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Category: Education

  • MIL-OSI USA: July 11, 2025 Mullin, Matsui, Whitehouse, Padilla Reintroduce Legislation to Reduce Ocean Shipping Pollution, Modernize Maritime Industry Today, U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Ranking Member on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW), and Alex Padilla (D-CA), a member of the Committee, along with Representatives Doris Matsui (D-CA-07) and Kevin Mullin (D-CA-15), reintroduced legislation aimed at… Read More

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Kevin Mullin California (15th District)

    Today, U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Ranking Member on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW), and Alex Padilla (D-CA), a member of the Committee, along with Representatives Doris Matsui (D-CA-07) and Kevin Mullin (D-CA-15), reintroduced legislation aimed at reducing harmful pollution from the global shipping industry.  Maritime shipping is a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions around the world and a major contributor to air pollution in port communities.

    Led by Senators Whitehouse and Padilla and Representatives Matsui and Mullin, the bicameral International Maritime Pollution Accountability Act would decarbonize the emissions-heavy maritime shipping industry, prevent the release of criteria air pollutants in port communities, and revitalize the U.S. shipping industry.  Senators Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and Peter Welch (D-VT) are cosponsors. 

    “Communities near our ports—like those in the San Francisco Bay Area—bear the brunt of pollution from ships that fuel global trade. The International Maritime Pollution Accountability Act ensures that the global shipping industry does its part to reduce emissions. The revenue from these pollution fees will help speed the shift to cleaner ships and healthier ports. I’m proud to partner with Congresswoman Matsui to advance this policy that meets the urgency of the climate crisis while protecting the people and places most impacted by maritime emissions,” said Congressman Kevin Mullin, who co-led reintroduction of the International Maritime Pollution Accountability Act in the House.

    “As climate change destroys lives and drives up costs for families, we need an all-hands-on-deck approach to avoid the worst consequences for communities, businesses, and the environment,” said Ranking Member Whitehouse.  “Encouragingly, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has put forward a global carbon price on shipping emissions.  This legislation reinforces that work, further cutting harmful emissions while supporting the maritime innovators that are pioneering clean technologies to protect public health and can help put us on course to climate safety.”

    “California’s ports are the powerhouse of our country’s economy, moving critical freight and providing good-paying jobs, all while leading the nation’s decarbonizing efforts. But neighboring communities have been forced to shoulder the brunt of global shipping pollution for too long,” said Senator Padilla. “Our legislation would strengthen the sustainability of our shipping industry by reducing emissions in maritime transportation while simultaneously protecting coastal communities. The health of our communities and our planet requires us to be forward-looking and ambitious — we owe future generations nothing less than bold, transformative action.”

    “The climate crisis isn’t a distant threat. It’s here, it’s accelerating, and it’s devastating communities across our state and our country,” said Congresswoman Matsui, who co-led reintroduction of the International Maritime Pollution Accountability Act in the House. “We must act quickly to reduce greenhouse gases and other harmful air pollution across our economy. The International Maritime Pollution Accountability Act takes decisive action to slash pollution from cargo ships and provide urgently needed investment in clean maritime technology and infrastructure. While the International Maritime Organization made history this spring by approving a global net-zero shipping framework, President Trump tried to derail negotiations and continues to block any action to fight climate change. This bill would ensure the U.S. is leading—not lagging—on climate action.  As Trump and his allies double down on climate denial and fossil fuel handouts, we’re fighting back with real solutions that protect public health and the planet.”

    “Investing in green transportation–both on land and at sea–is vital to tackling the climate crisis. That includes supporting clean shipping initiatives that help protect communities from harmful emissions,” said Senator Welch, a cosponsor of the International Maritime Pollution Accountability Act.  “I’m glad to join Senator Whitehouse in introducing this bill to increase accountability for large polluters and help modernize America’s shipping fleet and port infrastructure.”

    Globally, maritime shipping is a major source of climate-warming pollution, including climate-warming GHG emissions (carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide) and harmful air pollutant emissions (oxides of nitrogen, sulfur dioxide, and fine particulate matter). According to the International Maritime Organization 2020 GHG Study, the global shipping industry emits approximately one billion tons of GHG emissions per year, roughly three percent of total anthropogenic global-warming carbon-dioxide emissions. The study projects in future scenarios that shipping’s GHG emissions could more than double between 2018 and 2050 without action. These emissions are not only harmful for the environment, but they jeopardize the air quality and public health of the nearly 40 percent of Americans who live within three miles of a port.

    Maritime shipping is the largest source of traded goods, both for the U.S. and globally.  Unlike other modes of transportation (trucks, planes, etc.), marine shipping vessels rarely pay fuel taxes.  Implementing a pollution fee would address this loophole while encouraging domestic manufacturing and reducing the U.S. trade deficit, which approached $1.2 trillion in 2024.

    International Maritime Pollution Accountability Act

    The International Maritime Pollution Accountability Act would:

    ·        Impose a pollution fee on the largest marine vessels offloading cargo at U.S. ports, driving industry-wide decarbonization efforts and incentivizing the use and development of cleaner maritime fuels. 

    ·        Levy a $150 per ton fee on the carbon emissions of fuel burned on an inbound trip, as well as fees for the nitrogen oxides ($6.30/lb.), sulfur dioxide ($18/lb.), and particle pollution (PM2.5) ($38.90/lb.) that ships emit.  The fees would apply only to those ships with 5,000 gross tonnage or more, excluding most of the domestic industry, and the fee on carbon emissions would sunset if the IMO implemented and enforced a fee on the greenhouse gas emissions of marine shipping that was equal to or greater than the $150 per ton fee levied in the bill. 

    ·        Provide critical funding for modernizing the Jones Act fleet with low-carbon vessels, revitalizing and electrifying U.S. shipbuilding, and addressing pollutants in America’s port communities, along our coasts, and in our oceans.

    The International Maritime Pollution Accountability Act has been endorsed by EV Maritime, Friends of the Earth, GreenLatinos, Ocean Conservancy, Pacific Environment, San Pedro & Peninsula Homeowners Coalition, Sierra Club, 350 Bay Area Action, and 350 Brooklyn.

    Full text of the International Maritime Pollution Accountability Act is available HERE, and a one-pager is available HERE. 

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Kehoe Signs Public Safety Recruitment and Retention Act into Law

    Source: US State of Missouri

    JULY 11, 2025

    Jefferson City — Today, Governor Mike Kehoe signed Senate Bill (SB) 71, containing the Public Safety Recruitment and Retention Act that delivers support for first responders and their families through education incentives.

    “Missouri’s public safety professionals dedicate their lives to protecting our communities, and they deserve more than just our thanks—they deserve real support,” said Governor Kehoe. “SB 71 makes a meaningful investment in their futures and the futures of their families, helping ensure Missouri remains a state where service is honored, and opportunity follows sacrifice.”

    SB 71, sponsored by Senator David Gregory and Representative Dave Hinman, contains provisions relating to public safety.

    • Establishes the Public Safety Recruitment and Retention Act, providing financial aid to eligible public safety personnel and their dependent children to help cover the cost of college tuition and fees for certain majors.
      • Public safety personnel with at least 6 years of service and the dependent children of public safety personnel with at least ten years of service are eligible to receive 100% tuition coverage if they agree to live in Missouri until they complete their degree or for five years from the date they first receive tuition assistance.
    • Authorizes the Board of Trustees of the Firemen’s Retirement System of St. Louis to also serve as the board of trustees of the St. Louis Firefighter’s Retirement Plan, which also provides retirement, disability, and death benefits for firefighters employed by the City of St. Louis.
    • Strengthens penalties for burglary and motor vehicle-related crimes committed with the intent to steal, including:
      • Classifies the entrance of a vehicle with the intent to steal or commit a felony as a class D felony, which is then elevated to a class C felony if such an act is committed while in possession of a firearm or stolen firearm from the vehicle.
      • Classifies the act of unlawfully gaining entry into a motor vehicle, initiated by the lifting of a door handle or otherwise testing the doors and locks in an attempt to gain entry for the purpose of stealing, as a class A misdemeanor.
    • Extends the Line of Duty Compensation Act, which provides for compensation for a public safety officer killed in the line of duty.

    The bill signing took place at the St. Louis Fire Department headquarters and builds on Governor Kehoe’s commitment to public safety, workforce development, and supporting those who serve.

    The Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development will implement the Public Safety Recruitment & Retention Act Scholarship. An application and specific verifying documentation will be required to be considered for this scholarship. The department will continue to update its website with additional information as it becomes available.

    For more information on the legislation and additional provisions signed into law, visit house.mo.gov and senate.mo.gov. Photos from the bill signing will be uploaded to Governor Kehoe’s Flickr page. Additional bill signings will continue to take place over the next several days. For more information on the bill signings, view Governor Kehoe’s schedule.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: How citizenship chaos was averted, for now, by a class action injunction against Trump’s birthright citizenship order

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Julie Novkov, Professor of Political Science and Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies, University at Albany, State University of New York

    Protesters support birthright citizenship on May 15, 2025, outside of the Supreme Court in Washington. AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin

    Legal battles over President Donald Trump’s executive order to end birthright citizenship continued on July 10, 2025, after a New Hampshire federal district judge issued a preliminary injunction that will, if it’s not reversed, prevent federal officials from enforcing the order nationally.

    The ruling by U.S. District Judge Joseph Laplante, a George W. Bush appointee, asserts that this policy of “highly questionable constitutionality … constitutes irreparable harm.”

    In its ruling in late June, the Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to deny citizenship to infants born to undocumented parents in many parts of the nation where individuals or states had not successfully sued to prevent implementation – including a number of mid-Atlantic, Midwest and Southern states.

    Trump’s executive order limits U.S. citizenship by birth to those who have at least one parent who is a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident. It denies citizenship to those born to undocumented people within the U.S. and to the children of those on student, work, tourist and certain other types of visas.

    The preliminary injunction is on hold for seven days to allow the Trump administration to appeal.

    The June 27 Supreme Court decision on birthright citizenship limited the ability of lower-court judges to issue universal injunctions to block such executive orders nationwide.

    Laplante was able to avoid that limit on issuing a nationwide injunction by certifying the case as a class action lawsuit encompassing all children affected by the birthright order, following a pathway suggested by the Supreme Court’s ruling.

    Pathways beyond universal injunctions

    In its recent birthright citizenship ruling, Trump v. CASA, the Supreme Court noted that plaintiffs could still seek broad relief by filing such class action lawsuits that would join together large groups of individuals facing the same injury from the law they were challenging.

    And that’s what happened.

    Litigants filed suit in New Hampshire’s district court the same day that the Supreme Court decided CASA. They asked the court to certify a class consisting of infants born on or after Feb. 20, 2025, who would be covered by the order and their parents or prospective parents. The court allowed the suit to proceed as a class action for these infants.

    President Donald Trump takes questions on June 27, 2025, in Washington, D.C., after the Supreme Court ruled on the birthright citizenship case.
    Joe Raedle/Getty Images

    What if this injunction doesn’t stick?

    If the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit or the Supreme Court invalidates the New Hampshire court’s newest national injunction and another injunction is not issued in a different venue, the order will then go into effect anywhere it is not currently barred from doing so. Implementation could begin in as many as 28 states where state attorneys general have not challenged the Trump birthright citizenship policy if no other individuals or groups secure relief.

    As political science scholars who study race and immigration policy, we believe that, if implemented piecemeal, Trump’s birthright citizenship order would create administrative chaos for states determining the citizenship status of infants born in the United States. And it could lead to the first instances since the 1860s of infants being born in the U.S. being denied citizenship categorically.

    States’ role in establishing citizenship

    Almost all U.S.-born children are issued birth certificates by the state in which they are born.

    The federal government’s standardized form, the U.S. standard certificate of live birth, collects data on parents’ birthplaces and their Social Security numbers, if available, and provides the information states need to issue birth certificates.

    But it does not ask questions about their citizenship or immigration status. And no national standard exists for the format for state birth certificates, which traditionally have been the simplest way for people born in the U.S. to establish citizenship.

    If Trump’s executive order goes into effect, birth certificates issued by local hospitals would be insufficient evidence of eligibility for federal government documents acknowledging citizenship. The order would require new efforts, including identification of parents’ citizenship status, before authorizing the issuance of any federal document acknowledging citizenship.

    Since states control the process of issuing birth certificates, they will respond differently to implementation efforts. Several states filed a lawsuit on Jan. 21 to block the birthright citizenship order. And they will likely pursue an arsenal of strategies to resist, delay and complicate implementation.

    While the Supreme Court has not yet confirmed that these states have standing to challenge the order, successful litigation could bar implementation in up to 18 states and the District of Columbia if injunctions are narrowly framed, or nationally if lawyers can persuade judges that disentangling the effects on a state-by-state basis will be too difficult.

    Other states will likely collaborate with the administration to deny citizenship to some infants. Some, like Texas, had earlier attempted to make it particularly hard for undocumented parents to obtain birth certificates for their children.

    People demonstrate outside the Supreme Court of the United States on May 15, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
    Matt McClain/The Washington Post via Getty Images

    Potential for chaos

    If the Supreme Court rejects attempts to block the executive order nationally again, implementation will be complicated.

    That’s because it would operate in some places and toward some individuals while being legally blocked in other places and toward others, as Justice Sonia Sotomayor warned in her Trump v. CASA dissent.

    Children born to plaintiffs anywhere in the nation who have successfully sued would have access to citizenship, while other children possibly born in the same hospitals – but not among the groups named in the suits – would not.

    Babies born in the days before implementation would have substantially different rights than those born the day after. Parents’ ethnicity and countries of origin would likely influence which infants are ultimately granted or denied citizenship.

    That’s because some infants and parents would be more likely to generate scrutiny from hospital employees and officials than others, including Hispanics, women giving birth near the border, and women giving birth in states such as Florida where officials are likely to collaborate enthusiastically with enforcement.

    The consequences could be profound.

    Some infants would become stateless, having no right to citizenship in another nation. Many people born in the U.S. would be denied government benefits, Social Security numbers and the ability to work legally in the U.S.

    With the constitutionality of the executive order still unresolved, it’s unclear when, if ever, some infants born in the U.S. will be the first in the modern era to be denied citizenship.

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

    – ref. How citizenship chaos was averted, for now, by a class action injunction against Trump’s birthright citizenship order – https://theconversation.com/how-citizenship-chaos-was-averted-for-now-by-a-class-action-injunction-against-trumps-birthright-citizenship-order-260175

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: HSE experts assessed the “cost” of options for developing legislation on digital platforms and proposed an optimum

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: State University “Higher School of Economics” –

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    July 11

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

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    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kaine Applauds Committee Passage of Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Bill

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) and Ranking Member of the SASC Subcommittee on Seapower, applauded committee passage of the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which includes key provisions Kaine secured to advance U.S. national security, support servicemembers and their families, boost Virginia’s defense industry, and strengthen relations with allies and partners:

    “I’m proud to have worked with my colleagues on the Senate Armed Services Committee to pass out of committee this year’s defense authorization bill. The bill includes several provisions I secured to strengthen our national security, support Virginia’s military installations and defense community, invest in our nation’s shipbuilding programs, and most importantly, improve quality of life among servicemembers and their families. I’m especially glad the bill includes a provision I pushed for to require Defense Department aircraft that operate near commercial airports to have broadcast positioning technology following the deadly collision between an Army Black Hawk helicopter and a regional commercial jet that took 67 lives in January. I urge the full Senate to take it up as soon as possible.”

    Kaine successfully secured the following provisions:

    Pay Raises, Allowances, and Workforce Recruitment:

    • Authorizes a 3.8 percent pay raise for military personnel.
    • Directs the Secretary of Defense to ensure that pay statements for military servicemembers include clear descriptions for each type of pay, allowance, and deduction.
    • Directs the Secretary of Defense to assess how current salaries of Department of Defense civilian employees are calculated under the locality pay system.
    • Provides the Secretary of Defense with direct hiring authority for up to 60 graduates of the Defense Civilian Training Corps (DCTC) every calendar year and requires a report to Congress on the use of this hiring authority. The DCTC is a pilot program that recruits and trains college students for careers as Department of Defense civilians.

    Shipbuilding Investments:

    • Authorizes investments and procurement of naval ships, including Columbia-class submarines and Medium Landing Ships.
    • Directs the Secretary of the Navy to provide a report to Congress on the Navy’s progress since 2015 in implementing the 90 recommendations made by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to improve naval shipbuilding.
    • Requires the Secretary of the Navy to expedite the investigation, qualification, and integration of 23 advanced technologies and processes into Navy surface ship maintenance to improve readiness, reduce costs, and address delays.
    • Directs the Secretary of the Navy to provide a report to Congress on the status of the recommendations made by the GAO to ensure the Marine Corps has a fleet of 31 operational ships.
    • Requires the Secretary of the Navy to move leadership for surface ship maintenance at private shipyards to Type Commanders and directs a new contracting strategy that emphasizes workforce stability and collaborative planning.

    Aviation Safety: Requires that all aircraft of the Department of Defense that operate near commercial airports be equipped with broadcast positioning technology. Requires that the Department of Defense improve how it shares aviation safety data with the Federal Aviation Administration. This comes in response to the January 29, 2025 collision between an Army Black Hawk helicopter and American Airlines flight 5342 near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) that took the lives of 67 people.

    Army Futures Command and Training and Doctrine Command: Requires a report on the Army’s proposed plan to integrate Army Futures Command and Training and Doctrine Command.

    Military Construction: Authorizes $993,660,000 for military construction (MILCON) in Virginia.

    • $380,000,000 for Public-Private Venture (PPV) unaccompanied housing at Naval Station Norfolk 
    • $188,000,000 for Dry Dock 3 modernization at Norfolk Naval Shipyard
    • $93,300,000 for Electric Distribution System upgrades at Naval Station Norfolk 
    • $85,000,000 for operations center at the Pentagon
    • $71,700,000 for weapons magazines at Naval Weapons Station Yorktown 
    • $63,500,000 for a Water Treatment Plant at Marine Corps Base Quantico
    • $49,000,000 for fuel system maintenance dock at Joint Base Langley-Eustis
    • $20,400,000 for MQ-25 facilities at Naval Station Norfolk 
    • $15,500,000 for an Aircraft Maintenance Hangar at Virginia Army National Guard’s Army Aviation Support Facility in Sandston 
    • $12,360,000 for a Child Development Center at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story
    • $11,700,000 for a Child Development Center at Naval Station Norfolk 
    • $3,200,000 for the planning and design of a new headquarters for the 192nd Wing at Langley Air Force Base

    Military Housing:

    • Authorizes increased funding to construct, repair, and improve enlisted barracks across the services.
    • Requires the Secretary of Defense to publish a clear, accessible document that explains how Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) rates are determined.
    • Requires the Secretary of Defense to develop an alternative methodology for calculating BAH based on the typical cost of housing units by number of bedrooms, conduct a pilot program using the new methodology, and brief Congress on the findings.
    • Requires the Secretary of Defense to include additional oversight mechanisms for any renegotiation of the contract under the Global Household Goods Contract or negotiation of a new contract under the Global Household Goods Contract of any successor program or contract.

    Health Care:

    • Directs the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a study on the impact of behavioral and mental health staffing shortfalls at military treatment facilities.
    • Requires a briefing on the Department of Defense’s implementation of the self-initiated referral process for mental health care.
    • Requires the establishment of a demonstration program to expand partnerships between the Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities for the purpose of increasing case volume for graduate medical education programs.
    • Requires Department of Defense to review its policies for credentialing health care workers to remove barriers to accessing mental health care.
    • Requires the Department of Defense to better define its criteria for reimbursing children’s hospitals.

    Military Families:

    • Requires the Secretary of Defense to improve staffing of special education teachers and staff and improve special education offerings at Department of Defense Education Activity (DODEA) schools.
    • Requires an update to existing DODEA regulations on the student use of portable electronic mobile devices in DODEA schools to prohibit disruption in the learning environment.
    • Authorizes funding for Impact Aid, including funding to support military children with severe disabilities. Impact Aid reimburses school districts for the cost of educating children who reside on military installations or have a parent that works on a military installation or federal property. Because military families may not pay certain state or local taxes where they are stationed, Impact Aid helps offset these costs to support schools.

    European Security, NATO, and Ukraine:

    • Prohibits a reduction in U.S. military posture in Europe or relinquishment of U.S. command of the Supreme Allied Commander Europe position until the Secretary of Defense assesses the impact on U.S. and NATO and certifies to Congress that such action is in the national interest.
    • Authorizes funding for the NATO Security Investment Program.
    • Extends and authorizes funding for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative.
    • Requires the Secretary of Defense to deliver a report on acceleration options for the JUMPSTART initiative, which allows European partners to purchase weapons for Ukraine from U.S. defense companies.
    • Requires the Secretary of Defense to work with Ukraine to create a depot-level maintenance plan to ensure that western-transferred military equipment can be sustained and provide the plan to Congress.
    • Requires the Secretary of Defense to continue to provide intelligence support, including information, intelligence, and imagery collection to the Government of Ukraine.

    Australia-U.K-U.S. (AUKUS) Partnership: Directs further collaboration between the AUKUS countries on IT infrastructure and directs the DoD to provide an update on who it has assigned to be the senior civilian defense official to lead the U.S. work on this agreement and continue the updates required by the Fiscal Year 2024 NDAA.

    Taiwan: Authorizes funding for the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative and directs the Department of Defense to engage with Taiwan to develop a joint program to codevelop and coproduce uncrewed and counter-uncrewed capabilities.

    U.S. Posture in Indo-Pacific:

    • Authorizes funding for the Pacific Deterrence Initiative (PDI), which enhances U.S. force posture, infrastructure, readiness, capacity, and capabilities in the Indo-Pacific.
    • Prohibits a reduction in U.S. military posture on the Korean Peninsula or a change in wartime operational control over the Combined Forces Command until the Secretary of Defense certifies to Congress that such action is in the national interest.
    • Directs an initiative to strengthen security cooperation across the respective defense industrial bases of U.S. allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific.

    Uncrewed Aircraft Systems:

    • Requires the Department of Defense to develop a roadmap for the small, unmanned aircraft system (sUAS) industrial base to support existing sUAS programs.
    • Requires a briefing on the plan for installation commanders to engage UAS on U.S. military installations by both kinetic and non-kinetic means.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Backgrounder: Government of Canada Invests in Renewable Energy, Carbon Capture and Grid Modernization in the Maritimes

    Source: Government of Canada News

    On July 11, 2025, the Honourable Tim Hodgson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, announced close to $16 million in federal funding for energy projects in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick.

    Energy Innovation Program – Smart Grid Demonstration

    The Energy Innovation Program (EIP) supports research, development, demonstration and related scientific activities that advance clean energy technologies. These investments help Canada meet its climate targets and support the transition to a low-carbon economy.

    Projects funded under the Smart Grid Demonstration Call for Proposals showcase innovative smart-grid technologies, solutions and market or contract mechanisms.

    Project name: Advanced Distribution Grid Management    
    Recipient: Nova Scotia Power Inc.    
    Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Funding amount: $6,000,000    
    Description: This project will demonstrate three new distribution grid technologies to modernize Nova Scotia Power’s electricity distribution network.  

    Project name: Advanced Digital Distribution System Operator
    Recipient: Saint John Energy Inc.
    Location: Saint John, New Brunswick
    Funding amount: $5,250,000
    Description: This project will modernize electricity distribution in the City of Saint John through intelligent grid management systems and bring cost savings and improved service reliability to approximately 36,000 Saint John Energy customers.

    Project name: Charlottetown Grid Modernization Project  
    Recipient: Maritime Electric Company Ltd.    
    Location: Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
    Funding amount: $2,000,000
    Description: This project seeks to demonstrate the integration of smart-grid technology through the public cellular network in Charlottetown.  

    Project name: Regionally Integrated Smart Meter Platform Enabling Load Shifting Coincident with Excess Renewables    
    Recipient: Alternative Resource Energy Authority    
    Location: Antigonish, Nova Scotia    
    Funding amount: $875,000    
    Description: This project will better align end-user electricity demand with municipally owned renewable production. By leveraging advanced metering infrastructure, new customer rate structures and a collaborative model for intelligent grid management, the project aims to reduce costs for approximately 3,500 customers.

    Energy Innovation Program – Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage

    The EIP’s Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS) Call for Proposals aims to advance the commercial viability of CCUS technologies.

    Project name: A Regulatory Roadmap for Offshore Carbon Storage in Atlantic Canada
    Recipient: Dalhousie University
    Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Funding amount: $704,089
    Description: This project will develop a roadmap for policies and regulations to better support a regulatory framework for offshore carbon storage, paving the way for innovation that will help offshore industries reduce emissions. 

     

    Indigenous Natural Resource Partnerships

     

    The program aims to increase the economic participation of Indigenous communities and organizations in the development of natural resource projects that support the transition to a clean energy futuren.

    Project name: Dartmouth Solar Power Generation Project
    Recipient: Millbrook First Nation 
    Location: Millbrook First Nation (near Truro, Nova Scotia)
    Funding amount: $1,011,880
    Description: Millbrook First Nation, in collaboration with Imperial Oil, intends to repurpose idled tank lots that have remained vacant since Imperial’s terminal was converted from a refinery in 2014. This project involves the delivery of a solar farm with photovoltaic solar arrays and potentially energy storage that will be majority-owned and operated by Millbrook First Nation.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Projecting Accelerated Erosion of O‘ahu’s Shorelines

    Source: US Geological Survey

    Hawai‘i’s iconic beaches—essential to the state’s identity, economy, and ecosystems—are disappearing faster than previously predicted. New projections of shoreline change by the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa and USGS finds that 81% of sandy shorelines on the island of O‘ahu could be lost by the end of the century, with nearly 40% of that loss occurring within just the next five years.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Projecting Accelerated Erosion of O‘ahu’s Shorelines

    Source: US Geological Survey

    Hawai‘i’s iconic beaches—essential to the state’s identity, economy, and ecosystems—are disappearing faster than previously predicted. New projections of shoreline change by the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa and USGS finds that 81% of sandy shorelines on the island of O‘ahu could be lost by the end of the century, with nearly 40% of that loss occurring within just the next five years.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Alexander Novak made a working visit to the Republic of Tatarstan.

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – Government of the Russian Federation –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak made a working visit to the Republic of Tatarstan. He held a meeting with the head of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov, spoke at the Oil Summit, visited the republic’s infrastructure and educational facilities, and met with participants in regional industry competitions and school Olympiads.

    Alexander Novak visited the Tatneft scientific and educational center, the Higher School of Oil, where he met with schoolchildren who won the Sustainable Development Goals competition, the environmental Olympiad, and the leaders of the School Biolaboratories program. “New industries require engineers and scientists of a new format, for whom imaginative thinking, research skills, and the ability to make effective decisions come to the fore. Therefore, in addition to the specialized knowledge that you receive here, it is important that you learn to communicate, be a leader, and work in a team. All the necessary conditions are in place for this – modern laboratories, comfortable classrooms, and experienced teachers,” said Alexander Novak.

    He visited the exhibition of oil and gas equipment as part of the Oil Summit, and also spoke at the panel session “Tatneft – 75 years of technological leadership and contribution to the development of the Russian fuel and energy complex: a look into a sustainable future.” The Deputy Prime Minister spoke about the implementation of tasks to achieve technological sovereignty. “As part of the energy strategy until 2050, in order to achieve technological sovereignty and ensure technological leadership, it is proposed to form an ecosystem that will allow developing economic incentives for investment in technology and equipment while removing administrative barriers, and create a domestic pool of serial technologies for the fuel and energy complex. Also key elements are the digital transformation of the industry, attracting and retaining qualified personnel, ensuring professional development of personnel,” said Alexander Novak.

    Answering a question about the future of oil and gas production over the next 20-30 years, he said that global demand for oil is expected to grow at least until 2035 amid the growing number of cars in the Asia-Pacific region, Latin America and Africa. “The key factors in the dynamics of demand will be an increase in transportation and a change in the structure of the vehicle fleet towards electric transport and increased efficiency of internal combustion engines. A significant increase in demand will be observed in petrochemistry. At the same time, competition in the global oil market will increase. As a result, although the share of oil in the global energy balance will decrease from 37 to 33% by 2050, the volume of demand for oil in absolute figures will increase from 102 to 114 million barrels per day,” the Deputy Prime Minister emphasized.

    Alexander Novak awarded the representatives of the Tatneft team with the Order “For Valiant Labor” for their great contribution to the development of the oil and gas industry and their labor successes. The Deputy Prime Minister thanked the veterans and employees of the company for their effective work for the benefit of the country’s fuel and energy complex.

    The Deputy Prime Minister held a working meeting with the Head of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov. The parties discussed the socio-economic development of the republic, as well as updating the conditions for the modernization of the Naberezhnye Chelny TPP. The implementation of the project is an effective solution for covering the growing demand for electricity and ensuring reliable heat supply to a city with a population of over 500 thousand people.

    The Deputy Prime Minister took part in the opening ceremony of the XI Republican Open Field Olympiad of Young Geologists, which is held for schoolchildren from Russian regions and friendly countries. “The children’s geological movement, which has existed in Tatarstan for over 40 years, is an example of how to effectively contribute to the achievement of national goals at the regional level, to prepare personnel for the country’s economy from the school bench. The movement covers about 1.5 thousand children. I am sure that similar projects should be implemented in other regions. Such initiatives are in line with the national goal of the President to realize the potential of each person, develop their talents, and educate a patriotic and socially responsible person,” said Alexander Novak.

    During the trip, the Deputy Prime Minister visited Tatneft’s Taneko oil refining complex, familiarized himself with its operations, and launched the second hydrocracking unit.

    “With the launch of the new unit, the Tatneft Taneko oil refining complex will become the only refinery in Russia that has two hydrocracking units in its configuration. This will further increase the depth of raw material processing and the volume of production of the most valuable oil products, including high-quality Euro-6 fuels. It is important that domestic equipment and Russian catalysts were used as much as possible during the project’s implementation,” emphasized Alexander Novak.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kaptur, Doggett, & Sorensen Lead Call for Urgent Federal Action After Deadly Texas Flood

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09)

    Washington, DC — Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09) Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Energy and Water Subcommittee, joined by Congressman Lloyd Doggett (TX-37) Dean of the Texas Congressional Delegation, and Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17) the only meteorologist serving in Congress, today led a forceful letter to federal agencies calling for immediate action following the catastrophic flash flooding in Kerr County, Texas, that claimed over 100 lives. The letter — sent to President Donald J. Trump, NOAA leadership, and the US Army Corps of Engineers — demands an urgent review of staffing shortages, stalled forecasting improvements, and insufficient flood preparedness that contributed to the disaster.

    The lawmakers point to dangerous gaps in public warning coordination and a 15% reduction in National Weather Service (NWS) staffing since January as critical failures that must be addressed before the next extreme weather event. Accurate weather forecasts are not enough. It is imperative that these warnings are adequately communicated to members of the public and in a way that prompts the appropriate lifesaving action by emergency managers, first responders, and the public at-large.  

    “This flood was not just a natural disaster but a failure of foresight and leadership,” said Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09). “A changing climate is rewriting the rules of weather, and our federal agencies must keep pace. The American people deserve a weather warning system that does more than sound the alarm. It must be fully staffed and ready to act to ensure that everyone in harms way receives it. This letter is a demand for accountability, but more importantly, it’s a demand for lives to be protected anywhere severe weather strikes.”

    “As Texans in my state are faced with much pain and uncertainty, we cannot wait to ask the hard questions,” said Congressman Lloyd Doggett (TX-37). “Effective oversight saves lives. That is why we need a full account of the ways in which the Trump administration’s recent actions have undermined the federal response, both before and after this catastrophe. Learning from these failures and recognizing that weather intensification driven by climate change increasingly endangers lives will help prevent more tragedies.”

    “As someone who has reported on dangerous floods for my neighbors as a meteorologist in my local community, I know how critical it is for NWS meteorologists, local media, and emergency management coordinators to work together seamlessly and quickly to share urgent warnings,” said Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17). “The deadly toll of the flash floods that hit Texas last week beg the question of what went wrong with the warning systems in place and what more could have been done to prevent this tragedy. The Trump Administration’s cuts to NOAA and the NWS are already having a real impact on the accuracy of our nation’s weather forecasting, creating cause for major concern. That is why I am calling on President Trump, NOAA, and the Army Corps of Engineers to undertake a full-scale investigation into what went wrong and what can be done to prevent catastrophes like this in the future.” 

    This tragedy echoes a troubling national pattern of accelerating flash flood disasters that have claimed lives in recent years: 46 lives in the greater New York City area in September 2021, 45 lives in Kentucky in July 2022, 20 lives in Tennessee in August 2021, and 250 lives across the Southeast in September 2024.  These events are not anomalies — they are harbingers of a climate-disrupted future.

    Kaptur, Doggett, and Sorensen request a response within 30 days and underscore that federal weather services must not be the weak link in the nation’s climate resilience.

    A full copy of the letter can be found by clicking here or reading below: 

    July 11, 2025

    Honorable Donald J. Trump 
    President of the United States
    The White House

    1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW 
    Washington, DC 20500

    Laura Grimm
    Chief of Staff, performing the duties of Undersecretary for Commerce of Oceans and Atmosphere and Administrator, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
    1401 Constitution Ave NW

    Washington, DC 20230

    Lieutenant General William H. Graham Jr. 
    Commanding General and 56th Chief of Engineers
    U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 

    441 G St NW

    Washington DC, 20314 

    		  

    Dear Mr. President, Ms. Grimm, and General Graham:

    We write with deep concern about the recent flooding in Kerr County, Texas, by both the severity of this event and the structural shortcomings at the federal, state, and local levels that contributed to the tragic loss of life. On July 4, 2025, Kerr County was struck by a flash flood of devastating impact. The Guadalupe River rose by more than 20 feet in less than two hours,[1] engulfing homes and campsites, and leaving over a hundred dead in its wake.[2] This tragedy echoes a troubling national pattern of accelerating flash flood disasters that have claimed lives: 46 lives in the greater New York City area in September 2021,[3] 45 lives in Kentucky in July 2022, 20 lives in Tennessee in August 2021, and 250 lives across the Southeast in September 2024.[4]  These events are not anomalies—they are harbingers of a climate-disrupted future.

    Atmospheric scientists have long warned that warmer air holds more water vapor and thus latent energy produces heavier rainfall. In 1989, the Director of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, James Hansen, wrote presciently that “the greenhouse effect enhances both ends of the hydrologic cycle…, there is an increased frequency of extreme wet situations, as well as increased drought. Model results are shown to imply that increased greenhouse warming will lead to more intense thunderstorms, that is, deeper thunderstorms with greater rainfall.”[5]

    While the National Weather Service (NWS) forecast may have been accurate, accurate weather forecasts are not enough. It is imperative that these warnings are adequately communicated to members of the public and in a way that prompts the appropriate lifesaving action by emergency managers, first responders, and the public at-large.  We are concerned that there seems to have been a breakdown at this stage starting with the first flash flood watches issued on Thursday afternoon.

    Following a series of catastrophic tornadoes in the spring of 2011 that culminated in the worst tornado in a generation in Joplin, Missouri, NWS acknowledged that accurate forecasts were not enough to protect life and property, and thereby elevated the importance of properly communicating to the public about life-threatening weather events.  As a result, NWS developed the Weather Ready Nation initiative to ensure that Americans knew how to appropriately respond to dangerous weather conditions when alerted by NWS or the private weather enterprise. In support of this effort, Congress codified the position of Warning Coordination Meteorologist in every weather forecast office (WFO) around the country in the 2017 Weather Act.

    While staffing across NWS has long been a bipartisan concern, the staffing reductions mandated by the Department of Government Efficiency has greatly magnified the issue, with NWS losing nearly 15% of its staff nationwide since January.  The forecast accuracy and timeliness during this event in Texas was a testament to the dedication of the local NWS staff who flexed their schedules to ensure adequate coverage during such a high-impact event. That is not a sustainable solution, nor is it reliable enough for the increasing incidence of dangerous weather events.

    In particular, the loss of the Warning Coordination Meteorologist at the San Antonio weather forecast office (WFO) and the reduced number of forecasters put the people of Texas at risk. Lacking a full staff complement requires the team to focus only on issuing the forecasts and warnings. Outreach and coordination, a key responsibility of the Warning Coordination Meteorologist, do not occur. Also, we understand that the funding supporting travel to the community for outreach and coordination, including meeting with emergency managers and elected officials, has been suspended. Having the Warning Coordination Meteorologist position and the vacancies filled may have been critical to saving more lives by connecting with as many local community leaders as possible in the hours between the 1 a.m. NWS warning and 4 a.m. when the most dangerous conditions began impacting residents.[6]  

    Given these concerns, we intend to work quickly to enact the Weather Staffing Improvement Act, which will streamline the hiring of federal weather forecasters. Meanwhile, we request that NWS expedites the backfilling of vacancies at all WFOs and the National Centers for Environmental Prediction. Further, we request that, despite proposed cuts to programs in the fiscal year 2026 budget request, no other reductions in funding or staffing occur without the explicit direction of Congress to programs that support precipitation prediction and decision support or the improvement of those services, including, but not limited to the work of the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research.

    NWS Director Ken Graham has also laid out strategic priorities to transform NWS’ staffing models and organizational effectiveness, known as “Ken’s 10”.[7] We applaud his thoughtful proposals, though we urge NOAA to provide more detailed information for Congress to consider prior to wholesale implementation.  Further, we urge that any adoption and implementation be done in a measured way so as to prevent any failures in the current system during the transition.   

    We ask that your agencies please provide the following information:

    1. Staffing Cuts: Provide a breakdown of NWS staffing levels since 2017 at WFOs and the National Centers for Environmental Protection.  Identify how many WFOs, and for how long each, has lacked each of the following positions over that time: Meteorologist in Charge, a Science Operations Officer, and a Warning Coordination Meteorologist? What performance impacts have resulted?
    2. Communication Gaps: How did the absence of a Warning Coordination Meteorologist and reduced staffing affect warning distribution, communication and coordination in Kerr County and other nearby jurisdictions? What is the standard operating procedure for such a role in such critical weather events?
    3. Precipitation Prediction: Atlas-15 will provide detailed estimates of maximum probable precipitation rates for any location in the U.S., critical information for planning for severe weather events.  Please explain any reasons for the current delays in Atlas-15’s national release.  Are sufficient funds available for the completion of this tool?  Have any funds been redirected away from this purpose?
    4. Status of PPGC: The Precipitation Prediction Grand Challenge (PPGC), an initiative to dramatically improve the accuracy of forecasting when, where, and how much precipitation will occur has been chronically underfunded.  Please provide an update on the current efforts to date and the requirements to make significant progress over the next 5 years.
    5. Adopting Graham’s Priorities: Which of Ken Graham’s ten transformation proposals have been implemented? Provide projected costs and timelines.
    6. Corps Flood Control Improvements: This event also highlights the need for improvements from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) who is tasked with flood control across the country. How has the Corps updated its standard operating procedures to recognize the increased risk of extreme precipitation?  What is the status of the adoption of the Forecast-Informed Reservoir Operations (FIRO) to reduce flooding risk and maximize water availability? What additional research and monitoring is necessary, and on what timeline, to incorporate FIRO into the Corps’ standard procedures?
    7. Interagency Collaboration: What NOAA and Corps coordination mechanisms are in place to improve rural flood-warning infrastructure and emergency preparedness, including hydrology modeling and flood response planning?
    8. Future Preparedness Plan: Describe plans to adapt federal weather services to the growing frequency of extreme precipitation events attributable to climate change.

    Across America, we are entering a perilous new era of extreme precipitation. The science is clear: a warming world means heavier rains, more frequent flash floods, and rising stakes. Failure to learn from this disaster will only exacerbate future risk. Now is the moment to prioritize investments—restoring NOAA staffing and accelerating research and coordinating flood preparedness across the Federal Government. We respectfully ask for your prompt attention and response within 30 days to ensure federal weather infrastructure is not the weak link in our national resilience.  We further request a quick response to the July 8, 2025 letter from Rep. Doggett, the Dean of the Texas Congressional Delegation.

     

    Sincerely,

    # # #
     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SPC Tornado Watch 505 Status Reports

    Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

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  • MIL-OSI Russia: Vice Premier of the State Council of China calls for strengthening cooperation in the field of digital economy

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    TIANJIN, July 11 (Xinhua) — Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang attended and delivered a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) 2025 Forum on Digital Economy in north China’s Tianjin Municipality on Friday, calling for stronger cooperation in the digital economy.

    Ding Xuexiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Politburo of the CPC Central Committee, said in his speech that in the face of the opportunities and challenges brought by digitalization, it is necessary to accelerate the implementation of the important consensus reached by the SCO Heads of State Council and the Global Digital Compact.

    Ding Xuexiang called for actively promoting the institutionalization and regularity of cooperation in the field of digital economy, strengthening communication on policy measures and the alignment of development plans, making effective use of cooperation platforms such as the SCO Forum on Digital Economy and the SCO Digital Education Alliance, so as to continuously inject strong vitality and impetus into the development of the digital economy.

    The forum was jointly hosted by the National Data Administration of the People’s Republic of China and the Tianjin People’s Government, and the opening ceremony was attended by nearly 600 participants from China and abroad, including government officials, senior representatives of enterprises, experts and scholars from universities and think tanks. –0–

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 2025-26 Events Announced at Olympic Venues

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Kathy Hochul today highlighted the New York State Olympic Regional Development Authority’s fall and winter 2025-2026 events schedule featuring eight World Cups and National Championship events taking place at legacy venues in Lake Placid. The announcement follows the recent news that Lake Placid was awarded the 2029 FIL World Championships.

    “New York State’s commitment to winter sport and the Olympic Movement is highly recognized internationally.” Governor Hochul said. “We look forward to welcoming athletes from across the globe as they begin their final preparations on the road to the Olympics.”

    The 2025-2026 major events schedule features a dynamic mix of returning events and exciting debuts across multiple sports disciplines, made possible by New York State’s investment in the Olympic Regional Development Authority (Olympic Authority) venues. The winter sports events take on added importance as part of the 2026 Olympic Winter Games season. Highlights of the Olympic Authority’s 2025-2026 schedule include:

    • WHOOP UCI Mountain Biking World Series: October 3-5, 2025
    • ISU Skate America: November 14-16, 2025
    • FIS Ski Jumping World Cup: December 12-14, 2025
    • FIL Luge World Cup: December 19-21, 2025
    • International Biathlon Union (IBU) Cup: February 23-March 8, 2026
    • ECAC Hockey Women’s Championships: March 6-7, 2026
    • FIS Cross-Country World Cup Finals: March 19-22, 2026
    • ECAC Hockey Men’s Championships: March 20-21, 2026

    WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, October 3-5

    The WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series expands this year to include men’s and women’s downhill racing at Whiteface Mountain in addition to Cross-country World Cups at Mt Van Hoevenberg.

    International Skating Union (ISU) Skate America, November 14-16

    ISU Skate America returns to the Lake Placid Olympic Center’s Herb Brooks Arena—the site of the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” and the inaugural Skate America in 1979 — for the first time since 2017. Part of the ISU Grand Prix series, this three-day event features top figure skaters from the U.S. and worldwide competing in women’s, men’s, pairs, and ice dance.

    International Ski Federation (FIS) Ski Jumping World Cup, December 12-14

    World Cup ski jumping returns to Lake Placid’s Olympic Jumping Complex for the fourth consecutive season. February 2025 marked the first-ever women’s individual World Cup event in the United States. This year’s competition features men’s, women’s, and mixed team events.

    International Luge Federation (FIL) World Cup, December 19-21, 2025

    Mt Van Hoevenberg is the third stop on the 2025-2026 FIL World Cup calendar as the world’s best men’s and women’s luge athletes look to accumulate World Cup points for the season and secure spots in the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Winter Games.

    International Biathlon Union (IBU) Cup, February 23-March 8, 2026

    Mt Van Hoevenberg’s biathlon facility was upgraded for the Lake Placid 2023 FISU World University Games and now welcomes the IBU Cup, bringing top international biathletes to compete in Lake Placid for the first time since it last hosted a World Cup in 2004.

    ECAC Hockey Women’s Championships: March 6-7, 2026; ECAC Hockey Men’s Championships: March 20-21, 2026
    The ECAC Women’s Championship debuts in Lake Placid on March 6-7, featuring the final four teams competing for an ECAC tournament title and an NCAA bid. Two weeks later, the men’s tournament returns to the Herb Brooks Arena for the 22nd time.

    International Ski Federation (FIS) Cross-Country World Cup Finals, March 19-22, 2026
    The Cross-Country Skiing World Cup returns to Mt Van Hoevenberg for the first time since 1979 a few weeks after the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milano Cortina. Following the success of the Stifel Loppet Cup in Minneapolis in 2024, Lake Placid became just the second U.S. venue to host a cross-country skiing World Cup since 2001.

    Other 2025-2026 events include: Lake Placid Ice Dance Championships & International (July 27–31), USA Hockey Women’s National Festival (August 3–9), World Figure & Fancy Skating Championships (October 8–12), U.S. Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined National Championships (October 11–12), Adirondack Invitational (November 28-29), United States Biathlon Association (IBU) Junior Team Selections (December 26–31), International Bobsled & Skeleton (IBSF) North American Cup (January 2–10), Empire State Winter Games (February 5-8), US Ski Team Hole Shot (February 9-13), United States Collegiate Ski & Snowboard Association (USCSA) National Championships (March 9–14), and IBSF Development School / NAC (March 9–22).

    Whiteface, Gore, and Belleayre Mountains will also host a variety of alpine and freeride ski races, including Eastern Cups, North American Cups (NorAm), International Ski Federation (FIS) events, and United States Ski & Snowboard Association (USSA) competitions. These events will attract athletes from regional, national, and international levels.

    The Olympic Center will welcome over 9,500 attendees to 25 conferences at the Lake Placid Conference Center. In addition, nearly every weekend is booked with youth and adult hockey tournaments, which deliver consistent economic returns. These events, spanning multiple days, drive lodging, dining, and retail activity across the region. In 2024-2025, Can/Am Hockey tournaments alone attracted approximately 25,000 multi-day visitors — many during the traditionally slower shoulder seasons — underscoring the critical role of sports tourism in sustaining year-round economic vitality.

    Each year, over 2,500 elite-level athletes utilize the United States Olympic & Paralympic Training Center and thousands of athletes, coaches, and support staff utilize the Lake Placid venues annually, reinforcing Lake Placid’s role as a premier hub for high-performance training and athletic development.

    While the Olympic Authority has long served as a winter tourism engine, the support, and initiatives over the past decade by the State of New York have transformed it into a four-season catalyst for economic growth. Through strategic enhancements in Olympic Authority venues, New York has reasserted itself as a global leader in winter and outdoor recreation. These enhancements have already fueled over 1.18 million visits annually — with steady year-over-year increases — generating widespread economic benefits for the North Country and beyond. Notably, the Olympic Authority was also awarded Plan B backup status for sliding events, underscoring the international recognition of its world-class facilities, although this designation was not activated.

    New York State Olympic Regional Development Authority President and CEO Ashley Walden said, “These events are a testament to the enduring legacy of Lake Placid and their importance to our region. The record number of major competitions this season showcases how our Olympic legacy venues continue to drive world-class training and competition across multiple sport disciplines — all right here in the North Country.”

    Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, “Thanks to Governor Hochul’s commitment to tourism and the greater Adirondack economy, coupled with the state’s strategic investments in the Olympic Authority venues, New York will continue to host world-class competitions that welcome athletes and fans from around the globe. These events will encourage more visitors to experience Lake Placid and the surrounding communities, which supports small businesses and helps to generate regional economic growth.”

    About the Olympic Regional Development Authority
    Established in 1982, the Olympic Regional Development Authority was created by the State of New York following the 1980 Olympic Winter Games to manage, market, maintain, and provide first-class facilities for training and competitions at all venues. The Olympic Authority facilities include Mt Van Hoevenberg, the Olympic Center, the Olympic Jumping Complex, and three ski areas: Belleayre Mountain, Gore Mountain, and Whiteface Mountain, as well as the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center, the U.S. Luge Association facility, and the Olympic Authority’s Corporate offices in Lake Placid. The Olympic Authority manages the Lake Placid Olympic Museum and Lake Placid Conference Center.

    The organization and its mission are still firmly in place today, providing an economic engine for the entire region through increased tourism and jobs. The Olympic Authority has a proven track record of orchestrating large-scale international events. The organization’s multi-faceted management team oversees a spectrum of crucial planning and support functions and will be an invaluable supporting partner to ensure the smooth execution of the sliding events.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 2025-26 Events Announced at Olympic Venues

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Kathy Hochul today highlighted the New York State Olympic Regional Development Authority’s fall and winter 2025-2026 events schedule featuring eight World Cups and National Championship events taking place at legacy venues in Lake Placid. The announcement follows the recent news that Lake Placid was awarded the 2029 FIL World Championships.

    “New York State’s commitment to winter sport and the Olympic Movement is highly recognized internationally.” Governor Hochul said. “We look forward to welcoming athletes from across the globe as they begin their final preparations on the road to the Olympics.”

    The 2025-2026 major events schedule features a dynamic mix of returning events and exciting debuts across multiple sports disciplines, made possible by New York State’s investment in the Olympic Regional Development Authority (Olympic Authority) venues. The winter sports events take on added importance as part of the 2026 Olympic Winter Games season. Highlights of the Olympic Authority’s 2025-2026 schedule include:

    • WHOOP UCI Mountain Biking World Series: October 3-5, 2025
    • ISU Skate America: November 14-16, 2025
    • FIS Ski Jumping World Cup: December 12-14, 2025
    • FIL Luge World Cup: December 19-21, 2025
    • International Biathlon Union (IBU) Cup: February 23-March 8, 2026
    • ECAC Hockey Women’s Championships: March 6-7, 2026
    • FIS Cross-Country World Cup Finals: March 19-22, 2026
    • ECAC Hockey Men’s Championships: March 20-21, 2026

    WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, October 3-5

    The WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series expands this year to include men’s and women’s downhill racing at Whiteface Mountain in addition to Cross-country World Cups at Mt Van Hoevenberg.

    International Skating Union (ISU) Skate America, November 14-16

    ISU Skate America returns to the Lake Placid Olympic Center’s Herb Brooks Arena—the site of the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” and the inaugural Skate America in 1979 — for the first time since 2017. Part of the ISU Grand Prix series, this three-day event features top figure skaters from the U.S. and worldwide competing in women’s, men’s, pairs, and ice dance.

    International Ski Federation (FIS) Ski Jumping World Cup, December 12-14

    World Cup ski jumping returns to Lake Placid’s Olympic Jumping Complex for the fourth consecutive season. February 2025 marked the first-ever women’s individual World Cup event in the United States. This year’s competition features men’s, women’s, and mixed team events.

    International Luge Federation (FIL) World Cup, December 19-21, 2025

    Mt Van Hoevenberg is the third stop on the 2025-2026 FIL World Cup calendar as the world’s best men’s and women’s luge athletes look to accumulate World Cup points for the season and secure spots in the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Winter Games.

    International Biathlon Union (IBU) Cup, February 23-March 8, 2026

    Mt Van Hoevenberg’s biathlon facility was upgraded for the Lake Placid 2023 FISU World University Games and now welcomes the IBU Cup, bringing top international biathletes to compete in Lake Placid for the first time since it last hosted a World Cup in 2004.

    ECAC Hockey Women’s Championships: March 6-7, 2026; ECAC Hockey Men’s Championships: March 20-21, 2026
    The ECAC Women’s Championship debuts in Lake Placid on March 6-7, featuring the final four teams competing for an ECAC tournament title and an NCAA bid. Two weeks later, the men’s tournament returns to the Herb Brooks Arena for the 22nd time.

    International Ski Federation (FIS) Cross-Country World Cup Finals, March 19-22, 2026
    The Cross-Country Skiing World Cup returns to Mt Van Hoevenberg for the first time since 1979 a few weeks after the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milano Cortina. Following the success of the Stifel Loppet Cup in Minneapolis in 2024, Lake Placid became just the second U.S. venue to host a cross-country skiing World Cup since 2001.

    Other 2025-2026 events include: Lake Placid Ice Dance Championships & International (July 27–31), USA Hockey Women’s National Festival (August 3–9), World Figure & Fancy Skating Championships (October 8–12), U.S. Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined National Championships (October 11–12), Adirondack Invitational (November 28-29), United States Biathlon Association (IBU) Junior Team Selections (December 26–31), International Bobsled & Skeleton (IBSF) North American Cup (January 2–10), Empire State Winter Games (February 5-8), US Ski Team Hole Shot (February 9-13), United States Collegiate Ski & Snowboard Association (USCSA) National Championships (March 9–14), and IBSF Development School / NAC (March 9–22).

    Whiteface, Gore, and Belleayre Mountains will also host a variety of alpine and freeride ski races, including Eastern Cups, North American Cups (NorAm), International Ski Federation (FIS) events, and United States Ski & Snowboard Association (USSA) competitions. These events will attract athletes from regional, national, and international levels.

    The Olympic Center will welcome over 9,500 attendees to 25 conferences at the Lake Placid Conference Center. In addition, nearly every weekend is booked with youth and adult hockey tournaments, which deliver consistent economic returns. These events, spanning multiple days, drive lodging, dining, and retail activity across the region. In 2024-2025, Can/Am Hockey tournaments alone attracted approximately 25,000 multi-day visitors — many during the traditionally slower shoulder seasons — underscoring the critical role of sports tourism in sustaining year-round economic vitality.

    Each year, over 2,500 elite-level athletes utilize the United States Olympic & Paralympic Training Center and thousands of athletes, coaches, and support staff utilize the Lake Placid venues annually, reinforcing Lake Placid’s role as a premier hub for high-performance training and athletic development.

    While the Olympic Authority has long served as a winter tourism engine, the support, and initiatives over the past decade by the State of New York have transformed it into a four-season catalyst for economic growth. Through strategic enhancements in Olympic Authority venues, New York has reasserted itself as a global leader in winter and outdoor recreation. These enhancements have already fueled over 1.18 million visits annually — with steady year-over-year increases — generating widespread economic benefits for the North Country and beyond. Notably, the Olympic Authority was also awarded Plan B backup status for sliding events, underscoring the international recognition of its world-class facilities, although this designation was not activated.

    New York State Olympic Regional Development Authority President and CEO Ashley Walden said, “These events are a testament to the enduring legacy of Lake Placid and their importance to our region. The record number of major competitions this season showcases how our Olympic legacy venues continue to drive world-class training and competition across multiple sport disciplines — all right here in the North Country.”

    Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, “Thanks to Governor Hochul’s commitment to tourism and the greater Adirondack economy, coupled with the state’s strategic investments in the Olympic Authority venues, New York will continue to host world-class competitions that welcome athletes and fans from around the globe. These events will encourage more visitors to experience Lake Placid and the surrounding communities, which supports small businesses and helps to generate regional economic growth.”

    About the Olympic Regional Development Authority
    Established in 1982, the Olympic Regional Development Authority was created by the State of New York following the 1980 Olympic Winter Games to manage, market, maintain, and provide first-class facilities for training and competitions at all venues. The Olympic Authority facilities include Mt Van Hoevenberg, the Olympic Center, the Olympic Jumping Complex, and three ski areas: Belleayre Mountain, Gore Mountain, and Whiteface Mountain, as well as the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center, the U.S. Luge Association facility, and the Olympic Authority’s Corporate offices in Lake Placid. The Olympic Authority manages the Lake Placid Olympic Museum and Lake Placid Conference Center.

    The organization and its mission are still firmly in place today, providing an economic engine for the entire region through increased tourism and jobs. The Olympic Authority has a proven track record of orchestrating large-scale international events. The organization’s multi-faceted management team oversees a spectrum of crucial planning and support functions and will be an invaluable supporting partner to ensure the smooth execution of the sliding events.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wyden Announces Five Town Halls in Eastern Oregon

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)

    July 11, 2025

    Senator’s upcoming open-to-all town halls July 25-27 will be in Sherman, Wheeler, Gilliam, Morrow and Wallowa counties

    Portland – U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today announced he will hold open-to-all town halls in Sherman, Wheeler, Gilliam, Morrow and Wallowa counties.

    Heading into these five Eastern Oregon town halls from July 25-27, Wyden has held 1,124 open-to-all town halls in keeping his promise to hold at least one town hall each year in each of Oregon’s 36 counties. 

    “Our state’s location thousands of miles away from Washington, DC makes it a must that elected officials hold open-to-all town halls in communities affected by decisions made in our nation’s capital,” Wyden said. “I’m very much looking forward to these open-to-all community meetings in Sherman, Wheeler, Gilliam, Morrow and Wallowa counties so I can hear directly from Eastern Oregon how I can keep battling for Oregon Way values as our country faces unprecedented challenges.”

    The schedule for the upcoming town halls is as follows:

    Friday, July 25

    • Sherman County, 5:30 pm, Wasco School Events Center, 903 Barnett St., Wasco

    Saturday, July 26                                                                                                                     

    • Wheeler County, 10:30 am, Wheeler High School, 600 E B St., Fossil
    • Gilliam County, 1 pm, Veterans Memorial Hall, 120 Main St., Condon
    • Morrow County, 4 pm, SAGE Center, 101 Olson Road NE, Boardman

    Sunday, July 27

    • Wallowa County, 1 pm, Hearts for Health Integrated Care, 606 Medical Parkway, Enterprise

    Doors will open one hour before the town hall start times for attendees. For everyone’s security, backpacks and large bags will not be allowed in the town hall.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Building affordable homes for Albertans

    [. As a key part of the province’s 10-year Stronger Foundations plan to provide Albertans with safe, stable, affordable housing, Alberta’s government launched the Affordable Housing Partnership Program in 2022.

    Through the latest round of Affordable Housing Partnership Program intakes, more than $203 million in joint provincial and federal funding has been committed to support the construction of new affordable housing units across Alberta. This investment is critical to ensuring low-income Albertans have access to affordable housing as the province’s population continues to grow at an unprecedented rate. With 25 new projects receiving funding, more than 2,300 additional affordable housing units will be built across the province.

    “Alberta’s government is focused on results. We’re getting shovels in the ground and roofs over Albertans’ heads. With this record investment, thousands more low-income Albertans will have a safe, affordable home they can count on, so they can move forward with dignity and stability.”

    Jason Nixon, Minister of Assisted Living and Social Services

    “We’re building a new generation of housing, using every tool available to build homes at a scale not seen since the Second World War. Partnerships are necessary for building homes that Canadians need. These funds will ensure that Albertans have an affordable place to call home in the years ahead.”

    Gregor Robertson, federal Minister of Housing and Infrastructure

    Projects were chosen based on community needs, value for taxpayers’ dollars, and support for low-income Albertans. The program encourages creativity and innovation, and supports a range of housing options, including specialized housing, mixed-income housing and mixed-used housing. Funding for the Affordable Housing Partnership Program is eligible for federal cost-matching through the Canada – Alberta Bilateral Agreement under the National Housing Strategy.

    “Our government’s bilateral agreement with the government of Alberta has allowed us to work together to build a new and better generation of community and social housing across the province. Complex issues demand innovative solutions, and this strong partnership is necessary for quickly building homes that Canadians need now.”

    Eleanor Olszewski, federal Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada

    “Albertans deserve more than just a house – they deserve a place to call home. This investment provides the foundation that will help thousands of Albertans build a strong, stable future for their families.”

    Nathan Neudorf, Minister of Affordability and Utilities

    This investment in the Affordable Housing Partnership Program is the largest to date, and will significantly increase the supply of affordable housing in the province. Since 2022, Alberta’s government has invested more than $386 million through the Affordable Housing Partnership Program to support the construction of more than 4,000 affordable housing units and shelter spaces. Budget 2025 sets aside $655 million over the next three years for the program, which will support the construction of more than 5,300 units.

    “We know that building affordable housing will be a top priority for many years to come. Today’s announcement is a huge step forward in meeting the need of affordable housing options for all Albertans, we are beyond delighted and honoured to be a partner in meeting those needs.”

    Ivan Beljan, president, Beljan Development and Williams Hall LTD.

    “When our government partners invest in bricks and mortar, they are investing in so much more – stability for families, opportunity for children, dignity for seniors, and a foundation for brighter futures. Together, we build inclusive and diverse communities – the foundation for well-being and belonging.”

    Martina Jileckova, CEO, Onward Homes Society

    Alberta continues to see strong housing starts and increases, while other provinces across Canada are seeing a reduction in housing starts. Throughout 2024, Alberta led the country in housing starts per capita, and that momentum has continued into 2025. Despite making up less than 13 per cent of Canada’s population, from January to March 2025, Alberta built more than 25 per cent of all housing starts in the country.

    Quick facts

    • Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) plays a critical role as a national facilitator to promote stability and sustainability in Canada’s housing finance system. CMHC’s mortgage insurance products support access to home ownership and the creation and maintenance of rental supply. CMHC also actively supports the Government of Canada in delivering on its commitment to make housing more affordable. CMHC’s research and data helps inform housing policy. By facilitating cooperation between all levels of government, private and non-profit sectors, CMHC contributes to advancing housing affordability, equity and climate compatibility. Follow CMHC on X, YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.
    • The Ministry of Assisted Living and Social Services fosters the development of affordable housing and supports access to housing options for Albertans most in need. For more information, visit alberta.ca/assisted-living-and-social-services.
    • Affordable Housing Partnership Program Projects supported through this funding:

    • Edmonton

      • $6 million for 12621665 Canada Association to build affordable housing.
      • $20 million for Civida to build mixed-use, mixed-income affordable housing.
      • $4.05 million for Williams Hall to build mixed-use affordable housing with a focus to support young adults, students, and individuals facing rental barriers.
      • $6.69 million for Brentwood Family Housing Society to build affordable housing for families.
      • $4.67 million for The Mustard Seed Foundation to build supportive housing.

    • Calgary

      • $28.6 million for Calhome Properties (also known as Calgary Housing Company) to build mixed-income affordable housing.
      • $30.5 million for Onward Homes Society to build three affordable housing projects.
      • $13 million for 800 GP Corporation to convert a vacant office tower into affordable housing.
      • $22 million for Calgary Heritage Housing to build three buildings for seniors self-contained units.
      • $3.5 million for Attainable Homes Calgary to build mixed-use, mixed-income affordable housing.
      • $7.54 million for Liberty Housing Organization to build mixed-use affordable housing.
      • $3.08 million for Victory Outreach Foundation to convert a hotel to affordable housing.
      • $6.2 million for Homespace Society to build affordable housing.
      • $2.7 million for the City of Calgary to build mixed-income, mixed-use affordable housing.

    • Rest of Alberta

      • $14.5 million for Homeland Housing to build affordable housing in St. Albert.
      • $8.84 million for Heartland Housing Foundation to build affordable housing in Sherwood Park.
      • $6.43 million for the Town of Banff to build affordable housing.
      • $5.53 million for the Municipality of Jasper to build phase two of the affordable housing project.
      • $3.3 million for Westwinds Communities to build affordable housing in Okotoks.
      • $3.5 million for Truth North Society to build affordable housing in Strathmore.
      • $2.5 million for Canadian Rockies School Division to build affordable housing in Canmore.
      • Land transfer for the Town of Olds to build affordable housing.
      • Land transfer for Heartland Housing Foundation to build affordable housing in Fort Saskatchewan.

    Related information

    • Affordable Housing Partnership Program Guidelines
    • Affordable Housing Partnership Program – Approved projects list

    Related news (optional)

    • Investing in affordable housing for Albertans (Nov. 22, 2024)
    • Building affordable homes and stronger communities (May 10, 2024)
    • More affordable housing for Albertans (July 24, 2023)

    Multimedia

    • Watch the news conference

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Peters Secures Funding for Michigan Priorities in Agriculture Appropriations Bill

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Michigan Gary Peters

    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) helped the Senate Appropriations Committee pass the Fiscal Year 2026 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. This bipartisan legislation would fund critical federal agencies and programs that support rural communities, food safety, and America’s robust agricultural economy. The bill also supports Michigan’s agriculture priorities as well as high-impact local projects across Michigan. The bill now advances to the full Senate. 

    “This bill makes investments that matter to Michigan, like strengthening local emergency response efforts, supporting our robust agricultural economy, and improving access to affordable food,” said Senator Peters. “It also delivers resources for food safety initiatives that will help keep all Americans healthy. I’ll keep advocating for these key priorities as this bill moves to the full Senate.” 

    Meanwhile, the House of Representatives is considering their own funding bills. The Senate and House will then need to reach an agreement on a final funding bill and have it pass both chambers before being sent to the President to be signed into law.

    The bill includes numerous measures led and supported by Peters, including: 

    Funding to Support Communities in Michigan:

    New Fire Truck for City of Alpena: Peters secured $1,105,000 in the bill for the City of Alpena to replace an essential aerial ladder fire truck to help ensure safe and efficient operations.

    Improving Public Safety in Bad Axe: The bill includes $850,000 to support the construction of a new public safety building for the City of Bad Axe. The project would help ensure that first responders have the resources they need to efficiently and effectively respond to emergencies.

    New Fire Engine for the City of Berkley: The bill would provide $385,000 to replace the City of Berkley’s primary front-line fire engine responsible for responding to fire and vehicle extraction emergencies.

    Upgrading Emergency Communications Infrastructure in Big Creek Township: Peters secured $74,000 for the Big Creek Township Fire Department to upgrade its radio system. The new system will ensure department staff can efficiently and effectively communicate when responding to emergencies. 

    New Fire Truck for City of Big Rapids: The bill includes $378,000 for the City of Big Rapids to purchase a new fire truck, which will improve community safety and be used to better protect both people and property. 

    New Aerial Ladder Truck for Escanaba: The bill would provide $700,000 for the Escanaba Public Safety Department to replace an aerial ladder fire truck essential to providing safe and efficient emergency and fire services for the community.

    Training First Responders in Grand Traverse County: Peters secured $80,000 in the bill to support the construction of a new training facility for the Northwest Regional Fire Training Center Authority. The facility would support education and training needs for fire, EMS, local and state law enforcement, and maritime professionals. 

    Improving Wildfire Response in Montcalm: The bill would provide $245,000 for the Lakeview District Fire Department in Montcalm to purchase equipment needed to adequately protect the community and property from growing threats of wildfires. 

    Expanding Access to Child Care in Stanton: Peters secured $225,000 to expand the Central Montcalm Public School’s Early Childhood Center to provide more childcare and educational services for the community. 

    New Plow Truck for Village of Ontonagon: The bill includes $169,000 for the Village of Ontonagon to purchase a new plow truck, which will help keep streets and alleyways clear of snow and ice for the safety of both residents and visitors to the nearby Porcupine Mountains State Park.

    New Fire Engine for the City of Rockwood: The bill would provide $765,000 for the City of Rockwood to purchase a new fire engine to help strengthen its fire response for the community. 

    Improving Library Access in Caro: The bill includes $200,000 secured by Peters, which will be used to modernize a 46-year-old elevator currently in use at the Caro Area District Library.

    Supporting Farmers & Michigan’s Agricultural Sector:

    Funding for Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS): This bill includes funding for APHIS, which helps farmers combat specialty crop pests. This funding would support Peters’ Spotted Wing Abatement Trust (SWAT) Act, legislation that aims to reduce the spread of, and advance research on, the spotted wing drosophila (SWD). SWD an invasive insect that harms fruit growers and their crops in Michigan and across the country.  

    Research to Advance Technology in Agriculture: Peters supported a provision in the bill to provide funding for the Agricultural Research Service Crop Production Program, which would allow researchers to identify and develop new methods for increasing crop production sustainably using emerging technologies. These methods include satellites, geospatial systems, and artificial intelligence. 

    Promoting Urban Farming and Indoor Agriculture Sector: The bill includes funding for the Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production Program, which seeks to promote urban, indoor, and other innovative agricultural practices that have been adopted for use in both urban and rural areas to bolster local food systems and extend short growing seasons. 

    Boosting Agricultural Research: The bill includes funding for the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), which provides funding for key research projects that can contribute to substantial breakthroughs in food, agriculture, natural resources, and human sciences. Investments from NIFA help ensure that farmers, ranchers, and foresters have access to fair and competitive markets, while supporting resilient growing practices that produce nutritious and affordable foods for American families.

    Strengthen Public Health & Expand Nutrition Assistance:

    Funding to Protect Domestic Violence Survivors and Their Pets: Peters secured $3 million in funding for the Emergency and Transitional Pet Shelter and Housing Assistance Grant Program, which provides funding to facilities who harbor survivors of domestic violence, along with their pets, as well as animal shelters that partner with domestic violence service providers. This program was established by Peters’ PAWS Act, which was signed into law in 2018. 

    Funding to Improve Food Safety: The bill includes funding for the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Human Foods Program, which aims to ensure the food we consume is safe and nutritious, including baby food and infant formula. The bill’s report language will begin the work to support FDA’s oversight of baby formula production and update food labeling and consumer guidance. This language was inspired by Peters’ Protect Infant Formula from Contamination Act, which would strengthen FDA’s oversight of infant formula manufacturing and improve the security of our nation’s infant formula supply, ensuring American families have access to safe, affordable formula.

    Language Requiring the FDA to Develop Monitoring Guidelines for Human Cell and Tissue Products (HCT/P): The bill includes language Peters secured that would require the FDA to examine the feasibility of implementing tissue-tracking protocols for HCT/Ps, similar to those required for solid organs and blood products. The bill also requests that the FDA works with other federal agencies to develop routine post HCT/P implant monitoring guidelines similar to current practices for all tissue allograft recipients. This provision builds on Senator Peters’ previous efforts to prevent tuberculosis contaminations in HCT/Ps, including introduction last Congress of the Shandra Eisenga Human Cell and Tissue Products Safety Act, which would establish an education campaign to prevent tuberculosis (TB) outbreaks from infected HCTP donations. 

    Supporting Nutrition Assistance: The bill funds critical programs that help meet the nutrition needs of American families across the country. The bill funds the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), which provides nutrition assistance to millions of women and children nationwide and includes funding to support fruit and vegetable benefits. 

    The bill also funds the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) which assists millions of Americans every month. Additionally, the bill funds vital nutrition programs aimed at supporting children in school, such as the federal school lunch and breakfast programs, and the Summer EBT program. The funding provided by this bill will support approximately 5 billion lunches and 2.7 billion breakfasts to children across the country. 

    Improving Food Safety: The bill provides funding for the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), a vital agency that helps protect the safety and resiliency of America’s food supply. 

    Improving Transparency in FDA Oversight: Peters secured language in the bill that would prevent the FDA from using funds for activities that are non-compliant with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), which governs the establishment, operation, and termination of advisory committees within the executive branch of the federal government. FACA’s main purpose is to ensure transparency and improve public access to the guidance provided by these committees.

    Improving Public Infrastructure:

    Strengthening Dam Infrastructure: The bill includes $1 million for the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Watershed Rehabilitation Program. This program provides technical and financial assistance to communities seeking to extend the service life of aging dam infrastructure and bring dams into compliance with current safety and performance standards. 

    Rental Assistance in Rural Communities: The bill provides funding for rental assistance for Americans living in rural areas to help expand access to safe and affordable housing options.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Kehoe Announces Five Gubernatorial Appointments

    Source: US State of Missouri

    JULY 11, 2025

    Jefferson City — Today, Governor Mike Kehoe announced four appointments to various boards and filled one county vacancy.

    Nelson Dinsmore, of Meadville, was appointed as the Linn County Presiding Commissioner.

    Mr. Dinsmore is the co-owner and general manager of Butterfield & Associates Grain, Inc, and is a Missouri Certified Crop Advisor. Dinsmore, born and raised in Linn County, remains active in his community, having served on the Meadville Board of Alderman and the Meadville R-IV School Board. Dinsmore earned a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science & Agronomy from Missouri Western State University.

    Heather Hall, of Kansas City, was appointed to the Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners.

    Ms. Hall previously served as Kansas City Missouri’s 1st District Councilwoman, where she advocated for the men and women of the Kansas City Police Department. She also previously served on the Clay County Board of Election Commissioners. Hall has been highly involved in several organizations in the Kansas City community, including Veterans Community Project and Variety KC. Hall earned her Bachelor of Science in Journalism and Public Relations from Kansas State University.

    Jim Martin, of Perryville, was appointed to the Missouri Ethics Commission.

    Mr. Martin is a United States Army veteran and retired instructor for the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education – Missouri Schools for the Severely Disabled. Martin currently serves as president and director at River TREE Partnership in Perryville, working in strategic planning and stakeholder engagement. He previously served as board president for the Stars and Stripes National Museum and Library in Bloomfield. Martin earned a Bachelor of Science from Southeast Missouri State University.

    Ken McClure, of Springfield, was appointed to the Missouri Ethics Commission.

    Mr. McClure previously served as the Mayor of the City of Springfield. Prior to his service to the city, McClure was the vice president for administrative and information services at Missouri State University. McClure, a veteran, has served in multiple levels of city and state government, including service at the City Utilities of Springfield, the Missouri Public Service Commission, and as Chief of Staff for Governor Matt Blunt. McClure earned his master’s degree from the University of Missouri and his bachelor’s degree from Missouri State University.

    Dr. Thomas Prater, of Springfield, was appointed to the Missouri School Funding Modernization Task Force.

    Dr. Prater is a physician and partner at Mattax-Neu-Prater Eye Center in Springfield. From 2016 to 2020, he served as the Zone 2 Councilman on the Springfield City Council. He was also a member of the Springfield R-12 Board of Education from 1998 to 2014. Dr. Prater is an active member of the Missouri State Medical Society and the American Academy of Ophthalmology. He earned his Doctor of Medicine from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Kehoe Announces Five Gubernatorial Appointments

    Source: US State of Missouri

    JULY 11, 2025

    Jefferson City — Today, Governor Mike Kehoe announced four appointments to various boards and filled one county vacancy.

    Nelson Dinsmore, of Meadville, was appointed as the Linn County Presiding Commissioner.

    Mr. Dinsmore is the co-owner and general manager of Butterfield & Associates Grain, Inc, and is a Missouri Certified Crop Advisor. Dinsmore, born and raised in Linn County, remains active in his community, having served on the Meadville Board of Alderman and the Meadville R-IV School Board. Dinsmore earned a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science & Agronomy from Missouri Western State University.

    Heather Hall, of Kansas City, was appointed to the Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners.

    Ms. Hall previously served as Kansas City Missouri’s 1st District Councilwoman, where she advocated for the men and women of the Kansas City Police Department. She also previously served on the Clay County Board of Election Commissioners. Hall has been highly involved in several organizations in the Kansas City community, including Veterans Community Project and Variety KC. Hall earned her Bachelor of Science in Journalism and Public Relations from Kansas State University.

    Jim Martin, of Perryville, was appointed to the Missouri Ethics Commission.

    Mr. Martin is a United States Army veteran and retired instructor for the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education – Missouri Schools for the Severely Disabled. Martin currently serves as president and director at River TREE Partnership in Perryville, working in strategic planning and stakeholder engagement. He previously served as board president for the Stars and Stripes National Museum and Library in Bloomfield. Martin earned a Bachelor of Science from Southeast Missouri State University.

    Ken McClure, of Springfield, was appointed to the Missouri Ethics Commission.

    Mr. McClure previously served as the Mayor of the City of Springfield. Prior to his service to the city, McClure was the vice president for administrative and information services at Missouri State University. McClure, a veteran, has served in multiple levels of city and state government, including service at the City Utilities of Springfield, the Missouri Public Service Commission, and as Chief of Staff for Governor Matt Blunt. McClure earned his master’s degree from the University of Missouri and his bachelor’s degree from Missouri State University.

    Dr. Thomas Prater, of Springfield, was appointed to the Missouri School Funding Modernization Task Force.

    Dr. Prater is a physician and partner at Mattax-Neu-Prater Eye Center in Springfield. From 2016 to 2020, he served as the Zone 2 Councilman on the Springfield City Council. He was also a member of the Springfield R-12 Board of Education from 1998 to 2014. Dr. Prater is an active member of the Missouri State Medical Society and the American Academy of Ophthalmology. He earned his Doctor of Medicine from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Kehoe Announces Five Gubernatorial Appointments

    Source: US State of Missouri

    JULY 11, 2025

    Jefferson City — Today, Governor Mike Kehoe announced four appointments to various boards and filled one county vacancy.

    Nelson Dinsmore, of Meadville, was appointed as the Linn County Presiding Commissioner.

    Mr. Dinsmore is the co-owner and general manager of Butterfield & Associates Grain, Inc, and is a Missouri Certified Crop Advisor. Dinsmore, born and raised in Linn County, remains active in his community, having served on the Meadville Board of Alderman and the Meadville R-IV School Board. Dinsmore earned a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science & Agronomy from Missouri Western State University.

    Heather Hall, of Kansas City, was appointed to the Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners.

    Ms. Hall previously served as Kansas City Missouri’s 1st District Councilwoman, where she advocated for the men and women of the Kansas City Police Department. She also previously served on the Clay County Board of Election Commissioners. Hall has been highly involved in several organizations in the Kansas City community, including Veterans Community Project and Variety KC. Hall earned her Bachelor of Science in Journalism and Public Relations from Kansas State University.

    Jim Martin, of Perryville, was appointed to the Missouri Ethics Commission.

    Mr. Martin is a United States Army veteran and retired instructor for the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education – Missouri Schools for the Severely Disabled. Martin currently serves as president and director at River TREE Partnership in Perryville, working in strategic planning and stakeholder engagement. He previously served as board president for the Stars and Stripes National Museum and Library in Bloomfield. Martin earned a Bachelor of Science from Southeast Missouri State University.

    Ken McClure, of Springfield, was appointed to the Missouri Ethics Commission.

    Mr. McClure previously served as the Mayor of the City of Springfield. Prior to his service to the city, McClure was the vice president for administrative and information services at Missouri State University. McClure, a veteran, has served in multiple levels of city and state government, including service at the City Utilities of Springfield, the Missouri Public Service Commission, and as Chief of Staff for Governor Matt Blunt. McClure earned his master’s degree from the University of Missouri and his bachelor’s degree from Missouri State University.

    Dr. Thomas Prater, of Springfield, was appointed to the Missouri School Funding Modernization Task Force.

    Dr. Prater is a physician and partner at Mattax-Neu-Prater Eye Center in Springfield. From 2016 to 2020, he served as the Zone 2 Councilman on the Springfield City Council. He was also a member of the Springfield R-12 Board of Education from 1998 to 2014. Dr. Prater is an active member of the Missouri State Medical Society and the American Academy of Ophthalmology. He earned his Doctor of Medicine from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Correction: RENEW Energy Partners Upgrades Mass General Brigham’s Energy Portfolio to Unlock Capital

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BOSTON, July 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — RENEW Energy Partners (RENEW), a leading provider specializing in financing and deploying large-scale energy projects, advances the energy portfolio of Mass General Brigham (MGB), a nonprofit integrated healthcare system and biomedical research organization, with a major upgrade at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital. Through a new distributed energy generation system, the project increases energy efficiency by an estimated 10%, ensures maximum system uptime, and unlocks capital for new patient care opportunities.

    Reflecting RENEW’s strategy of delivering distributed generation systems without upfront investment, the energy upgrade helps MGB preserve capital while modernizing its infrastructure. RENEW’s system maximizes usable thermal output and optimizes system output to meet the building load requirements. In addition, RENEW will provide operational oversight of the system, ensuring consistent performance and freeing up MGB resources for core healthcare priorities.

    In addition to measurable energy performance gains, the project supports MGB’s Strategic Energy Master Plan (SEMP) goals of reducing energy consumption. With this project, the hospital uses less energy and produces fewer emissions without sacrificing operational or financial performance.

    “Our work with Mass General Brigham demonstrates how customized energy solutions can unlock capital, enhance system reliability and directly support a client’s long-term sustainability vision,” said Charlie Lord, Managing Principal at RENEW Energy Partners. “It’s been a privilege to collaborate with an organization so deeply committed to both patient care and environmental responsibility. We look forward to continuing our long-term partnership as MGB scales its clean energy initiatives.”

    RENEW and MGB began working together on energy upgrade projects in 2021, laying the foundation for an ongoing collaboration now focused on scaling distributed energy upgrades across the MGB network.

    To learn more about this project or RENEW Energy Partners’ distributed generation solutions and services, please contact Nicole Wilson at nwilson@renewep.com.

    About RENEW Energy Partners, LLC
    Founded in 2013, RENEW Energy Partners provides funding, engineering, and asset management solutions for commercial and industrial, as well as institutional clients to help them achieve their decarbonization objectives. RENEW supports clients in reducing greenhouse gas emissions through a diverse range of projects, from efficiency upgrades to advanced energy generation solutions. All projects are designed to enhance sustainability without requiring upfront capital investment.

    About Mass General Brigham
    Mass General Brigham is an integrated academic health care system, uniting great minds to solve the hardest problems in medicine for our communities and the world. Mass General Brigham connects a full continuum of care across a system of academic medical centers, community and specialty hospitals, a health insurance plan, physician networks, community health centers, home care, and long-term care services. Mass General Brigham is a nonprofit organization committed to patient care, research, teaching, and service to the community. In addition, Mass General Brigham is one of the nation’s leading biomedical research organizations with several Harvard Medical School teaching hospitals. For more information, please visit massgeneralbrigham.org.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Correction: RENEW Energy Partners Upgrades Mass General Brigham’s Energy Portfolio to Unlock Capital

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BOSTON, July 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — RENEW Energy Partners (RENEW), a leading provider specializing in financing and deploying large-scale energy projects, advances the energy portfolio of Mass General Brigham (MGB), a nonprofit integrated healthcare system and biomedical research organization, with a major upgrade at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital. Through a new distributed energy generation system, the project increases energy efficiency by an estimated 10%, ensures maximum system uptime, and unlocks capital for new patient care opportunities.

    Reflecting RENEW’s strategy of delivering distributed generation systems without upfront investment, the energy upgrade helps MGB preserve capital while modernizing its infrastructure. RENEW’s system maximizes usable thermal output and optimizes system output to meet the building load requirements. In addition, RENEW will provide operational oversight of the system, ensuring consistent performance and freeing up MGB resources for core healthcare priorities.

    In addition to measurable energy performance gains, the project supports MGB’s Strategic Energy Master Plan (SEMP) goals of reducing energy consumption. With this project, the hospital uses less energy and produces fewer emissions without sacrificing operational or financial performance.

    “Our work with Mass General Brigham demonstrates how customized energy solutions can unlock capital, enhance system reliability and directly support a client’s long-term sustainability vision,” said Charlie Lord, Managing Principal at RENEW Energy Partners. “It’s been a privilege to collaborate with an organization so deeply committed to both patient care and environmental responsibility. We look forward to continuing our long-term partnership as MGB scales its clean energy initiatives.”

    RENEW and MGB began working together on energy upgrade projects in 2021, laying the foundation for an ongoing collaboration now focused on scaling distributed energy upgrades across the MGB network.

    To learn more about this project or RENEW Energy Partners’ distributed generation solutions and services, please contact Nicole Wilson at nwilson@renewep.com.

    About RENEW Energy Partners, LLC
    Founded in 2013, RENEW Energy Partners provides funding, engineering, and asset management solutions for commercial and industrial, as well as institutional clients to help them achieve their decarbonization objectives. RENEW supports clients in reducing greenhouse gas emissions through a diverse range of projects, from efficiency upgrades to advanced energy generation solutions. All projects are designed to enhance sustainability without requiring upfront capital investment.

    About Mass General Brigham
    Mass General Brigham is an integrated academic health care system, uniting great minds to solve the hardest problems in medicine for our communities and the world. Mass General Brigham connects a full continuum of care across a system of academic medical centers, community and specialty hospitals, a health insurance plan, physician networks, community health centers, home care, and long-term care services. Mass General Brigham is a nonprofit organization committed to patient care, research, teaching, and service to the community. In addition, Mass General Brigham is one of the nation’s leading biomedical research organizations with several Harvard Medical School teaching hospitals. For more information, please visit massgeneralbrigham.org.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kaptur, Doggett, & Sorenson Lead Call for Urgent Federal Action After Deadly Texas Flood

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09)

    Washington, DC — Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), joined by Congressman Lloyd Doggett (TX-37) and Congressman Eric Sorenson (IL-17), today led a forceful letter to federal agencies calling for immediate action following the catastrophic flash flooding in Kerr County, Texas, that claimed over 100 lives. The letter — sent to President Donald J. Trump, NOAA leadership, and the US Army Corps of Engineers — demands an urgent review of staffing shortages, stalled forecasting improvements, and insufficient flood preparedness that contributed to the disaster.

    The lawmakers point to dangerous gaps in public warning coordination and a 15% reduction in National Weather Service (NWS) staffing since January as critical failures that must be addressed before the next extreme weather event. Accurate weather forecasts are not enough. It is imperative that these warnings are adequately communicated to members of the public and in a way that prompts the appropriate lifesaving action by emergency managers, first responders, and the public at-large.  

    “This flood was not just a natural disaster but a failure of foresight and leadership,” said Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09). “A changing climate is rewriting the rules of weather, and our federal agencies must keep pace. The American people deserve a weather warning system that does more than sound the alarm. It must be fully staffed and ready to act to ensure that everyone in harms way receives it. This letter is a demand for accountability, but more importantly, it’s a demand for lives to be protected anywhere severe weather strikes.”

    “As Texans in my state are faced with much pain and uncertainty, we cannot wait to ask the hard questions,” said Congressman Lloyd Doggett (TX-37). “Effective oversight saves lives. That is why we need a full account of the ways in which the Trump administration’s recent actions have undermined the federal response, both before and after this catastrophe. Learning from these failures and recognizing that weather intensification driven by climate change increasingly endangers lives will help prevent more tragedies.”

    “As someone who has reported on dangerous floods for my neighbors as a meteorologist in my local community, I know how critical it is for NWS meteorologists, local media, and emergency management coordinators to work together seamlessly and quickly to share urgent warnings,” said Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17). “The deadly toll of the flash floods that hit Texas last week beg the question of what went wrong with the warning systems in place and what more could have been done to prevent this tragedy. The Trump Administration’s cuts to NOAA and the NWS are already having a real impact on the accuracy of our nation’s weather forecasting, creating cause for major concern. That is why I am calling on President Trump, NOAA, and the Army Corps of Engineers to undertake a full-scale investigation into what went wrong and what can be done to prevent catastrophes like this in the future.” 

    This tragedy echoes a troubling national pattern of accelerating flash flood disasters that have claimed lives in recent years: 46 lives in the greater New York City area in September 2021, 45 lives in Kentucky in July 2022, 20 lives in Tennessee in August 2021, and 250 lives across the Southeast in September 2024.  These events are not anomalies — they are harbingers of a climate-disrupted future.

    Kaptur, Doggett, and Sorenson request a response within 30 days and underscore that federal weather services must not be the weak link in the nation’s climate resilience.

    A full copy of the letter can be found by clicking here or reading below: 

    July 11, 2025

    Honorable Donald J. Trump 
    President of the United States
    The White House

    1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW 
    Washington, DC 20500

    Laura Grimm
    Chief of Staff, performing the duties of Undersecretary for Commerce of Oceans and Atmosphere and Administrator, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
    1401 Constitution Ave NW

    Washington, DC 20230

    Lieutenant General William H. Graham Jr. 
    Commanding General and 56th Chief of Engineers
    U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 

    441 G St NW

    Washington DC, 20314 

    		  

    Dear Mr. President, Ms. Grimm, and General Graham:

    We write with deep concern about the recent flooding in Kerr County, Texas, by both the severity of this event and the structural shortcomings at the federal, state, and local levels that contributed to the tragic loss of life. On July 4, 2025, Kerr County was struck by a flash flood of devastating impact. The Guadalupe River rose by more than 20 feet in less than two hours,[1] engulfing homes and campsites, and leaving over a hundred dead in its wake.[2] This tragedy echoes a troubling national pattern of accelerating flash flood disasters that have claimed lives: 46 lives in the greater New York City area in September 2021,[3] 45 lives in Kentucky in July 2022, 20 lives in Tennessee in August 2021, and 250 lives across the Southeast in September 2024.[4]  These events are not anomalies—they are harbingers of a climate-disrupted future.

    Atmospheric scientists have long warned that warmer air holds more water vapor and thus latent energy produces heavier rainfall. In 1989, the Director of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, James Hansen, wrote presciently that “the greenhouse effect enhances both ends of the hydrologic cycle…, there is an increased frequency of extreme wet situations, as well as increased drought. Model results are shown to imply that increased greenhouse warming will lead to more intense thunderstorms, that is, deeper thunderstorms with greater rainfall.”[5]

    While the National Weather Service (NWS) forecast may have been accurate, accurate weather forecasts are not enough. It is imperative that these warnings are adequately communicated to members of the public and in a way that prompts the appropriate lifesaving action by emergency managers, first responders, and the public at-large.  We are concerned that there seems to have been a breakdown at this stage starting with the first flash flood watches issued on Thursday afternoon.

    Following a series of catastrophic tornadoes in the spring of 2011 that culminated in the worst tornado in a generation in Joplin, Missouri, NWS acknowledged that accurate forecasts were not enough to protect life and property, and thereby elevated the importance of properly communicating to the public about life-threatening weather events.  As a result, NWS developed the Weather Ready Nation initiative to ensure that Americans knew how to appropriately respond to dangerous weather conditions when alerted by NWS or the private weather enterprise. In support of this effort, Congress codified the position of Warning Coordination Meteorologist in every weather forecast office (WFO) around the country in the 2017 Weather Act.

    While staffing across NWS has long been a bipartisan concern, the staffing reductions mandated by the Department of Government Efficiency has greatly magnified the issue, with NWS losing nearly 15% of its staff nationwide since January.  The forecast accuracy and timeliness during this event in Texas was a testament to the dedication of the local NWS staff who flexed their schedules to ensure adequate coverage during such a high-impact event. That is not a sustainable solution, nor is it reliable enough for the increasing incidence of dangerous weather events.

    In particular, the loss of the Warning Coordination Meteorologist at the San Antonio weather forecast office (WFO) and the reduced number of forecasters put the people of Texas at risk. Lacking a full staff complement requires the team to focus only on issuing the forecasts and warnings. Outreach and coordination, a key responsibility of the Warning Coordination Meteorologist, do not occur. Also, we understand that the funding supporting travel to the community for outreach and coordination, including meeting with emergency managers and elected officials, has been suspended. Having the Warning Coordination Meteorologist position and the vacancies filled may have been critical to saving more lives by connecting with as many local community leaders as possible in the hours between the 1 a.m. NWS warning and 4 a.m. when the most dangerous conditions began impacting residents.[6]  

    Given these concerns, we intend to work quickly to enact the Weather Staffing Improvement Act, which will streamline the hiring of federal weather forecasters. Meanwhile, we request that NWS expedites the backfilling of vacancies at all WFOs and the National Centers for Environmental Prediction. Further, we request that, despite proposed cuts to programs in the fiscal year 2026 budget request, no other reductions in funding or staffing occur without the explicit direction of Congress to programs that support precipitation prediction and decision support or the improvement of those services, including, but not limited to the work of the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research.

    NWS Director Ken Graham has also laid out strategic priorities to transform NWS’ staffing models and organizational effectiveness, known as “Ken’s 10”.[7] We applaud his thoughtful proposals, though we urge NOAA to provide more detailed information for Congress to consider prior to wholesale implementation.  Further, we urge that any adoption and implementation be done in a measured way so as to prevent any failures in the current system during the transition.   

    We ask that your agencies please provide the following information:

    1. Staffing Cuts: Provide a breakdown of NWS staffing levels since 2017 at WFOs and the National Centers for Environmental Protection.  Identify how many WFOs, and for how long each, has lacked each of the following positions over that time: Meteorologist in Charge, a Science Operations Officer, and a Warning Coordination Meteorologist? What performance impacts have resulted?
    2. Communication Gaps: How did the absence of a Warning Coordination Meteorologist and reduced staffing affect warning distribution, communication and coordination in Kerr County and other nearby jurisdictions? What is the standard operating procedure for such a role in such critical weather events?
    3. Precipitation Prediction: Atlas-15 will provide detailed estimates of maximum probable precipitation rates for any location in the U.S., critical information for planning for severe weather events.  Please explain any reasons for the current delays in Atlas-15’s national release.  Are sufficient funds available for the completion of this tool?  Have any funds been redirected away from this purpose?
    4. Status of PPGC: The Precipitation Prediction Grand Challenge (PPGC), an initiative to dramatically improve the accuracy of forecasting when, where, and how much precipitation will occur has been chronically underfunded.  Please provide an update on the current efforts to date and the requirements to make significant progress over the next 5 years.
    5. Adopting Graham’s Priorities: Which of Ken Graham’s ten transformation proposals have been implemented? Provide projected costs and timelines.
    6. Corps Flood Control Improvements: This event also highlights the need for improvements from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) who is tasked with flood control across the country. How has the Corps updated its standard operating procedures to recognize the increased risk of extreme precipitation?  What is the status of the adoption of the Forecast-Informed Reservoir Operations (FIRO) to reduce flooding risk and maximize water availability? What additional research and monitoring is necessary, and on what timeline, to incorporate FIRO into the Corps’ standard procedures?
    7. Interagency Collaboration: What NOAA and Corps coordination mechanisms are in place to improve rural flood-warning infrastructure and emergency preparedness, including hydrology modeling and flood response planning?
    8. Future Preparedness Plan: Describe plans to adapt federal weather services to the growing frequency of extreme precipitation events attributable to climate change.

    Across America, we are entering a perilous new era of extreme precipitation. The science is clear: a warming world means heavier rains, more frequent flash floods, and rising stakes. Failure to learn from this disaster will only exacerbate future risk. Now is the moment to prioritize investments—restoring NOAA staffing and accelerating research and coordinating flood preparedness across the Federal Government. We respectfully ask for your prompt attention and response within 30 days to ensure federal weather infrastructure is not the weak link in our national resilience.  We further request a quick response to the July 8, 2025 letter from Rep. Doggett, the Dean of the Texas Congressional Delegation.

     

    Sincerely,

    # # #
     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: The forgotten 80-year-old machine that shaped the internet – and could help us survive AI

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Martin Rudorfer, Lecturer in Computer Science, Aston University

    Many years ago, long before the internet or artificial intelligence, an American engineer called Vannevar Bush was trying to solve a problem. He could see how difficult it had become for professionals to research anything, and saw the potential for a better way.

    This was in the 1940s, when anyone looking for articles, books or other scientific records had to go to a library and search through an index. This meant drawers upon drawers filled with index cards, typically sorted by author, title or subject.

    When you had found what you were looking for, creating copies or excerpts was a tedious, manual task. You would have to be very organised in keeping your own records. And woe betide anyone who was working across more than one discipline. Since every book could physically only be in one place, they all had to be filed solely under a primary subject. So an article on cave art couldn’t be in both art and archaeology, and researchers would often waste extra time trying to find the right location.

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

    This had always been a challenge, but an explosion in research publications in that era had made it far worse than before. As Bush wrote in an influential essay, As We May Think, in The Atlantic in July 1945:

    There is a growing mountain of research. But there is increased evidence that we are being bogged down today as specialisation extends. The investigator is staggered by the findings and conclusions of thousands of other workers – conclusions which he cannot find time to grasp, much less to remember, as they appear.

    Bush was dean of the school of engineering at MIT (the Massachusetts Institute of Technology) and president of the Carnegie Institute. During the second world war, he had been the director of the Office of Scientific Research and Development, coordinating the activities of some 6,000 scientists working relentlessly to give their country a technological advantage. He could see that science was being drastically slowed down by the research process, and proposed a solution that he called the “memex”.

    The memex was to be a personal device built into a desk that required little physical space. It would rely heavily on microfilm for data storage, a new technology at the time. The memex would use this to store large numbers of documents in a greatly compressed format that could be projected onto translucent screens.

    Most importantly, Bush’s memex was to include a form of associative indexing for tying two items together. The user would be able to use a keyboard to click on a code number alongside a document to jump to an associated document or view them simultaneously – without needing to sift through an index.

    Bush acknowledged in his essay that this kind of keyboard click-through wasn’t yet technologically feasible. Yet he believed it would be soon, pointing to existing systems for handling data such as punched cards as potential forerunners.

    Punched cards were an early way of storing digital information.
    Wikimedia, CC BY-SA

    He envisaged that a user would create the connections between items as they developed their personal research library, creating chains of microfilm frames in which the same document or extract could be part of multiple trails at the same time.

    New additions could be inserted either by photographing them on to microfilm or by purchasing a microfilm of an existing document. Indeed, a user would be able to augment their memex with vast reference texts. “New forms of encyclopedias will appear,” said Bush, “ready-made with a mesh of associative trails running through them, ready to be dropped into the memex”. Fascinatingly, this isn’t far from today’s Wikipedia.

    Where it led

    Bush thought the memex would help researchers to think in a more natural, associative way that would be reflected in their records. He is thought to have inspired the American inventors Ted Nelson and Douglas Engelbart, who in the 1960s independently developed hypertext systems, in which documents contained hyperlinks that could directly access other documents. These became the foundation of the world wide web as we know it.

    Beyond the practicalities of having easy access to so much information, Bush believed that the added value in the memex lay in making it easier for users to manipulate ideas and spark new ones. His essay drew a distinction between repetitive and creative thought, and foresaw that there would soon be new “powerful mechanical aids” to help with the repetitive variety.

    He was perhaps mostly thinking about mathematics, but he left the door open to other thought processes. And 80 years later, with AI in our pockets, we’re automating far more thinking than was ever possible with a calculator.

    If this sounds like a happy ending, Bush did not sound overly optimistic when he revisited his own vision in his 1970 book Pieces of the Action. In the intervening 25 years, he had witnessed technological advances in areas like computing that were bringing the memex closer to reality.

    Yet Bush felt that the technology had largely missed the philosophical intent of his vision – to enhance human reasoning and creativity:

    In 1945, I dreamed of machines that would think with us. Now, I see machines that think for us – or worse, control us.

    Bush would die just four years later at the age of 84, but these concerns still feel strikingly relevant today. While it’s great that we do not need to search for a book by flipping through index cards in chests of drawers, we might feel more uneasy about machines doing most of the thinking for us.

    Just 80 years after Bush proposed the Memex, AIs on smartphones are an everyday thing.
    jackpress

    Is this technology enhancing and sharpening our skills, or is it making us lazy? No doubt everyone is different, but the danger is that whatever skills we leave to the machines, we eventually lose, and younger generations may not even get the opportunity to learn them in the first place.

    The lesson from As We May Think is that a purely technical solution like the memex is not enough. Technology still needs to be human-centred, underpinned by a philosophical vision. As we contemplate a great automation in human thinking in the years ahead, the challenge is to somehow protect our creativity and reasoning at the same time.

    Martin Rudorfer 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. The forgotten 80-year-old machine that shaped the internet – and could help us survive AI – https://theconversation.com/the-forgotten-80-year-old-machine-that-shaped-the-internet-and-could-help-us-survive-ai-260839

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: The forgotten 80-year-old machine that shaped the internet – and could help us survive AI

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Martin Rudorfer, Lecturer in Computer Science, Aston University

    Many years ago, long before the internet or artificial intelligence, an American engineer called Vannevar Bush was trying to solve a problem. He could see how difficult it had become for professionals to research anything, and saw the potential for a better way.

    This was in the 1940s, when anyone looking for articles, books or other scientific records had to go to a library and search through an index. This meant drawers upon drawers filled with index cards, typically sorted by author, title or subject.

    When you had found what you were looking for, creating copies or excerpts was a tedious, manual task. You would have to be very organised in keeping your own records. And woe betide anyone who was working across more than one discipline. Since every book could physically only be in one place, they all had to be filed solely under a primary subject. So an article on cave art couldn’t be in both art and archaeology, and researchers would often waste extra time trying to find the right location.

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

    This had always been a challenge, but an explosion in research publications in that era had made it far worse than before. As Bush wrote in an influential essay, As We May Think, in The Atlantic in July 1945:

    There is a growing mountain of research. But there is increased evidence that we are being bogged down today as specialisation extends. The investigator is staggered by the findings and conclusions of thousands of other workers – conclusions which he cannot find time to grasp, much less to remember, as they appear.

    Bush was dean of the school of engineering at MIT (the Massachusetts Institute of Technology) and president of the Carnegie Institute. During the second world war, he had been the director of the Office of Scientific Research and Development, coordinating the activities of some 6,000 scientists working relentlessly to give their country a technological advantage. He could see that science was being drastically slowed down by the research process, and proposed a solution that he called the “memex”.

    The memex was to be a personal device built into a desk that required little physical space. It would rely heavily on microfilm for data storage, a new technology at the time. The memex would use this to store large numbers of documents in a greatly compressed format that could be projected onto translucent screens.

    Most importantly, Bush’s memex was to include a form of associative indexing for tying two items together. The user would be able to use a keyboard to click on a code number alongside a document to jump to an associated document or view them simultaneously – without needing to sift through an index.

    Bush acknowledged in his essay that this kind of keyboard click-through wasn’t yet technologically feasible. Yet he believed it would be soon, pointing to existing systems for handling data such as punched cards as potential forerunners.

    Punched cards were an early way of storing digital information.
    Wikimedia, CC BY-SA

    He envisaged that a user would create the connections between items as they developed their personal research library, creating chains of microfilm frames in which the same document or extract could be part of multiple trails at the same time.

    New additions could be inserted either by photographing them on to microfilm or by purchasing a microfilm of an existing document. Indeed, a user would be able to augment their memex with vast reference texts. “New forms of encyclopedias will appear,” said Bush, “ready-made with a mesh of associative trails running through them, ready to be dropped into the memex”. Fascinatingly, this isn’t far from today’s Wikipedia.

    Where it led

    Bush thought the memex would help researchers to think in a more natural, associative way that would be reflected in their records. He is thought to have inspired the American inventors Ted Nelson and Douglas Engelbart, who in the 1960s independently developed hypertext systems, in which documents contained hyperlinks that could directly access other documents. These became the foundation of the world wide web as we know it.

    Beyond the practicalities of having easy access to so much information, Bush believed that the added value in the memex lay in making it easier for users to manipulate ideas and spark new ones. His essay drew a distinction between repetitive and creative thought, and foresaw that there would soon be new “powerful mechanical aids” to help with the repetitive variety.

    He was perhaps mostly thinking about mathematics, but he left the door open to other thought processes. And 80 years later, with AI in our pockets, we’re automating far more thinking than was ever possible with a calculator.

    If this sounds like a happy ending, Bush did not sound overly optimistic when he revisited his own vision in his 1970 book Pieces of the Action. In the intervening 25 years, he had witnessed technological advances in areas like computing that were bringing the memex closer to reality.

    Yet Bush felt that the technology had largely missed the philosophical intent of his vision – to enhance human reasoning and creativity:

    In 1945, I dreamed of machines that would think with us. Now, I see machines that think for us – or worse, control us.

    Bush would die just four years later at the age of 84, but these concerns still feel strikingly relevant today. While it’s great that we do not need to search for a book by flipping through index cards in chests of drawers, we might feel more uneasy about machines doing most of the thinking for us.

    Just 80 years after Bush proposed the Memex, AIs on smartphones are an everyday thing.
    jackpress

    Is this technology enhancing and sharpening our skills, or is it making us lazy? No doubt everyone is different, but the danger is that whatever skills we leave to the machines, we eventually lose, and younger generations may not even get the opportunity to learn them in the first place.

    The lesson from As We May Think is that a purely technical solution like the memex is not enough. Technology still needs to be human-centred, underpinned by a philosophical vision. As we contemplate a great automation in human thinking in the years ahead, the challenge is to somehow protect our creativity and reasoning at the same time.

    Martin Rudorfer 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. The forgotten 80-year-old machine that shaped the internet – and could help us survive AI – https://theconversation.com/the-forgotten-80-year-old-machine-that-shaped-the-internet-and-could-help-us-survive-ai-260839

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Pets can get sunburned too – what you need to know

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jacqueline Boyd, Senior Lecturer in Animal Science, Nottingham Trent University

    While there is good awareness of the potential dangers of pets overheating in high temperatures during summer months, recognising that the sunburn itself can be a source of harm is also important.

    We might think that our furry friends are protected from the sun’s harmful rays thanks to their typical hairiness, but in reality, we need to protect them too.

    This is especially important for pets with light-coloured hair, pale, pink skin or those with fine or thin coats such as the sphynx cat or the xoloitzcuintle dog that lack natural protection.

    For pets that live outdoors or spend a lot of time in the sun, this can also be a significant problem.

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

    Pink skin lacks the pigment, melanin, that provides a natural level of protection from sunlight. As a result, pets with exposed areas of pink skin can become painfully sunburned, even on days that might not appear overly sunny. The tips of cats’ ears are commonly affected, as are horses with pink muzzles and other lightly pigmented areas of their body.

    Dogs can also be affected on their noses and bellies – I have even known one unfortunate pooch to suffer sunburn on his scrotum after a period of garden sunbathing. Essentially, just like us, any unprotected area of skin that is exposed to the sun can become painfully burned, with both short and more prolonged effects.

    Even minor areas of sunburn are associated with reddening of the skin, irritation and discomfort. More severe cases of sunburn can cause blistering, crusting and scabs to form on affected areas. While these signs typically heal and resolve quickly, they can be painful and distressing for our pets.

    The longer-term consequences can include significant damage to the skin and may increase the risk of certain forms of skin cancer developing.

    There is also the potential for thermal burns to occur after exposure to intense sunlight, especially over the backs of animals. These can be severe, affecting the full thickness of the skin and causing significant distress.

    Consequently, protecting our pets from the pain of sunburn is important.

    How to protect your pet

    An easy way to keep your pet safe both from the damaging UV radiation in sunlight and high temperatures, is to limit their access outdoors during the sunniest and warmest times of the day. This might mean exercising your dog early in the morning and later in the evening, providing shade and shelter for horses and encouraging cats to sunbathe safely indoors.

    The use of sunscreen can be a useful protective method to limit harm to exposed areas of skin, but do select a pet-safe sunscreen. Many human sunscreen preparations contain ingredients that can be toxic for our pets, especially if accidentally licked and ingested.

    Reapply sunscreen regularly and don’t forget to apply it to the areas most likely to be exposed, such as ears, noses and pink-skinned or lightly coated areas of the body.

    For some pets, suitable protective clothing and coverings, including UV eye protection might be appropriate, although do take time to get your pet used to wearing and moving in these before use.

    What if your pet has been sunburned?

    If your pet gets a mild sunburn but seems comfortable and not in distress, a cold compress can offer some soothing relief. Gently apply it to the affected area to help ease discomfort. Keep a close eye on the healing process, and be sure to protect your pet from further sun exposure.

    In more severe cases, contact your vet for advice and additional treatment. Painkillers or antibiotics might be needed and these can only be prescribed for your pet by a veterinary surgeon.

    Equally, if you find unusual areas on your pet’s skin such as non-healing or unusually crusty sores and are concerned that it could be a sign of skin cancer, speak to your vet for guidance and support.

    Global UV levels are increasing. This means that in the same way that we have increased exposure to potentially harmful levels, our pets do too. By managing how our pets experience sunshine and by using protective options where possible, we can go some way to avoiding the pain and distress of sunburn, as well as the more serious possible long-term consequences such as skin cancer.

    In addition to her academic affiliation at Nottingham Trent University (NTU) and support from the Institute for Knowledge Exchange Practice (IKEP) at NTU, Jacqueline Boyd is affiliated with The Kennel Club (UK) through membership, as advisor to the Health Advisory Group and membership of the Activities Committee. Jacqueline is also a full member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT #01583). She also writes, consults and coaches on canine matters on an independent basis.

    – ref. Pets can get sunburned too – what you need to know – https://theconversation.com/pets-can-get-sunburned-too-what-you-need-to-know-260076

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: How citizens’ assemblies could improve animal welfare

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Heather Browning, Lecturer in Philosophy, University of Southampton

    Heather Browning speaks about animal welfare and ethics as part of the Citizens’ Assembly for Animal Welfare opening event in Birmingham. RSPCA, CC BY-NC-ND

    As an animal lover, should you visit zoos? Should you have pets? Should you make your garden friendly for birds, pollinators and other wildlife? Should you try to reduce meat in your diet or avoid consuming all animal products? Should you write to politicians about changing the laws for animals?

    As a lecturer in animal ethics and animal welfare science, and someone who’s spent a lot of time working with animals, these are the sorts of questions I think about.

    There are lots of ways to be kinder to animals. All have their merits. But the big question is: what sort of future do we want to see for animals in our society?

    We live in a time where animals are facing some of their biggest challenges, from the climate crisis to industrial farming. Combined with other social issues such as the cost of living crisis and global conflicts, we as citizens and consumers have many other competing claims on our capacity to care. This can mean less attention for animals and the harms they face.

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    This creates a big problem. Alongside the ethical reasons for improving animals’ lives, good animal welfare can benefit everyone – among other things, care for and connections with animals improves our own mental health, fosters compassion in our communities, and can lead to improvements in our natural environment. We don’t want to lose sight of the progress we’ve made in our thinking about and treatment of animals.

    It’s undeniable that there have been many welfare gains for animals over the years, but in the face of how far we still have to go, perhaps new approaches are needed. How can we conceive of new, and perhaps more radical, ways to help animals? And importantly, how do we keep animal welfare on the agenda, both socially and politically?

    For over two centuries, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) has played a central role in this fight. Alongside their animal rescue work, they have campaigned for changes in over 400 laws, and worked with the public to find ways to improve welfare for pets, farmed animals and wildlife.

    This year they are stepping into a new frontier and have commissioned what is possibly the first ever citizens’ assembly focused entirely on animal welfare in the world, delivered with the assistance of experts from the New Citizen Project, a consultancy that specialises in citizen-led engagement. The assembly is part of the RSPCA’s Animal Futures project, which aims to examine what the future may hold for animals by 2050, and most importantly how everyone (citizens, consumers and policymakers) has a role in influencing this.

    Citizens’ assemblies are being held to debate animal welfare issues, such as chicken farming for eggs.
    Dewald Kirsten/Shutterstock

    Citizens’ assemblies bring together a randomly selected representative sample of the population, who learn about and debate issues and make recommendations. It’s a form of deliberative democracy, where the people can have their say on important social and political issues.

    Assemblies are a means of overcoming some of the current problems with the democratic process, like the exclusion of people who often aren’t heard in politics (such as those with less money or education, or racial and religious minorities) and polarisation between major government parties that can slow down decision-making and action.

    Beyond just a focus group asking for existing opinions, citizen’s assemblies provide opportunities for members to learn and shape their thinking, to build expertise on the topics they deliberate.

    Assemblies have already been used around the world on issues as diverse as abortion rights, electoral reform and food waste. As they are independently facilitated, they don’t just follow the accepted institutional narratives and can instead encourage organisations and policymakers to envision new directions for thought and action – in line with the realities of what the public believe and value.

    There are now several examples of the recommendations coming from such assemblies successfully driving policy change, such as climate change reform in France.

    While organisations such as the RSPCA may know a lot about animals, hosting this assembly is an acknowledgement that they don’t have all the answers about what is best for society as a whole, as we consider our interactions with animals. The scope of this problem is far larger than any one organisation can tackle alone, and through initiatives such as the citizens’ assembly, we can gain a greater insight into the possible solutions for the future.

    Animal assembly

    I recently attended this assembly’s opening session in Birmingham, where members were gathered from all around England and Wales (neatly marked by pins scattered across a map of the country). Looking around the room there was obvious diversity in demographics and backgroun and as I spoke with the members it was also apparent there was a wide range of opinions and beliefs on the topics we discussed.

    What everyone shared was a commitment to the process – to learn from the experts who were there to introduce the topics, to deliberate and discuss carefully and thoughtfully – and a desire to contribute and influence the process. Being there felt like being part of an important moment for the future of animal welfare.

    In the weeks that followed, the members of the assembly met again several times to absorb and consider huge amounts of information about topics such as farming, responsible pet ownership, wildlife, and nature. Based on this, they will make a series of recommendations that will drive change at the RSPCA.

    What they produce will be used to shape its future direction, how it works, and how it lobbies governments. What these assembly members recommend could have a substantial and lasting impact on animal welfare in the UK.

    Like many animal welfare experts from academia, industry or charities, I might think I have the answers on what animals need. But successful solutions require public backing to have real impact. Improving the future for animals is something that everyone has a role in and a citizens’ assembly can be a catalyst for positive change.

    Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?

    Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 45,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

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

    – ref. How citizens’ assemblies could improve animal welfare – https://theconversation.com/how-citizens-assemblies-could-improve-animal-welfare-259755

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Overhauling the NHS app is at the heart of UK healthcare plans, but it could leave some people behind

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Catia Nicodemo, Professor of Health Economics, Brunel University of London

    The ‘doctor in your pocket’ will see you soon. CeltStudio/Shutterstock

    The UK government’s ten-year health plan promises a radical digital transformation of the NHS. A key part of this change is said to come from developing the NHS app, which is being hailed as a “doctor in your pocket”.

    The upgraded app will apparently offer features like instant health advice, appointment booking, prescription management and access to personal health records. It is hoped the software will become users’ “front door” to the NHS.

    It’s an ambitious vision which aims to empower patients, streamline services and reduce red tape. And for tech-savvy users, these innovations could significantly improve access to care, reduce waiting times and enhance patient autonomy.

    But while it may herald a new era of convenience for many, it risks leaving behind anyone who struggles with an increasingly digital world. This could then exacerbate health inequalities which already exist – and increase pressure on some areas of already strained services.

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    In particular, a digital-first approach to healthcare risks excluding older adults, who may lack the skills or resources to confidently navigate the necessary software. The media regulator Ofcom estimates that around 6% of UK households still lack internet access at home. Figures from the charity Age UK suggest that 33% of people over 75 in the UK lack basic digital skills.

    With regard to health specifically, a 2024 study found that older patients were more likely to misunderstand automated symptom checkers, leading to unnecessary anxiety or delayed care.

    For these people, the planned shift to app-based services could create new barriers to accessing care, potentially leading to delayed diagnoses and worsening health outcomes.

    The NHS plan does at least acknowledge this divide, and says it will confer with patient groups and work with other establishments (such as libraries) to support digital literacy. But these measures will not be enough without guaranteed funding.

    And older people, even those who are comfortable with technology, may face other challenges such as visual impairment or cognitive decline, which can make using apps difficult.

    Others who struggle to use the NHS App for routine care may delay seeking help until their conditions worsen, placing avoidable strain on overstretched hospitals.

    Digital diversion

    This strain might include digital triage inadvertently funnelling non-urgent cases to A&E if users misinterpret symptoms or find the app’s guidance unclear, a risk compounded by the lack of human oversight in automated systems. Or a patient with chronic pain might avoid the app due to digital anxiety or confusion, and end up going to A&E when their condition becomes unbearable and more costly to treat.

    Not everyone is comfortable with apps.
    Halfpoint/Shutterstock

    To avoid all of this, the NHS needs to maintain traditional communication options. Telephone and in-person services must remain accessible and widely available. The ten-year plan’s focus on “digital by default” should not become “digital only”.

    There should also be plenty of investment to help people feel digitally empowered and included. Places like libraries and community centres can certainly help, but targeted outreach will also be necessary, such as partnerships with charities.

    This is not to say the NHS should be overly wary of the benefits of increased digital capabilities. The ten-year plan highlights, for example, the app’s potential to alleviate some of the burdens on healthcare staff, with AI able to take care of admin, saving clinicians time which can be used for patient care instead.

    Such efficiencies are critical for a system grappling with workforce shortages and rising demand. Yet if digital tools are not universally accessible or usable, not everyone will benefit.

    So while the NHS’s digital ambitions are commendable, their success hinges on inclusivity. If it’s not careful, the system risks entrenching a two-tier system where younger, tech-literate patients benefit while older and disadvantaged groups face greater exclusion. As the NHS embraces innovation, it must ensure no one is left behind – especially those who rely on it the most.

    Catia Nicodemo 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. Overhauling the NHS app is at the heart of UK healthcare plans, but it could leave some people behind – https://theconversation.com/overhauling-the-nhs-app-is-at-the-heart-of-uk-healthcare-plans-but-it-could-leave-some-people-behind-260540

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: ‘Come meet us in Dubai’: the new offshoring of grand corruption

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By John Heathershaw, Professor in International Relations, University of Exeter

    So-called professional enablers of grand corruption are increasing service provision out of jurisdictions where they can act without similar restraints. WaitForLight / Shutterstock

    During an interview one of us (Ricardo Soares de Oliveira) carried out in 2017, an African high net-worth individual said he was told by an executive whose business had long served him out of London: “Come meet us in Dubai”. This is part of a large but still misunderstood shift.

    In response to the hardening of rules for foreign money of dubious origins in traditional financial centres, sensitive business has been moving toward new, more permissive jurisdictions. This offshoring of services is giving corrupt strategies a new lease of life, while also making the fightback more difficult.

    For every corrupt dealing that materialises as legitimate wealth, a trail of service provision is indispensable. Bankers, lawyers, real estate executives, accountants, management consultants and PR agencies have acted as facilitators in western financial centres.

    Western governments have long indulged kleptocracy, a system where business success and political power are inextricably entwined. They have done so by condoning lax law enforcement and promoting deregulation, often through risible mechanisms of professional self-regulation.

    But in recent years, data leaks and brave championship of reform by politicians, as well as the work of civil society organisations, investigative journalists and academics, have shed light on the role of these so-called professional enablers.

    In June 2024, a month before becoming British foreign secretary, David Lammy promised to take aim at professionals who enable corruption through London and the UK’s overseas territories. This, he noted, included the “finest bankers, lawyers, estate agents and accountants that money could buy”.

    Lammy’s comments give the impression that the era of risk-free facilitation of corrupt behaviour is at an end. But this optimism is, at least for now, misplaced.

    The shift is largely in political discourse and media scrutiny. Enforcement seriously lags everywhere and is now in reverse gear in the US. Professional enablers still face no real sanction for engaging in such practices.

    At the same time, many professionals are reacting to a more tightly regulated ecosystem in western jurisdictions by engaging in so-called “jurisdictional arbitrage”. There is evidence that they are increasing service provision out of jurisdictions where they can act without similar restraints.

    Jurisdictional arbitrage

    Almost all cases of the professional enabling we have studied involve service provision in western hubs and “new” global financial centres.

    The professional network around Gulnara Karimova, the daughter of the former president of Uzbekistan, Islam Karimov, was dubbed “the office” by Swiss prosecutors. Karimova was jailed in 2014 for taking bribes for access to the country’s market.

    The criminal investigation into her involved 12 jurisdictions, including the UK, US and Uzbekistan as well as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Hong Kong.

    Isabel dos Santos, who is Africa’s richest woman and the daughter of former Angolan president José Eduardo dos Santos, also held a maze of global interests. These interests, as in the case of Karimova, spanned western jurisdictions and Asian financial centres such as Dubai, Singapore and Hong Kong.

    Alternative jurisdictions all offer very similar conditions. They are already well-connected, world-class financial centres that are attractive to international business executives.

    Their governments have created regulatory, fiscal and secrecy conditions, sometimes explicitly undercutting older centres such as Switzerland and London. In the latest edition of the Global Financial Centers index, which ranks the competitiveness of financial centres, Dubai rose four places to go above Dublin, Geneva and Paris.

    Crucially, they are also mostly authoritarian states where there is no media or civil society pressure regarding business activities. Even the intermittent sort of scrutiny one sees in western financial centres is absent there.

    Much activity in these financial centres is legal and based on their legitimate competitive advantages. Business interests are also attracted by their vast capital pools. But they are proving to be especially appealing for the sort of business that can no longer flock to other jurisdictions.

    This is the case with servicing clients from states under sanctions such as Russia or Iran. It also applies to regions like Africa and central Asia with high compliance barriers whose high net-worth individuals and firms can no longer get easy access to OECD jurisdictions.

    Researchers at the University of Sussex have shown a major shift in dirty money networks away from the west and towards what they call a “Dubai-Kong axis”.

    There is no exact portrait of the magnitude of this jurisdictional arbitrage. But our work tells us it is big. Two examples from Switzerland are commodity trading and wealth management.

    These sectors have long been under-scrutinised. But they have seen regulatory tightening and greater media attention in recent years. Both have reacted the same way, by sending important parts of their business away from Switzerland.

    The UAE has been dubbed the “new Swiss financial mecca”, with the Financial Times reporting in May 2025 that Swiss family offices are moving there “wholesale”. Far from downplaying the “Swiss brand”, they continue to advertise their multi-generational expertise and “old money” mystique, but from more amenable locations.

    What can be done?

    The many types of legal business involving professional services in these jurisdictions should not be affected. But national and international law must designate the “kleptocratic enterprise” of elites and professionals as a form of serious organised crime.

    This would allow prosecutors to target professionals for working with criminal kleptocrats rather than having to prove that the particular asset handled has criminal origin. This move was made by Swiss prosecutors in the Karimova case.

    It captures the reality that ill-gotten gains are layered and integrated into assets held overseas, just as enablers do for criminal gangs. It also means that the moving of the family office to Dubai will not prevent prosecution where an asset is held or registered.

    Finally, governments could stimulate the market in asset recovery by making it easier for foreign governments and civil society to bring cases, with expert law firms working on a for-profit basis.

    Illicit finance is always transnational, so there is no need to declare defeat just because dodgy business is on the move. However, we are entering a new stage in its global dissemination and complexity.

    John Heathershaw receives funding from the Governance Integrity Anti-Corruption Evidence Programme funded by UK Aid from the UK Government for the benefits of developing countries. The views expressed are not necessarily those of the UK government’s official policies. He is affiliated with the UK Anti-Corruption Coalition.

    Ricardo Soares de Oliveira receives funding from the Governance Integrity Anti-Corruption Evidence Programme funded by UK Aid from the UK Government for the benefits of developing countries. The views expressed are not necessarily those of the UK government’s official policies.

    – ref. ‘Come meet us in Dubai’: the new offshoring of grand corruption – https://theconversation.com/come-meet-us-in-dubai-the-new-offshoring-of-grand-corruption-258434

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Pallets are the backbone of global trade but supplies are threatened by theft, loss – and giant bonfires

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Liz Breen, Professor of Health Service Operations, School of Pharmacy & Medical Sciences, University of Bradford

    Craigyhill bonfire was declared the world’s tallest at a height of 203 feet (63 metres) in 2022. Thousands of pallets were used to build it. Stephen Barnes/Shutterstock

    Pallets don’t usually make headlines. But amid fresh controversy around the traditional July bonfires held in Northern Ireland this year, they’ve suddenly become a talking point. Wooden pallets used in these bonfires are popular due to their stacking ability, and also their colours – which include the red, white and blue of Britain.

    Ordinarily, pallets are used to transport products from manufacturers to retailers. But their numbers are shrinking due to theft and loss – and of course, they cost money to buy, store, use and replace. A study by one of us (Liz) in 2006 quoted a logistics firm that estimated 14 million pallets were generally missing throughout Europe, costing £140 million. And it’s an ongoing problem: millions of products such as pallets and packaging containers are still stolen each year across the continent.

    Just one bonfire in Larne, County Antrim, in July 2021 reportedly used 17,000 pallets in its construction. This year, police are investigating where the pallets used in the same community’s bonfire originated from. Amid speculation that some may belong to Australia-based supply chain firm Chep, that company has stated its pallets can never legally be bought, sold or destroyed.

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    Pallet losses can lead to logistical disruptions, delayed orders and bare shelves in supermarkets. And the impact is felt by pallet owners, manufacturers, customers and end-users alike.

    Pallets are big business. In the US, around 513 million – mainly wooden, some plastic – are produced each year. In 2021, 48.6 million wooden pallets were produced in the UK, up 8.3% from 2020.

    Rental companies can hold high numbers of pallets, which support the movement of “fast-moving” customer goods – including food, drinks and toiletries. North American firm Peco, for example, manages stock of over 20 million distinctive red wooden pallets across its 90 depots.

    Manufacturers rely on pallets being available to fulfil orders and distribute them to customers quickly. Also known as “returnable transit packaging”, they are valuable assets as they can be maintained and reused. They are usually owned by a pallet pooling agent, which must absorb the loss when they are not returned from customers.

    Why steal pallets?

    Good-condition pallets have a resale value. Both wood and plastic pallets can be deconstructed and sold as components to other industries. Some people even use them to create furniture for homes and gardens.

    Customers may feel these are legitimate upcycled products and won’t think to check where the pallets came from. However, some do have distinctive identification stamps that may remain in upcycled pallet products.

    The organised theft of these products takes its toll on companies. Cargo crime (which includes consumer goods and transportation pallets and containers) is said to cost the UK economy £700 million each year.

    If pallets are not available, production lines may be slowed down or stopped. And it may take longer to produce items, potentially leading to unnecessary transportation as well as greater fuel consumption and emissions.

    But it can also be challenging to map pallet movements and know, at any given time, how many are in transit, with retailers, or lost. Digital tracking solutions such as radio frequency identification can be expensive to implement and are not foolproof. This can make it easy for pallets to go “missing in action”.

    Pallets are a staple mechanism for stock to be received into retailers’ warehouses and distribution centres. Both the size of the pallets and their ownership can be colour-coded – at least some of the blue pallets making headlines this summer in Larne’s red, white and blue tower are thought to be owned by Chep. Warehouse bays are designed with specific pallets in mind – so changes to the pallets can bring extra costs.

    Similarly, replacing lost or stolen pallets comes at a price – which could ultimately be felt by consumers if these costs are passed on by retailers.

    Reducing theft and loss

    Pallet owners cannot afford to continue losing them to theft. Firms that are found using non-compliant or untracked pallets because they have bought them from unauthorised sources can face shipment fines, while other initiatives, such as deposit or voucher schemes or one-for-one exchange plans, could incentivise the return of pallets.

    These practices may influence corporate return behaviour, but the theft of pallets by organised crime gangs is increasing. Changing the materials used to construct pallets could reduce their financial attractiveness and resale value.

    At first glance, a used pallet might look no more useful than discarded wood and be considered fair game for reuse or selling on. But businesses or individuals who collect, sell or purchase stolen pallets are putting themselves at legal risk. Firms found stockpiling or selling-on pallets without permission have faced legal action and even jail in Europe.

    Aside from the legal implications, there are other operational and environmental costs. Each pallet taken out of circulation must be replaced, increasing demand for virgin timber, straining forest resources, and increasing labour costs.

    The humble pallet is the backbone of global trading, and businesses rely on a steady and dependable supply. Pallet services function only if they continue to circulate – but theft and losses undermine this. Without this simple product, everyone from producers to retailers and consumers could end up paying more for the goods they take for granted.

    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. Pallets are the backbone of global trade but supplies are threatened by theft, loss – and giant bonfires – https://theconversation.com/pallets-are-the-backbone-of-global-trade-but-supplies-are-threatened-by-theft-loss-and-giant-bonfires-260948

    MIL OSI Analysis –