Warren launched the Save Our Schools campaign in a coordinated effort to fight back against President Trump’s attempts to abolish the Department of Education:
    On July 15, 2025, Senators Warren and Sanders, along with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, sent a letter to Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, urging her to reverse the interest hike on student loan borrowers in the SAVE forbearance. 
    On July 14, 2025, Senator Warren joined a letter to the director of the Office of Management and Budget, Russ Vought, and Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, demanding that the Department of Education stop blocking nearly $7 billion in funds for K-12 schools, including for afterschool programs.
    On July 3, 2025, Senator Warren led her colleagues in submitting an amicus brief for NAACP v. US, arguing to the United States District Court District of Maryland that President Trump’s attempts to dismantle the Department of Education violate separation of powers and lack constitutional authority.
    On June 10, 2025, Senator Warren met with Secretary of Education Linda McMahon and delivered over 1,000 letters to McMahon that the senator had received from people in all 50 states who were worried about the Secretary’s efforts to dismantle the Department of Education.
    On June 9, 2025, Senator Warren led her colleagues in pushing the Acting Inspector General of Department of Education to open an investigation into new information obtained by her office, revealing that DOGE may have gained access to two FSA internal systems, in addition to sensitive borrower data.
    On May 20, 2025, Senator Warren and 27 other senators pushed for full funding for the Office of Federal Student Aid.
    On May 14, 2025, Senator Warren led a Senate forum entitled “Stealing the American Dream: How Trump and Republicans Are Raising Education Costs for Families,” highlighting the consequences of Secretary Linda McMahon’s reckless dismantling of the Department of Education and President Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” for working- and middle-class students and borrowers.
    On May 13, 2025, Senator Warren agreed to meet with Education Secretary Linda McMahon and promised to bring questions and stories from Americans across the country to highlight how the Trump administration’s attacks on education are hurting American families.
    On May 6, 2025, Senator Elizabeth Warren highlighted the consequences of President Trump and Secretary Linda McMahon’s reckless dismantling of the Department of Education for American families in a Senate forum.
    On April 24, 2025, Senator Warren launched a new investigation into the harms of President Trump’s attacks on the Department of Education, seeking information on the impact of the Trump administration’s actions from the members of twelve leading organizations representing schools, parents, teachers, students, borrowers, and researchers.
    On April 10, 2025, following a request led by Senator Warren, the Department of Education’s Acting Inspector General agreed to open an investigation into the Trump administration’s attempts to dismantle the Department of Education.
    On April 2, 2025, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Mazie Hirono, along with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, sent a letter to Secretary of Education Linda McMahon regarding the Department of Government Efficiency’s proposed plan to replace the Department of Education’s federal student aid call centers with generative artificial intelligence chatbots.
    On April 2, 2025, Senator Elizabeth Warren launched the Save Our Schools campaign to fight back against the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle the Department of Education and highlight the consequences for every student and public school in America.
    On March 27, 2025, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) led a letter to Acting Department of Education Inspector General René Rocque requesting they conduct an investigation of the Trump Administration’s attempts to dismantle the Department of Education.
    On March 20, 2025, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders led a letter to Secretary of Education Linda McMahon regarding the Trump Administration’s decision to slash the capacity of Federal Student Aid to handle student aid complaints.
    On February 24, 2025, in a response to Senator Warren, Secretary McMahon gave her first public admission that she “wholeheartedly” agreed with Trump’s plans to abolish the Department of Education.
    On February 11, 2025, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Andy Kim sent Linda McMahon, Secretary-Designate for the U.S. Department of Education, a 12-page letter with 65 questions on McMahon’s policy views in advance of her nomination hearing.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NEWS: Sanders Introduces Pensions for All Act to Guarantee Retirement Security for Every American

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Vermont – Bernie Sanders
    WASHINGTON, July 17 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), today introduced the Pensions for All Act, sweeping legislation that would provide comprehensive retirement coverage to the more than 56 million working-class Americans who currently have no retirement plan through their employer.  
    “We can no longer tolerate a rigged retirement system that allows the CEOs of large corporations to receive massive golden parachutes for themselves, while denying workers a pension after a lifetime of work,” Sanders said. “If we are serious about addressing the retirement crisis in America, corporations must be required to offer all of their workers a traditional pension plan that guarantees a monthly income in retirement. And if corporations refuse to offer a decent retirement plan, their workers must be allowed to receive the same type of pension that every member of Congress receives. If we can guarantee a defined benefit pension plan for members of Congress, we can and we must provide that same level of retirement security to every worker in America.” 
    In our country today, nearly half of older workers between the ages of 55 and 64 have no retirement savings at all and no idea how they will be able to retire with any shred of dignity or respect. 
    “If Congress can provide over $1 trillion in tax breaks for the top 1% and over $900 billion in tax breaks for large corporations, please do not tell me that we cannot afford to make sure that every worker in America can retire with the dignity and the respect they deserve,” Sanders continued.
    Today, more than 22.8% of seniors in the United States live in poverty — compared to just 5.1% in Denmark, 5.8% in France, 12.6% in Germany and 14.8% in Canada. Unacceptably, nearly 22% of seniors in America are trying to survive on less than $15,000 a year while half of our nation’s elderly population makes less than $30,000 a year. 
    The Pensions for All Act would reverse this trend by requiring corporations to either: 
    Provide a traditional pension plan for their workers that is at least equivalent to the plan provided to new members of Congress under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS), or
    Pay into the federal retirement system at a level that ensures all of their workers receive the same amount of retirement benefits as Members of Congress.
    Importantly, this legislation would also offer reduced contribution requirements for self-employed workers and small businesses.  
    The bill builds on Sanders’ Social Security Expansion Act, which would increase Social Security benefits by $2,400 a year and fully fund the program for the next 75 years by applying the Social Security payroll tax on all income above $250,000. Together, these bills would finally ensure retirement security for all. 
    The legislation is endorsed by United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW); Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA); Alliance for Retired Americans; Just Solutions; Equal Rights Advocates; Popular Democracy in Action; and NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice.
    “Fifty years ago, nearly 50% of American workers had a pension. Today, less than 10% do, and nearly half of older workers have no retirement savings at all. That isn’t a flaw in the system—it’s the system working exactly as the wealthy designed it. We’ve gone from being a country that promised security and dignity in old age to being a country that forces people to work until they’re in the grave. After a lifetime of hard work, every American deserves the promise of a secure, dignified retirement—not a future filled with fear, uncertainty, and poverty. Pensions have long been the bedrock of retirement for working-class people, but corporate greed has eroded that foundation. The billionaire class gutted pensions in pursuit of profit, and Washington let it happen. CEOs walk away with golden parachutes while working people walk into retirement with nothing. Meanwhile, every Member of Congress has a guaranteed pension—for life. If it’s good enough for them, it’s good enough for the people who build this country. The retirement crisis is real, and it’s time for Congress to act. Thank you to Senator Bernie Sanders—a leader who knows which side he’s on—for standing up for the working-class,” said UAW President Shawn Fain. 
    Read the bill text here. 
    Read a summary of the bill here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Vasquez Leads Bipartisan Border Legislation to Combat Cartels’ Exploitation of American Youth and Crack Down on Smugglers

    Source: US Representative Gabe Vasquez’s (NM-02)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) introduced the No More Narcos Act and the Stop COYOTES Act, two critical bipartisan bills designed to address the continued threat of organized criminal activity in border communities. The legislation targets drug cartels and human traffickers who exploit vulnerable populations, particularly children, and strengthens law enforcement’s ability to respond through enhanced coordination and accountability.

    “Representing 180 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border, I’ve had the opportunity to hear directly from law enforcement, educators, and families about the very real challenges posed by transnational criminal organizations in border towns,” said Vasquez. “My bipartisan bills strengthen our ability to disrupt cartel activity, protect our kids from exploitation, and equip local law enforcement with the tools and coordination they need to keep communities safe.”

    The No More Narcos Act creates a coordinated educational campaign led by the Department of Justice in partnership with the DEA, DHS, the Department of Education, and other federal, state, and tribal agencies. The campaign will directly engage middle and high school students within 100 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border about the dangers of working with cartels and other Transnational Criminal Organizations. This legislation was introduced with Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ) and is supported by the American Federation of Teachers New Mexico.

    The Stop COYOTES Act improves public safety by imposing harsher penalties against human smugglers and fentanyl traffickers while also improving information sharing and reporting between DHS and local law enforcement along the border. Under the bill, DHS must report on trafficking trends, smuggling routes, and cartel activity — ensuring that local communities have the data they need to respond in real time. This legislation was introduced with Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX). 

    Both bills are supported by the Sunland Park Police Department and Las Cruces Police Department. 

    “For too long, dangerous criminals have exploited our border crisis to traffic innocent children and smuggle deadly narcotics into our nation,” said McCaul. “It’s time we finally put a stop to these predators and ensure law enforcement agencies have the information-sharing infrastructure to do their jobs efficiently and effectively. I am proud to co-lead this bill alongside Rep. Vasquez to protect innocent children across Texas and support our local law enforcement officers as they work to counter cartel-sponsored crime.”

    “New Mexico’s educators are on the frontlines of keeping our communities safe, and we know that protecting our students from the influence of criminal organizations requires both vigilance and leadership. We applaud Congressman Vasquez for continuing to prioritize student safety through action, not just words, and we remain committed to supporting efforts that safeguard the wellbeing of every student in our schools,” said Whitney Holland, President of AFT New Mexico.

    “Border communities such as Sunland Park, New Mexico, are on the front lines of problems posed by human smugglers, fentanyl traffickers, and cartels seeking to recruit American teens,” said Chief Eric Lopez, Sunland Park Police Department. “Through these bills, Rep. Vasquez is leading on the sort of real-world solutions that will crack down on criminals to actually make our schools and streets safer. Working collaboratively with a common goal will ensure our border region stays safe and continues to thrive.”

    “I thank Congressman Vasquez for prioritizing the needs of New Mexicans and working in a bipartisan way to find solutions that will support law enforcement and improve public safety,” said Chief Jeremy Story, Las Cruces Police Department. “These bills strike the right balance between prevention, education, and enforcement, and they send a strong message that exploiting our kids or flooding our communities with fentanyl will not be tolerated.”

    Vasquez is committed to delivering smart, bipartisan solutions that protect New Mexico’s youth, disrupt criminal networks, and strengthen the resilience of border communities. Earlier this year, Vasquez led a bipartisan letter to the State Department supporting efforts to combat cartels and urging the Department to work collaboratively with border communities while protecting cross-border trade. He also backed legislation to crack down on dangerous car chases in border communities. 

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: NRS celebrates socio-economic investment

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    NRS celebrates socio-economic investment

    Almost £20 million funding was invested to help NRS communities grow and thrive in 2024/25.

    NRS has supported 149 projects to bring positive social change to benefit people living in communities across the UK – from Caithness to the tip of North Wales, down to the Bristol and English Channels.

    Every £1 of the £2,287,696 NRS has invested unlocked another £8.23 in match funding, elevating the community support to over £18.8m. The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority also directly supported four transformational projects with a share of over £900,000 – taking the total to almost £20m.

    David Calder, head of sustainability and socio-economics for NRS Dounreay, said:

    Our UK wide footprint enables us to play a key role in working in partnership with other public sector and increasingly private sector organisations with community benefit obligations in addressing a variety of social and economic challenges and opportunities.

    This partnership investment approach enables us to align with regional and national priorities while creating meaningful impact where it matters most – in our communities.

    Alan Krailing, head of sustainability for NRS Sites, added:

    Our mission goes beyond decommissioning and site restoration – we want to shape the future for generations to come.

    The first step to building a sustainable legacy is investing in our communities to create shared value and resilient and thriving economies that meet local needs. Our socio-economic programmes are bringing this legacy to life by creating a ripple effect of social impact across the UK.

    NRS funding helped 215 new or growing businesses, awarded 70 start-up grants and created 142 jobs to develop thriving and resilient economies in remote, rural communities. Six graduates were placed or retained in employment, as well as projects supporting over 10,000 training opportunities, 15 apprenticeships, 900 employment opportunities and 160 work experience placements, improving access to sustainable incomes.

    With over 9,000 voluntary hours and more than 33,000 individual health and well-being interventions, people of all ages have been empowered to work toward long-term solutions to social challenges. These efforts have not only improved outcomes but also fostered stronger, more resilient communities.

    Some examples of the projects supported include:

    Caithness Business Fund: A £50,000 contribution to the £150,000 Future Skills apprenticeship grant scheme has tackled skills shortages and driven investment in new opportunities for SMEs and young people in the North Highlands – a region on the cusp of becoming a renewable powerhouse for the UK and beyond.

    During its first year in operation the scheme has supported seven apprentices and stimulated business growth.

    Prysor Angling Association: £65,000 funding has revitalised a café, community hub and created four jobs on the banks of Trawsfynydd Lake in the heart of Eryri National Park, North Wales. School children are learning about conservation and biodiversity in the lakeside classroom and gaining essential life skills whilst they cast off on the Fishing for Schools programme.

    A new bird hide and three accessible fishing platforms have improved the leisure offer to all. Three EV Chargers and a 50 KW solar array are generating income to offset running costs and help support the organisation becoming self-reliant, sustainable and carbon neutral.  

    Tumbledown Farm: £85,000 funding helped to create a carbon neutral forest school at a 27-acre former farm owned by Weymouth Town Council. The new building provides community led learning, employment and well-being opportunities for local schools, families and people with additional needs in an inclusive, nurturing greenspace.

    We are incredibly proud of being a good neighbour to the schools, clubs, community groups nearest NRS sites where funding has helped to meet the local needs of 82 grass roots organisations.

    Watch the video below to find out much more.

    NRS socio-economic impact 2024-2025

    Updates to this page

    Published 17 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Dream Fest: raising aspirations and sparking imagination

    Source: City of Derby

    Children and young people of all ages, from early years through to college, came together last week to enjoy Derby’s first Dream Fest.

    The newly refurbished Derby Market Hall hosted two energetic days of workshops and performances, encouraging young people to tread the boards as characters from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. 

    On day one, schools from across the city enjoyed high-octane dance classes and movement workshops alongside quieter, dreamier crafting sessions, group rehearsals of their Midsummer Night’s Dream extracts, and a final spectacular multi-school performance. 

    The fun continued on day two, with families invited to stop by and take part in a free programme of music, storytelling, breakdancing performances and workshops. It was a busy, joyous event, but any children who felt a little overwhelmed during the day were able to take time out in the Zen Den. Designed by a group of special educational needs and disability student ambassadors, the space featured sensory equipment and provided a calming space to relax and regroup.

    Dream Fest was created as a part of the Derby Promise, a city-wide initiative that brings together businesses, educational and cultural organisations united by the aim of helping our young people to dream big, explore the world of work and by supporting them to thrive. 

    Previous events have introduced children to careers in science and technology, and encouraged engagement with environmental issues. This was the first festival dedicated to creativity and culture, connecting learning with real-life experiences of collaborating, rehearsing, and performing. 

    Getting creative at Dream Fest

    Children were also able to engage with Royal Shakespeare Company actors about life in the creative industries, gaining insight into building a portfolio, how to approach auditions and interviews, and how to network and find new opportunities. Young people asked a range of interesting and thoughtful questions, keen to get the inside scoop on how to turn a passion into a career.

    Councillor Paul Hezelgrave, Derby City Council Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Skills particularly enjoyed watching the children immerse themselves in the activities and find their voice amongst their peers:

    It’s been wonderful to watch young minds unleash their creativity and have so much fun in doing so. There’s been a real focus on encouraging young people to explore their imagination and understand more about creative careers, taking an ‘if you can see it, you can believe it’ approach.

    Children have also learnt about the ways in which creative pastimes can help them in their future careers, be that through strengthening communication skills, building confidence, nurturing empathy or understanding different perspectives. Alongside these practical aspects, it’s been fantastic to see the energy and enthusiasm the children and young people have brought to the activities – truly joyful.

    Neil Wilkinson, Executive Headteacher at The Bemrose School, said:

    Our pupils and staff felt it was a really impressive event and would definitely want to be part of it in the future.  The workshops inspired the children around careers and the notion that they should dream big! 

    The pupils involved were able to explore and develop their problem-solving skills whilst also having the opportunity to perform and see their peers also perform. The event had awe and wonder for all involved and showed the full potential Derby has across all ages.

    Derby Promise continues its mission to encourage children and young people to dream big, raising aspirations about what is possible to achieve and to get involved with. The next event on the calendar is the Festival of Sport, which runs from 4-8 August at Derby Arena, offering inclusive sporting activities for children, ranging from dodgeball and cricket to wheelchair tennis, basketball and archery. 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gov. Kemp Announces Georgia Supreme Court Appointment

    Source: US State of Georgia

    ATLANTA – Governor Brian P. Kemp today announced he will appoint The Honorable Benjamin A. Land to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court of Georgia created by the retirement of The Honorable Michael P. Boggs earlier this year.

    “After careful consideration of multiple accomplished and noteworthy candidates, I’m proud to announce Ben Land as my appointment to serve on the Georgia Supreme Court,” said Governor Brian Kemp. “Judge Land has earned the respect of his peers and hardworking Georgians through his commitment to fairness and impartiality, his strong work ethic, and his integrity. His extensive experience as a former litigator and judge will make him a valuable addition to the Supreme Court as he continues his service to the people of our state.”

    Benjamin A. Land has served on the Georgia Court of Appeals since July 20, 2022, following his appointment to the court by Governor Brian Kemp. He won election statewide for a full six-year term in 2024. Judge Land was previously a judge on the Superior Court for the Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit, having been appointed by then-Governor Nathan Deal on February 7, 2018.

    Prior to his service on the bench, Judge Land was a private practice attorney in Columbus for nearly 26 years, focusing on complex civil litigation. He represented plaintiffs and defendants in a wide variety of cases, obtained several record-setting verdicts, and played a key role in the defense of numerous nationwide class action lawsuits. Throughout his career, Judge Land has demonstrated a commitment to his profession and his community. He was presented with the State Bar of Georgia’s William B. Spann, Jr. Award for Pro Bono Advocacy, is a graduate of Leadership Columbus, and has served as the President of the Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit Bar Association, the Columbus Inn of Court, and the Columbus Bar Association. He was also a District Representative for the State Bar of Georgia’s Younger Lawyers Division, a member of the Joseph Henry Lumpkin Inn of Court, and has volunteered on the boards of the Columbus Area Habitat for Humanity, the Pine Mountain Trail Association, and other community organizations. During his time on the bench, Judge Land has served on the Council of Superior Court Judges Budget Committee and Pattern Jury Instructions Committee, in addition to the Judicial Council’s Court Reporting Matters Committee.

    Judge Land graduated with Highest Honors from the University of Georgia where he also earned his law degree, finishing second in his class. While attending law school, he served on the Editorial Board of the Georgia Law Review, clerked for the Georgia Supreme Court, and was elected to the Order of the Coif.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gov. Kemp Announces Georgia Supreme Court Appointment

    Source: US State of Georgia

    ATLANTA – Governor Brian P. Kemp today announced he will appoint The Honorable Benjamin A. Land to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court of Georgia created by the retirement of The Honorable Michael P. Boggs earlier this year.

    “After careful consideration of multiple accomplished and noteworthy candidates, I’m proud to announce Ben Land as my appointment to serve on the Georgia Supreme Court,” said Governor Brian Kemp. “Judge Land has earned the respect of his peers and hardworking Georgians through his commitment to fairness and impartiality, his strong work ethic, and his integrity. His extensive experience as a former litigator and judge will make him a valuable addition to the Supreme Court as he continues his service to the people of our state.”

    Benjamin A. Land has served on the Georgia Court of Appeals since July 20, 2022, following his appointment to the court by Governor Brian Kemp. He won election statewide for a full six-year term in 2024. Judge Land was previously a judge on the Superior Court for the Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit, having been appointed by then-Governor Nathan Deal on February 7, 2018.

    Prior to his service on the bench, Judge Land was a private practice attorney in Columbus for nearly 26 years, focusing on complex civil litigation. He represented plaintiffs and defendants in a wide variety of cases, obtained several record-setting verdicts, and played a key role in the defense of numerous nationwide class action lawsuits. Throughout his career, Judge Land has demonstrated a commitment to his profession and his community. He was presented with the State Bar of Georgia’s William B. Spann, Jr. Award for Pro Bono Advocacy, is a graduate of Leadership Columbus, and has served as the President of the Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit Bar Association, the Columbus Inn of Court, and the Columbus Bar Association. He was also a District Representative for the State Bar of Georgia’s Younger Lawyers Division, a member of the Joseph Henry Lumpkin Inn of Court, and has volunteered on the boards of the Columbus Area Habitat for Humanity, the Pine Mountain Trail Association, and other community organizations. During his time on the bench, Judge Land has served on the Council of Superior Court Judges Budget Committee and Pattern Jury Instructions Committee, in addition to the Judicial Council’s Court Reporting Matters Committee.

    Judge Land graduated with Highest Honors from the University of Georgia where he also earned his law degree, finishing second in his class. While attending law school, he served on the Editorial Board of the Georgia Law Review, clerked for the Georgia Supreme Court, and was elected to the Order of the Coif.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: New $20M Semiconductor Lab at Stony Brook

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Kathy Hochul today announced a new, public-private partnership between Stony Brook University and onsemi, the largest U.S.-based manufacturer of silicon carbide (SiC) power semiconductors, to construct a $20 million, state-of-the-art semiconductor research and development facility on the Stony Brook University campus. Silicon carbide is a key component of next-generation semiconductors and is vital to building more powerful, efficient and cleaner electric vehicles and energy infrastructure.

    “The state-of-the-art research facility at Stony Brook University will be another step in our mission to reshore the semiconductor industry, strengthen our national security, and cement New York’s status as the chips capital of the United States,” Governor Hochul said. “By investing in cutting-edge technology and world-class talent, we’re building a stronger, more resilient future for Long Island, and New York.”

    onsemi Corporate Strategy Senior Vice President Dinesh Ramanathan said, “Advanced power semiconductors are at the core of enabling the widespread adoption of AI and electrification. This new center will play a key role in accelerating innovation in one of the most critical fields for these global megatrends. Aligned with Governor Hochul’s vision, and in strong partnership with Stony Brook and Empire State Development, we are building a pipeline of skilled talent who will drive the next wave of breakthroughs in power semiconductors and pave the way for our sustainable future.”

    As a result of the partnership, onsemi will invest $8 million to support the center’s operations, while Stony Brook University will invest $10 million in renovations and equipment. Empire State Development will support the new facility through a capital grant of up to $2 million recommended by the Long Island Regional Economic Development Council.

    Located in Stony Brook University’s Engineering Quad on its West campus, the new center will allow university research scientists, postdocs, graduate, and undergraduate students to study crystal growth, processing, and metrology with the goal of growing bigger, higher-quality silicon carbide crystals. This will reduce device costs, improve material quality and accelerate the adoption of SiC power electronics in high-performance, high-efficiency applications. Research performed at the center will support new discoveries that bolster New York State’s leadership in the semiconductor industry.

    The new research facilities will be available to scientists and industry professionals through potential new consortium agreements to drive R&D in the growth, processing and metrology of silicon carbide crystals. Stony Brook will seek agreements with industrial entities such as crystal growers, equipment manufacturers, raw material suppliers, process modelers and others, as well academic and research laboratories. Through the agreements, they would be able to engage in the silicon carbide growth process directly to test their products and ideas. In turn, the work conducted would provide a training ground for students and professionals who will eventually form the workforce joining these industries, universities, and laboratories.Stony Brook University will also develop a curriculum for an undergraduate minor and a graduate master’s degree and certificate focused on silicon carbide and wide bandgap semiconductors.

    SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. said, “Stony Brook University is at the center of key research initiatives at SUNY and is helping to move New York State and our entire nation forward. We are excited to help build the new center, which will be a catalyst to create the next generation of semiconductors. Governor Hochul has charged SUNY to be a leader in semiconductor research and development, and we appreciate her investment and support as we work to achieve that goal.”

    Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, “This state-of-the-art research facility represents a significant step forward in securing America’s semiconductor future while advancing New York’s technology and clean energy leadership. By supporting groundbreaking silicon carbide research at Stony Brook University, we’re investing in technologies that will power everything from electric vehicle charging networks to renewable energy storage systems. This partnership exemplifies how strategic state investments can drive innovation, create quality jobs, and position New York at the forefront of the global tech economy.”

    The SUNY Board of Trustees said, “Thanks to the steadfast support of Governor Hochul and state leaders, we are able to ensure Stony Brook University is at the cutting edge of research for the public good. Through private-public partnerships we are able to give our researchers and students the tools they need to make breakthroughs in science. From environmental science to medicine and from artificial intelligence to quantum, there are opportunities for faculty and students to unveil new discoveries.”

    Stony Brook University Incoming President Andrea Goldsmith said, “This public-private partnership between onsemi, Stony Brook and Empire State Development provides tremendous opportunity for economic development and national security. As a technology entrepreneur and the founder of a fabless semiconductor startup, I am thrilled that Stony Brook is a key academic partner with onsemi, an industry leader in power semiconductors. This partnership places Stony Brook and New York State at the forefront of advancing power semiconductor technology while providing students hands-on research and practical opportunities as they prepare for leadership roles in high-skill, high-demand technology fields.”

    Empire State Development Board Chairman Kevin Law said, “Long Island has long been home to world-class research and technology companies, and the new center will further cement our region’s reputation as an innovation powerhouse. This facility will not only advance critical semiconductor research but also create exciting career pathways for Long Island residents in one of the fastest-growing sectors of the economy. We’re building the foundation for sustained technological leadership that will benefit our communities, our workforce, and our regional economy for decades to come.”

    LIREDC Co-Chairs Linda Armyn, President & CEO at FourLeaf Federal Credit Union, and Dr. Kimberly R. Cline, President of Long Island University said, “The establishment of this research center marks an exciting milestone for Long Island’s evolution into a premier technology destination. This facility will provide our students with hands-on experience in cutting-edge semiconductor research while creating the skilled workforce that innovative companies seek when choosing where to locate and grow. By linking world-class academic expertise with industry needs, this initiative positions Long Island at the forefront of the next generation of advanced manufacturing.”

    The center will be led by Professor Michael Dudley, Department of Materials Science & Chemical Engineering. Professor Dudley and his team are leaders in SiC growth and metrology with more than 30 years of experience. Professor Balaji Raghothamachar, also experienced in SiC growth and metrology, and Professor and Department Chair Dilip Gersappe, with extensive experience in modeling of materials systems, will also be part of the center’s leadership team. The new center will initially house advanced equipment including furnaces, wafering and polishing equipment and metrology tools. The center is expected to be fully operational in early 2027.

    Professor Michael Dudley said, “Since 1991, I have been involved in silicon carbide crystal growth and metrology, collaborating with major silicon carbide companies including onsemi. Much appreciation to onsemi for recognizing this and supporting the establishment of this innovative center at Stony Brook University. Thanks to the Provost for coming through with funds for equipment and renovation and thanks to Empire State Development for their support as well. As the Director, I believe this center will make an integral approach to crystal growth a reality. New ideas in silicon carbide crystal growth can be tested while students and professionals gain a comprehensive work experience in state-of-the-art semiconductor materials development. We look forward to partnering with companies, universities, and national labs in silicon carbide semiconductor technologies and workforce development.”

    State Senator Anthony Palumbo said, “I thank Governor Hochul for bringing this investment and collaboration with Onsemi to Stony Brook University and for fostering a more economically sustainable region for our future generations. As one of New York’s two flagship universities, Stony Brook continues to be at the forefront of tech research and will provide even more highly-skilled jobs and educational pathways that are essential for critical industries, from electric vehicles and smart grids to renewable energy systems and aerospace technology. I’m thrilled to support this initiative and look forward to getting shovels in the ground.”

    Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine said, “This partnership helps Stony Brook continue to grow a reputation as one of the best universities in the world. Thank you to Governor Hochul for continuing these efforts and putting Suffolk County at the forefront of these important technologies and for choosing Suffolk County for this initiative.”

    Assemblymember Rebecca Kassay said, “I would like to thank Governor Hochul for her continued commitment to strengthening Long Island’s innovation economy. The new $20 million semiconductor research facility at Stony Brook University is an exciting investment in New York’s future. The partnership with onsemi is promising for the future of our regional job market, furthering Long Island’s ability to attract, train, and employ individuals for good paying jobs in the tech field. I’m proud to be the district representative of a University that is furthering energy advancements, and in that, creating a more sustainable future for all.”

    Stony Brook University College of Engineering and Applied Sciences Dean Andrew Singer said, “At a moment when strengthening the nation’s semiconductor supply chain is both an economic and strategic imperative, this new center represents a tremendous opportunity. By advancing silicon-carbide crystal growth right here on Long Island, we are not only pushing the frontier of power-device technology but also helping secure domestic manufacturing capacity, creating high-skill jobs, and training the engineers who will keep the United States at the forefront of the global semiconductor landscape.”

    About The State University of New York

    The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY’s 64 colleges and universities. Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the country’s oldest school of maritime, the state’s only college of optometry, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.4 million students amongst its entire portfolio of credit- and non-credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Research expenditures system-wide are nearly $1.16 billion in fiscal year 2024, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and one in three New Yorkers with a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunities, visit www.suny.edu.

    About Stony Brook University

    Stony Brook University is New York’s flagship university and No. 1 public university. It is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system. With more than 26,000 students, more than 3,000 faculty members, more than 225,000 alumni, a premier academic healthcare system and 18 NCAA Division I athletic programs, Stony Brook is a research-intensive distinguished center of innovation dedicated to addressing the world’s biggest challenges. The university embraces its mission to provide comprehensive undergraduate, graduate and professional education of the highest quality, and is ranked as the #58 overall university and #26 among public universities in the nation by U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges listing. Fostering a commitment to academic research and intellectual endeavors, Stony Brook’s membership in the Association of American Universities (AAU) places it among the top 71 research institutions in North America. The university’s distinguished faculty have earned esteemed awards such as the Nobel Prize, Pulitzer Prize, Indianapolis Prize for animal conservation, Abel Prize, Fields Medal and the Breakthrough Prize in Mathematics. Stony Brook has the responsibility of co-managing Brookhaven National Laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy — one of only eight universities with a role in running a national laboratory. In 2023, Stony Brook was named the anchor institution for The New York Climate Exchange on Governors Island in New York City. Providing economic growth for neighboring communities and the wider geographic region, the university totals an impressive $8.93 billion in increased economic output on Long Island. Follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/stonybrooku/ and X @stonybrooku.

    About Empire State Development

    Empire State Development is New York’s chief economic development agency, and promotes business growth, job creation, and greater economic opportunity throughout the state. With offices in each of the state’s 10 regions, ESD oversees the Regional Economic Development Councils, supports broadband equity through the ConnectALL office, and is growing the workforce of tomorrow through the Office of Strategic Workforce Development. The agency engages with emerging and next generation industries like clean energy and semiconductor manufacturing looking to grow in New York State, operates a network of assistance centers to help small businesses grow and succeed, and promotes the state’s world class tourism destinations through I LOVE NY. For more information, please visit esd.ny.gov, and connect with ESD on LinkedIn, Facebook and X.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: New $20M Semiconductor Lab at Stony Brook

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Kathy Hochul today announced a new, public-private partnership between Stony Brook University and onsemi, the largest U.S.-based manufacturer of silicon carbide (SiC) power semiconductors, to construct a $20 million, state-of-the-art semiconductor research and development facility on the Stony Brook University campus. Silicon carbide is a key component of next-generation semiconductors and is vital to building more powerful, efficient and cleaner electric vehicles and energy infrastructure.

    “The state-of-the-art research facility at Stony Brook University will be another step in our mission to reshore the semiconductor industry, strengthen our national security, and cement New York’s status as the chips capital of the United States,” Governor Hochul said. “By investing in cutting-edge technology and world-class talent, we’re building a stronger, more resilient future for Long Island, and New York.”

    onsemi Corporate Strategy Senior Vice President Dinesh Ramanathan said, “Advanced power semiconductors are at the core of enabling the widespread adoption of AI and electrification. This new center will play a key role in accelerating innovation in one of the most critical fields for these global megatrends. Aligned with Governor Hochul’s vision, and in strong partnership with Stony Brook and Empire State Development, we are building a pipeline of skilled talent who will drive the next wave of breakthroughs in power semiconductors and pave the way for our sustainable future.”

    As a result of the partnership, onsemi will invest $8 million to support the center’s operations, while Stony Brook University will invest $10 million in renovations and equipment. Empire State Development will support the new facility through a capital grant of up to $2 million recommended by the Long Island Regional Economic Development Council.

    Located in Stony Brook University’s Engineering Quad on its West campus, the new center will allow university research scientists, postdocs, graduate, and undergraduate students to study crystal growth, processing, and metrology with the goal of growing bigger, higher-quality silicon carbide crystals. This will reduce device costs, improve material quality and accelerate the adoption of SiC power electronics in high-performance, high-efficiency applications. Research performed at the center will support new discoveries that bolster New York State’s leadership in the semiconductor industry.

    The new research facilities will be available to scientists and industry professionals through potential new consortium agreements to drive R&D in the growth, processing and metrology of silicon carbide crystals. Stony Brook will seek agreements with industrial entities such as crystal growers, equipment manufacturers, raw material suppliers, process modelers and others, as well academic and research laboratories. Through the agreements, they would be able to engage in the silicon carbide growth process directly to test their products and ideas. In turn, the work conducted would provide a training ground for students and professionals who will eventually form the workforce joining these industries, universities, and laboratories.Stony Brook University will also develop a curriculum for an undergraduate minor and a graduate master’s degree and certificate focused on silicon carbide and wide bandgap semiconductors.

    SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. said, “Stony Brook University is at the center of key research initiatives at SUNY and is helping to move New York State and our entire nation forward. We are excited to help build the new center, which will be a catalyst to create the next generation of semiconductors. Governor Hochul has charged SUNY to be a leader in semiconductor research and development, and we appreciate her investment and support as we work to achieve that goal.”

    Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, “This state-of-the-art research facility represents a significant step forward in securing America’s semiconductor future while advancing New York’s technology and clean energy leadership. By supporting groundbreaking silicon carbide research at Stony Brook University, we’re investing in technologies that will power everything from electric vehicle charging networks to renewable energy storage systems. This partnership exemplifies how strategic state investments can drive innovation, create quality jobs, and position New York at the forefront of the global tech economy.”

    The SUNY Board of Trustees said, “Thanks to the steadfast support of Governor Hochul and state leaders, we are able to ensure Stony Brook University is at the cutting edge of research for the public good. Through private-public partnerships we are able to give our researchers and students the tools they need to make breakthroughs in science. From environmental science to medicine and from artificial intelligence to quantum, there are opportunities for faculty and students to unveil new discoveries.”

    Stony Brook University Incoming President Andrea Goldsmith said, “This public-private partnership between onsemi, Stony Brook and Empire State Development provides tremendous opportunity for economic development and national security. As a technology entrepreneur and the founder of a fabless semiconductor startup, I am thrilled that Stony Brook is a key academic partner with onsemi, an industry leader in power semiconductors. This partnership places Stony Brook and New York State at the forefront of advancing power semiconductor technology while providing students hands-on research and practical opportunities as they prepare for leadership roles in high-skill, high-demand technology fields.”

    Empire State Development Board Chairman Kevin Law said, “Long Island has long been home to world-class research and technology companies, and the new center will further cement our region’s reputation as an innovation powerhouse. This facility will not only advance critical semiconductor research but also create exciting career pathways for Long Island residents in one of the fastest-growing sectors of the economy. We’re building the foundation for sustained technological leadership that will benefit our communities, our workforce, and our regional economy for decades to come.”

    LIREDC Co-Chairs Linda Armyn, President & CEO at FourLeaf Federal Credit Union, and Dr. Kimberly R. Cline, President of Long Island University said, “The establishment of this research center marks an exciting milestone for Long Island’s evolution into a premier technology destination. This facility will provide our students with hands-on experience in cutting-edge semiconductor research while creating the skilled workforce that innovative companies seek when choosing where to locate and grow. By linking world-class academic expertise with industry needs, this initiative positions Long Island at the forefront of the next generation of advanced manufacturing.”

    The center will be led by Professor Michael Dudley, Department of Materials Science & Chemical Engineering. Professor Dudley and his team are leaders in SiC growth and metrology with more than 30 years of experience. Professor Balaji Raghothamachar, also experienced in SiC growth and metrology, and Professor and Department Chair Dilip Gersappe, with extensive experience in modeling of materials systems, will also be part of the center’s leadership team. The new center will initially house advanced equipment including furnaces, wafering and polishing equipment and metrology tools. The center is expected to be fully operational in early 2027.

    Professor Michael Dudley said, “Since 1991, I have been involved in silicon carbide crystal growth and metrology, collaborating with major silicon carbide companies including onsemi. Much appreciation to onsemi for recognizing this and supporting the establishment of this innovative center at Stony Brook University. Thanks to the Provost for coming through with funds for equipment and renovation and thanks to Empire State Development for their support as well. As the Director, I believe this center will make an integral approach to crystal growth a reality. New ideas in silicon carbide crystal growth can be tested while students and professionals gain a comprehensive work experience in state-of-the-art semiconductor materials development. We look forward to partnering with companies, universities, and national labs in silicon carbide semiconductor technologies and workforce development.”

    State Senator Anthony Palumbo said, “I thank Governor Hochul for bringing this investment and collaboration with Onsemi to Stony Brook University and for fostering a more economically sustainable region for our future generations. As one of New York’s two flagship universities, Stony Brook continues to be at the forefront of tech research and will provide even more highly-skilled jobs and educational pathways that are essential for critical industries, from electric vehicles and smart grids to renewable energy systems and aerospace technology. I’m thrilled to support this initiative and look forward to getting shovels in the ground.”

    Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine said, “This partnership helps Stony Brook continue to grow a reputation as one of the best universities in the world. Thank you to Governor Hochul for continuing these efforts and putting Suffolk County at the forefront of these important technologies and for choosing Suffolk County for this initiative.”

    Assemblymember Rebecca Kassay said, “I would like to thank Governor Hochul for her continued commitment to strengthening Long Island’s innovation economy. The new $20 million semiconductor research facility at Stony Brook University is an exciting investment in New York’s future. The partnership with onsemi is promising for the future of our regional job market, furthering Long Island’s ability to attract, train, and employ individuals for good paying jobs in the tech field. I’m proud to be the district representative of a University that is furthering energy advancements, and in that, creating a more sustainable future for all.”

    Stony Brook University College of Engineering and Applied Sciences Dean Andrew Singer said, “At a moment when strengthening the nation’s semiconductor supply chain is both an economic and strategic imperative, this new center represents a tremendous opportunity. By advancing silicon-carbide crystal growth right here on Long Island, we are not only pushing the frontier of power-device technology but also helping secure domestic manufacturing capacity, creating high-skill jobs, and training the engineers who will keep the United States at the forefront of the global semiconductor landscape.”

    About The State University of New York

    The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY’s 64 colleges and universities. Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the country’s oldest school of maritime, the state’s only college of optometry, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.4 million students amongst its entire portfolio of credit- and non-credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Research expenditures system-wide are nearly $1.16 billion in fiscal year 2024, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and one in three New Yorkers with a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunities, visit www.suny.edu.

    About Stony Brook University

    Stony Brook University is New York’s flagship university and No. 1 public university. It is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system. With more than 26,000 students, more than 3,000 faculty members, more than 225,000 alumni, a premier academic healthcare system and 18 NCAA Division I athletic programs, Stony Brook is a research-intensive distinguished center of innovation dedicated to addressing the world’s biggest challenges. The university embraces its mission to provide comprehensive undergraduate, graduate and professional education of the highest quality, and is ranked as the #58 overall university and #26 among public universities in the nation by U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges listing. Fostering a commitment to academic research and intellectual endeavors, Stony Brook’s membership in the Association of American Universities (AAU) places it among the top 71 research institutions in North America. The university’s distinguished faculty have earned esteemed awards such as the Nobel Prize, Pulitzer Prize, Indianapolis Prize for animal conservation, Abel Prize, Fields Medal and the Breakthrough Prize in Mathematics. Stony Brook has the responsibility of co-managing Brookhaven National Laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy — one of only eight universities with a role in running a national laboratory. In 2023, Stony Brook was named the anchor institution for The New York Climate Exchange on Governors Island in New York City. Providing economic growth for neighboring communities and the wider geographic region, the university totals an impressive $8.93 billion in increased economic output on Long Island. Follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/stonybrooku/ and X @stonybrooku.

    About Empire State Development

    Empire State Development is New York’s chief economic development agency, and promotes business growth, job creation, and greater economic opportunity throughout the state. With offices in each of the state’s 10 regions, ESD oversees the Regional Economic Development Councils, supports broadband equity through the ConnectALL office, and is growing the workforce of tomorrow through the Office of Strategic Workforce Development. The agency engages with emerging and next generation industries like clean energy and semiconductor manufacturing looking to grow in New York State, operates a network of assistance centers to help small businesses grow and succeed, and promotes the state’s world class tourism destinations through I LOVE NY. For more information, please visit esd.ny.gov, and connect with ESD on LinkedIn, Facebook and X.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Starmer’s suspension of ‘rebel’ MPs risks alienating his party in a way he can’t afford

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Tony McNulty, Lecturer/Teaching Fellow, British Politics and Public Policy, Queen Mary University of London

    Starmer has removed the whip from four ‘persistent rebel’ MPs. Flickr/UK Parliament , CC BY-NC-ND

    Political parties with commanding parliamentary majorities are often tempted by the promise of assertive leadership and decisive action. Yet, as the events of the last few weeks reveal, a large majority is no substitute for the subtler arts of political management, party cohesion and narrative discipline.

    Missteps like suspending four MPs and sacking three trade envoys are not isolated misjudgements but symptomatic of deeper issues within Labour’s approach to internal governance. These are issues that need to be addressed if this government is to make the difference needed.

    At the centre of the week’s controversies sits the leader’s decision to discipline members of his own parliamentary party. On the surface, such acts might be interpreted as “factional authoritarianism” – a heavy-handed display to quell rebellion. But it is more probably rooted in clumsy party management and weakness.

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    This is especially true given Labour’s comfortable majority, which is currently around 160. It is reasonable to expect a majority party to exude a certain confidence and to practise tolerance for internal debate. It knows, after all, that a handful of dissenters pose no existential threat to the government’s legislative agenda. Instead, the government appears brittle, hyper-sensitive to criticism, and more interested in enforcing unity than fostering meaningful dialogue.

    The consequences are not trivial. Rather than projecting an image of strength and competence, the government gives the impression of insecurity and control for its own sake. The sacking of trade envoys – posts which previously were barely known or understood by the public – appears to many as petty and vindictive. The broader public takeaway is not about Labour’s policy on trade or any other issue, but about its willingness to punish internal dissent.

    Lost narrative and missed opportunities

    A parallel failure lies in the government’s continuing inability to control or shape the public narrative. Just days before the prime minister decided to suspend his rebels, the government announced £500m for a “better futures fund” to support vulnerable children and families. This could have been a bold declaration of intent for the new government. It could have been a huge win. Yet, it was disconnected from any overarching narrative and proved yet another missed opportunity to champion a new direction for the party and the country.

    Instead, media and public attention shifted immediately to the suspensions and sackings, drowning out any potential positive coverage of the government’s messaging. The chancellor’s Mansion House speech – an annual opportunity to set the agenda – fell similarly flat. Rachel Reeves received only insipid headlines before being entirely overshadowed.

    Neil Duncan-Jordan, one of the suspended MPs.
    Flickr/UK Parliament, CC BY-NC-ND

    The government’s inability to sequence and frame its positive announcements, and to anticipate how punitive actions would dominate the news cycle, requires urgent attention. It is not enough to make policy announcements; there must be a coherent story that MPs and the public alike can follow.

    Rebellion, dissent and party discipline

    The rebellion that sparked this drama was not led by perennial troublemakers, but a group of select committee chairs who are experienced, respected parliamentarians and not easily dismissed as the “usual subjects.” When the government gutted its own benefits bill to quell the backlash, a majority of rebels indeed relented. Only Rachel Maskell (one of the four MPs now suspended) and 46 others persisted in voting against the bill at third reading.

    Rachael Maskell, now suspended, speaking in parliament in March.
    Flickr/UK Parliament, CC BY-NC-ND

    Was this really worthy of suspension, especially so early in a new parliamentary session? The government’s justification rests on the need for discipline – that rebels should “play ball” after exacting concessions. But this only works when both government and rebels understand and respect the same rules.

    The claim is that the four rebels and three MPs who lost envoy status are persistent rebels, but this is an overreaction. In either case, it is clear the backbenchers felt ignored and undervalued, and that the government failed to take their concerns seriously in the first place.

    There is a sense that Labour’s leadership is more interested in enforcing conformity than in building consensus. A true show of strength would be to sit down and discuss with colleagues how differing views can be accommodated, and to have some confidence in your argument and build a narrative around it.

    Several warnings about internal unrest were ignored. The Whips Office flagged issues around poverty, pensions, and benefit reform, but these concerns were sidelined by Number 10. Ministers called for a broader anti-poverty strategy but again found themselves ignored. Select committee chairs, who tried for months to initiate constructive dialogue, were only heard in the final days before the bill’s debate.

    External threats

    Labour’s majority, while impressive, is based on fragile foundations. It won with only a 34% share of the vote. Many of the newly elected MPs are inexperienced and hold wafer thin majorities. A 5% swing against Labour would see more than 100 MPs lose their seats. External threats – an ascendant Reform UK, a possible Corbynista party, and the consolidation of the Liberal Democrats and Greens – compound the sense of fragility.

    In this context, disciplining a handful of MPs as some sort of a show of strength to keep putative rebels in line, is not going to work. The government cannot afford to alienate its own MPs.

    Labour’s early weeks in government provide a cautionary tale in the risks of prioritising discipline over dialogue, and of losing sight of the narrative that should bind the party and its supporters together. Most Labour MPs want the government to succeed, but early heavy-handedness breeds resentment and undermines unity just when it is most needed.

    True political strength lies not in the ability to punish dissent, but in the confidence to accommodate it – building a compelling story that inspires loyalty rather than demands it.

    If the government wants its MPs to sing from the same song sheet, it must first establish the melody. The significant achievements of this government – £40 billion more on public services, international trade deals, infrastructure investment, renters’ and workers’ rights, energy initiatives, advances in the living wage, and free school meals – can only resonate if they are woven into a story that MPs and the public can share.

    The lesson is clear: discipline without narrative and command without consensus are recipes for internal discord and political decline.

    Tony McNulty is a member of the Labour Party.

    – ref. Starmer’s suspension of ‘rebel’ MPs risks alienating his party in a way he can’t afford – https://theconversation.com/starmers-suspension-of-rebel-mps-risks-alienating-his-party-in-a-way-he-cant-afford-261339

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Harbin Conservatory deepens exchange with Russian music universities

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    HARBIN, July 17 (Xinhua) — The Harbin Conservatory of Music in northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province will continue to strengthen cooperation with Russian universities to build a first-class Sino-Russian music culture exchange center, a first-class Sino-Russian music education cooperation base and a Sino-Russian high-level academic and research exchange platform in China, Song Fei, director of the conservatory, told Xinhua News Agency on Thursday.

    According to her, since the conservatory was founded in 2016, a total of 23 Russian experts have been invited to work there, and currently 10 Russian experts work at the conservatory. It is expected that by the end of 2025, their number will reach 20 people.

    Among these experts is Anton Ostapenko, a specialist from the St. Petersburg State Conservatory named after N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov, who came to Harbin in 2016 and has since worked as a teacher at the Harbin Conservatory.

    He noted that Harbin has its own unique geographical advantages and historical foundation for the development of classical music, and plays a very important role in promoting exchanges in the musical field between Russia and China.

    “I am very glad that the exchange of musicians between Russia and China is constantly developing. As far as I know, there are currently many Russian musicians working in China on a permanent basis,” he said.

    “I taught quite a few talented Chinese students at the Harbin Conservatory,” said A. Ostapenko. He noted that more and more outstanding Chinese musicians are taking part in international competitions.

    Meanwhile, the professionalism of Russian experts is widely recognized by students and teachers at the Harbin Conservatory. “Russian teachers have their own unique methodology. At the same time, they pay special attention to practice. All this helps us develop our musical sense,” said Wang Siyuan, a student at the conservatory.

    In recent years, conservatories in China have been actively developing cooperation with Russian specialized universities. In 2023, the Harbin Conservatory, together with the St. Petersburg State Conservatory named after N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov, established the Chinese-Russian Musical Union. In March of this year, the Chinese-Russian Research Center for Musical Culture was founded at the Chinese Conservatory in Beijing. -0-

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s economic resilience drives global growth

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    BEIJING, July 17 — In the face of a complex international landscape and mounting challenges, China achieved steady economic growth in the first half of 2025, boosting confidence in global growth potential.

    According to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Tuesday, China’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew 5.3 percent year on year in the first half of 2025 and 5.2 percent year on year in the second quarter.

    Analysts noted that by steadfastly advancing high-quality development and steadily expanding high-level opening-up, the Chinese economy has demonstrated strong resilience, providing a reliable driving force for global economic growth.

    STRONG RESILIENCE

    Since the beginning of 2025, the international economic and trade order has experienced severe shocks and increasing uncertainties. In the face of mounting pressure, China’s economy has maintained a steady and positive momentum, presenting a high-quality performance.

    “Resilience” has become a key word used by overseas media when reporting on the Chinese economy, with many noting that China’s economic data in the first half of the year exceeded market expectations and that the country stays on course to meet its annual growth target of around 5 percent.

    China’s GDP growth, despite the impact of U.S. tariff policy, signals strong resilience, highlighting China’s adaptive policies and manufacturing depth, said Philippe Monnier, former executive director of the Greater Geneva Berne area (GGBa), the investment promotion agency for Western Switzerland.

    The encouraging growth of the Chinese economy is mainly attributed to the strong performance in trade, industrial production and retail sales, said Lynn Song, chief economist for Greater China at ING, a Dutch bank. He added that the solid results in the first half should keep China on track to achieve its full-year growth target.

    Thanks to efforts to strengthen economic and trade ties globally, China’s foreign trade sector delivered a strong performance, significantly contributing to overall economic growth. In the first half of the year, China’s total goods trade hit 21.79 trillion yuan (3.04 trillion U.S. dollars), reaching a record high for the same period.

    During this time, China’s imports and exports with more than 190 countries and regions registered growth, with 61 trading partners posting trade volumes exceeding 50 billion yuan (6.96 billion dollars).

    In addition to increased trade with traditional markets such as the European Union, Japan and Britain, emerging markets provided additional momentum. Notably, China’s trade with Africa and Central Asia rose by 14.4 percent and 13.8 percent year on year, respectively.

    EFFECTIVE POLICY

    Facing an increasingly complex and challenging external environment, China has effectively implemented more proactive and effective macroeconomic policies, further strengthened the domestic economic circulation, continued to advance high-level opening-up and steadily pushed forward economic transformation and high-quality development.

    In the first half of 2025, domestic demand contributed 68.8 percent to GDP growth, serving as the main engine of economic expansion, according to the NBS.

    China’s emphasis on household subsidies, fiscal support and credit access for small businesses has helped stabilize internal demand while shielding the economy from external shocks, making it more resilient to trade tensions and global slowdowns, Rwandan economic analyst Teddy Kaberuka told Xinhua.

    Japan’s Jiji Press noted that the Chinese government’s implementation of a moderately accommodative monetary policy has yielded tangible results in supporting the real economy, and measures introduced to boost consumption also played a positive role in driving economic growth.

    During the first half of 2025, China saw rapid growth in high-tech sectors such as scientific innovation and green development. Value-added industrial output in high-tech manufacturing rose by 9.5 percent, 3.1 percentage points higher than that of overall industrial output during the same period.

    With strategic support for sectors such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, electric vehicles and clean energy, China is transitioning toward a more sustainable, consumption-driven growth model that benefits global supply chains and investment flows, said Monnier.

    Karim Adel, head of the Cairo-based Al Adl Center for Economic and Strategic Studies, noted that in the challenging year of 2025, China has introduced a series of proactive policies not only to advance its own growth objectives but also to provide sustained momentum for the global economy.

    BENEFIT THE WORLD

    In the face of the challenging international landscape, the Chinese economy has demonstrated strong resilience and vast development potential. Driven by innovation, it is advancing high-quality development, contributing to global economic growth and sharing development opportunities with the world.

    Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut, minister of economic affairs of the German state of Baden-Wurttemberg, who led a delegation to visit China recently, told Xinhua that she was deeply impressed by China’s achievement in science and technology, adding that China is an exciting market in intelligent transportation, robot industry and other emerging areas.

    In recent years, Germany and China have been deepening cooperation in cutting-edge areas, said Bernd Einmeier, president of the German-Chinese Association for Economy, Education, and Culture.

    German enterprises remain enthusiastic about investing in China, while a growing number of Chinese companies view Germany as a strategic gateway for expanding into the European market, said Einmeier, noting that this two-way interaction serves as a stabilizing force for global industrial and supply chains.

    Munetsi Madakufamba, executive director of the Southern African Research and Documentation Center, praised China’s zero-tariff measures covering all taxable products for 53 African countries, saying it represents a significant development that has the potential to enhance China-Africa trade relations.

    The positive performance of the Chinese economy can help Africa unlock its vast economic potential and contribute to its development aspirations, he added.

    In an era marked by uncertainty, China’s stability and development represent confidence and opportunity, said Ng Chin Long, chairman of the Malaysia Friends of Silk Road Club.

    MIL OSI China News –