Category: Education

  • MIL-OSI: National Fuel Announces Executive Management Change

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Utility President Donna DeCarolis to Retire;
    Will Continue to Serve as a Senior Energy Advisor to National Fuel

    Michael Colpoys to Succeed DeCarolis as
    President of National Fuel Gas Distribution Corporation

    WILLIAMSVILLE, N.Y., April 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — National Fuel Gas Company (“National Fuel” or the “Company”) (NYSE: NFG) today announced that Donna L. DeCarolis, President of National Fuel Gas Distribution Corporation, the Utility segment of National Fuel Gas Company, has indicated her intention to retire, effective July 1, 2025, after more than 40 years of service.

    While Donna retires from the day-to-day management of New York’s largest natural gas only utility, she is being retained as a Senior Energy Advisor for the Company, continuing her role actively representing National Fuel in New York’s statewide energy policy matters. Since 2019 when New York passed the most aggressive climate and decarbonization legislation in the country, DeCarolis has been a staunch advocate for natural gas customers and the need for them to have affordable, reliable and resilient energy options. She has participated in hundreds of community conversations to increase awareness and education on the State’s climate mandates and their potential impact on the lives of New York residents as well as the State’s economy. DeCarolis has been an active presence in Albany identifying real regional differences, and how a policy that might work downstate is potentially harmful for upstate New York due to our more extreme weather and less wealth than metro New York City. Her important role as a vocal advocate in this arena is not going to change, she’ll just be in a different capacity as a senior advisor for National Fuel.

    “Donna’s leadership has made a lasting mark on National Fuel and the communities and organizations she has served for more than 40 years,” said David P. Bauer, President and Chief Executive Officer of National Fuel Gas Company. “Her dedication and vision have helped shape the long-term success of our organization, and I am pleased that she will continue to represent the Company in key energy policy matters as a senior advisor. I hope that her next chapter will be as rewarding as her career has been for National Fuel.”

    DeCarolis was named President of National Fuel Gas Distribution Corporation, National Fuel’s Utility subsidiary, in February 2019. Prior to that, since 2007, she held the title of Vice President of Business Development for National Fuel Gas Company. During her more than 40-year tenure with the Company, she ascended through several different business areas, including Corporate Investor Relations, Utility Customer Quality Assurance, Corporate Communications, Human Resources, Utility Energy Marketing, Government Affairs, Utility Consumer Business/Customer Service as well as having previously been president of several of the Company’s non-regulated business entities. Active in her support of the community, Donna has served in leadership capacities on the boards of the Business Council of New York, the Buffalo Niagara Partnership, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Darwin Martin House Restoration Complex, Leadership Buffalo, Shea’s O’Connell Preservation Guild, the University at Buffalo’s School of Management, Buffalo Sabres Foundation, Niagara University and the African American Veteran’s Monument.

    Shortly after assuming the role of Utility President, DeCarolis was named the second appointment to the New York State Climate Action Council, a 22-member body created in statute under the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (Climate Act). The Council was charged with developing a plan to reach New York State’s 2030 and 2050 greenhouse gas emission reduction goals and spent three years developing a final scoping plan, issued December 2022. DeCarolis was one of the three energy industry executives to vote against the Scoping Plan because of unanswered and unaddressed concerns about the Climate Act’s impact on customer affordability, energy reliability, the elimination of customer choice and the overall impact on New York’s ability to maintain its business competitiveness if the state were to decarbonize and electrify everything.

    The Company also announced that on July 1, 2025, DeCarolis will be succeeded by Michael Colpoys as President of National Fuel Gas Distribution Corporation. Colpoys is a long-tenured National Fuel officer who has spent much of his career on the Operations side of the industry. With decades of experience in all aspects of utility operations, Colpoys was named Senior Vice President for National Fuel Gas Distribution Corporation in 2021, gaining oversight for all utility field operations in New York and Pennsylvania. In addition, he oversees the Rates and Regulatory Affairs, Energy Services and Gas Supply Administration departments.

    Originally from Buffalo, Colpoys started his career in 1987 as a Management Trainee and was promoted to Junior Engineer in 1988. In the following years, he was promoted numerous times, advancing to Assistant Vice President of Distribution Corporation in 2009 and then to Vice President in 2015 of National Fuel Gas Midstream Company where he oversaw the development, construction and operation of the company’s expanding gathering pipelines. In 2016, he was named Vice President of Distribution Corporation. He received a bachelor’s degree from Clarkson University and a Master of Business Administration from Penn State Behrend.

    Colpoys resides in Erie, Pa., and is actively involved with industry, business and community groups, serving on the boards of Northeast Gas Association, Energy Association of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Chamber, Erie Downtown Development Corporation, Penn State Behrend College of Fellows and the 100 Club of Buffalo.

    National Fuel is an integrated energy company reporting financial results for four operating segments: Exploration and Production, Pipeline and Storage, Gathering and Utility. National Fuel Gas Distribution Corporation is the Utility segment of National Fuel Gas Company and provides natural gas service for 2.2 million residents in Western New York and Northwestern Pennsylvania. Additional information about National Fuel is available at www.nationalfuel.com.

    Photos accompanying this announcement are available at
    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d16aac8d-4110-4b4a-9e31-e12c1a87dce2
    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e1cb8680-74fe-4355-a3c5-3c5878a05868

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Natural Gas Services Group, Inc. Announces the Appointment of Anthony Gallegos to its Board of Directors

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Midland, Texas, April 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Midland, Texas, April 3, 2025 – Natural Gas Services Group, Inc. (“NGS” or the “Company”) (NYSE: NGS), a leading provider of natural gas compression equipment, technology, and services to the energy industry, announced that its Board of Directors (the “Board”) appointed Anthony Gallegos to the Board on April 1, 2025. Mr. Gallegos fills the position vacated by David Bradshaw in connection with his retirement from the Board in December 2024.

    “On behalf of the entire team at NGS, we are excited to welcome Anthony Gallegos to the Board of Directors,” said Justin Jacobs, Chief Executive Officer. “Anthony brings a wealth of experience from his distinguished career in the energy sector where he has consistently demonstrated exceptional operational expertise. His deep understanding of our industry, along with his vast network, will be invaluable as we navigate the next phase of growth at NGS. The Board and I are eager to collaborate with Anthony as we focus on driving shareholder value and advancing our mission to deliver innovative natural gas compression solutions.”

    Commenting on his appointment, Mr. Gallegos stated, “I am excited to work alongside the Directors and executive team of Natural Gas Services Group, and I look forward to leveraging my experiences and expertise to help drive shareholder value. The company has done an extraordinary job driving innovation, growing its fleet, and expanding both its customer base and pipeline for future growth. It is my goal to work together to uncover new ways of driving growth and profitability and an improved customer experience.” 

    Stephen Taylor, Chairman of the Board added, “We are delighted to add someone of Anthony’s background and experience to our Board of Directors as he brings exceptional expertise in the oilfield services industry and across various functional areas of our business. His knowledge will serve our company, our customers, and our shareholders well as we continue to execute our long-term growth plans.”

    Mr. Gallegos has more than 30 years of experience in the offshore, international, and US land drilling business. He currently serves as President, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Independence Contract Drilling, Inc. (ICD), positions he has held since October 2018.  Prior to his role with ICD, Anthony held various executive positions with Sidewinder Drilling Company, a company he co-founded in 2011, until Sidewinder’s merger with ICD in October 2018. Previously, Anthony held various leadership positions in the areas of operations, marketing, and corporate planning with Scorpion Offshore Ltd., Transocean Offshore, Atwood Oceanics, and Ensco, all publicly listed companies. 

    Mr. Gallegos began his career working as a roughneck on offshore drilling rigs in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. He is a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers and the International Association of Drilling Contractors. He is also a veteran of the U.S. Army and holds a B.B.A. from Texas A&M University and an M.B.A. from Rice University.

    About Natural Gas Services Group, Inc. (NGS): NGS is a leading provider of natural gas compression equipment, technology, and services to the energy industry.  The Company rents, operates and maintains natural gas compressors for oil and gas production and processing facilities. In addition, the Company designs and assembles compressor units for rental to its customers and provides aftermarket services in the form of call-out services on customer-owned equipment as well as commissioning of new units for customers. NGS  is headquartered in Midland, Texas, with a fabrication facility located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, a rebuild shop located in Midland, Texas, and service facilities located in major oil and natural gas producing basins in the U.S. Additional information can be found at www.ngsgi.com.

    For More Information, Contact:
    Anna Delgado, Investor Relations
    (432) 262-2700
    ir@ngsgi.com www.ngsgi.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI USA: Fischer Ranked in Top 10 Most Effective GOP Senators

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nebraska Deb Fischer

    U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) was ranked 6th in effectiveness out of 49 Republican senators during the 118th Congress by the Center for Effective Lawmaking.

    Last Congress, Fischer championed and successfully passed nine bills into law, outlined below. Several more of Senator Fischer’s bills received action in committee. Fischer also secured more than three dozen provisions in the Fiscal Year (FY) 24 and FY25 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). This included improving the Department of Defense’s management of electronic warfare capabilities, establishing a program of record for the nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missile, and establishing programs to help resolve our munitions production crisis.

    “I’ve been elected and re-elected to the Senate three times to get things done for Nebraska. That’s exactly what I did last Congress by passing bills to support law enforcement, restore land to local ownership, strengthen America’s nuclear deterrent, and more. I pledge to continue championing commonsense solutions to make life better, safer, and more prosperous for Nebraskans and our great nation,” said Fischer.

    Here is a summary of the bills Fischer successfully passed into law during the 118th Congress:

    Recruit and Retain Act:
    Addresses staffing shortages nationwide by enhancing law enforcement agencies’ access to federal hiring tools.

    Veteran Improvement Commercial Driver License Act of 2023:
    Creates a path for military veterans to obtain their commercial driver’s licenses more easily, helping them transition from military service to civilian careers.

    Restoring American Deterrence Act of 2024:
    Overhauls U.S. nuclear preparedness and enacts key updates to America’s strategic posture. Contains multiple provisions to ensure that the U.S. can continue to deter China and Russia.

    REEF Act:
    Protects railroad employees by ending government mandated cuts to their unemployment and sickness benefits once and for all.

    Advanced Aviation Act:
    Establishes an Advanced Aviation Steering Committee to improve rulemaking and better coordinate new technologies entering the aviation space.

    Sustain Regional Air Travel Act:
    Directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to evaluate the pilot shortage’s impact on rural, regional carriers and recommend concrete ways to address the constraints.

    Winnebago Land Transfer Act:
    Transfers approximately 1,600 acres of land back to the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska that was seized in the 1970s by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

    Swanson and Hugh Butler Reservoirs Land Conveyance Act:
    Transfers the Bureau of Reclamation (BoR) Swanson Reservoir land to Hitchcock County and the BoR Red Willow Reservoir land to Frontier County.

    National Advisory Committee on Indian Education Improvement (NACIE) Improvement Act:
    Gives Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) greater input over federal funding discussions that impact them by requiring at least one of NACIE’s members be the president of a Tribal College or University.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Two new charter schools announced

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Two new sponsors have been contracted to open two new charter schools and will join the seven that are successfully operating already, Associate Education Minister David Seymour announced today. 
    “Tōtara Park School and Twin Oaks Classical School, both in Auckland, have signed contracts with the Charter School Agency,” Mr Seymour says.
    “Twin Oaks will cater for students in Years 1 to 9 when it opens in July this year and by 2027 will accommodate students up to Year 13. 
    “Tōtara Park will open in Term 1 next year. It will begin with a Years 1 to 4 cohort and by 2027 it will take students up to Year 6. 
    “Both these schools demonstrate the innovation inherent in the charter school model. 
    “Students attending Twin Oaks Classical School will spend the first three days of the week at school and the last two days learning from home. The school will train and support parents and provide clear expectations for work that students complete at home. This partnership approach is based on the classical Charlotte Mason approach. 
    “Tōtara Park is based on the Pared model of schooling which features a personalised mentoring system. Mentors support parents in exercising their duty as primary educators. An individual mentor, selected from the teachers and learning assistants at the school, is appointed to each student and given the necessary training to fulfil this role. 
    “Expressions of interest for new charter schools have closed. As expected, there has been keen interest from sponsors. The next step for sponsors who have expressed interest is the application form which must be completed by May 16. EOIs for state or state-integrated schools considering converting to charter schools close at 5pm on 11 April, and applications for converting schools close at noon on 27 June.
    “This demand not only highlights the need, but also the commitment of sponsors to provide innovative educational opportunities. 
    “Charter schools provide educators with greater autonomy and create diversity in New Zealand’s education system. They have been proven to raise overall educational achievement, especially for students who are underachieving or disengaged from the standard system. 
    “Charter schools have greater flexibility to respond to diverse student needs in innovative ways, but in return they have greater accountability.  
    “We’re on our way to building a lasting network of schools that will support and improve the educational achievement.” 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Yukon school calendar dates finalized for 2025–26

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Yukon school calendar dates finalized for 2025–26
    zaburke
    April 1, 2025 – 3:44 pm

    A complete list of calendar dates for all Yukon schools for the 2025–26 school year is now finalized and available online at Yukon.ca. The calendar includes dates for all three school authorities: the First Nation School Board, Commission scolaire francophone du Yukon and Yukon Education.

    School calendars are developed in partnership with school administrators, school councils and school communities. Then, they are approved by the Minister and school boards for schools under their authority.

    There are six professional development days which apply to all schools. Commission scolaire francophone du Yukon (CSFY) and the First Nation School Board (FNSB) may choose to hold additional professional development days for schools under their authority.
     

    Quick facts

    • School calendars in the Yukon require 950 hours of instruction throughout the school year and school days must be between 300 to 330 instructional minutes according to the Education Act.

    • School calendar dates in rural communities vary to meet the unique needs of each community. 

    • School bell schedules are available through individual schools. 

    Media contact

    Bailey Staffen
    Communications, Education
    867-334-6367
    bailey.staffen@yukon.ca 
     

    News release #:

    25-146

    Related information:

    2025-26 calendar for all Yukon schools
    Find school calendar and holiday dates
    First Nation School Board
    Commission scolaire francophone du Yukon

    MIL OSI Canada News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congresswoman McCollum: Trump Tariffs Will “Liberate” Americans Only From the Money in Their Bank Accounts

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Betty McCollum (DFL-Minn)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Betty McCollum (MN-04), Dean of the Minnesota Congressional Delegation, issued the following statement in response to President Trump’s imposition of tariffs for his phony ‘Liberation Day’: 

    “As a candidate, Donald Trump promised he’d lower costs on ‘Day One.’ As President, Trump has done nothing to reduce prices, instead fueling rising prices by waging an unprompted trade war with our allies like Canada, Mexico, and Europe. President Trump has proclaimed this day as ‘Liberation Day’ but these tariffs will only “liberate” Americans from the money in their bank accounts. These trade wars will cost Americans when they heat their homes, feed their families, run their small businesses, or tend to their farm.

    “President Trump knows this escalating trade war will hit Americans hard. That’s why he’s announcing these new reciprocal tariffs at 4pm ET, after American financial markets close. If the President is so worried about what will happen to Americans’ 401Ks, I suggest that he work to deescalate these trade wars he started and recommit the United States to relationships with our allies. 

    “Not only will the President’s tariffs inflict financial pain on my constituents, but they will also damage our relationships with our allies in Europe and Canada. Canada is an ally, a partner, and for many—a good neighbor. I’m a former social studies teacher. I know that tariffs can be a useful tool to protect American industry when used in a targeted manner at the right point in the supply chain. But President Trump’s tariffs are reckless, unnecessary, and make no sense at all. As a Minnesotan, the only thing I want to argue with my Canadian neighbors about is who has the better hockey team and who can catch the most fish in the others’ waters.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-Evening Report: An exotic escape, or empty illusion? How The White Lotus exposes the contradictions of luxury travel

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anita Manfreda, Senior Lecturer in Tourism, Torrens University Australia

    Warner Bros

    The White Lotus season three returns to familiar territory: an exotic escape, privileged and powerful guests, the supposed heights of luxury.

    But beneath this lies a satirical critique of these very things – an investigation into the contradictions of luxury travel.

    Set in Thailand, the heart of the South Asian wellness scene, the show comments on more than just what luxury looks like. It asks: what does luxury cost? And who bears this cost?

    At the same time, the show quietly gestures towards what tourism could become, if we were bold enough to re-imagine it. Because luxury isn’t the problem. The problem is how we do it.

    The resort staff bend over backwards for their guests.
    Warner Bros

    Wellness … but not really

    Season three leans into the booming wellness economy. Between floating therapy, personalised biomarker tests and digital detoxes, the appearance of “healing” is everywhere.

    The irony, however, is clear: guests pursue self-care, but act disconnected, irritable and hostile.

    The luxury setting reflects their worst impulses. Characters such as Jaclyn (Michelle Monaghan), a Hollywood star chasing relevance, and Victoria (Parker Posey), lost without her Lorazepam, treat wellness practices as a trend that’s more about image than transformation.

    This reflects a broader trend in luxury tourism: wellness that photographs well, but rarely goes beneath the surface.

    Victoria (Parker Posey) can’t seem to get through her holiday without Lorazepam.
    Warner Bros

    Research shows real transformation in tourism requires discomfort – something most luxury guests instinctively avoid.

    As the character of monk Luang Por Teera (Suthichai Yoon) warns:

    Everyone runs from pain toward pleasure […] but you cannot outrun pain.

    One person’s wellness is another person’s work

    In luxury tourism, wellness is not mutual. One person’s transformation often depends on someone else’s sacrifice. And this exchange is never equal.

    While the guests of season three try and look inward, those holding space for them – such as the meditation guide Amrita (Shalini Peiris), or the ever-present security guard Gaitok (Tayme Thapthimthong) – remain relatively voiceless. They quietly manage the chaos, with little room for their own stories to flourish.

    Throughout the season, the interactions between guest and staff are built on performance. Staff are praised for their beauty, politeness or spiritual presence, but rarely acknowledged as full people.

    Emotional and “aesthetic” labour (looking and acting the part) are silently expected and constantly extracted.

    Security guard Gaitok (Tayme Thapthimthong), who gets caught up in some of the guests’ drama, has to always keep up appearances.
    Warner Bros

    When resort employee Belinda (Natasha Rothwell) raises concerns about Greg (Jon Gries), resort manager Fabian (Christian Friedel) brushes her off, saying:

    It is really not wise to stir anything up. You do not have anything to worry about, as long as you focus on yourself and your job.

    The message is clear: stay quiet and stay in your place.

    Nature as wallpaper

    This season offers no shortage of natural cues. Clean air, ocean views, jungle trails – luxury retreats promise grounding and transformation through nature.

    As with much of luxury tourism, however, this nature is curated. The jungle is manicured, the ruins softly lit. Nature, too, performs.

    But unlike the staff, who slip into silence and composure, nature doesn’t follow the script. It interrupts, resists and sometimes bites. Monkeys raid the buffet. Lizards slip into rooms and cause havoc. A venomous cobra bites a guest. The pong-pong tree bears deadly fruit.

    This is a contradiction luxury travel can’t resolve. Nature is brought in for healing and ambience, but refuses to be compliant.

    Culture – flattened and filtered

    Season three could have been set in any location with beaches and palm trees. For most guests, the local culture is invisible – a scenic backdrop for their personal drama. Cultural experiences are safely curated, stripped of context, and designed to comfort, not challenge.

    For character’s like Saxon (Patrick Schwarzenegger), the resort is just a scenic backdrop for their personal dramas to play out.
    Warner Bros

    Even brief moments beyond the resort feel disorienting to the guests.

    “He seems like the real deal,” Timothy (Jason Isaacs) says after an encounter with monk Luang Por Teera (Yoon) – revealing how artificial everything else feels.

    The show critiques a familiar move in luxury tourism: selling “authenticity” while delivering a flattened, palatable version of reality. There is just enough difference to feel exotic, but never enough to feel uncomfortable.

    In one cautionary scene, Jaclyn (Monaghan), Piper (Sarah Catherine Hook), and Laurie (Carrie Coon) wander into a Thai New Year celebration, where locals start chasing them with water guns, drenching them in what feels like joyful protest.

    Jaclyn (Michelle Monaghan), Piper (Sarah Catherine Hook) and Laurie (Carrie Coon) are unhappy to be soaked by locals with water guns – in what is one of few genuinely authentic experiences with locals.
    Warner Bros

    Although it’s played for laughs, the scene reminds us culture isn’t there to serve. Travellers might do better to meet culture on its terms and not their own.

    Glimpses of something better

    Ironically, the show’s satire may be fuelling the very thing it critiques. Since season three aired, talk of a “White Lotus effect” has already begun, with claims of a rise in tourism interest and bookings. It seems the (not-so) fantasy still sells, even when we can see the cracks.

    Yet, in quiet, awkward and sometimes funny moments, the show resists cynicism, offering glimpses of potential. Guests perceive themselves. Relationships shift. Silenced actors push back.

    Through these cracks, we can sense what luxury could be if it connected us, instead of shielding us, from new people and places.

    Luxury travel, re-imagined, could be a space where care flows in both directions – where staff are seen as people, and where nature and culture aren’t curated, but respected as they are. Indeed, it is the experiences that expand us, rather than insulate us, which end up changing us the most.

    And it’s not just up to hotels and resorts to deliver this shift. It asks something of us, too. A different mindset.

    This season’s power lies in what it leaves unsaid, inviting us to examine what is lost in the pursuit of comfort.

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

    ref. An exotic escape, or empty illusion? How The White Lotus exposes the contradictions of luxury travel – https://theconversation.com/an-exotic-escape-or-empty-illusion-how-the-white-lotus-exposes-the-contradictions-of-luxury-travel-253229

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: New Permanent Representative of Angola Presents Credentials to the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva

    Source: United Nations – Geneva

    Ana Maria de Oliveira, the new Permanent Representative of Angola to the United Nations Office at Geneva, today presented her credentials to Tatiana Valovaya, the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva.

    Prior to her appointment to Geneva, Ms. de Oliveira had been serving as Permanent Delegate of Angola to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization since 2020.  Before that, she held a variety of posts, including as Consultant to the President (2018 to 2020); Deputy in the National Assembly (1992 to 2012); Minister of Culture (1994 to 1999); General Commissioner at Expo98 in Lisbon (1998); and Vice Minister of Culture (1993 to 1994).

    Ms. de Oliveira has represented Angola in numerous United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization conferences and various international initiatives.

    She holds a degree in anthropology from the Nova University in Lisbon, Portugal, and a diploma in African religions from the Catholic University of Lisbon.  She is in the process of obtaining a doctorate from Western Cape University in South Africa and has trained as a social educator at the Institute of Education and Social Services in Pio XII Luanda.  Ms. de Oliveira has also published several anthropological and cultural works and is a member of a number of anthropological associations.

     

    Produced by the United Nations Information Service in Geneva for use of the media; 
    not an official record. English and French versions of our releases are different as they are the product of two separate coverage teams that work independently.

     

    CR25.015E

    MIL OSI United Nations News

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: New Permanent Representative of Ukraine Presents Credentials to the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva

    Source: United Nations – Geneva

    Yevhenii Tsymbaliuk, the new Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the United Nations Office at Geneva, today presented his credentials to Tatiana Valovaya, the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva.

    Prior to his appointment to Geneva, Mr. Tsymbaliuk served as Special Envoy of Ukraine to the International Atomic Energy Agency since August 2024, and as Ambassador-at-Large on Human Rights, Gender Equality and Diversity for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine since January 2024.

    Mr. Tsymbaliuk served as Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the International Organizations in Vienna from July 2019 to December 2023.  From April 2015 to June 2018, he served as Ambassador of Ukraine to Kenya, concurrently serving as non-resident Ambassador to the Union of the Comoros, and as Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the United Nations Environment Programme and to the United Nations Human Settlements Programme from October 2015 to June 2018.  He also served as non-resident Ambassador to Rwanda from December 2015 to June 2018, and Tanzania from June 2015 to June 2018.

    He has also held high-level domestic roles within the Ukrainian Government, including as Deputy Director-General of the Department for International Organizations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2019); First Deputy Head of the Directorate of Strategic Planning and Operational Support of the Administration of the President (2018-2019); and Deputy Director-General of the Secretariat of the Minister for Foreign Affairs (2012-2015).

    Mr. Tsymbaliuk obtained a master’s degree in history at the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, where he also completed studies in English and German, and gained a second master’s degree in German language education at the Kyiv National Linguistic University.  Born on 30 May 1972 in Magdeburg, Germany, he is fluent in English and German, and is married and has one daughter.

    _______________

    Produced by the United Nations Information Service in Geneva for use of the media; 
    not an official record. English and French versions of our releases are different as they are the product of two separate coverage teams that work independently.

     

    CR25.014E

    MIL OSI United Nations News

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Rural Experiential Model returns to bring hands-on learning opportunities to rural students

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Rural Experiential Model returns to bring hands-on learning opportunities to rural students
    zaburke
    April 3, 2025 – 9:26 am

    This is a joint news release between the Government of Yukon and Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in Government.

    The first Rural Experiential Model (REM) in nearly six years kicked off this week in Dawson, bringing together students and educators for a week of hands-on learning. From March 31 to April 4, students from four rural Yukon communities – Dawson, Faro, Mayo and Carmacks – are taking part in the immersive educational experience, designed to provide equitable learning opportunities outside of Whitehorse.

    The REM was developed to support rural students by expanding course options and fostering collaboration between students, educators, Elders and local experts. 

    The program is guided by four key principles.

    • Increasing course options: Expanding hands-on learning opportunities for rural students.
    • Supporting multiple pathways: Encouraging diverse learning journeys that align with student interests and future goals.
    • Fostering community: Creating connections among students across different rural schools.
    • Enhancing collaboration: Strengthening mentorship and professional development for rural educators.

    This year’s REM gives Grade 10–12 students the opportunity to earn two high school credits through intensive learning sessions. 

    The REM plays a vital role in building a sense of belonging and opportunity for rural students. By providing access to unique hands-on learning experiences, the REM helps foster stronger connections among Yukon communities and enhances collaboration among rural educators.
     

    The return of the Rural Experiential Model highlights our commitment to providing meaningful and equitable educational experiences for all Yukon students. I am deeply grateful to the dedicated staff from the Department of Education and the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in government for their hard work and collaboration in making this important event possible. Together, we are fostering connections, enriching learning and empowering our rural youth.

    Minister of Education Jeanie McLean

    We are excited to be co-hosting the REM event in Dawson this week. This opportunity allows high school students to come together, share their experiences and immerse themselves in hands-on learning through a diverse range of engaging sessions. We want to express a mähsį cho to Flora and Rob at the Department of Education, the committed Robert Service School staff, our supportive community, the talented session leaders, knowledge holders, students and their families. It truly takes a village to make an event like this successful and we are thankful for everyone’s contributions to making REM a reality.

    Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in Government Education Manager Ashley Bower-Bramadat

    Quick facts

    • This year’s event is co-hosted by Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in and the Department of Education. The REM is returning after a hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the last event taking place in Haines Junction in 2019.

    • This year’s learning sessions include culinary arts, dance and drama, esthetics, First Nations art, hair, sports camp, welding and woodworking. Daytime sessions will be complemented by evening learning activities and opportunities for students to socialize with their peers.

    Media contact

    Laura Seeley
    Cabinet Communications
    867-332-7627
    laura.seeley@yukon.ca 

    Michael Edwards
    Communications, Education
    867-471-0902
    michael.edwards@yukon.ca

    Elaine Corden
    Director of Communications and Policy, Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in Government
    604-345-2140
    elaine.corden@trondek.ca 
     

    News release #:

    25-147

    MIL OSI Canada News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tonko, Turner, Rutherford & Pettersen Introduce Bipartisan Reentry Act

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Paul Tonko (Capital Region New York)

    WASHINGTON, DC—Representatives Paul D. Tonko (D-NY), Mike Turner (R-OH), Brittany Pettersen (D-CO), and John Rutherford (R-FL) today introduced the Reentry Act, bipartisan legislation that empowers states to restore access to healthcare, including addiction and mental health treatment, through Medicaid for incarcerated individuals up to 30 days before their release. Representative Tonko, Turner, Pettersen, and Rutherford are joined by over 60 original cosponsors in introducing this legislation.

    Their bill addresses alarming data showing that individuals released from incarceration are up to 129 times more likely to die of a drug overdose during the first two weeks after release.

    “The overdose crisis has touched communities of every state across the nation, and few are at greater risk than those individuals returning home from incarceration,” Congressman Tonko, Co-chair of the Addiction, Treatment, and Recovery (ATR) Caucus said. “By restarting benefits for Medicaid-eligible Americans prior to release, our bipartisan Reentry Act takes swift, needed action to combat the disease of addiction and bring targeted treatment to the people who most need it. In short, our bill will save lives, lower costs, and reduce recidivism. I urge Congress to join us in advancing the Reentry Act without delay to combat the disease of addiction and provide hope to our communities.”

    “Too many individuals leaving incarceration face overwhelming challenges, with recidivism and overdose rates alarmingly high in the weeks following release,” said Congressman Turner. “The Reentry Act is a bipartisan solution that allows states to restore Medicaid coverage 30 days before release, ensuring access to critical substance abuse treatment and healthcare during this vulnerable transition. By providing continuity of care, we can save lives, reduce repeat offenses, and help communities in Ohio and across the country fight the opioid epidemic. I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing this commonsense legislation.”

    “Throughout my time in law enforcement, I saw many individuals reoffend time and time again as they struggled to break the cycle of substance abuse,” said Rutherford (R-FL-05). “Continuity of care for those leaving the prison system is important to help reduce instances of overdose deaths, suicides, and drug related crimes following reentry. That’s why I’m proud to join my bipartisan colleagues in supporting these important programs that help individuals who are released from prison to receive the mental health and addiction treatment they need right before and after they are released from incarceration. This legislation is smart on crime, saves lives, and reduces recidivism.”

    The Reentry Act:

    • Restarts benefits for Medicaid-eligible incarcerated individuals 30 days pre-release
    • Makes it easier for states to provide effective addiction treatment and services, allowing for smoother transitions to community care and a reduced risk of overdose deaths post-release
    • Does not change WHO is eligible for Medicaid or CHIP coverage, just ensures a warm handoff back for those already eligible.

    A fact sheet on the reentry act can be found HERE.

    More than 130 groups support the Reentry Act, including:

    A Little Piece of Light, Accompanying Returning Citizens with Hope, ACOG, Activate Your Life inc, Addiction Policy Forum, American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry, American Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Association of Nurse Practitioners, American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists, American Civil Liberties Union, American College of Emergency Physicians, American Correctional Association (ACA), American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, American Psychiatric Association, American Psychological Association Services, Alliance for Rights and Recovery, American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence (AATOD), Association for Behavioral Healthcare, Association for Behavioral Health and Wellness, Autistic Self Advocacy Network, American Society of Addiction Medicine, Benevolence Farm, Big Cities Health Coalition, Black Male Initiative, BrainFutures, Breakthrough Alliance of Colorado, CADCA, Center for Justice and Human Dignity, Central Ohio Restored Citizens Collaborative, Christian Love Agency, Coalition on Human Needs, Community Catalyst, Community Oriented Correctional Health Services, DC Peace Team, Drug Policy Alliance, Each One Teach One Reentry Fellowship, EvergreenDaley, Exchanging Pathways, EX-incarcerated People Organizing (EXPO) of Wisconsin, Fabian Consulting Inc., Fair and Just Prosecution, Families Inspiring Reentry & Reunification 4 Everyone, Florida Citizens United for the Rehabilitation of Errants, Florida Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee, Foundation for California Community Colleges, From the Block to the Boardroom, Future Stars of Tomorrow, Gateway Alliance Project, Grays House, Hinda Institute, HIV Medicine Association, Honest Jobs, HOPE for Prisoners, Illinois Alliance for Reentry and Justice, Indivior, InnerMission, Inseparable, Just Detention International, Just Future Project, Justice in Aging, JustLeadershipUSA, JustUS Coordinating Council, KLN Consulting LLC, Law Enforcement Leaders to Reduce Crime & Incarceration (LEL), Legal Action Center, Los Angeles Reentry Health Advisory Collaborative, Major County Sheriffs (MCSA), MATTERS Network, Mental Health America, Mississippi Impact Coalition, My Meta ReEntry Services, Inc., My Sisters Reunited Reentry Services Inc, NACo, NAMI Huntington, NASTAD, Nation Outside, National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, National Association of Social Workers, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), National Association for Behavioral Healthcare, National Black Harm Reduction Network (NBHRN), National Health Care for the Homeless Council, National League for Nursing, National League of Cities, National Nurses United, National Sheriffs Association, NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice, New Beginnings Reentry Services, Inc, Overdose Prevention Initiative, Petey Greene Program, Phoenix House NY, Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative, PrEP4All, Presbyterian Healthcare Services (PHS) of New Mexico, Prison Cells To PH.D., (P2P), Rainbow Connections LGBTQIA, REACH Medical Ithaca NY, Reason for Hope, Rebuild, Overcome, and Rise (ROAR) Center at the University of MD, Baltimore, Reentry Ready, Reentry Working Group, Reflections of a Reformed You (RoarYOU), Reframe Health and Justice, ReNforce, Reproductive Justice Inside, Restored Citizens FAITH Foundation, Returning Artists Guild, Safer Foundation, Settling Our Differences, Skillsets for life consulting LLC, Solution Partners, St. Vincent de Paul Southwest Idaho Reentry Services, Survivors for Solutions, Süt&Tye luxury services llc, T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights, The AIDS Institute, The Change Up: Midnight Coalition, The First 72+, The Justice Policy Institute, The Liberation Foundation, The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, The Productive Offenders of Society Foundation, The Returning Artist Guild, Treatment Communities of America, United Men of Color, Unlock Higher Education, Urban Community Unity Solutions LLC (U.C.U.S.), Vermont Citizens United for the Rehabilitation of Errants, Veteran Mental Health Leadership Coalition, Victory House for Women, Virginia Justice Alliance, Vital Strategies, We Are Revolutionary, Why not prosper, Women on the Rise, WorkingGroup512, Young People in Recovery, Youth First Justice Collaborative

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: PARLIAMENT QUESTION: WEATHER FORECASTING CAPABILITIES

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 03 APR 2025 6:38PM by PIB Delhi

    The Ministry continuously enhances and upgrades meteorological observations, communications, modeling tools, and forecasting systems. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) uses the latest tools and technologies to predict severe weather events. This includes sophisticated dynamical numerical weather prediction models at higher spatial and temporal resolutions, multi-model ensemble methods, artificial intelligence, and machine learning (AI/ML) & data science methodologies, complemented with improved ground-based & upper air observations and advanced remote sensing network for real-time monitoring and predictions. IMD uses the latest dissemination tools, including Common Alert Protocol (CAP), mobile apps, websites, Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), and other social media platforms, to provide efficient, effective, and timely early warning services. IMD is constantly working to improve and adapt to the latest technologies.

    The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) explores integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies into weather forecasting systems in addition to physics-based numerical models. This initiative is a part of the broader strategy to enhance the accuracy and efficiency of meteorological predictions, which are crucial for various sectors, including agriculture, disaster management, and urban planning. The Ministry has established a dedicated virtual center on AI/ML/Deep Learning (DL) at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) in Pune. A dedicated functional group has been established in IMD under the MoES to strengthen the research and development (R&D) activities in AI/ML. These centers focus on leveraging AI, ML, and DL techniques for advancements in Earth Sciences. It has already developed several AI/ML-based applications tailored for localized predictions and the analysis of weather and climate patterns.

    The India Meteorological Department (IMD) is rendering the weather forecast-based agro-advisory services to farmers under the Gramin Krishi Mausam Sewa (GKMS) project through the existing 130 Agrometeorological Field Units (AMFUs) in collaboration with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), State Agricultural Universities (SAUs), Indian Institute of Technology (IITs), etc. The AMFUs prepare agro-advisories for their respective districts and disseminate them through various modes, including mass media, mobile Apps, SMS, etc.

    This information was given by Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Earth Sciences, MoS PMO, Department of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Department of Space and Department of Atomic Energy, in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.  

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Polis Administration Awards $14.4 Million to Support Nation-Leading Efforts in Geothermal Heating

    Source: US State of Colorado

    Awards from two programs will support 16 geothermal heating studies and projects to bring affordable geothermal heat to Colorado homes and buildings

    STATEWIDE – The Colorado Energy Office (CEO) announced a total of $14.4 million in funding awards Thursday to support geothermal heating projects across Colorado. This funding from the Geothermal Energy Grant Program (GEGP) and Geothermal Energy Tax Credit Offering (GETCO) will enable awardees to plan and install geothermal heat pumps and thermal energy networks that deliver low-cost, energy efficient heating and cooling to homes and buildings around the state. Awardees include local governments, school districts, residential communities, a medical campus, and a wastewater treatment facility.

    “Geothermal energy – the heat beneath our feet – is a clean energy option that will help save Coloradans money and protect our state for future generations. I am thrilled to announce this $14.4 million investment in  advancing geothermal energy across our state and empower companies to harness the heat beneath our feet,” said Governor Polis.

    CEO made a total of 11 awards through the GEGP program and five through GETCO. Some projects qualified for both incentives based on project eligibility. This round of GEGP provided grants for single-structure geothermal, thermal energy network studies, and thermal energy network construction projects. GETCO recipients receive a refundable tax credit reservation that can be deducted from their income tax liability. Cycle two of GETCO provided tax credit reservations for geothermal electricity or thermal energy network studies and project installations.

    “Geothermal energy is such an important part of our overall effort to transform our energy system because it provides a clean, firm energy source for both buildings and electricity generation,” said CEO Executive Director Will Toor. “Geothermal heat pumps and thermal energy networks reduce greenhouse gas pollution while improving indoor air quality and saving Coloradans energy and money on heating and cooling costs. We are pleased to support such a diverse array of geothermal projects around the state through these two key incentive programs.”

    The awarded projects include a broad range of ways to utilize geothermal energy. For example, the City and County of Denver will use its GETCO award to study the creation of a cutting-edge, multisource district thermal system that provides heating and cooling through a shared water loop for 5.5 million square feet of municipal buildings.

    “The downtown thermal network pilot project is a key step toward a carbon-free downtown Denver,” said Liz Babcock, Executive Director of Denver’s Office of Climate Action, Sustainability and Resiliency. “With support from the state, Denver can meet our community’s needs while demonstrating how this affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy option can meet the needs of cold weather climate cities around the world.”

    Liberty School District J-4 will apply its funding to install a geothermal energy network for two buildings at Liberty School. This will replace a 60-year-old hydronic heating system with three cost-efficient heat pumps that will add cooling, improve ventilation, and enhance indoor air quality for better occupant health and comfort.

    “Liberty School District J-4 extends its heartfelt gratitude to the Colorado Energy Office for their invaluable support in funding a new geothermal heating and air conditioning system for our K-12 facility,” said Liberty School District J4 superintendent Rhonda Puckett. “Their guidance throughout the GETCO application process was instrumental in developing a compelling application narrative that demonstrated the significant needs of our building (IAQ, temperature control, reliability, etc.). With CEO’s support, our project is now financially viable and is planned to be completed in the summer/fall of 2025 and will significantly improve the learning environment for our students and serve the broader community as a whole.”

    GEGP recipients are:

    • Town of Bayfield: $51,000
    • Town of Mountain Village: $64,269.50
    • Town of Winter Park: $64,269.50
    • Karval School District: $225,000
    • Liberty School District: $246,000
    • Golden Hills: $60,000
    • Mount Zion Church: $240,000
    • Mountain View Church: $75,000
    • Memorial Hospital: $57,626.80
    • Metro Water Recovery: $250,000
    • Clayworks Parcel B3: $200,000

    GETCO awardees are:

    • Pitkin County: $131,700
    • Liberty School District: $1.109 million
    • City and County of Denver: $4.999 million
    • Eagle County: $3.484 million
    • Metro Water Recovery: $3.095 million

    This announcement marks the second round of funding for GEGP and GETCO. For the first cycle of GETCO, SIMCOE LLC received a tax credit reservation of $1 million for the Florida Mesa Geothermal Project to support the development of up to 20 MW of geothermal electricity in Southwestern Colorado. This funding will help SIMCOE LLC determine the heat source in the project location. The current application cycle for GETCO opened April 1 and will close June 30. GETCO applications will open twice annually through 2032 or until all $35 million in available tax credit reservations have been allocated.

    Last May, the Polis administration also announced $7.7 million in awards for the GEGP. Applications for the third GEGP funding round, which is the last planned round of funding for the program, closed March 31. CEO expects to announce awardees in early summer.

    In addition to these funding opportunities, the Colorado Heat Pump Tax Credit can help reduce the cost to install eligible heat pump technology, including geothermal heat pumps and thermal energy networks, through 2032.

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    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Unravelling the Mysteries of Pope’s Pit Viper Venom: A deadly snake of North East India

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 03 APR 2025 5:03PM by PIB Delhi

    A new study has uncoded the mysteries of how the venom of Pope’s pit viper, a snake species native to northern and northeastern parts of India, works. The study can help establish the foundation for venom toxicity, pharmaceutical advancements, and enhanced antivenom compositions.

    The “Big Four” venomous snakes—Russell’s Viper, Saw-Scaled Viper, Spectacled Cobra, and Common Krait—have undergone considerable research, but venom composition of Pope’s Pit Viper (Trimeresurus popeiorum), an arboreal, nocturnal serpent indigenous to the dense forests of Northeast India, remains unexamined.

    Fig: Pope’s Pit Viper

    Prof. Ashis K. Mukherjee, Director of the Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology, an autonomous institution of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) spearheaded a recent investigation along with Prof. B.G. Nair, Dr. M. Vanuopadath, Dr. Bhargab Kalita, and Dr. Aparup Patra from Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, as well as Dr. H.T. Lalremsanga from Mizoram University, to elucidate the venom composition of this elusive pit viper.

    Contemporary label-free quantitative proteomics identified 106 proteins in the venom of Pope’s Pit Viper, categorized into 12 toxin families. Notably, 60% of its venom comprises enzymes that break down proteins and damage tissue, interfere with blood coagulation, and induce local haemorrhage.

    This study explores the venom’s harmful components, which are mostly toxic enzymes and demonstrating their deleterious effects on the victim. For example, snake Venom metalloproteinases (SVMPs), a toxic enzyme of the Viperidae family of snakes including Pope’s Pit Viper, are demonstrated for causing bleeding, tissue breakdown, and blood clotting issues in victims.

    The venom also contains enzymes called Serine Proteases (SVSPs), which hinder blood coagulation, a toxic enzyme phospholipases A2 which induce muscle injury and inflammation and, a non-enzymatic toxin Snaclecs (Snake C-type lectins) which affect blood platelet function and blood coagulation.

    The absence of species-specific antivenoms complicates the treatment of snakebites in India. Commercial antivenoms counteract the venom of the “Big Four” species, hence leaving patients bitten by pit vipers vulnerable to repercussions. This study underscores the necessity for broad-spectrum or region-specific antivenoms to counteract T. popeiorum venom.

    By comprehending the proteomic complexity of Pope’s Pit Viper venom, researchers have established a foundation for venom toxicity, pharmaceutical advancements, and enhanced antivenom compositions. As India endeavours to decrease snakebite mortality by 50% by 2030, such innovative research would facilitate transforming venom studies into life-saving medical treatments. This study was recently published in International Journal of Biological Macromolecules.

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI USA: University Student Research Challenge (USRC) Awards

    Source: NASA

    University Student Research Challenge (USRC) seeks to challenge students to propose new ideas/concepts that are relevant to NASA Aeronautics. USRC will provide students, from accredited U.S. colleges or universities, with grants for their projects and with the challenge of raising cost share funds through a crowdfunding campaign. The process of creating and implementing a crowdfunding campaign acts as a teaching accelerator – requiring students to act like entrepreneurs and raise awareness about their research among the public.
    The solicitation goal can be accomplished through project ideas such as advancing the design, developing technology or capabilities in support of aviation, by demonstrating a novel concept, or enabling advancement of aeronautics-related technologies.
    Eligibility: NASA funding is available to all accredited U.S. institutions of higher education (e.g. universities, four-year colleges, community colleges, or other two-year institutions). Students must be currently enrolled (part-time or full-time) at the institution. NASA has no set expectations as to the team size. The number of students participating in the investigation is to be determined by the scope of the project and the student Team Leader.
    The USRC solicitation is currently Closed with Proposals next due June 26, 2025. Please visit NSPIRES to receive alerts when more information is available.
    A USRC Q&A/Info Session and Proposal Workshop will be held May 12, 2025, at 2pm ET ahead of the USRC Submission deadline in June 2025. Join the Q&A
    Please email us at HQ-USRC@mail.nasa.gov if you have any questions or to schedule a 1 on 1.

    Context-Aware Cybersecurity for UAS Traffic Management (Texas A&M University)Developing, testing, and pursuing transition of an aviation-context-aware network authentication and segmentation function, which holistically manages cyber threats in future UAS traffic control systems.Student Team: Vishwam Raval (Team Lead), Michael Ades, Garett Haynes, Sarah Lee, Kevin Lei, Oscar Leon, McKenna Smith, Nhan Nick TruongFaculty Mentors: Jaewon Kim and Sandip RoySelected: 2025

    Reconnaissance and Emergency Aircraft for Critical Hurricane Relief (North Carolina State University)Developing and deploying advanced unmanned aerial systems designed to locate, communicate with, and deliver critical supplies to stranded individuals in the wake of natural disasters.Student Team: Tobias Hullette (Team Lead), Jose Vizcarrondo, Rishi Ghosh, Caleb Gobel, Lucas Nicol, Ajay Pandya, Paul Randolph, Hadie SabbahFaculty Mentor: Felix EwereSelected: 2025

    Design and Prototyping of a 9-phase Dual-Rotor Motor for Supersonic Electric Turbofan (Colorado School of Mines)Designing and prototyping a scaled-down 9-phase dual-rotor motor (DRM) for a supersonic electric turbofan.Student Team: Mahzad Gholamian (Team Lead), Garret Reader, Mykola Mazur, Mirali SeyedrezaeiFaculty Mentor: Omid BeikSelected: 2024

    Project F.I.R.E (Fire Intervention Retardant Expeller) (Cerritos Community College)Mitigating wildfires with drone released fire retardant pellets.Student Team: Angel Ortega Barrera (Team Lead), Larisa Mayoral, Paola Mayoral Jimenez, Jenny Rodriguez, Logan Stahl, Juan VillaFaculty Mentor: Janet McLarty-SchroederSelected: 2024

    Learning cooperative policies for adaptive human-drone teaming in shared airspace (Cornell University)Enabling new coordination and communication models for smoother, more efficient, and robust air traffic flow.Student Team: Mehrnaz Sabet (Team Lead), Aaron Babu, Marcus Lee, Joshua Park, Francis Pham, Owen Sorber, Roopak Srinivasan, Austin ZhaoFaculty Mentor: Sanjiban Choudhury, Susan FussellSelected: 2024Crowdfunding Website

    Investigation on Cryogenic Fluid Chill-Down Time for Supersonic Transport Usage (University of Washington, Seattle)Investigating reducing the boil-off of cryogenic fluids in pipes using vortex generators.Student Team: Ryan Fidelis (Team Lead), Alexander Ala, Kaleb ShawFaculty Mentor: Fiona Spencer, Robert BreidenthalSelected: 2024Crowdfunding Website
    Web Article: “Students win NASA grant to develop AI for safer aerial traffic“

    Clean Forever-Flying Drones: Utilizing Ocean Water for Hydrogen Extraction in Climate Monitoring (Purdue University)An ocean-based fueling station and a survey drone that can refuel in remote areas.Student Team: Holman Lau (Team Lead), Nikolai Baranov, Andrej Damjanov, Chloe Hardesty, Smit KapadiaFaculty Mentor: Li QiaoSelected: 2023Crowdfunding Website

    Intelligent drone for detection of people during emergency response operation (Louisiana State University and A&M College)Using machine learning algorithms for images and audio data, integrated with gas sensing for real-time detection of people on UAS.Student Team: Jones Essuman (Team Lead), Tonmoy Sarker, Samer TahboubFaculty Mentor: Xiangyu MengSelected: 2023Crowdfunding Website

    Advancing Aerospace Materials Design through High-Fidelity Computational Peridynamic Modeling and Modified SVET Validation of Corrosion Damage (California State University, Channel Islands)Modeling electrochemical corrosion nonlocally and combining efforts from bond-based and state-based theory.Student Team: Trent Ruiz (Team Lead), Isaac Cisneros, Curtis HauckFaculty Mentor: Cynthia FloresSelected: 2023Crowdfunding Website

    Swarm Micro UAVs for Area Mapping in GPS-denied Areas (Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University)Using swarm robotics to map complex environments and harsh terrain with Micro Aerial Vehicles (MAVs)Student Team: Daniel Golan (Team Lead), Stanlie Cerda-Cruz, Kyle Fox, Bryan Gonzalez, Ethan ThomasFaculty Mentor: Sergey V. DrakunovSelected: 2023Crowdfunding Website
    Web Article: “Student Research on Drone Swarm Mapping Selected to Compete at NASA Challenge“

    AeroFeathers—Feathered Airfoils Inspired by the Quiet Flight of Owls (Michigan Tech University)Creating new propeller blades and fixed wing design concepts that mimic the features of anowl feather and provide substantial noise reduction benefits.Student Team: William Johnston (Team Lead), Pulitha Godakawela Kankanamalage, Amulya Lomte, Maria Jose Carrillo Munoz, Brittany Wojciechowski, Laura Paige Nobles, Gabrielle MathewsFaculty Mentor: Bhisham SharmaSelected: 2023Crowdfunding Website

    Laser Energized Aerial Drone System (LEADS) for Sustained Sensing Applications (Michigan State University)Laser based, high-efficiency optical power transfer for UAV charging for sustained flight and monitoring.Student Team: Gavin Gardner (Team Lead), Ryan Atkinson, Brady Berg, Ross Davis, Gryson Gardner, Malachi Keener, Nicholas MichaelsFaculty Mentor: Woongkul LeeSelected: 2023Crowdfunding Website
    LEADS team Website

    UAM Contingency Diagnosis Toolkit (Ohio State University)A UAM contingency diagnosis toolkit which that includes cognitive work requirements (CWRs) for human operators, information sharing requirements, and representational designs.Student Team: Connor Kannally (Team Lead), Izzy Furl, Luke McSherry, Abhinay PaladuguFaculty Mentor: Martijn IJtsmaSelected: 2023Crowdfunding Website
    Project Website
    Web Article: “NASA Awards $80K to Ohio State students through University Research Challenge“

    Hybrid Quadplane Search and Rescue Missions (NC A&T University)An autonomous search and rescue quadplane UAS supported by an unmanned mobile landing platform/recharge station ground vehicle.Student Team: Luis Landivar Olmos (Team Lead), Dakota Price, Amilia Schimmel, Sean TisdaleFaculty Mentor: A. HomaifarSelected: 2023Crowdfunding Website

    Drone Based Water Sampling and Quality Testing – Special Application in the Raritan River (Rutgers University, New Brunswick)An autonomous water sampling drone system.Student Team: Michael Leitner (Team Lead), Xavier Garay, Mohamed Haroun, Ruchit Jathania, Caleb Lippe, Zachary Smolder, Chi Hin TamFaculty Mentor: Onur BilgenSelected: 2023Crowdfunding Website
    Project Website

    Development of a Low-Cost Open-Source Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing Machine – Arc One (Case Western Reserve University)A small-scale, modular, low-cost, and open-source Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) platform.Student Team: Vishnushankar Viraliyur Ramasamy (Team Lead), Robert Carlstrom, Bathlomew Ebika, Jonathan Fu, Anthony Lino, Garrett TiengFaculty Mentor: John LewandowskiSelected: 2023Crowdfunding Website
    Web Article: “PhD student wins funding from NASA and develops multidisciplinary team of undergraduate students to build novel machine“

    Low Cost and Efficient eVTOL Platform Leveraging Opensource for Accessibility (University of Nevada, Las Vegas)Lowering the barrier of entry into eVTOL deployment and development with a low cost, efficient, and open source eVTOL platformStudent Team: Martin Arguelles-Perez (Team Lead), Benjamin Bishop, Isabella Laurito, Genaro Marcial Lorza, Eman YonisFaculty Mentor: Venkatesan MuthukumarSelected: 2022

    Applying Space-Based Estimation Techniques to Drones in GPS-Denied Environments (University Of Texas, Austin)Taking real-time inputs from flying drones and outputting an accurate state estimation with 3-D error ellipsoid visualizationStudent Team: James Mitchell Roberts (Team Lead), Lauren Byram, Melissa PiresFaculty Mentor: Adam NokesSelected: 2022Crowdfunding Website
    Project Website
    Web Article: “GPS-free Drone Tech Proposal Lands Undergrads Spot in NASA Challenge“

    Underwing Distributed Ducted Fan ‘FanFoil’ Concept for Transformational Aerodynamic and Aeroacoustic Performance (Texas Tech University, Lubbock)Novel highly under-cambered airfoils with electric ducted fans featuring ’samara’ maple seed inspired blades for eVTOL applicationStudent Team: Jack Hicks (Team Lead), Harrison Childre, Guilherme Fernandes, David Gould, Lorne Greene, Muhammad Waleed Saleem, Nathan ShapiroFaculty Mentor: Victor Maldonado Selected: 2022Crowdfunding Website
    Web Articles: “Improving Ducted-Fan eVTOL Efficiency” (AvWeek), “Sky Taxies“

    Urban Cargo Delivery Using eVTOL Aircrafts (University Of Illinois, Chicago)A bi-objective optimization formulation minimizing total run costs of a two-leg cargo delivery system and community noise exposure to eVTOL operationsStudent Team: Nahid Parvez Farazi (Team Lead), Amy Hofstra, Son NguyenFaculty Mentor: Bo ZouSelected: 2022Crowdfunding Website
    Web Article: “PhD student awarded NASA grant to investigate urban cargo delivery systems“

    Congestion Aware Path Planning for Optimal UAS Traffic Management (University Of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign)A feasible, provably safe, and quantifiably optimal path planning framework considering fully autonomous UAVs in urban environmentsStudent Team: Minjun Sung (Team Lead), Christoph Aoun, Ivy Fei, Christophe Hiltebrandt-McIntosh, Sambhu Harimanas Karumanchi, Ran TaoFaculty Mentor: Naira HovakimyanSelected: 2022Crowdfunding Website
    Web Article: “NASA funds UAV traffic management research“

    AeroZepp: Aerostat Enabled Drone Glider Delivery System / Whisper Ascent: Quiet Drone Delivery (University of Delaware)An aerostat enabled low-energy UAV payload delivery systemStudent Team: Wesley Connor (Team Lead), Abubakarr Bah, Karlens SenatusFaculty Mentor: Suresh AdvaniSelected: 2022Crowdfunding Website

    Sustainable Transport Research Aircraft for Test Operation (STRATO) (Rutgers University, New Brunswick)An open source, efficiently driven, optimized Active Flow Control (AFC) enhanced control surface for UAV research platformsStudent Team: Daulton James (Team Lead), Jean Alvarez, Frederick Diaz, Michael Ferrell, Shriya Khera, Connor Magee, Roy Monge Hidalgo, Bertrand SmithFaculty Mentor: Edward DeMauroSelected: 2022Crowdfunding Website
    Web Articles: “SoE Students Eligible for NASA University Student Research Challenge Award“, “Senior Design Team Captures NASA Research Challenge“
    A recorded STRATO USRC Tech Talk

    Dronehook: A Novel Fixed-Wing Package Retrieval System (University Of Notre Dame)Envisioning a world where items can be retrieved from remote locations in a simple fashion from efficient fixed-wing UAVsStudent Team: Konrad Rozanski (Team Lead), Dillon Coffey, Bruce Smith, Nicholas OrrFaculty Mentor: Jane Cleland-HuangSelected: 2021Crowdfunding Website
    Web Article: “Notre Dame student team wins NASA research award for drone scoop and grab technology“

    Aerial Intra-city Delivery Electric Drones (AIDED) with High Payload Capacity (Michigan State University)A high-payload capacity delivery drone capable of safely latching and charging on electrified public transportation systemsStudent Team: Yuchen Wang (Team Lead), Hunter Carmack, Kindred Griffis, Luke Lewallen, Scott Newhard, Caroline Nicholas, Shukai Wang, Kyle WhiteFaculty Mentor: Woongkul LeeSelected: 2021AIDED Crowdfunding Website
    AIDED Project Website or Team Website
    Web Articles: “Spartan Engineers win NASA research award” and “NASA Aeronautics amplification“; “Ross Davis & Gavin Gardner on The Guy Gordon Show“; “MSU Students Create Delivery Drone for NASA“; “Student drone project flying high with help from NASA“
    A recorded USRC Tech Talk

    Robotic Fabrication Work Cell for Customizable Unmanned Aerial Systems (Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University)A robotic, multi-process work cell to autonomously fabricate topologically optimized UASs tailored for immediate application needsStudent Team: Tadeusz Kosmal (Team Lead), Kieran Beaumont, Om Bhavsar, Eric Link, James LoweFaculty Mentor: Christopher WilliamsSelected: 2021Crowdfunding Website
    RAV-FAB Project Website
    Web Articles: “Drones that fly away from a 3D printer: Undergraduates create science nonfiction” and “3D printing breaks out of the box / VTx / Virginia Tech“
    NASA VT USRC Web Article: “USRC Students Sees Success with Crowdfunding, NASA Grants“
    Publication: Hybrid additive robotic workcell for autonomous fabrication of mechatronic systems – A case study of drone fabrication – ScienceDirect
    Team Social Media: Instagram: @ravfab_vt; LinkedIn: @rav-fab; YouTube
    View RAV-FAB USRC Tech Talk #1 or USRC Tech Talk #2

    Real Time Quality Control in Additive Manufacturing Using In-Process Sensing and Machine Learning (Cornell University)A high-precision and low-cost intelligent sensor-based quality control technology for Additive ManufacturingStudent Team: Adrita Dass (Team Lead), Talia Turnham, Benjamin Steeper, Chenxi Tian, Siddharth Patel, Akula Sai Pratyush, Selina KirubakarFaculty Mentor: Atieh MoridiSelected: 2021Crowdfunding Website
    AMAS Project Website
    Web Article: “Students win NASA challenge with 3D-printer smart sensor“
    A recorded USRC Tech Talk on this topic

    AVIATA: Autonomous Vehicle Infinite Time Apparatus (University of California, Los Angeles)A drone swarm system capable of carrying a payload in the air indefinitelyStudent Team: Chirag Singh (Team Lead), Ziyi Peng, Bhrugu Mallajosyula, Willy Teav, David Thorne, James Tseng, Eric Wong, Axel Malahieude, Ryan Nemiroff, Yuchen Yao, Lisa FooFaculty Mentor: Jeff EldredgeSelected: 2020Crowdfunding Website
    AVIATA Project Website
    A recorded USRC Tech Talk on AVIATA
    The recorded poster session at the TACP Showcase 2021

    Redundant Flight Control System for BVLOS UAV Operations (Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University)A redundant flight control system as a “back-up” to the primary flight computer to enhance safety of sUASStudent Team: Robert Moore (Team Lead), Joseph Ayd, and Todd MartinFaculty Mentor: John RobbinsSelected: 2020Crowdfunding Website
    Web Articles: “NASA Web Article“; “Drone Innovation Top Embry-Riddle Entrepreneurship Competition“
    Follow the team’s progress at: https://www.facebook.com/Assured Autonomy
    A recorded USRC Tech Talk on this topic
    The recorded poster session at the TACP Showcase 2021

    Multi-Mode Hybrid Unmanned Delivery System: Combining Fixed-Wing and Multi-Rotor Aircraft with Ground Vehicles (Rutgers University)Extending drone delivery distance with a multi-mode hybrid delivery systemStudent Team: Paul Wang (Team Lead), Nolan Angelia, Muhammet Ali GungorFaculty Mentor: Onur BilgenSelected: 2020Crowdfunding Website
    A recorded USRC Tech Talk on this topic
    The recorded poster session at the TACP Showcase 2021

    AVIS: Active Vortex Inducing System for Flow Separation Control to Improve Airframe Efficiency (Georgia Institute of Technology)Use an array of vortex generators that can be adjusted throughout flight to increase wing efficiencyStudent Team: Michael Gamarnik (Team Lead), Shiva Khanna Yamamoto, Noah Mammen, Tommy Schrager, Bethe NewgentFaculty Mentor: Kelly GriendlingSelected: 2020Go to AVIS team site
    A recorded USRC Tech Talk on AVIS
    The recorded poster session at the TACP Showcase 2021
    NASA Web Article

    Hybrid Airplanes – An Optimum and Modular Approach (California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo)Model and test powertrain to maximize the efficiency of hybrid airplanesStudent Team: Nicholas Ogden (Team Lead), Joseph Shy, Brandon Bartlett, Ryker Bullis, Chino Cruz, Sara Entezar, Aaron Li, Zach YamauchiFaculty Mentor: Paulo IscoldSelected: 2019A recorded USRC Tech Talk on this topic
    The recorded poster session at the TACP Showcase 2021

    ATLAS Air Transportation (South Dakota State University)A multipurpose, automated drone capable of comfortably lifting the weight of an average personStudent Team: Isaac Smithee (Team Lead), Wade Olson, Nicolas Runge, Ryan Twedt, Anthony Bachmeier, Matthew Berg, Sterling BergFaculty Mentors: Marco Ciarcia, Todd LetcherSelected: 2019A recorded USRC Tech Talk #1 and USRC Tech Talk #2 on ATLAS
    The recorded poster session at the TACP Showcase 2021

    Software-Defined GPS Augmentation Network for UAS Navigation (University Of Oklahoma, Norman)A novel solution of enhanced GPS navigation for unmanned aerial vehiclesStudent Team: Robert Rucker (Team Lead), Alex Zhang, Jakob Fusselman, Matthew GilliamMentors: Dr. Yan (Rockee) Zhang (Faculty Mentor), Dr Hernan Suarez (Team Technical Mentor)Faculty Mentors: Marco Ciarcia, Todd LetcherSelected: 2019Crowdfunding Website
    A recorded USRC Tech Talk on this topic
    The recorded poster session at the TACP Showcase 2021

    UAV Traffic Information Exchange Network (Purdue University)A blockchain-inspired secure, scalable, distributed, and efficient communication framework to support large scale UAV operationsStudent Team: Hsun Chao (Team Lead) and Apoorv MaheshwariFaculty Mentors: Daniel DeLaurentis (Faculty Mentor), Shashank TamaskarSelected: 2018Web Article: “Student-developed communication network for UAVs interests NASA“The recorded poster session at the TACP Showcase 2021

    University Student Research Challenge
    University Leadership Initiative
    University Innovation Project
    Transformative Aeronautics Concepts Program

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA Astronaut Chris Williams Assigned to First Space Station Mission

    Source: NASA

    NASA astronaut Chris Williams will embark on his first mission to the International Space Station, serving as a flight engineer and Expedition 74 crew member.
    Williams will launch aboard the Roscosmos Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft in November, accompanied by Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev. After launching from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, the trio will spend approximately eight months aboard the orbiting laboratory.
    During his expedition, Williams will conduct scientific investigations and technology demonstrations that help prepare humans for future space missions and benefit humanity.
    Selected as a NASA astronaut in 2021, Williams graduated with the 23rd astronaut class in 2024. He began training for his first space station flight assignment immediately after completing initial astronaut candidate training.
    Williams was born in New York City, and considers Potomac, Maryland, his hometown. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Physics from Stanford University in California and a doctorate in Physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, where his research focused on astrophysics. Williams completed Medical Physics Residency training at Harvard Medical School in Boston. He was working as a clinical physicist and researcher at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston when he was selected as an astronaut.
    For more than two decades, people have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and making research breakthroughs not possible on Earth. The station is a critical testbed for NASA to understand and overcome the challenges of long-duration spaceflight and to expand commercial opportunities in low Earth orbit. As commercial companies focus on providing human space transportation services and destinations as part of a robust low Earth orbit economy, NASA is able to more fully focus its resources on deep space missions to the Moon and Mars.
    Learn more about International Space Station research and operations at:
    https://www.nasa.gov/station
    -end-
    Josh Finch / Claire O’SheaHeadquarters, Washington202-358-1100joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov / claire.a.o’shea@nasa.gov
    Chelsey BallarteJohnson Space Center, Houston281-483-5111chelsey.n.ballarte@nasa.gov

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Perseverance Rover Witnesses One Martian Dust Devil Eating Another

    Source: NASA

    The six-wheeled explorer recently captured several Red Planet mini-twisters spinning on the rim of Jezero Crater.
    A Martian dust devil can be seen consuming a smaller one in this short video made of images taken by a navigation camera aboard NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover. These swirling, sometimes towering columns of air and dust are common on Mars. The smaller dust devil’s demise was captured during an imaging experiment conducted by Perseverance’s science team to better understand the forces at play in the Martian atmosphere.
    When the rover snapped these images from about 0.6 miles (1 kilometer) away, the larger dust devil was approximately 210 feet (65 meters) wide, while the smaller, trailing dust devil was roughly 16 feet (5 meters) wide. Two other dust devils can also be seen in the background at left and center. Perseverance recorded the scene Jan. 25 as it explored the western rim of Mars’ Jezero Crater at a location called “Witch Hazel Hill.”
    “Convective vortices — aka dust devils — can be rather fiendish,” said Mark Lemmon, a Perseverance scientist at the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colorado. “These mini-twisters wander the surface of Mars, picking up dust as they go and lowering the visibility in their immediate area. If two dust devils happen upon each other, they can either obliterate one another or merge, with the stronger one consuming the weaker.”

    [embedded content]
    While exploring the rim of Jezero Crater on Mars, NASA’s Perseverance rover captured new images of multiple dust devils in January 2025. These captivating phenomena have been documented for decades by the agency’s Red Planet robotic explorers. NASA/JPL-Caltech/LANL/CNES/CNRS/INTA-CSIC/Space Science Institute/ISAE-Supaero/University of Arizona

    Science of Whirlwinds
    Dust devils are formed by rising and rotating columns of warm air. Air near the planet’s surface becomes heated by contact with the warmer ground and rises through the denser, cooler air above. As other air moves along the surface to take the place of the rising warmer air, it begins to rotate. When the incoming air rises into the column, it picks up speed like a spinning ice skater bringing their arms closer to their body. The air rushing in also picks up dust, and a dust devil is born.
    “Dust devils play a significant role in Martian weather patterns,” said Katie Stack Morgan, project scientist for the Perseverance rover at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. “Dust devil study is important because these phenomena indicate atmospheric conditions, such as prevailing wind directions and speed, and are responsible for about half the dust in the Martian atmosphere.”

    Since landing in 2021, Perseverance has imaged whirlwinds on many occasions, including one on Sept. 27, 2021, where a swarm of dust devils danced across the floor of Jezero Crater and the rover used its SuperCam microphone to record the first sounds of a Martian dust devil.
    NASA’s Viking orbiters, in the 1970s, were the first spacecraft to photograph Martian dust devils. Two decades later, the agency’s Pathfinder mission was the first to image one from the surface and even detected a dust devil passing over the lander. Twin rovers Spirit and Opportunity managed to capture their fair share of dusty whirlwinds. Curiosity, which is exploring a location called Mount Sharp in Gale Crater on the opposite side of the Red Planet as Perseverance, sees them as well.
    Capturing a dust devil image or video with a spacecraft takes some luck. Scientists can’t predict when they’ll appear, so Perseverance routinely monitors in all directions for them. When scientists see them occur more frequently at a specific time of day or approach from a certain direction, they use that information to focus their monitoring to try to catch additional whirlwinds.
    “If you feel bad for the little devil in our latest video, it may give you some solace to know the larger perpetrator most likely met its own end a few minutes later,” said Lemmon. “Dust devils on Mars only last about 10 minutes.”
    More About Perseverance
    A key objective of Perseverance’s mission on Mars is astrobiology, including caching samples that may contain signs of ancient microbial life. The rover is characterizing the planet’s geology and past climate, to help pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet and as the first mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith.
    NASA’s Mars Sample Return Program, in cooperation with ESA (European Space Agency), is designed to send spacecraft to Mars to collect these sealed samples from the surface and return them to Earth for in-depth analysis.
    The Mars 2020 Perseverance mission is part of NASA’s Mars Exploration Program (MEP) portfolio and the agency’s Moon to Mars exploration approach, which includes Artemis missions to the Moon that will help prepare for human exploration of the Red Planet.
    NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which is managed for the agency by Caltech, built and manages operations of the Perseverance rover.
    For more about Perseverance:

    Mars 2020: Perseverance Rover

    News Media Contacts
    DC AgleJet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.818-393-9011agle@jpl.nasa.gov
    Karen Fox / Molly WasserNASA Headquarters, Washington202-358-1600karen.c.fox@nasa.gov / molly.l.wasser@nasa.gov  
    2025-047

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA Langley’s Legacy of Landing

    Source: NASA

    Landing safely on the surface of another planetary body, like the Moon or Mars, is one of the most important milestones of any given space mission. From the very beginning, NASA’s Langley Research Center has been at the heart of the entry, descent and landing (EDL) research that enables our exploration. Today, NASA Langley’s legacy of landing continues at the forefront of present day lunar missions and as NASA prepares for future travel to more distant worlds.

    Project Mercury was the United States’ first human-in-space program, led by NASA’s Space Task Group located at NASA Langley. There were five major programs of study and experimentation.

    An airdrop study that helped us understand the characteristics of the Mercury capsule as it returned to Earth.
    A group of study focused on the escape systems, ultimately becoming known as the launch abort system.
    Exhaustive wind-tunnel studies of the blunt-nosed capsule design and its aerodynamic stability at various altitudes and speeds and angles of reentry, all with a focus on making the capsule safe and stable.
    A study on the problem of landing impact, resulting in the development of absorption systems that minimized the shock of impact to the capsule’s pilot.
    Studies into the use of drogue parachutes and their characteristics at high altitudes and speeds, ensuring that they would be able to stabilize and slow the capsule’s descent for a safe landing. All of this research went on to inform the subsequent Gemini and Apollo programs.

    All of this research went on to inform the subsequent Gemini and Apollo programs.

    In 1961, President John F. Kennedy committed to putting Americans on the surface of the Moon and shortly after that historic declaration, NASA’s Apollo program was born. In the years that followed, the original team of NASA astronauts completed their basic training at NASA Langley’s Lunar Landing Research Facility (LLRF). When Apollo 11 successfully landed the first humans on the Moon in 1969, NASA Langley had played a pivotal role in the monumental success.

    The Lunar Orbiter missions launched with the purpose of mapping the lunar surface and identifying potential landing sites ahead of the Apollo landings. From 1966 to 1967, the five successful Lunar Orbiter missions, led and managed by Langley Research Center, resulted in 99% of the moon photographed and a suitable site selected for the upcoming human landings.

    After the success of Apollo, NASA set its sights further across the solar system to Mars. Two Viking missions aimed to successfully place landers on the Red Planet and capture high resolution images of the Martian surfaces, assisting in the search for life. Langley Research Center was chosen to lead this inaugural Mars mission and went on to play key roles in the missions to Mars that followed.

    Successful landings on Mars led to more ambitious dreams of landing larger payloads, including those that could support future human exploration. In order to land those payloads safely, a new style of heat shield would be needed. Hypersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator (HIAD) technology was positioned as an answer to the payload problem, enabling missions to use inflatable heat shields to slow down and protect a payload as it enters a planet’s atmosphere at hypersonic speeds.
    IRVE – 2009-2012
    Two successful Inflatable Reentry Vehicle Experiments (IRVE) proved the capability of inflatable heat shield technology and opened the door for larger iterations.
    LOFTID – 2022
    The Low Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID) followed in the footsteps of its predecessor IRVE with a larger aeroshell that could be deployed to a scale much larger than the shroud. The 2022 successful test of this technology further proved the capability of HIAD technology.

    As a part of the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission, NASA Langley’s Mars Entry, Descent and Landing Instrument (MEDLI) was designed to gather data from the MSL entry vehicle’s heatshield during its entry and descent to the surface of Mars. MEDLI2 expanded on that groundbreaking data during the Mars 2020 mission which safely landed the Perseverance rover after successfully entering the planet’s arid atmosphere, and enabling improvements on the design for future entry systems.
    Curiosity Rover
    Curiosity was the largest and most capable rover ever sent to Mars when it launched in 2011. Leading up the mission, Langley engineers performed millions of simulations of the entry, descent and landing phase — or the so-called “Seven Minutes of Terror” — that determines success or failure. Curiosity continues to look for signs that Mars once was – or still is – a habitable place for life as we know it.

    The Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative takes the Artemis mission further by working with commercial partners to advance the technology needed to return humans to the Moon and enable humanity to explore Mars.
    NDL
    Navigation Doppler Lidar (NDL) technology, developed at Langley Research Center, uses lasers to assist spacecraft in identifying safe locations to land. In 2024, NDL flew on the Intuitive Machines’ uncrewed Nova-C lander, with its laser instruments designed to measure velocity and altitude to within a few feet. While NASA planetary landers have traditionally relied on radar and used radio waves, NDL technology has proven more accurate and less heavy, both major benefits for cost and space savings as we continue to pursue planetary missions.
    SCALPSS
    Like Lunar Orbiter and the Viking missions before it, Stereo Cameras for Lunar Plume Surface Studies (SCALPSS) set out to better understand the surface of another celestial body. These cameras affixed to the bottom of a lunar lander focus on the interaction between the lander’s rocket plumes and the lunar surface. The SCALPSS 1.1 instrument captured first-of-its-kind imagery as the engine plumes of Firefly’s Blue Ghost lander reached the Moon’s surface. These images will serve as key pieces of data as trips to the Moon increase in the coming years. 

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-Evening Report: This election, what are Labor and the Coalition offering on the energy transition, climate adaptation and emissions?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Johanna Nalau, Senior Lecturer, Climate Adaptation, Griffith University

    Composite image, Xiangli Li, Shirley Jayne Photography and geckoz/Shutterstock

    Australia’s 2022 federal election was seen as the climate election. But this time round, climate policy has so far taken a back seat as the major parties focus on cost-of-living issues.

    Despite this, climate change remains an ever-present threat. Last year was the world’s hottest on record and extreme weather is lashing Queensland. But there are hints of progress. Australia’s emissions have begun to fall and the main power grid is now 40% renewable.

    So before Australians head to the polls on May 3, it’s worth closely examining the climate policies of the two major parties. What are they offering on cutting emissions, preparing for climate-boosted disasters and future-proofing our energy systems? And where are the gaps?

    Energy transition – Tony Wood, Grattan Institute

    Cost-of-living pressures, escalating damage from climate change and global policy uncertainty mean no election issue is more important than transforming Australia’s economy to achieve net zero. But our energy supply must be reliable and affordable. What should the next government prioritise?

    There is great pressure to deliver power bill relief. But the next government’s priority should be reducing how much a household spends on energy, rather than trying to bring down the price of electricity. Far better to give financial support for battery storage and better home insulation, to slash how much power consumers need to buy from the grid.

    The Liberal-led Senate inquiry has just found supporting home electrification will also help with cost of living pressures.

    The electricity rebates on offer from Labor and the temporary cut to fuel excise from the Coalition aren’t enough.

    Federal and state governments must maintain their support and investment in the new transmission lines necessary to support new renewable generation and storage.

    Labor needs to do more to meet its 2030 target of reaching 82% renewables in the main grid. Currently, the figure is around 40%. The Coalition’s plan to slow down renewables, keep coal going longer and burn more gas while pushing for a nuclear future carries alarmingly high risks on reliability, cost and environmental grounds.

    Gas shortfalls are looming for Australia’s southeast in the next few winters and the price of gas remains stubbornly high. Labor does not yet have a workable solution to either issue, while the Coalition has an idea – more and therefore cheaper gas – but no clarity on how its plan to keep more gas for domestic use would work in practice.

    So far, we have been offered superficially appealing ideas. The field is wide open for a leader to deliver a compelling vision and credible plan for Australia’s net-zero future.

    Climate adaptation – Johanna Nalau, Griffith University

    You would think adapting to climate change would be high on the election agenda. Southeast Queensland just weathered its first cyclone in 50 years, estimated to have caused A$1.2 billion in damage, while outback Queensland is enduring the worst flooding in 50 years.

    But so far, there’s little to see on adaptation.

    Both major parties have committed to building a weather radar in western Queensland, following local outcry. While welcome, it’s a knee-jerk response rather than good forward planning.

    By 2060, damage from climate change will cost Australia $73 billion a year under a low emissions scenario, according to a Deloitte report. The next federal government should invest more in disaster preparation rather than throwing money at recovery. It’s cheaper, for one thing – longer term, there are significant savings by investing in more resilient infrastructure before damage occurs.

    Being prepared requires having enough public servants in disaster management to do the work. The Coalition has promised to cut 41,000 jobs from the federal public service, and has not yet said where the cuts would be made.

    While in office, Labor has been developing a National Adaptation Plan to shape preparations and a National Climate Risk Assessment to gather evidence of the main climate risks for Australia and ways to adapt.

    Regardless of who takes power, these will be useful roadmaps to manage extreme weather, damage to agriculture and intensified droughts, floods and fires. Making sure climate-exposed groups such as farmers get necessary assistance to weather worse disasters, and manage new risks and challenges stemming from climate change, is not a partisan issue. Such plans will help direct investment towards adaptation methods that work at scale.

    New National Science Priorities are helpful too, especially the focus on new technologies able to sustainably meet Australia’s food and water needs in a changing climate.

    Intensifying climate change brings more threats to our food systems and farmers.
    Shirley Jayne Photography

    Emission reduction – Madeline Taylor, Macquarie University

    Emission reduction has so far been a footnote for the major parties. In terms of the wider energy transition, both parties are expected to announce policies to encourage household battery uptake and there’s a bipartisan focus on speeding up energy planning approvals.

    But there is a clear divide in where the major parties’ policies will lead Australia on its net-zero journey.

    Labor’s policies largely continue its approach in government, including bringing more clean power and storage into the grid within the Capacity Investment Scheme and building new transmission lines under the Rewiring Australia Plan.

    These policies are leading to lower emissions from the power sector. Last year, total emissions fell by 0.6%. Labor’s Future Made in Australia policies give incentives to produce critical minerals, green steel, and green manufacturing. Such policies should help Australia gain market share in the trade of low-carbon products.

    From January 1 this year, Labor’s new laws require some large companies to disclose emissions from operations. This is positive, giving investors essential data to make decisions. From their second reporting period, companies will have to disclose Scope 3 emissions as well – those from their supply chains. The laws will cover some companies where measuring emissions upstream is incredibly tricky, including agriculture. Coalition senators issued a dissenting report pointing this out. The Coalition has now vowed to scrap these rules.

    The Coalition has not committed to Labor’s target of cutting emissions 43% by 2030. Their flagship plan to go nuclear will likely mean pushing out emissions reduction goals given the likely 2040s completion timeframe for large-scale nuclear generation, unless small modular reactors become viable.

    On gas, there’s virtually bipartisan support. The Coalition promise to reserve more gas for domestic use is a response to looming shortfalls on the east coast. Labor has also approved more coal and gas projects largely for export, though Australian coal and gas burned overseas aren’t counted domestically.

    Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has promised to include gas in Labor’s renewable-oriented Capacity Investment Scheme and has floated relaxing the Safeguard Mechanism on heavy emitters. The Coalition has vowed to cancel plans for three offshore wind projects and are very critical of green hydrogen funding.

    Both parties will likely introduce emission reduction measures, but a Coalition government would be less stringent. Scrapping corporate emissions reporting entirely would be a misstep, because accurate measurement of emissions are essential for attracting green investment and reducing climate risks.

    Johanna Nalau has received funding from Australian Research Council for climate adaptation research, is a Lead Author of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Co-chair of the Science Committee of the World Adaptation Science Program (United Nations Environment Programme) and is a technical expert with United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

    Madeline Taylor has received funding from the Australian Research Council, ACOLA, and several industry and government partners for energy transition research. She is a board member of REAlliance, Fellow of the Climate Council, and Honorary Associate of the Sydney Environment Institute.

    Tony Wood may own shares in companies in relevant industries through his superannuation fund

    ref. This election, what are Labor and the Coalition offering on the energy transition, climate adaptation and emissions? – https://theconversation.com/this-election-what-are-labor-and-the-coalition-offering-on-the-energy-transition-climate-adaptation-and-emissions-253430

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-Evening Report: Flu vaccines are now available for 2025. What’s on offer and which one should I get?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Allen Cheng, Professor of Infectious Diseases, Monash University

    PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock

    It’s that time of year when flu vaccines are becoming available in Australia. You may have received an email from your GP clinic or a text message from your pharmacy telling you they’re in stock.

    So far in 2025 in Australia, there have been more flu notifications compared to the same period in previous years.

    Elsewhere, many northern hemisphere countries have reported intense flu activity during the 2024–25 winter season. This has included several deaths in children.

    Although it’s difficult to make predictions about the intensity and timing of the upcoming flu season, it’s a good time to start thinking about vaccination.

    Who should get vaccinated, and when?

    In Australia, flu vaccines are available for everyone over the age of six months. Flu vaccines don’t work well in young infants, but they can be protected if their mothers are immunised during pregnancy.

    The National Immunisation Program provides free vaccines for people at higher risk, including specific age groups (adults older than 65 and children between six months and five years), those with chronic medical conditions, pregnant women and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

    For healthy adults and children outside these groups, a flu vaccine costs around A$20–30. The vaccines are widely available at GPs and pharmacies, and through workplace programs.

    Flu vaccines reduce the risk of GP presentation with influenza by around 30–60% and hospitalisation with influenza by about 50–70%.

    There’s some evidence the protection from flu vaccines wanes over several months. Ideally, everyone would get vaccinated within a few months of the peak of the flu season. But in reality, we can’t easily predict when this will occur, and since the COVID pandemic, flu seasons have arrived unusually early in the year. So, some time in the next month or so is a good time to get vaccinated.

    The flu can be a nasty virus to catch.
    Kmpzzz/Shutterstock

    In general, flu vaccines can be given at the same time as most other vaccines, including COVID vaccines, but check with your vaccination provider about whether this is appropriate for you.

    Influenza vaccines are regarded as safe. While some people may get a sore arm or fever, these symptoms are usually mild and short lived. Serious side effects, such as Guillain-Barré syndrome, are rare, and are thought to be less common than after influenza infection.

    Why do we need a flu vaccine every year?

    Influenza is a difficult virus to make vaccines for, as the virus changes frequently, and vaccines generally only provide protection against a limited range of strains. Some studies suggest mutations in the influenza virus are 20 times more common than with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID.

    This means, each year, experts need to predict the likely circulating strains in the next season, so vaccines can be manufactured in preparation.

    The World Health Organization coordinates two meetings each year – in February to decide on vaccine strains for the following northern hemisphere season, and around September for the southern hemisphere.

    Although all current influenza vaccines contain strains from four influenza subtypes (A/H1N1, A/H3N2, B Victoria and B Yamagata), one of the strains appears to have disappeared during the pandemic. So next year’s vaccines will probably drop the B Yamagata strain.

    Seasonal flu vaccines don’t provide protection against avian influenza (bird flu) strains, but vaccination is still recommended for people who may be at risk of bird flu, such as poultry workers. This is to reduce the chance that a new virus could result from the combination of both seasonal and avian influenza strains.

    Which vaccines are available?

    There are a variety of vaccines you may be offered when you book in or turn up for a flu vaccine.

    Over the past few years, new types of vaccines have been developed. Some of these attempt to improve the body’s immune response to vaccines. For example, Fluad Quad contains an adjuvant called MF59, an additional substance designed to attract immune cells to the site of vaccination.

    Other vaccines, such as Fluzone High-Dose, use a larger dose of the vaccine strains to improve the immune response. These vaccines are recommended for older people, as immune responses tend to decline with age.

    Certain vaccines use alternative production methods to try to improve the match between vaccine strains and the circulating strains. Standard flu vaccines are produced using influenza viruses grown in chicken eggs. One weakness of this method is that viral mutations can occur during the production process, known as “egg adaptation”. During some of the seasons between 2014 and 2019, this was shown to reduce the effectiveness of flu vaccines.

    The avoid this issue, cell-based vaccines, such as Flucelvax Quad, use influenza vaccine strains grown in mammalian cells rather than eggs.

    Flu vaccines are free for certain vulnerable groups, such as children under five.
    SeventyFour/Shutterstock

    The key takeaways are:

    1. older people are recommended to receive an enhanced vaccine (Fluad Quad for >65 years or Fluzone High-Dose for >60 years), with Fluad Quad provided free under the National Immunisation Program

    2. other people are recommended to receive a standard vaccine (egg-based or cell-based), with vaccines provided free for high-risk groups and children between six months and five years.

    Looking to the future

    There are several new flu vaccines currently under development. Recombinant vaccines, such as Flublok, use insect cells to produce a specific component of the virus.

    With the success of mRNA vaccines for COVID, there is interest in using a similar process for influenza. In theory, this could shorten the time to develop vaccines, for both seasonal influenza and pandemic influenza.

    There’s also interest in combination vaccines – for example, a single shot could provide protection against both COVID and the flu.

    The “holy grail” of influenza vaccines is one that could provide long-lasting protection against many different strains. Although we’re not there yet, you’re at lower risk of influenza and its complications if you get a flu shot.

    Allen Cheng is a member of the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation. He receives funding from the Australian Department of Health and the National Health and Medical Research Council.

    ref. Flu vaccines are now available for 2025. What’s on offer and which one should I get? – https://theconversation.com/flu-vaccines-are-now-available-for-2025-whats-on-offer-and-which-one-should-i-get-252292

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-Evening Report: Gender played a significant role in the 2022 election. Will it do the same in 2025?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Arrow, Professor of History, Macquarie University

    Gender was an important factor in the 2022 election: it shaped the ways the major parties packaged their policies and their leaders. Three years later, as Australians grapple with an uncertain world and a cost-of-living crisis, how might gender shape the 2025 election result?

    Ideas about gender have always shaped Australian politics, although male and female political alignments have shifted over time. For example, when Sir Robert Menzies established the Liberal Party in 1944, he crafted messages to appeal to women, in contrast with the Labor Party’s blue-collar masculinity.

    By the 1970s and 1980s, as more women entered the workforce and pursued further education, they became more progressive in their voting habits. This trend is evident beyond Australia (for example in the US, and in Europe and Canada).

    How gender influenced the 2022 election

    Women’s issues were decisive in the last federal election. The gendered impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the emergence of Grace Tame as a fiery advocate for survivors of sexual abuse, and the Morrison government’s poor response to Brittany Higgins’ allegation of sexual assault enraged many women, who took the streets in the March for Justice in 2021.

    The election was a contest of competing masculinities, between what political scientist Blair Williams calls the “state daddy” (Anthony Albanese) and the “daggy dad” (Scott Morrison). Labor targeted women with messages about “care”, while the Coalition donned high-vis and continued to pursue young men who “might vote Labor”.

    The (mostly) female community independents added another new gender dynamic. Highly competent professional women who were disaffected with the Liberal party, they ran on integrity, climate action and gender equality, and won some of the Coalition’s safest seats.

    The gender gap in favour of Labor in the 2022 election was driven by younger voters (18-34 years) and a strong Greens vote. Women gave the Coalition their lowest ever level of support at just 32%.

    So what role might gender play in the 2025 election campaign?

    First, the gender gap remains in place. Internal Liberal party polling suggests that many women have returned to the party since 2022, but most polls suggest the gender gap in favour of Labor is still at least around 2%. This gap is most pronounced among younger voters.

    Second, while gender issues remain important, they are not electrifying political debate as they did in 2022. According to the latest Newspoll, neither Albanese or Dutton are especially appealing to women voters, who are shifting to the Greens. However, young women (and a majority of young people) still prefer Albanese over Dutton.

    This doesn’t mean gender issues won’t play a role, though. Dutton’s threat to curtail working from home (which women especially dislike), and promises to cut public service jobs (and therefore services) might suggest that he has not yet learned the gender lessons from 2022.

    Similarly, while Labor has delivered on its policy promises of improving wages in female-dominated industries, voter response to much of Labor’s first term has been tepid at best. However, Labor’s recent announcements on Medicare and bulk-billing will speak to women feeling the pinch of the cost of living crisis (according to one poll, middle aged women moved away from Labor in 2024 because of this issue.)

    Third, gender is now a fault line in international politics. The resurgence of Donald Trump and his brand of “strongman” masculinity, attacks on women’s and trans rights, online polarisation, and the rise of a “manosphere” spreading (often) misogynistic messages appears to be fuelling a growing divide between young men and women. The lobby group Advance is letterboxing Australian households with leaflets arguing Labor is “Weak, Woke,[and] Sending Us Broke”. They clearly believe Trump-style campaign slogans will win over voters.

    Gender polarisation was evident in the recent US election: Trump won young men by 14 points, while Harris won young women by 18 points, though many white women remained loyal to Trump.

    Data from Essential suggested that while many Australians regard the Trump administration with dismay, young men (aged 18-35) are the outliers.

    These men are also the demographic group most supportive of Dutton’s performance as opposition leader. The 2022 Australian Co-operative Election Study suggested that younger men were less receptive to gender equality. For example, while 70% of women agreed that “Australian society needs to do more to achieve equality between men and women”, only 51% of men agreed. Young men were by far the most hostile to this proposition, perhaps due in part to the polarised social climate of the post-#MeToo era.

    Yet it is easy to overstate these gender differences: Intifar Chowdhury’s research showed that while young women are shifting leftwards, so too are young men, though at a relatively slower rate.

    Gender gaps in voting intention are particularly apparent among young people.
    Shutterstock

    A generation gap?

    The 2025 election is the first where Gen Z and Millennial voters will outnumber Baby Boomers. So while gender differences might determine voting, they will intersect with socioeconomic and generational issues.

    While politicians argue over the best way to address the cost of living crisis, young people have grappled with that crisis on top of life-changing HECS-HELP debts, distress over climate change, and a rise in insecure work. Home ownership, a pathway to prosperity for older generations, is out of reach for many Gen Z and Millennials: social researcher Rebecca Huntley found that more than 60% of Australians (and 75% of renters) believe the dream of home ownership is dead for young people. Is it any wonder that young people might despair about their futures?

    In response to this rather bleak picture, young women have consistently turned to progressive parties. Like their feminist forebears, these women are looking to the state for rights and protections, which has long been one of the hallmarks of Australian feminism.

    Many young men appear to be more sceptical of such solutions. But it is important not to overstate gender differences at a time when generational differences seem more politically salient. It will be fascinating to see if young Australians can leverage their electoral clout to force the next parliament to meaningfully address intergenerational inequality.

    Michelle Arrow receives funding from the Australian Research Council. Michelle would like to thank Professor Shaun Wilson for his assistance in researching this article.

    ref. Gender played a significant role in the 2022 election. Will it do the same in 2025? – https://theconversation.com/gender-played-a-significant-role-in-the-2022-election-will-it-do-the-same-in-2025-249580

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-OSI USA: One year after launch, state’s enhanced enforcement in Oakland recovers 3,217 stolen vehicles, arrests 1,823 suspects

    Source: US State of California 2

    Apr 3, 2025

    What you need to know: Since March 2024, Governor Newsom’s joint Bay Area operation efforts have yielded 3,217 stolen vehicles recovered, 1,823 suspects arrested, and 170 illicit firearms seized.

    Sacramento, CaliforniaContinuing to provide collaborative public safety enforcement in the Bay Area, Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the ongoing joint law enforcement operation in the Bay Area has resulted in recovering 3,217 stolen vehicles, arresting 1,823 individuals, and confiscating 170 illicit firearms since the operation’s launch in February 2024.

    Month after month, officers have worked hand-in-hand with their local counterparts across the Bay Area to protect our communities from bad actors. I’m proud of the CHP’s diligent work to get dangerous guns off our streets and recover stolen vehicles.

    Governor Gavin Newsom

    In 2025 alone, officers have made 398 arrests, recovered 614 stolen cars, and seized 30 firearms. The enhanced operation in the region places additional California Highway Patrol (CHP) personnel to help take down property theft and violent crime, including gun violence. The CHP’s operation adds special law enforcement units on the ground and in the air — targeting sideshow activities and stolen vehicles.

    CHP’s support in Oakland began in February 2024. In July 2024, Governor Newsom announced an additional surge, quadrupling the number of shifts CHP officers worked in the region. This was in addition to the installation of a network of 480 high-tech cameras in the East Bay, which includes 190 on state highways and 290 in the city of Oakland. This camera network allows law enforcement agencies to identify vehicle attributes beyond license plate numbers, enabling the CHP, local law enforcement, and allied agencies to search for vehicles suspected to be linked to crimes and receive real-time alerts about their movement.

    Overall, the cameras have aided law enforcement in numerous investigations and, most recently, led to the arrest of a road rage shooting suspect in March 2025 in San Bernardino. 

    Stronger enforcement. Serious penalties. Real consequences.

    Through a state, county, and city partnership, the CHP saturates high-crime areas, aiming to reduce roadway violence and criminal activity in the area, specifically vehicle theft and organized retail crime. The Newsom administration has provided similar CHP support to regional crime hot spots throughout California, including Bakersfield and San Bernardino

    In August, Governor Newsom signed into law the most significant bipartisan legislation to crack down on property crime in modern California history. Building on the state’s robust laws and record public safety funding, these bipartisan bills establish tough new penalties for repeat offenders, provide additional tools for felony prosecutions, and crack down on serial shoplifters, retail thieves, and auto burglars.

    California has invested $1.1 billion since 2019 to fight crime, help local governments hire more police, and improve public safety. In 2023, as part of California’s Public Safety Plan, the Governor announced the largest-ever investment to combat organized retail crime in state history, an annual 310% increase in proactive operations targeting organized retail crime, and special operations across the state to fight crime and improve public safety.

    Press Releases

    Recent news

    News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced that he has signed the following bill:SB 26 by Senator Thomas Umberg (D-Santa Ana) – Civil actions: restitution for or replacement of a new motor vehicle. A signing message can be found here.For full text of the…

    News What you need to know: Soil is starting to be placed over the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing in Southern California – an important milestone as the world’s largest wildlife crossing comes to fruition. LOS ANGELES – The world’s largest wildlife crossing is…

    News What you need to know: Governor Newsom announced the release of the Master Plan for Career Education, a bold statewide strategy to connect Californians — especially those in rural parts of the state — to high-paying, fulfilling careers, with or without a college…

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  • MIL-OSI Europe: Latest news – 2 April 2025 – Bureau and Ordinary meetings – Delegation for relations with the Pan-African Parliament

    Source: European Parliament

    On Wednesday, 2 April 2025, the DPAP delegation held the following meetings in Strasbourg (room: DE MADARIAGA S5).

    – Bureau meeting, 16.30-17.00 (in camera meeting – only for the Bureau Members)

    – Ordinary meeting, 17.00-18.00 (webstreamed – open to all Members)
    There was an exchange of views with Dr. Fonteh Akum (Executive Director of the Institute for Security Studies (South Africa)) on the global geopolitical shift, its impact on the African continent and the future of EU-AU relations.

    MIL OSI Europe News

  • MIL-Evening Report: Get big or die trying: social media is driving men’s use of steroids. Here’s how to mitigate the risks

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Piatkowski, Lecturer in Psychology, Griffith University

    Anna Moskvina/Shutterstock

    Men have cared about their appearance throughout the centuries, and ideals of masculinity and “manliness” are ancient – with strong emphasis put on physical fitness and virility. In ancient Greece, the ideal male body was considered strong, symmetrical and athletic.

    Now, with easier access to performance and image enhancing drugs (PIEDs) and their promotion on social media, ideals of masculinity and muscularity have taken on a whole new level.

    PIEDs are a class of drugs that some people use to enhance physical appearance or athletic performance. They include anabolic-androgenic steroids, human growth hormone, and other medicines used “off-label” such as insulin.

    Social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok flood us with images and videos promoting steroid use as a “quick fix” to achieve big muscles.

    Other influencers promote muscularity by “natural” means, but are then found out as liars who were using steroids all along. For those following, especially impressionable young men, the fallout is real. What once seemed like a natural achievement is exposed as chemically enhanced, pushing young men to wonder whether steroids are the only way to keep up.

    A growing and harmful trend

    Recent studies show that muscle-building behaviours such as steroid use are rising among young men. But why is this happening?

    The answer lies partly in a societal obsession with hypermasculine ideals. Images of sculpted bodies, amplified by social media influencers with millions of followers, set unattainable standards of physical perfection. Fitness influencer content often normalises extreme body ideals. It is no longer just about fitness, it is about shaping an identity around an ideal male body.

    It is not a harmless trend. The use of steroids carries significant health risks. For instance, beyond the well-known risks of heart disease and liver damage, steroid use can also lead to psychiatric issues such as mood disorders, aggression and depression.

    Tragically, some fitness influencers and bodybuilders who use PIEDs have died unexpectedly. Australian fitness influencer Jaxon Tippet, who openly admitted to using steroids in the past, died at 30 from a heart attack – a known risk linked to anabolic steroids.

    Towards ‘safer use’

    Many fitness influencers actively engage in online fitness coaching, a booming industry.

    This involves providing guidance on training, diet and supplementation. Some of this extends into drug coaching: providing guidance on how to use steroids and other enhancement drugs within a “safer use” model that’s informed by harm reduction approaches.

    While these approaches don’t encourage drug use, they do offer strategies to reduce and mitigate known harms.

    Some elite bodybuilders actively champion transparency over steroid use. In recent years, athletes and coaches have partnered with scholars on numerous podcasts to discuss prioritising health and health monitoring behaviours such as blood testing.

    Regular blood testing is framed as a key strategy to mitigate risks associated with steroid use, often conducted at specific intervals.

    However, the absence of formal regulation means not all advice is created equal. Some influencers may still encourage practices that are dangerous and potentially life-threatening.

    While these trends are concerning, the solution doesn’t lie in finger-pointing at influencers or shaming young men for their choices. Instead, we advocate for a more positive, educational approach.

    A better way forward

    Asking people to “just say no” to drug use has never worked. Instead, we must shift the narrative by educating, supporting and collaborating with the people who drive the trend – PIED consumers.

    By partnering with trusted community figures and influencers, we can spread awareness about the dangers of steroid use while offering accurate, evidence-based information about health and wellbeing.

    An example of this approach is Vigorous Steve, a well-known figure in the fitness world. He has used his platform to share important research on the harms of steroids.

    Steve’s work on social media, with millions of views, is a model for how harm reduction education can reach a large, engaged audience, help normalise safer use discussions and expand access to information.

    With this in mind, the Queensland Injectors Voice for Advocacy and Action (QuIVAA) has recently launched the Steroid QNECT program (one of us, Tim Piatkowski, is the vice president of QuIVAA). The program provides support to people using steroids, offering peer education and resources via online platforms.

    Since its inception in January this year, the program has already engaged with and provided harm reduction information to hundreds of Australians who use steroids, helping to bridge critical gaps in education.

    As the muscle building trend continues, peers, policymakers, researchers and health professionals across Australia must collaborate to provide accurate, balanced education about the risks of steroids – especially for young men.

    Timothy Piatkowski receives funding from the Queensland Mental Health Commission. He is Vice President of Queensland Injectors Voice for Advocacy and Action (QuIVAA). Tim collaborates regularly with peers in community, such as Vigorous Steve, mentioned in this article.

    Samuel Cornell receives funding through an Australian Government Research Training Program
    Scholarship. Over the past five years, he has received funding from Royal Life Saving – Australia, Surf Life Saving Australia, and Meta Inc.

    ref. Get big or die trying: social media is driving men’s use of steroids. Here’s how to mitigate the risks – https://theconversation.com/get-big-or-die-trying-social-media-is-driving-mens-use-of-steroids-heres-how-to-mitigate-the-risks-253110

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-Evening Report: 1 trillion species, 3 billion years: how we used AI to trace the evolution of bacteria on Earth

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ben Woodcroft, Associate Professor of Microbial Informatics, Queensland University of Technology

    Association of two Cyanobacteria (Oscillatoria sp. and Chroococcus sp.). Ekky Ilham/Shutterstock

    There are roughly a trillion species of microorganisms on Earth – the vast majority of which are bacteria.

    Bacteria consist of a single cell. They do not have bones and are not like big animals that leave clear signs in the geological record, which thankful palaeontologists can study many millions of years later.

    This has made it very hard for scientists to establish a timeline of their early evolution. But with the help of machine learning, we have been able to fill in many of the details. Our new research, published today in Science, also reveals some bacteria developed the ability to use oxygen long before Earth became saturated with it roughly 2.4 billion years ago.

    A monumental event in Earth’s history

    About 4.2 billion years ago, the Moon formed. Violently. A Mars-size object collided with Earth, turning its surface into molten rock. If life existed before this cataclysm, it was probably destroyed.

    After that, the current ancestors of all living beings appeared: single-celled microbes. For the first 80% of life’s history, Earth was inhabited solely by these microbes.

    Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution, as evolutionary biologist Theodosius Dobzhansky famously said in 1973. But how did the evolution of life proceed through the early history of Earth?

    Comparing DNA sequences from the wonderful diversity of life we see today can tell us how different groups relate to each other. For instance, we humans are more closely related to mushrooms than we are to apple trees. Likewise, such comparisons can tell us how different groups of bacteria are related to each other.

    But comparison of DNA sequences can only take us so far. DNA comparisons do not say when in Earth’s history evolutionary events took place. At one point in time, an organism reproduced two offspring. One of them gave rise to mushrooms, the other to humans (and lots of other species too).

    One thing geology teaches us about is the existence of another monumental event in the history of Earth, 2.4 billion years ago. At that time, the atmosphere of the Earth changed dramatically. A group of bacteria called the cyanobacteria invented a trick that would alter the story of life forever: photosynthesis.

    Harvesting energy from the sun powered their cells. But it also generated an inconvenient waste product, oxygen gas.

    Over the course of millions of years, oxygen in the atmosphere slowly accumulated. Before this “Great Oxidation Event”, Earth contained almost no oxygen, so life was not ready for it. In fact, to uninitiated bacteria, oxygen is a poisonous gas, and so its release into the atmosphere probably caused a mass extinction. The surviving bacteria either evolved to use oxygen, or retreated into the recesses of the planet where it doesn’t penetrate.

    The bacterial tree of life

    The Great Oxidation Event is especially interesting for us not only because of its impact in the history of life, but also because it can be given a clear date. We know it happened around 2.4 billion years ago – and we also know most bacteria that adapted to oxygen had to live after this event. We used this information to layer on dates to the bacterial tree of life.

    We started by training an artificial intelligence (AI) model to predict whether a bacteria lives with oxygen or not from the genes it has. Many bacteria we see today use oxygen, such as cyanobacteria and others that live in the ocean. But many do not, such as the bacteria that live in our gut.

    As far as machine learning tasks go, this one was quite straightforward. The chemical power of oxygen markedly changes a bacteria’s genome because a cell’s metabolism becomes organised around oxygen use, and so there are many clues in the data.

    We then applied our machine learning models to predict which bacteria used oxygen in the past. This was possible because modern techniques allow us to estimate not only how the species we see today are related, but also which genes each ancestor carried in its genome.

    There are roughly one trillion species of microorganisms on Earth – the vast majority of which are bacteria.
    GSFC/NASA

    A surprising twist

    By using the planet-wide geological event of the Great Oxidation Event effectively as a “fossil” calibration point, our approach produced a detailed timeline of bacterial evolution.

    Combining results from geology, paleontology, phylogenetics and machine learning, we were able to refine the timing of bacterial evolution significantly.

    Our results also revealed a surprising twist: some bacterial lineages capable of using oxygen existed roughly 900 million years before the Great Oxidation Event. This suggests these bacteria evolved the ability to use oxygen even when atmospheric oxygen was scarce.

    Remarkably, our findings indicated that cyanobacteria actually evolved the ability to use oxygen before they developed photosynthesis.

    This framework not only reshapes our understanding of bacterial evolutionary history but also illustrates how life’s capabilities evolved in response to Earth’s changing environments.

    Ben Woodcroft receives funding from the ARC.

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

    ref. 1 trillion species, 3 billion years: how we used AI to trace the evolution of bacteria on Earth – https://theconversation.com/1-trillion-species-3-billion-years-how-we-used-ai-to-trace-the-evolution-of-bacteria-on-earth-253720

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-Evening Report: 5 years on from its first COVID lockdown, NZ faces hard economic choices – but rebuilding trust must come first

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dennis Wesselbaum, Associate Professor, Department of Economics, University of Otago

    Phil Walter/Getty Images

    Five years after New Zealand’s first COVID-19 lockdown, it is clear there will be no going back to the pre-pandemic “normal”.

    The pandemic amplified existing fractures and inequities in New Zealand and elsewhere. It also revealed new fissures in society.

    The early effects of the pandemic were clear. There were lockdowns, economic downturns, disrupted education and public health challenges. But as the country moves further into the post-pandemic era, the true consequences of the government’s emergency measures have become more evident.

    Work became flexible – for some

    The shift to flexible work has improved work-life balance and productivity for some.

    But its impact has been uneven. Many remote workers, especially parents, have reported worsened mental health due to social isolation and blurred work-life boundaries.

    Working from home can also lead to overwork and stress. The lack of in-person environments has hindered on-the-job training, particularly for younger employees. Managers have also struggled with monitoring performance and building team culture.

    The pandemic fundamentally changed how New Zealanders work, shop, study and interact with each other.
    Lakeview Images/Shutterstock

    Shopping shifted online

    The pandemic shifted consumer behaviour towards increased online spending. Small and medium-sized businesses rapidly adapted by launching online platforms or boosting their digital presence.

    By 2021, there was a 52% growth in online spending compared to 2019.

    This digital shift helped many businesses survive during lockdowns. But it also created a competitive landscape that favoured those who could invest in a strong online presence.

    Urban centres have continued to see a decline in foot traffic, affecting traditional stores. This may lead to a permanent change in city layouts.

    Hard trade-offs after big spending

    The effect of COVID-19 related monetary and fiscal policy responses continue to have a lasting impact on the economy.

    To reduce the effects of the immediate downturn caused by the pandemic response, the government introduced several stimulus packages, including wage subsidies and NZ$3 billion for “shovel ready” infrastructure projects.

    These measures were essential in maintaining economic stability, given the pandemic and pandemic-related policies. But this persistent stimulus injected cash into a country already struggling with efficiency and productivity.

    This move contributed to rising inflation. Higher interest rates followed, raising borrowing costs and leading to a recession and stagflation (a mix of low growth and rising inflation).

    What made things worse was that this fiscal stimulus was debt-financed, raising questions about whether it was fiscally sustainable.

    In the post-pandemic period, policymakers have faced the delicate task of balancing economic recovery with the need to reduce debt levels over time. This requires careful adjustments, either via tax increases or reductions in spending.

    The government has actively sought to reduce spending, especially on low-value programs (such as cutting contractor and consultant spending) and non-essential spending (for example, cuts to public sector back-office functions). It’s also targeted “fiscal adjustments”, such as delaying or phasing some infrastructure projects or adjusting the timing of capital expenditure. Overall, their policy-mix appears to be right for the current economic environment.

    In the long-run, the high debt levels may limit the government’s ability to respond to future crises or invest in other critical areas such as infrastructure, education and healthcare.

    The need to manage inflation and debt simultaneously has necessitated difficult trade-offs. This could potentially influence future government priorities and policy decisions.

    In March 2020, New Zealand entered its first lockdown in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Five years on, the country is still feeling the effect of the former government’s policies.
    Mark Mitchell/Getty Images

    Falling trust in institutions

    The pandemic highlighted the importance of trust in government, science and media. Early on, New Zealanders supported the government’s measures, benefiting from high levels of trust in politicians, scientists and journalists.

    However, with prolonged lockdowns in cities such as Auckland and the imposition of vaccine mandates, cracks began to appear in this trust. This contributed to resistance against some policies, even non-COVID related ones, and an erosion of trust.

    Nowhere was this more evident than the 2022 anti-COVID-19 vaccine mandate protests that resulted in the occupation of parliament grounds.

    This erosion of trust has far-reaching consequences. For example, we have already seen a drop in childhood immunisation rates with concerns about measles and other preventable diseases resurfacing.

    This distrust can have long-term implications for future policy responses across various sectors, potentially affecting areas such as public health, economic growth, trade and social cohesion.

    Risks of entrenching inequality

    The long-term impact of COVID-19 policies on inequalities in education, unemployment and health, to name a few, is likely to persist well beyond the immediate recovery.

    In education, the shift to online learning during the lockdowns exposed deep inequalities in access to technology, digital literacy and home learning environments, particularly for lower-income students. Over time, these disparities could affect future career opportunities and limit social mobility for marginalised groups.

    The shift towards more digital and remote work models may further disadvantage those that don’t have the skills or resources to participate in these new economies, entrenching existing inequality.

    Given that socioeconomic status is an important determinate of health outcomes, the former effects could result in increased physical and mental health inequalities in the long-run.

    The long tail of the pandemic

    In essence, the pandemic has amplified existing vulnerabilities. But it has also revealed emerging fissures between those who have the capacity to adapt to the new digital world, and those that don’t.

    It is not enough for New Zealand to simply move on from the pandemic-era policies. Policymakers need to address the consequences of both COVID-19 and the decisions made in responses to the health emergency.

    At an economic level, the government needs to embrace policies that will increase the productivity and efficiency of the economy.

    But five years on from the pandemic, it is clear that rebuilding trust in institutions is vital. Clear communication, transparency and true expert involvement will help restore public confidence – helping the country to truly move on from the global pandemic.

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

    ref. 5 years on from its first COVID lockdown, NZ faces hard economic choices – but rebuilding trust must come first – https://theconversation.com/5-years-on-from-its-first-covid-lockdown-nz-faces-hard-economic-choices-but-rebuilding-trust-must-come-first-252478

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kamlager-Dove Holds First Hearing as Top Democrat on House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on South and Central Asia, Calls out Republican Hypocrisy on Free Speech

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager California (37th District)

    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on South and Central Asia, delivered opening remarks at the inaugural Subcommittee on South and Central Asia hearing, which ignored pressing bipartisan national security issues to instead repeat Republicans’ false claims of right-wing censorship.

    Watch the full video here.

     

    Below are Ranking Member Kamlager-Dove’s remarks, as prepared for delivery, at today’s subcommittee hearing:

    Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you to our witnesses for being here for our first South and Central Asia Subcommittee hearing. I look forward to working with the Chair in a bipartisan way on the critical issues we are charged with overseeing.

    Unfortunately, we’re not having a hearing about any of those. Instead, this Subcommittee is wasting taxpayer time and resources on the fifth such hearing Republicans have held across multiple committees on the so-called “censorship-industrial complex.”

    The majority is relitigating a made-up conspiracy theory about a part of the State Department that no longer exists to distract from the dumpster fire foreign policy this Administration is pursuing—and elevating a serial sexual harasser as their star witness in the process.

    Mr. Chair, I request unanimous consent to enter into the record two articles about the Republican witness Matt Taibbi: A Chicago Reader article titled, “Twenty years ago, in Moscow, Matt Taibbi was a misogynist a–hole—and possibly worse,” and a Washington Post article titled, “The two expat bros who terrorized women correspondents in Moscow.”

    This hearing could not be more out of touch with the concerns of everyday Americans.

    People’s retirement savings are being decimated as Trump’s arbitrary tariffs tank the stock market.

    They are staring down the barrel of cuts to their Social Security and Medicare because the Republican majority wants to give a tax break to billionaires like Elon Musk who have deep financial ties to our adversaries.

    Meanwhile, Trump is siding with Putin against American national security interests and risking the lives of American troops in a Signal group chat.

    I’ve been to the State Department, and I do have concerns about censorship—censorship of the employees who are terrified to say the wrong thing or have the wrong word in their job title and be terminated by an Administration that publicly relishes punishing people for their speech.

    If we want to talk about censorship, we should begin with Trump’s unprecedented assault on the First Amendment and rule of law.

    Here a few examples that should send shivers down all our spines:

    Trump banned the Associated Press from the Oval Office and Air Force One because they kept using the name “Gulf of Mexico”, something that none of us would have hesitated to do until a few months ago.

    Trump signed executive orders targeting law firms for representing clients that opposed or investigated him—upending the fundamental principle that lawyers should not fear to represent their clients.

    And most terrifying, Trump ordered ICE agents to arrest and detain Mahmoud Khalil, a green card holder, and snatch off the street a Tufts University student and visa holder, Rumeysa Ozturk, for protesting and writing an op-ed—for exercising their right to free speech.

    As you can see, Trump is brazenly weaponizing the government to intimidate and silence any part of American society that disagrees with him.

    Countering disinformation from hostile foreign powers should not be a partisan issue. Yet this Administration has crippled our capacity to respond to these threats while aiding, abetting—even amplifying—our adversaries’ influence operations.

    The PRC has invested billions in pumping out propaganda, weaponizing the world’s largest known online disinformation operation to silence critics, discredit lawmakers, and harass U.S. companies who are at odds with China’s interests.

    Russia maintains a sophisticated and sprawling disinformation apparatus to manipulate American public sentiment to Putin’s advantage–even paying conservative influencers to create and amplify pro-Kremlin content.

    How has Trump confronted these threats?

    He shut down independent media broadcasters like USAGM and Radio Free Asia, a move that was actually celebrated in Chinese state media.

    He dismantled the FBI’s Foreign Influence Task Force, which his own Administration first created in 2017 to uncover foreign disinformation and propaganda targeting Americans.

    He even appointed a white nationalist named Darren Beattie, who has parroted Kremlin and CCP talking points and denied the PRC’s ongoing Uyghur genocide, to the State Department’s top public diplomacy job.

    Mr. Chair, I request unanimous consent to enter into the record my letter urging Secretary Rubio to fire Darren Beattie for his dangerous anti-American, pro-CCP, white nationalist ideology.

    Countering foreign propaganda has become politicized not because of censorship concerns, but because of conspiracy theories, in some cases spread by the majority witnesses at this very hearing. And now the most egregious disinformation spreader is sitting in the White House.

    We should be exploring real bipartisan solutions to this pressing national security issue on behalf of the American people, not perpetuating culture war divisions.

    Thank you Mr. Chair and I yield back.

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Support Grows for President Trump’s America First Reciprocal Trade Plan

    Source: The White House

    One day after President Donald J. Trump announced a new chapter in American prosperity, support continues to roll in for his bold vision to reverse the decades of globalization that has decimated our industrial base.

    The support is bipartisan, with Democrat Rep. Jared Golden lauding President Trump’s plan: “I’m pleased the president is building his tariff agenda on the foundation of a universal 10 percent tariff like the one I proposed in the BUILT USA Act. This ring fence around the American economy is a good start to erasing our unsustainable trade deficits. I’m eager to work with the president to fix the broken ‘free trade’ system that made multinational corporations rich but ruined manufacturing communities across the country.”

    Here’s what else they’re saying:

    Coalition for a Prosperous America Chairman Zach Mottl: “A permanent, universal baseline tariff resets the global trade environment and finally addresses the destructive legacy of decades of misguided free-trade policies. President Trump’s decision to implement a baseline tariff is a game-changing shift that prioritizes American manufacturing, protects working-class jobs, and safeguards our economic security from adversaries like China. This is exactly the type of bold action America needs to restore its industrial leadership. Today’s action will deliver lasting benefits to the U.S. economy and working-class Americans, cementing President Trump’s legacy as one that ushered in a new Golden Age of American industrialization and prosperity.”

    National Cattlemen’s Beef Association SVP of Government Affairs Ethan Lane: “For too long, America’s family farmers and ranchers have been mistreated by certain trading partners around the world. President Trump is taking action to address numerous trade barriers that prevent consumers overseas from enjoying high-quality, wholesome American beef. NCBA will continue engaging with the White House to ensure fair treatment for America’s cattle producers around the world and optimize opportunities for exports abroad.”

    Steel Manufacturers Association President Philip K. Bell: “President Trump is a champion of the domestic steel industry, and his America First Trade Policy is designed to fight the unfair trade that has harmed American workers and weakened manufacturing in the United States. The recently reinvigorated 232 steel tariffs have already started creating American jobs and bolstering the domestic steel industry. President Trump is working to turn America into a manufacturing powerhouse and the steel tariffs are driving that movement. President Trump’s initial 232 steel tariffs and the historic tax cuts led to investments of nearly $20 billion by steel manufacturers in the United States. Since the revised tariffs took effect, Hyundai Steel announced a $5.8 billion steel mill in Louisiana, demonstrating that the tariffs are working to bring more steel investments and production to the United States. The domestic steel market is stronger when other nations are forced to compete on a level playing field. On a level playing field, American workers can outcompete anyone. We look forward to continuing working with President Trump and his administration to ensure a level playing field for Americans and a robust domestic steel industry that strengthens our national, economic and energy security.”

    Alliance for American Manufacturing President Scott Paul: “Today’s trade action prioritizes domestic manufacturers and America’s workers. These hardworking men and women have seen unfair trade cut the ground from beneath their feet for decades. They deserve a fighting chance. Our workers can out-compete anyone in the world, but they need a level playing field to do it. This trade reset is a necessary step in the right direction.”

    National Electrical Contractors Association CEO David Long: “President Trump has consistently prioritized policies that put the electrical industry as a priority, and we recognize his commitment to strengthening our nation’s economy. As these new tariffs take effect, we look forward to working with the Administration to ensure that electrical contractors and the entire electrical industry can continue powering America efficiently while navigating potential cost and supply chain challenges.”

    American Compass Chief Economist Oren Cass: “The new policies announced by President Trump today confirm the end of the disastrous WTO era and lay the groundwork for a new set of arrangements in the international economy that prioritize the national interest and the flourishing of the nation’s working families.”

    National Council of Textile Organizations CEO Kim Glas: “We strongly commend President Trump and his administration on their tariff reciprocity plan to finally begin rebalancing America’s trade positioning in markets at home and abroad. We want to thank President Trump on behalf of the U.S. textile industry and the 471,000 workers we employ.”

    Southern Shrimp Alliance Executive Director John Williams: “We’ve watched as multigenerational family businesses tie up their boats, unable to compete with foreign producers who play by a completely different set of rules. We are grateful for the Trump Administration’s actions today, which will preserve American jobs, food security, and our commitment to ethical production.”

    American Iron and Steel Institute President Kevin Dempsey: “AISI thanks President Trump for standing up for American workers by restoring fairness in international trade and addressing non-reciprocal trade relationships. American steel producers are all too familiar with the detrimental effects of unfair foreign trade practices on domestic industries and their workers. Driven by subsidies and other foreign government trade-distorting practices, global overcapacity in the steel industry reached 573 million metric tons in 2024 and has spurred high levels of exports of steel from countries like China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam and Indonesia that continue to produce steel in volumes that significantly exceed their domestic demand. These exports directly and indirectly injure steel producers in the U.S. and government action to address this unloading of steel overproduction on world markets is overdue.”

    Americans for Limited Government Executive Director Robert Romano: “Thank you, President Trump, for putting America first and finally once and for all levying the same tariffs on trade partners that they have levied mercilessly on the United States for decades. This was not an easy decision to make, but one that is long overdue with a record $1.2 trillion trade in goods deficit in 2024 after the failed rule of former President Joe Biden. … Under President Trump’s leadership, America will be the industrial and technology leader of the world, with commitments for hundreds of billions of investments in the United States. For countries that want to avoid the tariffs, it’s simple: Build in America. … Thank you again, President Trump, for your leadership in restoring reciprocity in trade and for having the courage that all of our other leaders have lacked.”

    American Petroleum Institute: “We welcome President Trump’s decision to exclude oil and natural gas from new tariffs, underscoring the complexity of integrated global energy markets and the importance of America’s role as a net energy exporter. We will continue working with the Trump administration on trade policies that support American energy dominance.”

    National Association of Home Builders Chairman Buddy Hughes: “NAHB is pleased President Trump recognized the importance of critical construction inputs for housing and chose to continue current exemptions for Canadian and Mexican products, with a specific exemption for lumber from any new tariffs at this time. NAHB will continue to work with the administration to find ways to increase domestic lumber production, reduce regulatory burdens, and create an environment that allows builders to increase our nation’s housing supply.”

    International Dairy Foods Association SVP of Trade and Workforce Policy Becky Rasdall Vargas: “The U.S. dairy industry exports more than $8 billion of high-quality dairy products every year to approximately 145 countries around the world. To meet growing global demand, dairy businesses have invested $8 billion in new processing capacity here in the United States—creating jobs, strengthening rural economies, and positioning America as the world’s leading dairy supplier. This growth depends on strong trade relationships and access to essential ingredients, finished goods, packaging, and equipment to provide Americans with safe, affordable, and nutritious dairy foods and beverages. IDFA supports the Trump Administration’s efforts to hold trading partners accountable and expand market access for U.S. dairy.”

    Bienvenido Empresarios: “As an organization committed to empowering Hispanic Americans and strengthening our nation’s future, Bienvenido supports policies that build a more resilient American economy, safeguard our communities, and reassert U.S. leadership on the global stage. President Trump’s emphasis on using economic leverage — including tariffs — reflects a broader strategy to counter China, confront the deadly fentanyl crisis, and bring critical industries back home. Now is a time for tough, decisive action when national security and American livelihoods are at stake. Our hope is that these measures lead to stronger enforcement, fairer trade, and long-term prosperity for all Americans.”

    America First Policy Institute: “Tariffs worked then—and they’ll work again. Under President Trump, tariffs brought back jobs, lowered inflation, and strengthened national security. It’s not just economic policy—it’s America First in action.”

    Author Batya Ungar-Sargon: “[President Trump] is saying we’re going to invest heavily in our middle class. We are no longer going to be a country in which our economy is an upward funnel of wealth from the hardest-working Americans into the pockets of the international global elites.”

    Fox Business Network’s Charles Payne: “President Trump ran on tariffs. What we just saw was a president who did what he said he was going to do … This system is unsustainable … Is our patriotism tied to Wall Street? Or should it be tied to our own personal ability to achieve the American Dream?”

    Republic Financial Chairman Nate Morris: “As someone who was raised by a proud autoworker – thank you President Trump for putting AMERICAN workers first again!”

    Commentator Geraldo Rivera: “The family did visit Japan… we did not see a single American car on the road in Tokyo — not a Caddy, not a Buick, not a Ford, not a Chevy… I have an innate sense that there’s something unfair going on… if they are screwing us, we got to tax them.”

    Commentator Bill O’Reilly: “We’ve been getting hosed since World War II by the trade imbalance … You can do what Biden and Obama did, which is just ignore it completely … The numbers are staggering, and the best part of Trump’s speech today was that he said that if you go to Japan or South Korea or China or Germany, you’re not going to see any American cars because they won’t let them in … Trump is right.”

    CPAC Chairman Matt Schlapp: “America cannot afford to be taken advantage of any longer.  Even our friends and strategic allies have for too long assumed that the United States could absorb unfair treatment, including high tariffs on American goods.  We applaud the steps taken by President Trump today to defend American manufacturers not because we like higher taxes, but because we know that trade is only free when both sides follow similar rules.  What President Trump understands is that America needs to get back on track by improving our domestic competitiveness by cutting taxes and regulations AND we need to take on the globalists who believe Americans should not always have to take it in the chops.  Real respect begins with economic reciprocity.”

    Speaker Mike Johnson: “President Trump is sending a clear message with Liberation Day: America will not be exploited by unfair trade practices anymore. These tariffs restore fair and reciprocal trade and level the playing field for American workers and innovators. The President understands that FREE trade ONLY works when it’s FAIR!”

    Gov. Jeff Landry: “Pro Jobs. Pro Business. Pro America.”

    Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso: “President Trump is acting boldly to put America first. America needs fair and free trade. We can’t allow other countries to keep abusing our workers and job creators. It’s time we had a level playing field. I applaud President Trump’s 100% commitment to Made in America.”

    Sen. Jim Banks: “The decision by President Trump today to impose reciprocal tariffs will be so good for Indiana. … Those are the manufacturing jobs that President Trump is bringing back from overseas.”

    Sen. Bill Cassidy: “The president’s trade agenda can pave the way for stronger trade deals, fairer rules, and real results. I am excited to work with President Trump to make it happen. Louisiana’s workers and families deserve nothing less.”

    Sen. John Kennedy: “America is rich. We buy a lot of stuff. President Trump is saying that if you foreign businesses want to sell in America, then move your business here and hire American workers.”

    Sen. Roger Marshall: “President Donald Trump is fighting for long-term solutions to put America’s farmers and ranchers first.”

    Sen. Ashley Moody: “It’s liberation day in America! Today, @POTUS sent a message to the world that the era of America being taken advantage of is over.”

    Sen. Bernie Moreno: “President Trump is finally reversing their failed policies and fighting back for American workers.”

    Sen. Markwayne Mullin: “President Trump is going to charge foreign countries roughly half of what they *already* charge us to do business. Literally who can argue with this?”

    Sen. Pete Ricketts: “President Trump is delivering on his campaign promises to level the playing field and stand up for the American people. Reciprocal tariffs will ensure equal treatment for American businesses. @POTUS is working to reshore jobs lost overseas and secure our supply chains. He is working to open new markets for our nation’s agriculture products. He is demonstrating to foreign adversaries like China that we will no longer be taken advantage of.”

    Sen. Rick Scott: “The days of the U.S. being taken advantage of by other countries are OVER! Pres. Trump is making it clear that he will ALWAYS put American jobs, manufacturing and our economy first. As Americans, let’s stand with him and support one another by buying products MADE IN AMERICA.”

    Sen. Eric Schmitt: “President Trump is bringing America back. We won’t be ripped off by other countries anymore. We’re bringing back manufacturing, unleashing energy production, and paving the way for prosperity.”

    Sen. Tim Sheehy: “They tariff us at up to 50% of our exported ag products and then dump mass produced ag products into our market severely hurting our farmers and ranchers. It’s about time we have a level playing field for businesses.”

    Sen. Tommy Tuberville: “For too long, other countries have ripped us off with bad trade deals – resulting in American jobs and manufacturing moving overseas. But change is coming. The Golden Age of America’s economy is here. Happy Liberation Day.”

    House Majority Leader Steve Scalise: “The United States and American workers will no longer be ripped off by other countries with unfair trade practices. Thank you President Trump for putting America’s workers and innovators first with reciprocal tariffs that level the playing field and make trade FAIR.”

    House Majority Whip Tom Emmer: “For too long, foreign countries have taken advantage of us at the expense of American workers. President @realDonaldTrump says NO MORE.”

    House Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain: “Tariffs work! @POTUS has proven tariffs are an effective tool in achieving economic and strategic objectives. The President’s long-term strategy will pay off.”

    Rep. Elise Stefanik: “I strongly support President Trump’s America First economic policies to strengthen American manufacturing and create millions of American jobs. For too long, Americans have suffered under unfair trade practices putting America Last. We will not allow other countries to take advantage of us and we must put America and the American worker first.”

    Rep. Jason Smith: “America shouldn’t reward countries that discriminate against American workers and manufacturers. On Liberation Day, President Trump is correcting this and demanding fair treatment for American producers.”

    Rep. Mark Alford: “The days of the United States being taken advantage of are OVER. Republicans are putting American workers FIRST.”

    Rep. Rick Allen: “@POTUS is undoing decades of unfair trade practices and putting American workers, businesses, and manufacturers FIRST. These reciprocal tariffs are simply leveling the playing field and will help ensure the U.S. is no longer on the losing end of global trade.”

    Rep. Jodey Arrington: “For too long, our leaders have allowed other nations to rip us off through numerous unfair trade practices resulting in suppressed wages, lost opportunities, and unrealized economic growth. Just as he did in his first term, President Trump is fighting to ensure an even playing field for our manufacturers, farmers, and workers so we can unleash American prosperity and Make America Great Again.”

    Rep. Brian Babin: “Trump’s tariffs aren’t starting a trade war—they’re ending one. For decades, other countries ripped off American workers with unfair tariffs and barriers. Now, we’re finally fighting back.”

    Rep. Andy Biggs: “Past administrations have allowed the United States to be ripped off by allies and adversaries alike. President Trump said “NO MORE!” The Art of the Deal.”

    Rep. Vern Buchanan: “For too long, unfair trade practices devastated America’s manufacturing base and stole millions of blue-collar jobs. It’s time to level the playing field and bring those jobs back. @POTUS is fighting for American workers.”

    Rep. Eli Crane: “America First policies are what the American people voted for.”

    Rep. Michael Cloud: “America-First means putting the American people first. We will no longer be taken advantage of as a nation and people.”

    Rep. Andrew Clyde: “For far too long, the U.S. has been ripped off by countries across the globe with unfair trade practices. Now, we’re finally leveling the playing field. THANK YOU, President Trump, for putting American workers and manufacturing FIRST.”

    Rep. Mike Collins: “This is fair. Whether it’s our military or economy, other countries have taken advantage of the U.S. for far too long. That time is over.”

    Rep. Byron Donalds: “For decades, a lot of these countries have built their economies on the back of the American economy … These nations have become, not just developing nations, they are now strong economies. And so, we have to have fair trade if we’re going to have free trade.”

    Rep. Chuck Edwards: “Many countries are taking advantage of the United States by imposing tariffs against us while we don’t have reciprocal tariffs against them. @POTUS has used tariffs to produce successful trade deals for us in his first term, and I support his plan to use them again to create a more level playing field and secure fairer trade deals for America. The quicker other countries agree to fairer trade deals, the quicker the tariffs can end.”

    Rep. Gabe Evans: “This admin puts America first from strengthening our economy & national security to prioritizing hard working Americans. Farmers in #CO08 have been disadvantaged in foreign trade deals & will benefit from reciprocal tariffs that promote FAIR & free trade.”

    Rep. Scott Franklin: “For years the US handcuffed itself and played nice while other countries imposed massive tariffs and took advantage of us. We’re done putting America last. @POTUS is leveling the playing field, ending trade imbalances and prioritizing American workers and manufacturing again!”

    Rep. Mike Flood: “Biden did nothing for four years on trade. Five years after Brexit, America doesn’t have a free trade deal with the UK. President @realDonaldTrump is rightsizing our trade relationships.”

    Rep. Russell Fry: “HAPPY LIBERATION DAY. Thanks to @POTUS, America is DONE being taken advantage of. A new era has begun.”

    Rep. Lance Gooden: “For decades, Washington allowed Texans to be ripped off by foreign countries. Those days are now over. @POTUS is committed to making America wealthy again!”

    Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene: “If you want to do business in America, you need to play by our rules. For too long, American businesses, big and small, have been ripped off by bad trade deals and unfair competition. President Trump is putting a stop to it. He’s standing up for our workers, our companies, and our consumers.”

    Rep. Abe Hamadeh: “The America First Republican party is the party of the working class, the forgotten men and women. On this Liberation Day, we further our commitment to them, that we will reshore our manufacturing, restore fair trade, and rebuild the greatest economy in the world.”

    Rep. Pat Harrigan: “If you want access to the most powerful economy in the world, treat us fairly. If not, don’t expect a free ride. That’s real leadership and @POTUS is delivering it!”

    Rep. Andy Harris: “President Trump’s reciprocal tariffs will put the American worker first and bring fairness back to international trade. America is being respected again.”

    Rep. Diana Harshbarger: “President Trump is bringing back the American Dream. Our taxpayers have been ripped off by foreign countries for far too long, but those days are over. President Trump is right to impose these reciprocal tariffs.”

    Rep. Clay Higgins: “.@POTUS’ trade agenda puts American industry and America first. I support the President’s action to protect our domestic producers.”

    Rep. Wesley Hunt: “Today, President Trump empowered the American middle class.  His policies on tariffs will bring automotive manufacturing back to America.”

    Rep. Morgan Luttrell: “President Trump is putting America First on trade—standing up to foreign adversaries, protecting American workers, and rebuilding our manufacturing base. The days of unfair trade deals and economic surrender are OVER.”

    Rep. Nicole Malliotakis: “Since President Trump has been elected, we’ve attracted $5 trillion in private investment, foreign & domestic companies have announced Made in USA manufacturing, countries have reduced tariffs or changed foreign policies. President Trump is sticking up for American workers & farmers, repatriating our supply chain and protecting our national security.”

    Rep. Addison McDowell: “My district was hit hard over the years by unfair trade deals. Finally, we have a President who wants to put the American worker FIRST.”

    Rep. Dan Meuser: “We have been treated unfairly. Free trade has become synonymous with unfair trade, and @POTUS is recognizing that… We needed a reckoning; we needed a correction. President Trump is bringing it.”

    Rep. Mary Miller: “America will no longer be taken advantage of! This is how you put America First.”

    Rep. John Moolenaar: “For far too long, the Chinese Communist Party has exploited America’s generosity, stolen our intellectual property, and undermined our workers. President Trump’s recent tariffs and the Restoring Trade Fairness Act, which I introduced earlier this year to revoke China’s permanent normal trade relations status, will finally put an end to this abuse—holding China accountable and protecting American jobs. For decades, we’ve accepted one-sided trade deals that hurt our industries while benefiting our adversaries. Trade deficits reflect that imbalance, but they also reveal something deeper: the strength of the American consumer. It’s time we stopped allowing that strength to be used against us and started putting American workers first.”

    Rep. Riley Moore: “For decades, foreign countries have enjoyed free access to the greatest consumer marketplace on the face of the planet, all while still charging our domestic producers hefty duties or imposing significant barriers to access their markets. Today that ends. President Trump is the only president in my lifetime to acknowledge how unfair trade has gutted the heartland and shipped countless jobs overseas. By finally reciprocating in-kind, we’ll force foreign competitors to the negotiating table, lower trade barriers, and ultimately create real free and fair trade across the board. I’m confident this move will boost our domestic manufacturing industry and fuel demand for American products across the globe.”

    Rep. Tim Moore: “President Trump is leveling the playing field for American workers and bringing back MADE IN AMERICA!”

    Rep. Troy Nehls: “President Trump’s reciprocal tariffs make it clear that our country will not be ripped off anymore. We are bringing back American manufacturing and putting America First.”

    Rep. Ralph Norman: “Happy LIBERATION Day … ✅Protect the American worker ✅Strengthen manufacturing ✅Reduce unfair trade practices … Our economy will be competitive again!!”

    Rep. Andy Ogles: “He’s resetting the negotiating table. He’s resetting the deck here to say, ‘You know what? For too long, you’ve taken advantage of our free market and you’ve literally leached jobs away from the American people … Let’s have a serious conversation and let’s do something that’s fair and mutually beneficial for both sides.’”

    Rep. Guy Reschenthaler: “I fully support President Trump’s critical efforts to right this generational wrong, bring manufacturing jobs home, and rejuvenate American working families. Made in America is back.”

    Rep. John Rutherford: “Tariffs help bring American jobs back home, incentivize buying American, AND put pressure on Canada and Mexico to stop the flow of fentanyl and illegal immigrants from their countries into ours. Even the Biden Admin kept or increased tariffs that President Trump imposed during his first presidency. Under Trump, inflation stayed around 2% and our GDP grew to 3%. Smart tariffs are a long-term investment in the American economy that are worth the short-term cost.”

    Rep. Adrian Smith: “Reducing trade barriers is necessary to ensuring American farmers, ranchers, manufacturers, small businesses, and innovators can sell their products in other markets. President Trump has made it clear other countries can avoid tariffs by reducing or eliminating their existing barriers to U.S. products. Engagement on trade is vital to our economy and opportunity for U.S. workers. In his first term, President Trump proved robust engagement can be productive as he moved the ball down the field on several agreements with our top trade partners. To achieve economic stability, we must continue to fight to give our producers the chance to compete in a global marketplace.”

    Rep. Greg Steube: “What many fail to realize: Trump’s reciprocal tariffs are a long-overdue response to years of unfair trade policies against America. For decades, America has been ripped off by other countries who have repeatedly slapped tariffs on our goods, blocked our products, and flooded our markets with theirs. The numbers don’t lie–the rest of the world has profited at the expense of American workers and businesses. President Trump is finally putting America First by taking bold, necessary actions that past leaders wouldn’t take.”

    Rep. Marlin Stutzman: “If Australia doesn’t want our beef – WE DON’T WANT THEIRS! Thank you @POTUS for opening the door of fair treatment for America’s Cattlemen‼️”

    Rep. Tom Tiffany: “Gone are the days of America being taken advantage of by foreign countries. The American worker comes FIRST.”

    Rep. William Timmons: “President Trump’s tariffs are a necessary move to protect American workers and rebuild our economy. We are finally breaking free from decades of unfair trade deals that gutted our industries. These tariffs will bring jobs back to our districts, strengthen manufacturing, and ensure our children inherit a country that is not just a consumer, but a producer. Thank you, @POTUS.”

    Rep. Beth Van Duyne: “For far too long, the United States has been taken advantage of by our foreign trade partners. The American people re-elected President Trump to bring back truly fair trade with other countries. Reciprocal tariffs are a first step to have a level playing field for American products and to start bringing back manufacturing to our country!”

    Rep. Daniel Webster: “President @realDonaldTrump is delivering on his mandate to restore America’s economic strength. For too long, unfair trade deals have hollowed out our factories and shipped American jobs overseas. By standing up to bad actors like China and Venezuela and enforcing fair trade, President Trump is defending American industries and putting American workers first.”

    Rep. Tony Wied: “President Trump has made it clear with these reciprocal tariffs that we will no longer allow other countries to take advantage of us. His goal is simple: to bring jobs and manufacturing back to our country and open up foreign markets to American products. If companies want to avoid these tariffs, they will do business in the United States. I applaud the President for taking a stand against years of unfair trade practices and making sure we put American workers and consumers first. It’s time our foreign trading partners finally live up to their end of the bargain.”

    Rep. Roger Williams: “For too long, America Last policies have put the U.S. auto industry at a disadvantage. As a car dealer and small business owner, I support @POTUS’ Executive Order to increase competition, boost revenue, and bring back American jobs.”

    Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson: “I applaud President Trump’s actions today to reset global trade relations through the President’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariff plan. America is not only in a trade war, we’ve been in a trade war for years now. This trade war has resulted in historic trade deficits that continue to hurt our farmers. … I believe President Trump’s actions today will set the stage for the renegotiation of better trade deals that will benefit American farmers and all our domestic industries going forward and will also serve to spur more local production.”

    U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer: “Today, President Trump is taking urgent action to protect the national security and economy of the United States. The current lack of trade reciprocity, demonstrated by our chronic trade deficit, has weakened our economic and national security. After only 72 days in office, President Trump has prioritized swift action to bring reciprocity to our trade relations and reduce the trade deficit by leveling the playing field for American workers and manufacturers, reshoring American jobs, expanding our domestic manufacturing base, and ensuring our defense-industrial base is not dependent on foreign adversaries—all leading to stronger economic and national security.”

    Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick: “Today, the world starts taking us seriously. Our workforce will finally be treated fairly.”

    Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent: “President Trump signed the Declaration of Economic Independence for the American people. For decades, the trade status quo has allowed countries to leverage tariffs and unfair trade practices to get ahead at the expense of hardworking Americans. The President’s historic actions will level the playing field for American workers and usher in a new age of economic strength.”

    Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins: “FARMERS COME FIRST — @POTUS is leveling the playing field, ensuring American farmers and ranchers can compete globally again!”

    Secretary of State Marco Rubio: “Thank you, @POTUS! ‘Made in America’ is not just a tagline — it’s an economic and national security priority.”

    Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem: “For too long, America has been targeted by unfair trade practices that made our supply chain dependent on foreign adversaries, eroded our industrial base, and hurt American workers. This has gravely impacted our national security. President Trump’s strong action will help make America safe again. @DHS, primarily through @CBP, is ready to collect these new tariffs and put an end to unfair trade practices. Thank you President @realDonaldTrump for putting America FIRST.”

    Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer: “Promises made, promises kept”

    Secretary of Energy Chris Wright: “President Trump is a businessman; he’s a negotiator. The result of that has been and will continue to be improvements for the American people. We are in the midst of a negotiation, and he is fighting every day to make the cost-of-living conditions better for Americans.”

    Secretary of Education Linda McMahon: “At the White House this afternoon, we celebrated Liberation Day — setting our economy on the path of future prosperity for our children. Business owners, workers, and taxpayers have been waiting for strong economic leadership.

    @POTUS’ actions today prove we are done being taken advantage of in international trade.”

    Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum: “President Trump’s Liberation Day reciprocity plan is commonsense. If you tariff us, we’ll tariff you. This will strengthen our economy and make America wealthy again!”

    Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy: “Today is the day we will liberate ourselves from unfair trade practices and outdated ways of thinking. Tariffs are an important tool in the President’s toolbox to stop foreign countries from ripping us off, protect America’s workers, and restore U.S. manufacturing. I stand with @POTUS as he finally levels the playing field. Happy Liberation Day!”

    Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Scott Turner: “For four years, Americans couldn’t afford groceries, let alone a house. This Liberation Day, @POTUS is bringing manufacturing and jobs back. President Trump is making the American Dream achievable again!”

    Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin: “Massive announcement by @POTUS today restoring U.S. dominance, cementing his America First vision, and Powering the Great American Comeback.”

    Small Business Administration Administrator Kelly Loeffler: “Small businesses will no longer be crushed by foreign governments and unfair trade deals. Instead, we will put American industry, workers, and strength FIRST. Thank you @POTUS for bringing back Made in America!”

    National Security Advisor Mike Waltz: “Economic security is national security. Thank you President Trump for putting America first.”

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kaine, Gillibrand, and Courtney Lead Colleagues in Condemning Education Department Changes to Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and U.S. Representative Joe Courtney (D-CT-02) led a bicameral group of their colleagues in sending a letter to U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon expressing their strong opposition to President Trump’s directive for changes that would limit eligibility for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. They also called on Secretary McMahon to ensure all eligibility criteria for the program are strictly followed under the law passed by Congress and adhere to congressional intent. The PSLF program was created by Congress and signed into law by President George W. Bush to encourage more people to enter public service by providing loan forgiveness after 10 years of working full-time for a federal, state, local, or Tribal government organization or certain nonprofit organizations. Since the program was created, it has provided teachers, nurses, veterans, first responders, and other public servants with needed student loan relief.
    “We write to express our strong opposition to the Department of Education’s (Department) order to initiate the formal rulemaking process to limit eligibility for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program,” wrote the members. “Since March 7, 2025, our dedicated public service workers have faced immense uncertainty and anxiety due to President Trump’s Executive Order #14235 which directed the Secretary of Education and the Secretary of Treasury to redefine ’public service’ to align with the administration’s political agenda. This move contradicts the core tenets of public service and the original intent and purpose of the PSLF program.”
    “This order’s vague and arbitrary restrictions on which organizations qualify for PSLF are deeply troubling. Under the guise of national security, it unfairly targets organizations that serve marginalized communities, such as those advocating for immigrants or protecting vulnerable children, with no evidence of illegal activity,” the members wrote. “Furthermore, the broad language of the order could lead to political repression and the chilling of free speech, where organizations or individuals deemed ’non-conforming’ to the administration’s views could be stripped of the very support they rely on to carry out their public service missions.”
    The members concluded, “We request your immediate action and assurance on the following: Ensure that all eligibility criteria are strictly followed under the law passed by Congress. There should be no exceptions or compromises regarding compliance with the established statute. And prioritize processing PSLF applications that are eligible for forgiveness immediately. The severe reduction of employees at the Federal Student Aid office gives us grave concerns that these eligible borrowers will not be processed in a timely manner.”
    Kaine, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Gillibrand have long pushed for changes to improve the PSLF program. In May 2021, Kaine and Gillibrand successfully called for strengthening the PSLF program and fixing eligibility barriers and program restrictions that excluded certain first responders, teachers, public health workers, and other public servants from relief. They have previously introduced legislation to overhaul the PSLF program, including by expanding eligibility and simplifying the application and approval process.
    The letter was cosigned by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Angus S. King (I-ME), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Ed Markey (D-MA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Tina Smith (D-MN), and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD). It was also cosigned by U.S. Representatives Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC-At-Large), Frederica S. Wilson (D-FL-24), Robin L. Kelly (D-IL-02), Danny K. Davis (D-NC-01), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-12), Mark Pocan (D-WI-02), Shri Thanedar (D-MI-13), Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY-07), Adriano Espaillat (D-NY-13), Delia C. Ramirez (D-IL-03), Jamie Raskin (D-MD-08), Juan Vargas (D-CA-52), Alma S. Adams (D-NC-12), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR-01), Dwight Evans (D-PA-03), Johnny Olszewski (D-MD-02), Kathy Castor (D-FL-14), Nikema Williams (D-GA-05), Herbert C. Conaway (D-NJ-03), LaMonica McIver (D-NJ-10), Hank Johnson (D-GA-04), Betty McCollum (D-MN-04), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA-07), Brittany Pettersen (D-CO-07), Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA-10), Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA-05), Sarah Elfreth (D-MD-03), Jesús G. “Chuy” García (D-IL-04), Ritchie Torres (D-NY-15), Jill Tokuda (D-HI-02), Scott Peters (D-CA-50), Judy Chu (D-CA-28), Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS-02), Lucy McBath (D-GA-06), Paul D. Tonko (D-NY-20), Chris Deluzio (D-PA-17), Linda T. Sánchez (D-CA-38), Diana DeGette (D-CO-01), Shelia Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL-20), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-07), Marilyn Strickland (D-WA-10), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-09), Summer L. Lee (D-PA-12), Kweisi Mfume (D-MD-07), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY-12), Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ-10), James P. McGovern (D-MA-02), William R. Keating (D-MA-09), Gabe Amo (D-RI-01), Mark Takano (D-CA-39), and Chellie Pingree (D-ME-01).
    Full text of the letter is available here and below:
    Dear Secretary McMahon:
    We write to express our strong opposition to the Department of Education’s (Department) order to initiate the formal rulemaking process to limit eligibility for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. Since March 7, 2025, our dedicated public service workers have faced immense uncertainty and anxiety due to President Trump’s Executive Order #14235  which directed the Secretary of Education and the Secretary of Treasury to redefine “public service” to align with the administration’s political agenda. This move contradicts the core tenets of public service and the original intent and purpose of the PSLF program.
    PSLF was established under the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007 under President George W. Bush with bipartisan support and provides student loan forgiveness to individuals who work in qualifying public service jobs. The program aims to support those in roles such as government employees, teachers, nurses, active-duty service members, veterans, and non-profit workers by offering them loan forgiveness after they make 120 qualifying monthly payments under an eligible repayment plan. PSLF was established to encourage professionals to dedicate their careers to public service, easing their financial burden while contributing to the well-being of our communities. However, navigating the program’s requirements has proven complex, and many borrowers have encountered challenges in applying for or receiving the forgiveness they are due.
    The program has long been plagued with challenges. In 2017, less than one percent of the first cohort was eligible for forgiveness.  Under President Trump’s first term, fewer than 7,000 applicants were approved for forgiveness, less than three percent of total applicants. President Biden took steps to streamline the process, and under his administration, over one million applicants have been approved for forgiveness.  The program has over 2.4 million cumulative PSLF borrowers with eligible employment and open loans.  Under Executive Order #14235, this framework reverses the previous administration’s efforts to administer the PSLF program more effectively after years of unnecessary roadblocks.
    The PSLF program supports local, state, and federal government employees and those at tax-exempt nonprofits under 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. However, certain nonprofits, like labor unions and partisan political groups, do not qualify. This order’s vague and arbitrary restrictions on which organizations qualify for PSLF are deeply troubling. Under the guise of national security, it unfairly targets organizations that serve marginalized communities, such as those advocating for immigrants or protecting vulnerable children, with no evidence of illegal activity. Furthermore, the broad language of the order could lead to political repression and the chilling of free speech, where organizations or individuals deemed “non-conforming” to the administration’s views could be stripped of the very support they rely on to carry out their public service missions. We have already seen what can happen when the President targets organizations for doing the right thing for the country. We are fearful this is yet another tool for President Trump to go after any group or organization that does not show loyalty to his political, partisan agenda.
    At your nomination hearing on February 13, 2025, you testified in front of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee that you would fully implement existing public service loan forgiveness programs because they “have been passed by Congress …  That is the law.”  Your statement reinforced a commitment to upholding the law and supporting individuals who dedicate their careers to public service. It’s time to back up your words, follow the law, and step up as a true champion of the PSLF program.
    We request your immediate action and assurance on the following: Ensure that all eligibility criteria are strictly followed under the law passed by Congress. There should be no exceptions or compromises regarding compliance with the established statute. And prioritize processing PSLF applications that are eligible for forgiveness immediately. The severe reduction of employees at the Federal Student Aid office gives us grave concerns that these eligible borrowers will not be processed in a timely manner.  Regardless of the Trump and Elon Musk administration, these borrowers have met the criteria, done the work, and are entitled to the relief they were promised.
    Revoking PSLF eligibility for public service workers who serve across communities nationwide is both reckless and harmful. We urge you to uphold the law, adhere to congressional intent, and protect PSLF from future attacks. We look forward to your response on this critical matter.
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Baldwin, Colleagues Reintroduce Bill to Ensure Wealthiest Americans Pay Their Fair Share in Taxes

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and her colleagues introduced the Paying a Fair Share Act to ensure that millionaires pay higher tax rates than middle-class Americans by enacting a 30-percent minimum tax on those with incomes over $1 million.
    “Working families should not be paying more in taxes than the wealthiest Americans. Period. But right now, our system is rigged against teachers, firefighters, and nurses while letting Wall Street get massive tax breaks to pad their pockets. It’s just plain wrong,” said Senator Baldwin. “This commonsense bill will level the playing field, help close the deficit, and ensure that the wealthiest among us pay their fair share in taxes.”
    In 2022, the top .001% (or 1,538 households) earned at least $85.5 million and paid an average federal tax rate of 23.5 percent.
    The Paying a Fair Share Act would ensure that the highest-earning Americans pay at least a 30% effective tax rate. The bill would apply only to taxpayers with income over $1 million (including capital gains and dividends) – approximately 0.58% of taxpayers in 2024. The legislation includes a phase-in for additional tax liability for taxpayers earning between $1 million and $2 million and would preserve the incentive for charitable giving.
    The Paying a Fair Share Act is expected to raise nearly $120 billion in revenue over ten years and would provide a backstop to limit future tax dodging by the ultrawealthy.
    The bill is led by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and co-sponsored by twelve other Senators.
    Full text of this legislation is available here. 

    MIL OSI USA News