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Category: Education

  • MIL-OSI Australia: NSW Government commits $75 million to deliver much-needed infrastructure for Western Sydney homes

    Source: New South Wales Premiere

    Published: 18 October 2024

    Released by: Deputy Premier, Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Minister for Western Sydney

    The Minns Labor Government is investing $75 million to build roads, parks, infrastructure and improved town centre access for more than 42,000 new homes across Western Sydney.

    Special Infrastructure Contributions fund critical supporting infrastructure for homes such as state and regional roads, primary and secondary schools and emergency, health and bus services.

    For more than a decade, fast-growing communities in Western Sydney have not received their fair share of infrastructure. Delivering on its commitment to support essential infrastructure for the communities taking the most housing, the Minns Labor Government is delivering new grant funding to help build better communities.

    The $75 million in round 6 of the Special Infrastructure Contribution grant funding targets councils in specific local government areas in the Western Sydney Growth Centres such as Blacktown, Camden, Campbelltown, Hawkesbury, The Hills and Liverpool.

    The grant funding aligns with the National Housing Accord target of 377,000 new, well-located homes across NSW by 2029.

    Previous grant rounds have supported long-awaited projects for growing communities, including:

    • More than $34 million toward the Memorial Avenue Road Upgrade at Kellyville in North West Sydney, which is currently underway.
    • More than $20 million toward the new Edmondson Park primary and high schools. Approvals have now been received for the high school, with construction set to get underway in the near future.

    The key driver of these projects has been the significant population growth experienced by Western Sydney, which has not been matched by the infrastructure these communities need.

    The Minns Labor Government is committed to building a better NSW with more homes, paired with vital infrastructure, as we take action to address the housing crisis.

    This grant is also open to state agencies including Communities and Justice, Education, Transport for NSW, NSW Health, NSW Police, Fire and Rescue NSW and the Planning Ministerial Corporation.

    The grant funding for the Special Infrastructure Contributions $75 million Round 6 will open for nominations at 9am on Friday 18 October and close midnight on Monday 16 December 2024.

    The Special Infrastructure Contributions will continue to apply until 30 June 2026 when the Housing and Productivity Contribution will apply to the current area of the Western Sydney Aerotropolis.

    For more information visit: https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/plans-for-your-area/infrastructure-funding/special-infrastructure-contributions/western-sydney-growth-area-sic

    Deputy Premier and Minister for Western Sydney Prue Car said:

    “Western Sydney is one of the largest growth areas in our state but is lacking the infrastructure to support vibrant and well-connected communities.

    “New roads, open spaces, active transport and town centre access will make housing across these six LGAs possible, especially in Blacktown and The Hills.

    “Western Sydney was left behind by the previous government, we are not only building new homes but we are building the infrastructure to support better communities.”

    Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said:

    “The Minns Government is committed to delivering new, well-located homes where they are needed most.

    “In order to build a community, residents need access to a local school, connecting roads and critical services.

    “This funding means supporting infrastructure is being delivered alongside new homes.”

    MIL OSI News –

    January 24, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Markey Statement on Study Showing Methadone is More Effective Than Other Drugs to Treat Opioid Use Disorder

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey

    Senator Markey’s Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act (MOTAA) would expand access to methadone for the treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD)

    Washington (October 17, 2024) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), chair of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security, today released the following statement after the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) released a study showing methadone is more effective than buprenorphine and naloxone for opioid use disorder (OUD).

    “The study released today demonstrates that methadone is an essential and effective treatment for opioid use disorder. In fact, more people stayed in treatment when on methadone compared to buprenorphine and naloxone. Amid tens of thousands of people dying every year from opioid overdose, this study reiterates that it is unacceptable to keep this evidence-based, life-saving medication behind antiquated guardrails. My Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act would take a carefully considered step forward in expanding access to this medication by allowing the most highly trained addiction physicians in the country prescribe methadone to their patients that could be picked up at a pharmacy. To stand in the way of its passage is to keep in place outdated guardrails that cost people’s lives. Congress must pass the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act.”

    In March 2023, Senators Markey and Rand Paul (R-Ky.), along with Representatives Norcross and Bacon, introduced their bipartisan and bicameral MOTAA, which would represent the first major reform to methadone in half a century and is supported by hundreds of clinicians and medical organizations. In December 2023, MOTAA passed the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee. In December 2022, Senator Markey secured his bipartisan Opioid Treatment Access Act (OTAA)—legislation that reduces wait times for patients qualifying for methadone medication treatment and expands access to methadone clinics—into the end-of-year omnibus spending package. That same month, Senator Markey also applauded proposed changes by the Department of Health and Human Services to remove barriers to OUD treatment, such as allowing people to take home doses of methadone medication, which are key provisions included in the OTAA.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 24, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth Visits Chicago State University to Discuss Efforts to Support Student Parents

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth
    October 17, 2024
    [CHICAGO, IL] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today visited Chicago State University (CSU) to tour their campus child care center and meet with Chicago Alderwoman Michelle Harris, Illinois State Representative Marcus Evans Jr. (IL-HD-33), CSU leadership and parents. Last month, Duckworth reintroduced her Child Care Access Means Parents in Schools (CCAMPIS) Reauthorization Act, legislation which builds on her previous efforts to help increase access to on-campus child care for the more than 4 million parenting students currently enrolled in postsecondary education programs. Duckworth and University leadership also discussed funding for CSU, including $800,000 in Congressionally Directed Spending Duckworth secured for the University. Photos from today’s visit are available on the Senator’s website. “As college costs continue to skyrocket, we can’t simply stay on the sidelines as it gets even harder for parenting students to afford higher education,” said Duckworth. “The more than 4 million college students who are also raising children already have enough to worry about—child care should not be one of them. It was great to visit Chicago State today and see the University’s efforts to support its students to help them provide a better, stronger future for their families.”  The CCAMPIS Reauthorization Act would help increase the rate of parenting students attending postsecondary education by reauthorizing and fully funding the only federal program that exclusively supports on-campus child care services and ensure the U.S. Department of Education is meeting the needs of parenting students. Duckworth originally introduced this legislation when she was in the U.S. House of Representatives. In Fiscal Year 2023, Duckworth secured $800,000 in federal funding through a Congressionally Directed Spending Request for Chicago State University. This federal investment supported redesigning the CSU curriculum and increasing access to the internet by improving and expanding computer facilities. In August, Duckworth and U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) secured $22.7 million for the Strengthening Predominately Black Institutions (PBI) program as a part of their Illinois priorities for FY25 advancing through the Senate Appropriations Committee. This funding will support the Strengthening PBIs program by helping to expand their capacity to serve low- and middle-income students, especially Black students. Chicago State University is a PBI. Chicago State University is a predominantly black public university in Chicago. It includes an honors program for undergraduates, and offers bachelors and masters degrees in the arts and sciences. CSU was founded in 1867 as the Cook County Normal School, an innovative teachers college. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 24, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: October 17th, 2024 JEC Chairman Martin Heinrich Hosts “Pro-Worker, Pro-Business Opportunities” Roundtable

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich
    PHOTOS & VIDEO
    Heinrich highlights how federal legislation is expanding pathways to in-demand jobs in New Mexico
    ALBUQUERQUE — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Chairman of the U.S. Joint Economic Committee (JEC), hosted a “Pro-Worker, Pro-Business Opportunities” roundtable to talk directly with New Mexicans about how federal legislation he helped pass into law is creating careers in high-demand sectors and strengthening New Mexico’s health care, skilled trades, early childhood education, and union workforce.   

    Heinrich Hosts “Pro-Worker, Pro-Business Opportunities” Roundtable on October 17, 2024.
    “The manufacturing and clean energy renaissance driven by historic investments from the Infrastructure Law, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the CHIPS and Science Act is creating career opportunities across New Mexico. We need to build on this momentum by expanding access to apprenticeships, supporting new, high-quality jobs in the building and skilled trades, growing pathways to health care careers, and strengthening our early childhood education workforce. I will continue fighting to address workforce shortages, build the middle class, grow our economy, and provide more New Mexicans with the careers they can build their families around in their home communities,” said Heinrich.
    Thanks to recently enacted legislation that Heinrich helped pass into law, like the Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Law, New Mexico is now at the center of a clean energy “manufacturing renaissance,” which is creating hundreds of jobs in New Mexico that people can build their families around.  
    Heinrich discussed his work with community leaders to create more pathways to in-demand careers, including through jobs training and registered apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs. He also highlighted the success of the domestic manufacturing tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act and CHIPS and Science Act that have expanded clean energy and semiconductor manufacturing in New Mexico.
    Through his role as Chairman of the U.S. Joint Economic Committee (JEC), Heinrich has held hearings on job training in the clean energy sector, the domestic boom in manufacturing, and investing in early childhood education. Heinrich has also released reports on growing registered apprenticeship programs, job training for the clean energy transition, the manufacturing renaissance, addressing rural health worker shortages, the economic benefits of early childhood education, employing women in the clean energy sector, and growing the labor force in New Mexico.
    Heinrich has long been committed to creating new pathways to careers for New Mexicans in the communities where they grew up, while tackling shortages in in-demand sectors like health care and early childhood education.  
    Heinrich introduced the Apprenticeship Pathways Act, legislation to create pathways to careers for high school students by expanding access to apprenticeship programs for occupations with high need, including the building trades, healthcare, manufacturing, technology, telecommunications, and early childhood education. 
    Earlier this year, Heinrich introduced the Pre-Apprenticeships To Hardhats (PATH) Act, legislation to strengthen the pipeline for careers in New Mexico, address rising workforce shortages, and grow the state’s economy through quality pre-apprenticeship programs.  
    In March, Heinrich introduced the Providing Resources and Opportunities for Health Education and Learning (PRO-HEAL) Act, legislation that will tackle the health care provider shortage in New Mexico and nationwide by expanding pathways to high-quality, in-demand health care careers that medical professionals can access in their communities. Specifically, the PRO-HEAL Act addresses medical provider shortages by incentivizing states and institutions of higher education to expand or create health care provider pipeline programs, particularly in underserved and rural communities. The legislation is inspired by the success of the Combined BA/MD Degree Program at the University of New Mexico, where over 65% of students who have graduated from their program practice medicine in New Mexico.   
    Last year, Heinrich introduced the Pathways to Health Careers Act, legislation that reauthorizes and modernizes the Health Profession Opportunity Grant (HPOG) program to help address health care shortages in New Mexico and across the country and create pathways to high-quality, in-demand health care careers.  
    The HPOG program has a proven track record of successfully educating workers for jobs in the health care industry, while also providing career coaching, job placement, and a mix of other support services. The Pathways to Health Careers Act would restart and expand the HPOG Program, providing $425 million to make HPOG available nationwide from FY2024 through FY2028 and includes set asides for Tribes and U.S. Territories. 
    In 2021, Heinrich introduced the Championing Apprenticeships for New Careers and Employees in Technology (CHANCE in Tech) Act, legislation to create earlier pathways to high-paying careers in the information technology (IT) industry. 
    Investments in Clean Energy and Advanced Manufacturing:
    Heinrich has been fighting hard to pass legislation and secure investments that are growing the state’s economy, building the middle class, and expanding high-quality jobs New Mexicans can build their families around.  
    In 2022, Heinrich helped author and pass into law the landmark Inflation Reduction Act,which has created a manufacturing renaissance in the state and established New Mexico at the center of the nation’s clean energy future. Heinrich marked the two-year anniversary of the legislation being signed into law in August, highlighting how its incentives have expanded and spurred a number of new clean energy projects across New Mexico. 
    Earlier this year, Heinrich highlighted $20 million from the Inflation Reduction Act for Pajarito Powder to scale production of components for electrolyzers and fuel cells. Heinrich invited the U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm to tour the facilities of Pajarito Powder in Albuquerque, N.M. 
    In June, the N.M. Delegation welcomed $23.9 million from the CHIPS and Science Act for SolAero, an Albuquerque, N.M.-based manufacturing company, to increase its production of compound semiconductors for spacecraft and satellites, as part of an expansion and modernization of their facility. Heinrich, Luján, and Stansbury, along with Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham and Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller, welcomed U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves and White House CHIPS Coordinator Ryan Harper to New Mexico to highlight this investment.  
    In April, Heinrich and Luján welcomed Energy Secretary Granholm to break ground on a new 216,000-square-foot Array Technologies manufacturing campus — a $50+ million investment located on Albuquerque’s Westside — which will employ over 300 additional New Mexicans to facilitate the production, assembly, design, engineering, and customer service of solar tracking technology.  
    That same day, Heinrich, Granholm, and Vasquez participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the production of the first wind towers coming off the Arcosa Wind Towers manufacturing line. The ribbon-cutting ceremony came nearly nine months after Heinrich welcomed President Biden to the Belén manufacturing facility — a $60 million investment that will have a $314 million economic impact and create 250 jobs in the region.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 24, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Casey Announces More than $18.4 Million for Workforce Development, Community Revitalization in Pennsylvania Coal Communities

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Pennsylvania Bob Casey

    Recipient

    Grant

    Project

    Bedford County Development Association

    $498,840

    Bedford County Business Park II -Site Preparation

    Bedford County Technical Center

    $50,000

    Bedford County Technical Center: Expanding Opportunity in Coal Impacted Appalachia

    Catalyst Connection

    $2,000,000

    Pennsylvania Career Pathways to Advanced Manufacturing:  “Forging Your Future”

    Center for Employment Opportunities

    $50,000

    Transitional Employment for Justice Impacted Pittsburgh Residents

    Center for Population Health

    $751,057

    Growth of Community Health Workers inCambria/Somerset Counties, Pennsylvania

    Corry Community Development Corporation D/B/A Impact Corry (nonprofit)

    $887,000

    Corry City Center Trail Link

    Enterprise Development Center of Erie County, Inc.

    $2,000,000

    Ironworks Square: Smart Redevelopment in Coal Impacted Regions

    Greene County Commissioners

    $50,000

    Greene County Barriers to Workforce Study

    IUP Research Institute

    $452,326

    NWPAMade — Galvanizing and empowering the region’s creative economy

    JARI Growth Fund, Inc.

    $1,000,000

    Startup Alleghenies Ecosystem Capital and Technical Assistance Expansion – Capital

    JARI Growth Fund, Inc.

    $879,253

    Startup Alleghenies Ecosystem Capital and Technical Assistance Expansion- Technical Assistance

    Jewish Healthcare Foundation

    $1,990,867

    Revitalizing Community Jobs—Building, Training and Supporting the Frontline Workforce for Nursing Homes in Pennsylvania

    Lycoming County

    $1,867,395

    Susquehanna River Walk Extension Trail Construction Project

    O.S. Johnson Technical Institute

    $50,000

    Planning for Vehicle Maintenance Technology Jobs of the Future

    Office of Child Development, University of Pittsburgh

    $49,751

    Two-Generational Literacy to Strengthen the Workforce Pipeline

    Pittsburgh Robotics Network (PRN)

    $750,000

    Maturing Appalachia’s Robotics Workforce

    Saint Vincent College (SVC)

    $662,672

    Equipment and Technology for a Nursing Education and Lab Facility at Saint Vincent College

    Screen Arts Institute

    $400,000

    The Broadcast Arts Initiative

    The ClearWater Conservancy of Central Pennsylvania, Inc.

    $2,000,000

    ClearWater Community Conservation Center Ecotourism, Agritourism, and Agribusiness Hub

    The University of Scranton

    $1,321,980

    The University of Scranton: Technology Driven Transformation in Workforce Development and Innovation

    Westmoreland Hospital

    $769,193

    Building an Innovative Nursing Workforce Model: Bridging the Gap from Student to Expert

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 24, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Klobuchar Completes Visits to All 87 Counties in 2024

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn)

    MINNESOTA – With stops today in three remaining counties: Aitkin (American Peat Manufacturing); Carlton (local airport), and Kanabec (Lakes & Pines Community Action Council), U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar has once again visited every one of Minnesota’s 87 counties in one year.

    “The best way for me to do my job is by listening to the people of Minnesota and getting things done for them,” said Klobuchar. “That’s why every year I meet with Minnesotans all over our state and discuss what we can get done together. From expanding child care and housing to supporting local businesses, I’m committed to taking action on the issues that matter most.”

    Today, Klobuchar toured American Peat Technology in Aitkin and then went to the Cloquet Airport in Carlton County which is developing a new storage hanger thanks to federal funding. Klobuchar ended the day in Mora and visited the Lakes and Pines Community Action Council. 

    This year, Klobuchar’s stops included: 

    1. Aitkin
    • Toured American Peat Technology and met with their leadership team.

    2. Anoka
    • Gave remarks at the USA Cup Opening Ceremony in Blaine.
    • Attended the 43rd annual Game Fair and discussed conservation policy with Ron Schara.
    • Participated in Coon Rapids 4th of July Festivities.
    • Attended the Blaine Festival.

    3. Becker
    • Led a child care discussion and toured the Boys & Girls Club of Detroit Lakes LEAP Preschool.

    4. Beltrami
    • Led a breakfast discussion with Bemidji City and Beltrami county and tribal leaders.
    • Spoke at the dedication ceremony of the new Bemidji Veterans Home, toured it with veterans, and met with Red Lake Band Members.

    5. Benton
    • Toured SNX Technologies Inc. and met with their leadership.

    6. Big Stone
    • Discussed agriculture with local farmers while touring Anne Schwagerl’s farm.

    7. Blue Earth
    • Visited Mankato in the aftermath of severe flooding with Mankato mayor and Representative Finstad.
    • Met with family and friends of Sergeant Cade Wolfe.

    8. Brown
    • Attended the community celebration at the Pheasant Opener in Sleepy Eye and spoke at the Pheasants Forever land dedication.
    • Toured the New Ulm Airport’s recent upgrades and met with local leaders.

    9. Carlton
    • Toured the new Cloquet airport hangar with airport leadership and the Cloquet mayor.

    10. Carver
    • Led a discussion with the City of Chaska mayor and public safety leadership about their Emergency Operations Center project.
    • Toured the town of Carver with the mayor in the aftermath of severe flooding.
    • Attended the Highway 212 Groundbreaking Ceremony.
    • Spoke to veterans at the Chanhassen Memorial Day event.

    11. Cass
    • Led a community discussion with the Walker mayor and local business leaders.

    12. Chippewa
    • Spoke with veterans and toured the new Montevideo Veterans Home.

    13. Chisago
    • Discussed regional tourism and toured the Franconia Sculpture Park.

    14. Clay
    • Celebrated the launch of the federally funded Moorhead 11th Street Underpass project.
    • Attended the Reimagine Romkey Park event.

    15. Clearwater
    • Toured TEAM Industries and met with their leadership.

    16. Cook
    • Visited the North Shore Winery and Coho Cafe.

    17. Cottonwood
    • Toured Red Rock Rural Water Treatment Center and visited with local leaders.

    18. Crow Wing
    • Met with the mayor and city leadership about the Highway 210 expansion in Brainerd.
    • Toured the new YMCA child care center.

    19. Dakota
    • Gave remarks at the Kaposia Library opening in South Saint Paul.
    • Met with Burnsville first responders.
    • Attended the opening ceremony of the Veterans Memorial Greenway in Inver Grove Heights.
    • Met with law enforcement and community leaders in Hastings to highlight the Cooper/Davis Act that requires social media to alert authorities when controlled substances are being distributed illicitly on their platforms.
    • Attended an event in Inver Grove Heights to highlight the new Criminal Justice Network for Minnesota law enforcement.
    • Led the Survivor March and delivered remarks at the Susan G. Komen 32nd Annual Race for the Cure in Eagan.

    20. Dodge
    • Met with the owner and toured Chaotic Good Brewery in Kasson.

    21. Douglas
    • Led a discussion at the Alexandria YMCA about their child care program.

    22. Faribault
    • Met with leadership and toured Winnebago Manufacturing in Blue Earth.

    23. Fillmore
    • Toured Harmony Enterprises manufacturing facility and their child care center.
    • Toured the new Preston State Veterans Home and met with veterans.

    24. Freeborn
    • Led a discussion and toured the Freeborn/Mower Electric Cooperative in Albert Lea.

    25. Goodhue
    • Met with students and school leadership to hear about the Red Wing Flight Path workforce training program.
    • Spoke at the 50th Anniversary Jaunt With Jim bike ride in Cannon Falls.

    26. Grant
    • Toured the West Central High School Greenhouse and the Central Lakes College’s mobile meat cutting trailer and met with FFA students and their instructors.

    27. Hennepin
    • Attended the annual MLK Breakfast.
    • Delivered remarks at the Asia Mall Lunar New Year celebration in Bloomington.
    • Delivered Remarks at the MN Newspaper Association Convention.
    • Met with officers at the Minneapolis Second Precinct Station.
    • Convened a meeting with the Metropolitan Airport Commission leadership to hear updates on aviation safety and passenger experience.
    • Delivered remarks at the Stand with Ukraine Two Year Commemoration event.
    • Spoke at the Annual Parkinson’s Foundation Walk in Plymouth.
    • Delivered remarks at the Celebrating the Sistas Awards Ceremony and presented the Icon Award honoring Laysha Ward.
    • Delivered remarks at the MN Ovarian Cancer Alliance Gala.
    • Visited Woodlake Nature Center in Richfield and met with staff.
    • Spoke at the 78th Annual Paralyzed Veterans of America National Convention.
    • Participated in the groundbreaking event for the St. Louis Park Cedar Lake Road Reconstruction project.
    • Spoke at the Annual Somali Independence Day Street Festival.
    • Delivered remarks at the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation 75th Anniversary Gala.
    • Toured the I-494 construction site and met with local project leaders in Bloomington.
    • Attended the Minnesota Business Partnership Annual Dinner.
    • Attended the Twin Cities Pride Parade and Festival in Minneapolis.
    • Honored the Legendary Cornbread Harris at an event with his son Jimmy Jam.
    • Attended Champlin Father Hennepin Festival.
    • Convened a meeting with the Metropolitan Airport Commission leadership to hear updates on aviation safety and passenger experience.
    • Attended the Charles Lindbergh Richfield Post Office Dedication Ceremony.
    • Presented the Spirit of Hospitality Award at the Bloomington Travel and Tourism Diamond Service Awards Gala.
    • Attended the Niron opening and met with local businesses and Shakopee Band investors.

    28. Houston
    • Led a discussion with leadership and toured the Houston County airport in Caledonia.

    29. Hubbard
    • Toured a workforce housing development and met with local leaders.

    30. Isanti
    • Toured the North Star Child and Family Advocacy Center in Braham.

    31. Itasca
    • Met with leadership and toured the KOOTASCA Child Care Hub.

    32. Jackson
    • Met with first responders to discuss the new EMS telemedicine ambulance in Jackson.

    33. Kanabec
    • Toured the Lakes and Pines Community Action Council and visited with leaders.

    34. Kandiyohi
    • Toured the Life Link III Air Base at Willmar Municipal Airport.
    • Attended the four lane Highway 23 completion celebration.

    35. Kittson
    • Met with owners and toured Far North Distillery.

    36. Koochiching
    • Met with the team at the Voyageurs National Park Headquarters.

    37. Lac qui Parle
    • Toured PURIS Plant-Based Protein manufacturing facility and met with leadership.

    38. Lake
    • Visited the iconic Betty’s Pies in Two Harbors.

    39. Lake of the Woods
    • Met with county leadership about their new water safety equipment.

    40. Le Sueur
    • Led a discussion with the Le Sueur Sheriff and other local leaders and toured the department.
    • Viewed the flood damage and met with leadership in Waterville about federal assistance.

    41. Lincoln
    • Led a discussion at Lyon-Lincoln Electric Co-Op with their leadership.

    42. Lyon
    • Visited the farm of Carolyn and Jonathan Olson in Cottonwood.

    43. McLeod
    • Participated in the Winsted Post Office Rededication Ceremony to James A. Rogers, Jr.

    44. Mahnomen
    • Toured the White Earth Nation College with Chairman Fairbanks and members of the Tribal Council.

    45. Marshall
    • Toured North Valley Health Center Community Hospital in Warren.

    46. Martin
    • Toured the CHS soybean processing facility in Fairmont.

    47. Meeker
    • Toured the Doosan Bobcat manufacturing plant and met with leadership in Litchfield.

    48. Mille Lacs
    • Met with the owner and enjoyed breakfast at the Bee Cafe in Milaca.

    49. Morrison
    • Delivered remarks at the Memorial Day program at the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery in Little Falls.
    • Met with the mayor and area leadership to discuss the Little Falls bridge project.

    50. Mower
    • Led a discussion and toured the Hormel Foods child care center in Austin.
    • Attended the I-90 bridge project groundbreaking ceremony in Austin.

    51. Murray
    • Met with the owners and got a tour of Painted Prairie Vineyard in Currie.

    52. Nicollet
    • Toured KATO Engineering and met with leadership in North Mankato.
    • Delivered remarks and presented the Purple Heart at a ceremony honoring Corporal Earl Meyer in St. Peter.

    53. Nobles
    • Met with CEDA and county officials to discuss child care projects and solutions in Worthington.
    • Toured the Highway 59 federally funded street project with Worthington leadership.

    54. Norman
    • Convened a meeting with Norman County leadership to discuss the West Central Regional Water District project.

    55. Olmsted
    • Delivered remarks at the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association Annual Legislative Conference in Rochester.
    • Attended the Memorial Day Rochester Honkers game.
    • Toured the Mayo Clinic’s new Kellen building.
    • Delivered remarks at the Soldier’s Field Aquatic Center improvements opening ceremony.
    • Led a discussion with county leadership and law enforcement about efforts to combat illegal fentanyl use in Rochester.

    56. Otter Tail
    • Met with leadership from Pioneer Kids Child Care and toured the facility in Fergus Falls with Fergus Falls Chamber of Commerce members.

    57. Pennington
    • Visited Northern Woodwork Inc. in Thief River Falls.
    • Met with city and business leadership at Rivers and Rails Brewing Company.

    58. Pine
    • Toured Pine Technical & Community College and met with leadership.

    59. Pipestone
    • Met with local leaders at the Pipestone Airport to discuss improvement plans.

    60. Polk
    • Met with child care and city leaders at the Prairie Pines Child Care Center in Fosston.

    61. Pope
    • Met with staff and toured Clyde Machines in Glenwood with the mayor and Pope County leadership.

    62. Ramsey
    • Toured PAR Systems in Shoreview.
    • Delivered remarks at the St. Paul Firefighters Local 21 Installation celebration.
    • Gave welcome remarks at the Thai Songkran Festival opening ceremony.
    • Delivered remarks at the Official State Memorial Day event at Fort Snelling.
    • Spoke at the Hmong Freedom Festival in St. Paul.
    • Hosted Secretary Becerra at the Episcopal Homes Senior Living Center to highlight Medicare drug pricing.
    • Hosted tourism event at the Minnesota State Fair in Falcon Heights.
    • Toured the Carter Work Project in St. Paul with Habitat for Humanity leadership.
    • Delivered remarks at the Military Appreciation Day event at the MN State Fair.
    • Spoke at the CLUES Fiesta Latina in St. Paul.
    • Toured Delkor Systems in Arden Hills with Ex-Im Bank Director Herrnstadt.
    • Led a round table discussion with Ex-Im Bank director and Minnesota business leaders.
    • Delivered remarks at the St. Paul Kellogg-Third Street Bridge Construction Kick Off event.
    • Attended the Serving Our Troops Event in support of military families.
    • Attended St. Paul St. Patrick’s Day festivities.
    • Toured the Neighborhood Development Center with Secretary Yellen

    63. Red Lake
    • Led a discussion about the Farm Bill with the Minnesota Wheat Growers Association and Minnesota Barley Growers Association.

    64. Redwood
    • Delivered remarks and met with agricultural leaders at Farmfest.

    65. Renville
    • Toured K&M Manufacturing in Renville and met with employees.

    66. Rice
    • Met local leaders and manufacturers to tour a planned child care facility in Faribault.
    • Toured flood damage and met with leadership in Northfield.

    67. Rock
    • Toured the new child care center under construction in Luverne.

    68. Roseau
    • Attended annual Hockey Day Celebration activities in Warroad.

    69. Saint Louis
    • Toured flood damage in downtown Cook with the mayor and local leaders.
    • Toured the flash flood damage in Biwabik with the mayor and local leaders.
    • Joined Duluth mayor to highlight the success of their flood mitigation projects.
    • Visited the Blatnik Bridge to highlight its need for repair.
    • Attended Fourth of July festivities in Aurora, Gilbert, Eveleth, Tower, and Ely.
    • Presented a flag to the Ely mayor at Ely Memorial High School in commemoration of their 100th Anniversary Celebration.
    • Attended Labor Day events in Duluth and Virginia.

    70. Scott
    • Met with Scott County Sheriff leadership, viewed the new rescue equipment, and toured the 911 Dispatch Center in Shakopee.

    71. Sherburne
    • Met with leadership of the Wave Youth Center in Big Lake to tour and discuss their expansion project for middle and high school-aged youth.

    72. Sibley
    • Toured the Heartland Ethanol Plant in Winthrop with company leadership.

    73. Stearns
    • Delivered remarks at the annual St. John’s Boys’ Choir Spring Gala in St. Cloud.
    • Spoke at the St. Cloud VA Medical Center 100th Anniversary celebration.
    • Toured the St. Cloud Coborn’s with business leadership.

    74. Steele
    • Convened a discussion with Owatonna High School staff and Chamber of Commerce leadership about their Youth Skills Training Program.

    75. Stevens
    • Met with the Chancellor of UMN Morris and toured the campus.

    76. Swift
    • Toured the Swift County Historical Museum in Benson and met with leadership.

    77. Todd
    • Met with company leadership of EnterpriseCP Manufacturing and toured the facility.

    78. Traverse
    • Led a discussion with Browns Valley mayor and fire chief to hear about fire department operations.

    79. Wabasha
    • Toured Pepin Manufacturing Inc. in Lake City.
    • Spoke at the Governor’s Fishing Opener Kick-Off in Lake City.

    80. Wadena
    • Met with Central Lakes College leaders to discuss their Butchery Program and federal partnerships.

    81. Waseca
    • Met with staff and toured Winegar Manufacturing in Waseca.

    82. Washington
    • Spoke at the 1st Annual Momentous Music Festival with Brian Mueller in Woodbury, honoring Aimee Muller.
    • Attended the Hugo Good Neighbors Day festivities.

    83. Watonwan
    • Visited the farm of Harold Wolle in St. James.

    84. Wilkin
    • Toured CHI St. Francis Health and met with leadership in Breckenridge.

    85. Winona
    • Visited local businesses in Winona with Chamber of Commerce leadership to discuss tourism.

    86. Wright
    • Attended the I-94 West Corridor Coalition Gap Project Groundbreaking Ceremony in Monticello which received federal funds.

    87. Yellow Medicine
    • Met with leadership and visited the Yellow Medicine County Historical Society and Museum.
    • Walked the Dave Smiglewski Memorial Trail in Granite Falls with the Smiglewski Family.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 24, 2025

  • MIL-Evening Report: A sister’s last hope to save her brother from addiction – David Vincent Smith’s He Ain’t Heavy is a triumphant debut

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chris Thompson, Lecturer, Australian Catholic University

    Bonsai Fims

    So, on we go
    His welfare is of my concern
    No burden is he to bear
    We’ll get there
    For I know
    He would not encumber me
    He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother
    – He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother by The Hollies

    Writer–Director David Vincent Smith’s reference to The Hollies’ 1969 hit as the title for his new film is not without irony.

    Max (Sam Corlett) – drug-dependent and out of control – is clearly a crushing weight on his sister Jade (Leila George) and mother Bev (Greta Scacchi).

    The opening scene of this compelling new Australian production throws us right into the chaos he visits upon them. The desperate, violent, off-camera shouts of abuse from Max as his sister sneaks past concerned neighbours and into their mother’s house are obviously nothing new.

    Bev, seated at the kitchen table, shows none of the anxiety we see in Jade. Perhaps she’s beyond reacting to Max’s outbursts. Perhaps she looks past the ugly side of her son through eyes that see only with a mother’s love.

    Jade, however, is at the end of her tether. Everything she’s tried has failed. She’s left with just one last desperate measure.

    This desperate measure didn’t come to David Vincent Smith as a narrative conceit. It was much closer to home.

    One night, Smith got a call from his mother who told him his own drug-addicted brother was outside their home. As he explains in the film’s press kit:

    I could hear smashing windows in the background as he tried to claw his way inside. I was done. There had been many years of violence, emergency rooms and mental trauma […] my own life was suffering as a result […] what could I do? I had an idea – I could kidnap him. Take him out to the desert, throw away the car keys and resolve this once and for all.

    Smith didn’t pursue that extreme thought in real life. Instead, it found its way onto the screen, first as a short “proof of concept” film – I’m Not Hurting You, which played at the 2019 Sydney Film Festival – and then as He Ain’t Heavy, his first feature film.

    The kidnapping and withdrawal

    Jade does indeed kidnap her brother. She sedates him and brings him to their dead grandparents’ home in the country, which Jade and Bev have been packing up in preparation to for its sale.

    Here, we see Jade’s methodical preparation of the room where she will incarcerate Max, the food she will feed him, the posters and pamphlets that inform her how to manage a drug addict’s withdrawal.

    The film follows Jade (Leila George), who has spent much of her life trying to bring her brother Max out of his drug addiction.
    Bonsai Fims

    The choice of the grandparents’ home is significant for our understanding of this fractured family. Here we find evidence that things weren’t always like this.

    We see old photo albums of happier times, toys and games that are now just reminders of fun family visits, a guitar that was once part of Max’s promising singing career, the nearby waterhole where lazy days were spent, and pencil marks on the door jamb recording the siblings’ growth.

    Perhaps the resonance of their better days will be as powerful as the enforced withdrawal in bringing Max back. But, of course, Jade’s best-laid plans don’t go as she might have hoped.

    Sam Corlett, who plays Max, also plays the role of Leif Eriksson in the popular Netflix series Vikings: Valhalla.
    Bonsai Fims

    In many ways, Max’s drug addiction is what Alfred Hitchcock would have called a McGuffin – the story element you think the film is about, when in fact the film is about something else entirely.

    In this case, that something else is love: the love Jade feels for her brother that leads to this extreme action, the love Bev feels for her son that makes her vulnerable to his unpredictable and violent behaviour, and the absence of love Max feels for himself – a void that sucks him into a self-destructive spiral.

    He Ain’t Heavy is essentially a three-handed chamber piece that delivers a triumvirate of distinctive, grounded and well-delineated performances, each one serving a sharply written screenplay imbued with an authenticity that reflects Smith’s lived experience.

    Bev (Greta Scacchi) feels a lot of lover for her son, which makes her vulnerable to his unpredictable and violent behaviour.
    Bonsai Fims

    A powerful portrait of familial love

    Without giving any spoilers, there are some narrative conveniences along the way that might detract from a lesser film. In this case, however, they are easy to forgive, in favour of the powerful viewing experience they help deliver.

    If only for the curiosity factor, it’s worth noting Leila George is also Greta Scacchi’s real-life daughter (her father is Vincent D’Onofrio). This obviously doesn’t hurt when it comes to casting for family resemblance. But this tidbit of trivia is quickly forgotten in the moments of each of their finely crafted, absorbing performances.

    In Smith’s earlier short film version, we see a plaque on the grandparents’ kitchen wall with the following aphorism:

    RECIPE FOR LIFE – pinch of persistence, dash of kindness, spoonful of laughter, heap of love.

    This is a story about a family that has exhausted its persistence, and for whom laughter is something of the past. But Jade’s extreme action is really an act of kindness. Both she and Bev, in their own ways, are driven by that heap of love.

    He Ain’t Heavy is a film that deserves the same heap of love from its audience.

    The film serves a sharply written screenplay imbued with authenticity.
    Bonsai Fims

    He Ain’t Heavy is in select cinemas from October 17.

    Chris Thompson 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. A sister’s last hope to save her brother from addiction – David Vincent Smith’s He Ain’t Heavy is a triumphant debut – https://theconversation.com/a-sisters-last-hope-to-save-her-brother-from-addiction-david-vincent-smiths-he-aint-heavy-is-a-triumphant-debut-237764

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

    January 24, 2025

  • MIL-OSI China: Xi calls on Fujian to play leading role in country’s modernization drive

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

    XIAMEN, Oct. 17 — On a recent inspection tour in east China’s Fujian Province, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, Chinese president, and chairman of the Central Military Commission, emphasized the need for the province to fully implement the guiding principles of the 20th CPC National Congress and the third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee. He stressed the importance for the province to comprehensively implement the new development philosophy and uphold the general principle of pursuing progress while ensuring stability. Xi also underscored the importance for Fujian to steadfastly pursue the goals of creating a new Fujian characterized by dynamic mechanisms, thriving industries, prosperous communities, and a beautiful environment, staying committed to translating these objectives into realities. He called on Fujian to make further progress in accelerating the building of a modernized economy, make greater achievements in serving and integrating into the new development paradigm, take even greater strides in blazing a new trail for integrated cross-Strait development, and achieve greater breakthroughs in improving quality of life. He urged the province to deepen reforms across the board, promote high-quality development comprehensively, and strive for a leading role in China’s modernization drive.

    From Oct. 15 to 16, Xi — accompanied by Zhou Zuyi, secretary of the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee, and Zhao Long, governor of the province — conducted an inspection and research tour in the cities of Zhangzhou and Xiamen, visiting sites including a village, a revolutionary education base, a cultural heritage site under government protection, and an area of the Fujian pilot free trade zone.

    On the afternoon of Oct. 15, Xi first inspected Dongshan County in the city of Zhangzhou. The village of Aojiao, located in Chencheng Town in the southeastern part of the county, faces the sea on three sides. Over the past few years, the village has embarked on a new path of development by leveraging the sea to revitalize and develop itself. Xi took a walk to inspect the marine environment of Aojiao Bay and the appearance of the village, and inquired in detail about the trading of dried seafood and freshly caught seafood products. Xi was glad to learn that many seafood products are in high demand and that the incomes of villagers have been on the rise. Speaking to the villagers and fishermen who gathered around him, he said: “I visited your village 23 years ago, and it left a deep impression on me. Seeing the significant changes here today is gratifying and inspiring.” He said rural areas will undoubtedly have a brighter future and farmers will enjoy a more vibrant life on the new journey in the new era. He urged the village Party committee to play a leading role, guide villagers to make good use of the sea, and strive forward to achieve rural revitalization and common prosperity.

    Xi then visited the Gu Wenchang Memorial Hall, where he learned about the inspiring deeds of Comrade Gu Wenchang and was briefed about how revolutionary traditions were carried forward. During the visit, he also engaged in cordial exchanges with representatives of teachers and students from Gu Wenchang Cadre College. Xi pointed out that public recognition is the key gauge to evaluate an official’s performance, calling on leading officials at all levels to learn from Gu, have a correct understanding of what it means to perform well, and bring benefits to local people during their term in office. He also asked the officials to deliver tangible results, make constant efforts for achievements in the long run, and build a good reputation in the hearts of the people. “Learning from Gu requires not only deep admiration, but also concrete deeds to follow his example in fostering integrity and performing duties,” Xi said.

    At the Guandi cultural industrial park, Xi was briefed about local efforts in strengthening the protection of cultural heritage and promoting cultural exchanges across the Taiwan Strait. He stressed that cultural heritage is a precious legacy left by our ancestors and should be protected and carried forward.

    On the morning of Oct. 16, Xi inspected the Xiamen Area of China (Fujian) Pilot Free Trade Zone. He visited an exhibition showcasing the achievements in the construction of the pilot free trade zone, and was briefed about local work in further expanding reform and opening up, as well as in exploring a new path for integrated development across the Taiwan Strait. He also talked with the staffers at a comprehensive service hall. Over more than 40 years of development, the Xiamen Special Economic Zone has experienced tremendous changes that were once unimaginable, he said. Today, the requirements for reform and opening up, both in depth and breadth, are higher than ever before. Fujian and Xiamen need to adapt to the changing situation, steadily advance institutional opening up, align with international high standards, and achieve more institutional and policy outcomes to contribute to the expansion of high-level opening up, Xi said.

    On the afternoon of Oct. 16, Xi listened to work reports from the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee and the provincial government. He commended what Fujian has achieved in various areas of its work and put forward clear requirements for the province’s work in the future.

    Xi noted the need to explore new pathways for the deep integration of technological and industrial innovation. He called on the province to accelerate the building of an all-around innovation support system, promote integrated reforms in education, technology, and talent systems in a coordinated manner, and strengthen the building of high-level scientific and technological innovation platforms. He also emphasized the importance of implementing major technological initiatives, enhancing the role of enterprises as major players in innovation, and improving financial policies and mechanisms that support technological advancement, so as to create a better environment for boosting innovation and attracting talent.

    He urged the province to firmly develop the real economy, consolidate the strengths of traditional industries, vigorously promote the transformation and upgrading of industries, cultivate and expand strategic emerging industries, make plans for future industries, develop new quality productive forces according to local conditions, and shape new advantages in industrial development.

    Xi stressed efforts to comprehensively deepen reform and expand high-level opening up. He called for continued efforts to boldly practice, explore and reform on its own, with a focus on key sectors and links and economic structural reform as the spearhead. It is imperative to unswervingly consolidate and develop the public sector and unswervingly encourage, support, and guide the development of the non-public sector, and innovatively develop the “Jinjiang Experience” to fully stimulate the whole society’s vitality for investing and starting businesses. It is essential to prioritize reforms aimed at improving the people’s well-being, with a focus on delivering on the people’s aspirations and expectations. Xi also called for efforts to further upgrade pilot free trade zones, align with major regional strategies, further integrate into high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, build a core area of the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road, and consolidate and expand the roles of the province as an important link and an important channel in the interplay between domestic and international economic flows. He urged Fujian to build itself into a demonstration zone for integrated development across the Taiwan Strait.

    Xi noted that Fujian should play an exemplary role in promoting coordinated regional development and integrated urban-rural development. It is imperative for the province to advance the mechanism for collaboration between mountainous and coastal areas, further coordinate their development and strengthen the complementarity of their functions. It is essential for Fujian to advance the building of national ecological conservation pilot zones, build a great pattern of protection and governance covering from the mountains to the sea, strengthen overall governance in key areas, river basins and sea areas, and expand the capacity of the ecosystem. Xi called for efforts to strengthen coordinated integration of rural revitalization across the board and new-type urbanization, as well as to expedite integrated urban-rural development. He highlighted the need to bolster the county-level economy, speed up the revitalization and development of former revolutionary bases, and consolidate and further expand the achievements of poverty alleviation. It is imperative to ensure that the total area of farmland remains above the specified red line, adopt an all-encompassing approach to food and agriculture, and forge specialty-based agricultural clusters. Xi also underscored the importance of deepening the collective forest tenure reform and developing forest foods and under-forest economy, thus continuously exploring the forests’ potential in boosting the economy and grain production. Xi also urged accelerated efforts to develop the cities of Fuzhou and Xiamen as national-level marine economic development demonstration zones, as part of the wider endeavor to expand and strengthen the marine economy. He also stressed the imperative to guard against natural disasters, such as typhoons and earthquakes, and strengthen the capacity for disaster prevention, mitigation and relief.

    Xi urged continued efforts to improve the appeal of culture and present the province’s fresh image. He called on the province to inherit and carry forward the revolutionary traditions, commit to the construction of national culture parks for the Long March in Changting and Ninghua, as well as deepen the research and interpretation of revolutionary historical materials and relics. He underlined the need to strengthen the protection and inheritance of cultural heritage, stay committed to the work of cultivating people morally and intellectually, and actively transform outmoded habits and customs. He also stressed advancing deeper integration of culture and tourism, and developing the culture and tourism sector into a pillar industry. Xi urged continued efforts to promote cross-Strait cultural exchanges, jointly carry forward Chinese culture, and enhance the common sense of the Chinese national and cultural identity among Taiwan compatriots. Xi called on Fujian to rely on ties such as ancestral bonds and ancestral land culture to extensively rally the support of overseas Chinese.

    Xi pointed out that Party members and officials should be educated to inherit the best of traditions, carry forward our revolutionary heritage and the pioneering and innovative spirit of daring to think big and fighting to win big, forge ahead with fortitude, and make further achievements. All Party members and officials should have an understanding of performing their duties to serve the people, never forget the original aspiration, take on responsibilities, be honest and clean in performing duties, and always maintain the political integrity of communists. It is imperative to fight pointless formalities, and take further steps to ease the burdens on grassroots. He urged efforts to implement the practices of going into communities to communicate the Party’s lines and policies, carry out fact-finding missions, address people’s complaints, and conduct field work, follow the Party’s mass line in the new era, and raise the effectiveness of Party building in boosting grassroots governance.

    Xi stressed the necessity to conscientiously implement the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee, spare no efforts to do a good job in the economic work of the fourth quarter, and strive to achieve the economic and social development objectives for the whole year.

    Vice Premier He Lifeng and leading officials of relevant central Party and state departments accompanied Xi on the inspection tour.

    MIL OSI China News –

    January 24, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Virtual reality and wearable technology pilot to cut drug deaths

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    The government will fund research into wearable technology, virtual reality and artificial intelligence in a bid to support people with drug addictions.

    • Government funds research into wearable technology, virtual reality and artificial intelligence to support people with drug addictions and save lives
    • Projects include body-worn devices which alert emergency services if overdose is expected
    • 11 projects across UK could be rolled out more widely if successful

    Thousands of lives could be saved through the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and wearable technology designed to reduce drug deaths and improve outcomes.

    The government has awarded £12 million to projects across the UK that are researching innovative technology to support people with addictions.

    One of the chosen projects, called PneumoWave ALERT, pairs a chest-worn sensor that monitors breathing to a mobile device that sends out an immediate alert to nearby antidote carriers and emergency services if an overdose is detected, helping people get potentially life-saving treatment as soon as possible.

    Another study will look at using virtual reality to help people overcome their triggers for cocaine addiction. People will be assessed using watch-like devices to determine which cues in their environment lead to a drug craving, by measuring physical changes to the body.

    Virtual reality will then be used to create realistic situations to repeatedly expose people to triggers in a safe environment. Previous research shows cue exposure treatment (CET) can significantly reduce the level of craving and relapse among alcoholics, but it has not yet been fully explored for people experiencing a cocaine addiction until now.

    Minister for Public Health and Prevention, Andrew Gwynne said:

    Drug addiction devastates lives and rips apart families, and this government is committed to gripping this problem.

    We’re determined to harness the full potential of cutting-edge technology to save thousands of lives across the country. I want the UK to lead the way in championing innovation to end the harmful effects of addiction.

    The research is being funded through the Addiction Healthcare Goals programme, which is run by the Office for Life Sciences (OLS). Around £12 million has been awarded to 11 projects across eight organisations in the UK. The projects were selected as part of the Reducing Drug Deaths Challenge and the NIHR i4i Addiction: Innovation for Treatment and Recovery Awards, which are being run in partnership with the Scottish government and National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).  

    The funding will also support research to improve the accessibility of the life-saving drug naloxone. Naloxone rapidly reverses heroin and opioid overdose but is typically available as an injection or nasal spray which have limitations and cannot always be used in time. Kings College London is looking into naloxone wafers which melt in the mouth and provide rapid access to this emergency medicine and can fit easily in a wallet or purse.

    Several of the projects are based in Scotland which has the highest rate of drug deaths in Europe.

    These include a wristband to monitor vital signs such as blood oxygen levels, heart rate and body temperature. If an overdose is suspected, the device, named “Saving Sam”, will send out an alert to a trusted contact. This research is being run by the University of Edinburgh and NHS Fife.

    The technology being researched could be rolled out to more sites across the UK if successful. The projects support the government’s Health Mission – building an NHS fit for the future – by helping to embed a greater focus on prevention and supporting services.

    It also helps establish the UK as a global leader for innovative treatments and technologies, supporting the UK’s Growth Mission – for sustained economic growth, good jobs and increased productivity across the country – by inspiring healthcare companies to invest in the UK, while supporting people back into stable work.

    Science Minister Lord Vallance said:

    The UK’s life sciences sector plays a critical role in finding new ways to tackle the biggest challenges facing healthcare, including the devastating impact of addiction. The Addiction Healthcare Goals Programme is testament to our commitment to bringing together researchers, clinicians, and innovators to create real change.

    From wearable technology to AI-powered tools, these innovative projects highlight the power of collaboration in delivering life-saving treatments. By investing in these partnerships, we are tackling addiction head-on and ensuring that cutting-edge science reaches those who need it most, improving public health across the UK.

    Professor Mike Lewis, NIHR’s Scientific Director for Innovation, said: 

    Innovation in managing addiction is needed to break the pattern of prison relapse and rebound and the wider impacts of addiction on society.

    Through the NIHR i4i Addiction: Innovation for Treatment and Recovery Awards, successful projects have been awarded funding to develop approaches to improve treatment and recovery outcomes.

    Interventions, including AI, that allow management in the community need this research to validate their potential so we can implement them at scale.

    Professor Dame Anna Dominiczak, Chief Scientific Advisor for Health, Scottish Government, said:

    Tackling drug-related deaths is a priority for the Scottish Government and NHS Scotland and we are committed to tackling these issues through targeted research, innovation and support.

    As part of phase two of the Reducing Drug Deaths Innovation Competition, funding has been awarded to develop seven prototypes aimed at reducing drug deaths.

    These innovative solutions include wearable sensors, digital monitoring and alert applications as well as novel antidote delivery systems.

    By harnessing the expertise we have in Scotland and across the rest of the UK, we can continue to develop new technologies to drive prevention initiatives.

    Professor Anne Lingford-Hughes, Chair of the Addiction Healthcare Goals, said: 

    New approaches to treat drug addiction and reduce drug related deaths, particularly from overdose, are urgently needed. The Addiction Healthcare Goals programme is pleased to fund promising innovations that have brought together partnerships between industry, academia and organisations involved in delivering treatment and care for those experiencing drug addictions.

    Establishing such collaborations also enhances the UK’s research capacity and ability to deliver novel patient research. This lays firm foundations for the UK to accelerate the development and testing of effective innovations to use in routine care to save lives, reduce harms, and benefit society.

    Notes to editors:

    Further information on some of the projects is available below:

    Reducing Drug Deaths Innovation Challenge

    Pneumowave ALERT

    PneumoWave ALERT is a remote monitoring platform designed to make opioid usage safer by detecting the onset of life-threatening respiratory problems caused by opioid-induced overdose. The platform consists of a discreet, chest-worn biosensor paired with a mobile device, which allows for the immediate alerting of nearby naloxone carriers and emergency medical services. The research involves conducting end-to-end monitoring, detection, and alerting in 200 high-risk patients residing in homeless accommodation, in collaboration with the University of Dundee, King’s College London, and Third Sector partners HumanKind, Thames Reach, and Hillcrest Futures.

    NOMW Health

    NOMW Health, in collaboration with Greater Glasgow and Clyde Innovation Hub and The University of Southampton, previously conducted a feasibility study on LifeSavr, an innovative wearable device aimed at addressing the opioid overdose crisis. The Scotland-based team is now advancing the development of LifeSavr to prepare it for consumer availability in the UK, Europe, and globally. LifeSavr features monitoring of oxygen saturation, heart rate, body movements and respiratory rate for accurate overdose detection. It is based on NASA research and uses a self-contained design that eliminates the need for a mobile phone. The device aims to reduce the burden on emergency services and long-term care.

    Kings College London

    Kings College London is developing rapid-dispersal naloxone wafers to improve the accessibility and portability of this life-saving emergency antidote medication. Naloxone rapidly reverses heroin/opioid overdose, but current forms (injection and nasal spray) have limitations, such as requiring healthy nasal passages and consistent carrying by users. The proposed naloxone wafers disintegrate within seconds and can easily fit into a wallet or purse, addressing the current low carriage rates which are around 15-20%.

    EMoodie – Saving SAM System for Alert and Monitoring of Potential Overdoses  

    ‘Saving SAM’ is an innovative, low-cost digital tool developed by eMoodie Limited to help prevent drug overdoses and save lives. The tool consists of a wristband that monitors vital signs such as blood oxygen levels, heart rate, body temperature, and movement patterns to detect potential overdose risks. If an overdose is suspected, the wristband sends an alert to the Saving SAM app on the user’s smartphone, alerting a trusted contact. The app also offers mental health support and well-being programs for people who use drugs. Co-created with people with lived experience, “Saving SAM” is an overdose detection tool that combines wearables, remote monitoring, artificial intelligence (AI), and a smartphone app with gamified digital therapeutics.

    Mesox-Ltd

    MESOX has developed a wearable patch of the antidotes Naloxone and Flumazenil for the rising number of drug deaths from mixed overdosing of opioids and benzodiazepines. The skin patch is designed for wide application by non-professionals in the community, avoiding the challenges of existing routes of administration and complexity of injectable antidotes. In the next phase of development on the programme, MESOX will work closely with NHS Fife and other sub-contractors to design acceptability studies with patients across all four UK nations.

    Science & Engineering Applications Ltd (Scienap)

    Scienap, in collaboration with ambulance services led by the Scottish Ambulance Service, has designed a low-cost alert and responder pathway to create effective responses to potentially fatal overdose events. The project includes a new Alert App for self-monitoring by drug users, automatically raising an alarm if they become unresponsive, and a Care & Respond App for trusted supporters to provide coordinated help, administer life-saving drugs, and be supported by emergency services when appropriate.

    University of Glasgow

    The University of Glasgow presents a significant advancement in wearable sensor technology for detecting and preventing overdoses. The soft sensor, designed for seamless body integration, provides real-time respiratory monitoring to identify early signs of overdose episodes. The team will test the usability and acceptability of the refined prototype with people with lived/living experience of substance use through an iterative co-design process supported by the West of Scotland NHS Innovation Hub.

    NIHR i4i Addiction Innovation: Innovation for Treatment and Recovery Awards

    Kings College London – is developing a Virtual Reality-enhanced cue exposure treatment integrated with a wearable device to address craving, prevent relapse and improve treatment outcomes of people with cocaine dependence.

    A key challenge in helping people to recover for cocaine addiction (or dependence) is their craving for the drug that can be triggered by ‘cues’ in their environment, such as situations or objects, which remind them of the pleasurable effects of cocaine. This process is known as ‘classical conditioning’ and the aim of this study is to reduce the risk of relapse to cocaine through use of novel technologies to reduce craving. This research will test the ability of technology-enhanced CET to reduce craving and relapse to cocaine use, compared to people receiving usual care.

    Another project led by Kings College London, The Prison Release Engagement Trial will refine and test an interactive smartphone app to improve Continuity of Care post-release for prisoners working to stay drug free. 

    For the full list of projects that have been successful in receiving funding across both competitions, please see the NIHR publications and the Scottish Government  publications.

    Further information

    The Addiction Healthcare Goals is being delivered by the Office for Life Sciences (OLS) alongside the Dementia, Mental Health, Cancer and Obesity Healthcare Goals. The Addiction Healthcare Goals programme is working to make the UK a globally leading location for researchers and industry to develop, trial and deploy innovative treatments and technologies which will help people recover from drug and alcohol addictions, save lives, and benefit society.

    Alongside funding innovative research, the Addiction Healthcare Goals programme is aiming to support the training of research leaders across the UK and is exploring ways to make better use of addiction healthcare data to enable researchers to develop better treatments. The programme has also been working with the James Lind Alliance to identify the key research priorities within the UK community and will be publishing this list in 2025 with the aim of influencing future research funding priorities.

    The projects were selected as part of the Reducing Drug Deaths Challenge and the NIHR i4i Addiction: Innovation for Treatment and Recovery Awards, which were run in partnership with the Scottish government and National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The successful Reducing Drug Deaths projects builds on feasibility funding awarded through phase 1 of the Reducing Drugs Deaths Challenge last year.

    The Addiction Healthcare Goals form a part of the Department of Health and Social Care’s ambition to deliver a world-class treatment and recovery system for people experiencing drug and alcohol addictions.

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    Published 18 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    January 24, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: FEMA Administrator Surveys Virginia Counties and Meets with Survivors and Local Community Officials Recovering from Helene

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: FEMA Administrator Surveys Virginia Counties and Meets with Survivors and Local Community Officials Recovering from Helene

    FEMA Administrator Surveys Virginia Counties and Meets with Survivors and Local Community Officials Recovering from Helene

    WASHINGTON — As FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell continues to lead the federal response to Helene and Milton in six states, today she is in Virginia to meet survivors and local officials as they continue their recovery from Helene.

    In Virginia, the administrator visited affected communities with Gov. Glenn Youngkin. Earlier in the week she and North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper in Buncombe County to speak with disaster survivors and meet staff at a local high school as part of the recovery.

    Critical services continue being restored. The Commonwealth of Virginia is focused on debris removal, particularly in lakes that provide the commonwealth a source of drinking water. Removing debris will also reduce threats to public health and safety. In Florida—hit by both storms—power outages have been reduced to about 17,000, down from a peak of 3.2 million. And in North Carolina, approximately 13,000 customers remain without power, down from a peak of about 1 million customers without power. 

    In total, about 433,000 households have been approved for nearly $619 million in FEMA assistance for their Helene recovery while 61,000 households have received $54 million for Milton. Survivors are using these funds to replace essential items, pay for somewhere to stay and make home repairs.

    Hurricane Milton survivors in 34 Florida counties and one Tribal Nation can register for federal disaster assistance. On Oct. 11, President Jospeh R. Biden, Jr., approved a major disaster declaration for Florida following the hurricane. President Biden previously approved federal disaster assistance in six states affected by Helene. This opens up federal help for survivors in designated areas in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.

    In addition, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced the Operation Blue Tarp which is a free service to homeowners. Residents impacted by Hurricane Milton can sign-up at www.blueroof.gov, or by calling 888-ROOF-BLU (888-766-3258). The initial sign-up period is set for 21 days and ends Nov. 5. The Florida counties impacted by Hurricane Milton currently identified for the program include: Brevard, Citrus, Charlotte, DeSoto, Hardee, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lake, Manatee, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Lucie, Sumter and Volusia.

    FEMA encourages Helene and Milton survivors to apply online as this remains the best way to apply for disaster assistance. Here are the ways to apply for federal assistance: 

    ·         Apply online at disasterassistance.gov

    ·         Call 800-621-3362

    ·         Use the FEMA App

    ·         Visit a Disaster Recovery Center to talk with FEMA and state agency officials and apply for assistance

    In total, over 8,200 federal personnel—including 4,300 FEMA staff—are in communities in these states supporting the ongoing response and recovery efforts. 

    These photos highlight response and recovery efforts across states impacted by Helene and Milton.

    View Original‘ data-align=”center” data-asset-link=”1″ data-entity-type=”emerald” data-image-style=”large” data-asset-type=”imageasset” data-asset-id=”56489″ src=”https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/externals/51c770e055bfac2bdf77a115b7d1e1e9.jpg?itok=d6OkGMpD” alt=”Caption: Lee County, Va. – A group comprised of staff from the Lee County 911, Virginia Department of Emergency Management, the U.S. Small Business Administration, and FEMA was conducting Preliminary Damage Assessments to survey properties affected by Tropical Storm Helene in September.” class=”image-style-large”>
    Lee County, Va. – A group comprised of staff from the Lee County 911, Virginia Department of Emergency Management, the U.S. Small Business Administration, and FEMA was conducting Preliminary Damage Assessments to survey properties affected by Tropical Storm Helene in September.
    View Original‘ data-align=”center” data-asset-link=”1″ data-entity-type=”emerald” data-image-style=”large” data-asset-type=”imageasset” data-asset-id=”56511″ src=”https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/externals/0ac80a360274e00254b29ac8e241b18a.jpg?itok=d3rO453K” alt=”Caption: Burnsville, N.C. – FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell and North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper visit the Pensacola Volunteer Fire Department to talk with staff and disaster survivors.” class=”image-style-large”>
    Burnsville, N.C. – FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell and North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper visit the Pensacola Volunteer Fire Department to talk with staff and disaster survivors.
    View Original‘ data-align=”center” data-asset-link=”1″ data-entity-type=”emerald” data-image-style=”large” data-asset-type=”imageasset” data-asset-id=”56462″ src=”https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/externals/7037f02841813c689a6e8dc2d71c40b7.jpg?itok=p12cSWX5″ alt=”Caption: Buncombe County, NC – FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell and North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper tour recovery operations at a local high school, fire station and community care station to talk with staff and disaster survivors.” class=”image-style-large”>
    Buncombe County, NC – FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell and North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper tour recovery operations at a local high school, fire station and community care station to talk with staff and disaster survivors.
    BUNCOMBE COUNTY, North Carolina – FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell visits with staff and disaster survivors about recovery operations at a local high school, fire station and community care station. (Source: FEMA)
    View Original‘ data-align=”center” data-asset-link=”1″ data-entity-type=”emerald” data-image-style=”large” data-asset-type=”imageasset” data-asset-id=”56452″ src=”https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/externals/a0cbc8cb1e9938b50f025fa483a0d283.jpg?itok=pClsD1s-” alt=”Caption: Buncombe County, NC – FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell and North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper tour recovery operations at a local high school, fire station and community care station to talk with staff and disaster survivors.” class=”image-style-large”>
    Buncombe County, NC – FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell and North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper tour recovery operations at a local high school, fire station and community care station to talk with staff and disaster survivors.
    View Original‘ data-align=”center” data-asset-link=”1″ data-entity-type=”emerald” data-image-style=”large” data-asset-type=”imageasset” data-asset-id=”56481″ src=”https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/externals/80ff6cd868da9e52fceb6d20106f1667.jpg?itok=9Hhe7DBi” alt=”Caption: Swannanoa, NC – FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance staff help survivors at a Community Care Station. FEMA, Buncombe County, City of Asheville and the private sector have worked together to offer showers, laundry, bathrooms, access to cell towers, hot food, water, Wi-Fi, and medicine.” class=”image-style-large”>
    Swannanoa, NC – FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance staff help survivors at a Community Care Station. FEMA, Buncombe County, City of Asheville and the private sector have worked together to offer showers, laundry, bathrooms, access to cell towers, hot food, water, Wi-Fi, and medicine.
    View Original‘ data-align=”center” data-asset-link=”1″ data-entity-type=”emerald” data-image-style=”large” data-asset-type=”imageasset” data-asset-id=”56531″ src=”https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/externals/50d8ffc037538c49d382007aa1769886.jpg?itok=xW7qucuF” alt=”Caption: Sarasota, Fla. (Oct. 17, 2024) – U.S. Army Corps of Engineers assist a family of survivors in their first Blue Roof Project in Sarasota, Florida in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton.” class=”image-style-large”>
    Sarasota, Fla. (Oct. 17, 2024) – U.S. Army Corps of Engineers assist a family of survivors in their first Blue Roof Project in Sarasota, Florida in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton.
    View Original‘ data-align=”center” data-asset-link=”1″ data-entity-type=”emerald” data-image-style=”large” data-asset-type=”imageasset” data-asset-id=”56426″ src=”https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/externals/6ed91d66e28321cf80a1887989c06c4a.jpg?itok=qM79h6sL” alt=”Caption: Palm Beach County, Fla. (Oct. 15, 2024) – DSA crews canvas an area of The Acreage in Palm Beach County Florida.” class=”image-style-large”>
    Palm Beach County, Fla. (Oct. 15, 2024) – DSA crews canvas an area of The Acreage in Palm Beach County Florida.
    View Original‘ data-align=”center” data-asset-link=”1″ data-entity-type=”emerald” data-image-style=”large” data-asset-type=”imageasset” data-asset-id=”56473″ src=”https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/externals/cf9d4bec75102ebbb97b6fc199bfe0d0.jpg?itok=9VB86i5n” alt=”Caption: Columbia, S.C. (Oct. 14, 2024) – FEMA’s Director of Disability Integration and Coordination, Sherman Gillums, Jr., visits the Association for Better Living and Education to show support for their ongoing efforts in supporting the disabled community. Director Gillums met with Dori Tempio, Sr., Director of Community Education, and Mandy Halloran, Director of Public Health.” class=”image-style-large”>
    Columbia, S.C. (Oct. 14, 2024) – FEMA’s Director of Disability Integration and Coordination, Sherman Gillums, Jr., visits the Association for Better Living and Education to show support for their ongoing efforts in supporting the disabled community. Director Gillums met with Dori Tempio, Sr., Director of Community Education, and Mandy Halloran, Director of Public Health.
    View Original‘ data-align=”center” data-asset-link=”1″ data-entity-type=”emerald” data-image-style=”large” data-asset-type=”imageasset” data-asset-id=”56471″ src=”https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/externals/9050b3d4f1ac9a6e2bd7cdfbf7ae3a71.jpg?itok=o0HpV_iy” alt=”Caption: Sandersville, Ga. (Oct. 14, 2024) – FEMA opens a Disaster Recovery Center in Sandersville, Georgia to register members of the community and surrounding counties effected by Hurricane Helene for disaster assistance.” class=”image-style-large”>
    Sandersville, Ga. (Oct. 14, 2024) – FEMA opens a Disaster Recovery Center in Sandersville, Georgia to register members of the community and surrounding counties effected by Hurricane Helene for disaster assistance.

    FEMA’s Disaster Multimedia Toolkit page provides graphics, social media copy and sample text in multiple languages. In addition, FEMA has set up a rumor control web page to reduce confusion about its role in the Helene response. 

    amy.ashbridge
    Thu, 10/17/2024 – 22:12

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 24, 2025

  • MIL-Evening Report: How did public service leaders talk to staff about Robodebt? What they said – or didn’t – is revealing

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daniel Casey, Lecturer, School of Politics and International Relations, Australian National University

    In July 2023, after the release of the damning Robodebt Royal Commission report, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese declared:

    it was wrong, it was illegal, it should never have happened and it should never happen again.

    A major finding was some senior public servants were overly responsive to the wishes of ministers, to the detriment of the general public. The report describes an environment that was:

    fraught […] characterised by a powerful drive for savings, strongly expressed ministerial policy positions […] and intense pressure experienced by public servants.

    Investigating the scheme, which ran under the Morrison government, Commissioner Catherine Holmes was disturbed by “the lengths to which public servants were prepared to go to oblige ministers”, undermining the concept of impartiality and frank and fearless advice.

    The release of Rick Morton’s new book Mean Streak brings a renewed focus on the lessons from Robodebt. To learn from such a serious crisis, organisations need to openly confront what happened, discuss and understand what the failure means. What were the systemic causes? What cultural failings did it expose? How can we ensure a similar disaster does not happen again?

    Our research found little evidence these questions were being asked by many public service leaders immediately after the royal commission.

    In the six months after the royal commission report’s release, almost half of the heads of Australian Public Service (APS) agencies apparently decided they didn’t need to communicate with their staff about Robodebt and explain what it meant for them.

    What did department leaders do?

    Learning from the failure of Robodebt will take time. In 2024, the public service is investigating and punishing some of those involved and implementing a new integrity plan.

    Our research focuses on the six months after the release of the royal commission report: July to December 2023. Research shows the immediate post-crisis period is crucial to effective learning.

    But before organisations can respond, they have to interpret and understand the meaning of the failure.

    Just as the public turns to political leaders in a crisis, employees look to management. Leaders’ communication, whether by email, an all staff video, or a town hall meeting, is crucial.

    These messages set the organisational narrative that explains what happened and why, what the repercussions are, how it can be resolved, and what lessons (if any) should be drawn from the crisis.

    Three days after the royal commission report was released, the secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Glyn Davis, and Australian Public Service Commissioner Gordon de Brouwer, emailed all public service employees saying:

    we are committed to working through the findings in an open and constructive way with you — the APS — and with the Australian public.

    Our focus, however, is on how leaders of individual departments and agencies responded. Using Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, we asked how leaders communicated with staff in the crucial period straight after the commission reported.

    Departments are where policy development occurs and they often work closely with ministers.

    But only half of all public servants work for departments. The rest work across the 100 or so agencies.

    While most department heads communicated with their staff about Robodebt, only 54% of agencies’ leaders did.

    The 50 agencies that did not communicate with their staff about the meaning of Robodebt in the months following the report employ more than 45,000 people, more than 25% of the public service.

    Not my problem mentality

    Three large departments told us that “no documents were identified” or “the Department does not hold documents […] that meet the terms of the request”. This indicates they did not communicate with staff in the first six months after the Robodebt report was handed down. The departments were:

    • defence

    • home affairs

    • infrastructure, transport, regional development, communications and the arts.

    It is not clear why those secretaries decided not to write to their staff directly about Robodebt, but the absence of communication sends a message.

    This was explicit in some responses. For example, in declining our request, we were told that the Independent Health and Aged Care Pricing Authority:

    […] is not an outwardly facing organisation and as such does not provide payments to individual recipients. Consequently, it is not required to respond to the Royal Commission and there are no documents that are relevant to your request.

    Even when there was some communication, agencies were not necessarily addressing the cultural issues. For example, the Clean Energy Regulator was focused on public perception:

    there is a heightened sense of scrutiny on regulators […] please be vigilant if you are approached by anybody working for a media outlet.

    In such circumstances, it is unlikely cultural change will occur.

    Some positive signs

    On the positive side, there were examples of agencies that addressed the serious implications of Robodebt for their work, which is likely to improve their organisational culture.

    The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) identified a number of recommendations “albeit directed at other agencies […] that ASIC should act on”. They noted that “given most of our people come from the private sector”, there was a need to improve training on “our obligations as public servants”.



    Read more:
    Two former federal departmental heads breached public service code 25 times in Robodebt scandal

    Similarly, Australian statistician David Gruen emphasised creating a culture where “people feel supported if and when they seek to raise difficult issues with their colleagues or superiors”. Similar discussions were had at AUSTRAC.

    Departments are closest to ministers, so we hoped their communications would address problems in the relationships between senior public servants and ministers, a key issue exposed in the Robodebt case.

    Unfortunately, only four departments discussed over-responsiveness with their staff or in executive meetings, in the period studied.

    The department of industry and science was the most comprehensive. Secretary Meghan Quinn wrote to staff several times, reflecting that the “findings go to the heart of leadership and culture and this should be our focus going forward”. The department’s integrity branch wrote to staff:

    public servants [must] […] provide the government with advice that is frank and honest. If you ever feel pressured to do or sign something you are not comfortable with, it’s important you speak with your supervisors […] you have the Executive’s backing not to put your name to anything that is not true or not in the public interest.

    However, this was one of the few departments where senior staff confronted these core issues directly in the early months after the royal commission reported. Most departments did not name or discuss the underlying cause of the failures: over-responsiveness to ministers at the expense of protecting the public.

    While many of the errors of Robodebt can be solved through new procedures and rules, changing public service culture is a bigger learning project.

    It requires a shift in norms and reweighting the competing duties of public servants. They must serve elected ministers, but equally, they must serve the public by ensuring probity, fairness and legality.

    Robodebt illustrated the harm that occurs when the balance tips too far towards ministers and away from the public interest.

    That this was rarely part of the communication from public service leaders to their staff in the immediate aftermath of the royal commission does not bode well for lessons being learnt from the crisis.

    Daniel Casey worked in the Department of Social Services during the period of Robodebt, but did not work on the Robodebt program.

    Maria Maley received funding from the Australian Research Council.

    – ref. How did public service leaders talk to staff about Robodebt? What they said – or didn’t – is revealing – https://theconversation.com/how-did-public-service-leaders-talk-to-staff-about-robodebt-what-they-said-or-didnt-is-revealing-240015

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

    January 24, 2025

  • MIL-Evening Report: Can NZ’s supply chain build enough resilience and sustainability to survive the next global crisis?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julia Fehrer, Associate Professor, Business School, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau

    New Zealand is highly reliant on trade – particularly on maritime routes, which are lifelines for exports and imports. Key sectors such as agriculture, construction, and wholesale and retail trade depend heavily on this global network.

    External events can severely disrupt the flow of goods, delay deliveries or damage critical infrastructure.

    But a crisis like the COVID pandemic can also disrupt business commitments to sustainability goals such as reducing carbon emissions, minimising waste and improving resource efficiency.

    This is important, because several major New Zealand companies have introduced sustainability measures into their operations over the past decade.

    Fonterra, for example, adopted low-carbon logistics and distribution practices. Zespri uses blockchain technology to improve the transparency of its sustainable practices and enhance tracking across its supply chain. Air New Zealand partners with local suppliers and adopts initiatives to lower its carbon emissions.

    In our recent research, we reviewed 287 studies on supply chains. We identified key tensions between efficiency and sustainability, and how major disruptions to supply chains and operations can swing the balance between the two.

    On one hand, businesses are pressured to maintain lean, cost-effective operations. On the other, there is a growing recognition of the need to build resilience and sustainability, particularly in the face of climate change.

    Traditional strategies

    New Zealand’s supply chains are susceptible to disruptions from natural disasters (such as earthquakes and floods), geopolitical tensions and global health crises.

    Businesses have historically responded in a variety of ways: diversifying suppliers, increasing inventory buffers and securing alternative transport routes.

    The use of technology, such as radio frequency identification, has played a crucial role in tracking goods across the supply chain. It provides real-time visibility and accurate inventory management.

    Blockchain is becoming a key tool for making supply chains more sustainable. This technology uses a digital ledger to keep information safe and easy to trace.

    But the ongoing technological innovation risks disadvantaging people and businesses with limited resources and capabilities along the supply chain.

    Embracing a circular economy

    During the pandemic, businesses experienced shortages of critical supplies, delays in shipments and fluctuating demand. This forced them to temporarily abandon long-term sustainability strategies in favour of short-term survival tactics.

    This made sense from a business perspective. But to build more resilient and sustainable supply chains, businesses will need to move beyond traditional strategies.

    Our research found integrating circular economy principles into supply chain management can help create a buffer for businesses.

    The circular economy model focuses on minimising waste – keeping products and materials in use for as long as possible. There is also a focus on regenerating natural systems to foster economic, social and environmental resilience.

    Companies can reduce their reliance on external supply chains by focusing on reusing materials, creating closed-loop systems with regional partners and by boosting the technologies already in place.

    By fostering stronger links with local suppliers and focusing on regional sourcing, businesses can reduce their exposure to global risks. This will also help build more self-sufficient supply chain ecosystems.

    Building sustainable supply chains requires investing in advanced technologies, such as blockchain and artificial intelligence. But implementing these technologies should be done carefully and in stages to minimise disruption. Going slowly can also allow for the inclusion of all supply chain partners in these technological transitions.

    The way forward

    New Zealand’s supply chain future hinges on greater collaboration between everyone involved, including businesses, policymakers and communities.

    In practice, this means working together to build systems that are not only efficient and cost-effective but also resilient and sustainable.

    Equally, resilient supply chains require regional manufacturing ecosystems. To mitigate the risks from global supply chain disruptions, it’s essential to support local manufacturing, even when offshore manufacturing costs are lower.

    This will require government support and strategic investment in regional manufacturing innovation.

    While New Zealand’s supply chains face significant challenges, there are great opportunities to reshape them for a more resilient and sustainable future.

    By integrating circular economy principles, using advanced technologies and fostering regional collaboration, New Zealand can build supply chains that are prepared for future crises and which also contribute to the country’s sustainability goals.

    Julia Fehrer receives funding from the New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment.

    Christina Stringer, Sunny Kareem, and Timofey Shalpegin 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. Can NZ’s supply chain build enough resilience and sustainability to survive the next global crisis? – https://theconversation.com/can-nzs-supply-chain-build-enough-resilience-and-sustainability-to-survive-the-next-global-crisis-241348

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

    January 24, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Pettersen Highlights Community Investments in Chaffee, Joins Reopening of Historic McGinnis Gym

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Brittany Pettersen (Colorado 7th District)

    SALIDA – U.S. Representative Brittany Pettersen (CO-07) recently stopped by Chaffee County to visit facilities that she championed through state and federal funding, including the historic McGinnis Gymnasium in Buena Vista and Solvista Health’s Regional Assessment Center (RAC) in Salida. 

    At Pettersen’s first stop in Chaffee County, she visited Solvista Health’s RAC in Salida, a substance use disorder recovery center that she helped secure funding for alongside former state Representative Jim Wilson during her time in the Colorado state legislature. As chair of the Interim Study Committee on Opioids and Other Substance Use Disorders, Pettersen helped establish the Building Substance Use Disorder Treatment Capacity in Underserved Communities Grant Program, delivering $700,000 to Solvista Health’s RAC in Salida. In Congress, Pettersen has built upon this work by calling for increased funding and expanded access to mental health and substance treatment programs.

    Following her visit to Salida, Pettersen joined the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the McGinnis Gymnasium in Buena Vista, reopening the facility after refurbishments. Originally built in 1936 through the Public Works Administration as part of the New Deal, this gym holds a unique place in Buena Vista’s history. Pettersen wrote a letter of support to the Environmental Protection Agency for a Brownfields grant that was awarded to the gym. Now, the facility will serve as a safe, indoor recreation space for children and the Chaffee community for generations to come. 

    “Projects like these are a testament to the positive difference that state and federal dollars can make in our communities,” said Pettersen. “I supported funding for these facilities because I know investments like this will elevate the entire Chaffee community. The McGinnis Gym will foster creativity and community engagement in Chaffee for generations to come.”

    Pettersen continued, “It was amazing to tour Solvista Health and see this center come to fruition after years of dedicated work during my time in the legislature with former Rep. Jim Wilson. This facility provides desperately needed care to those who have often been left behind. As the only place in this region to provide detox and withdrawal management services, Solvista has served over a thousand people in the last year and no doubt has saved hundreds of lives. I remain committed to advocating for the people of Chaffee in Congress, ensuring critical investments continue to make a lasting impact on the lives of this community.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 24, 2025

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Summer maintenance on State Highway 29 to deliver smoother journeys

    Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

    State Highway 29 is a key focus as part of NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi summer maintenance programme.

    Between October 2024 and May 2025 there are 9 significant sites on the Bay of Plenty side of the Kaimai Range where we will be rebuilding and resurfacing the road.

    Once complete, drivers will have smoother and safer journeys along this section of the SH29 corridor.

    The work is part of the $235 million 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme maintenance investment in state highways across the Bay of Plenty.

    To minimise impacts to traffic, most of the works will be carried out in the evening, between 7pm and 6am, on Sunday to Thursday nights (excluding public holidays) with stop/go in place.

    Starting this weekend, contractors will begin with a road rebuild near Hanga Road on Sunday 20 October*, for an expected period of 3 weeks, followed by resurfacing near Old Kaimai Road on Sunday 17 November until Thursday 28 November.

    A temporary speed limit of 30km/h will be in place and some work sites will have stop/go traffic lights. People should expect delays when travelling through the area.

    Meanwhile, further west on SH29, resurfacing work will get underway between Gargan Road and Redwood Lane on Sunday 3 November.

    This work will be completed over 5 nights between 7pm and 5am with stop/go and a temporary reduced speed limit of 30km/h at night and 50km/h during the day.

    The next round of Kaimai Range closures is also scheduled to take place, starting on Sunday 17 November, from 8pm to 3.30am for 5 nights. The closures are needed to undertake asphalt work and other routine maintenance activities such as clearing drains, sign maintenance and road marking.

    The closure points on the western (Waikato) side are at the SH29/24 and SH29/28 intersections and on the eastern (BOP) side at the SH29/Cambridge Road intersection. Emergency services will have access at all times, and residents can access their property from the relevant side of the closure.

    Other upcoming work sites scheduled to get underway in December include near Soldiers Road and Kaimai School. View more on these in the map below.

    View/download map [PDF, 275 KB]

    As much work as possible will be completed ahead of Christmas and a short break over the holiday period. Crews will then get back into it until autumn sets in.

    In addition to this, the SH29 Tauriko Enabling Works project is also underway, with lots of activity along the state highway between Belk and Cambridge Roads. 

    Tauriko Enabling Works

    Meanwhile on the Waikato side, works are also ongoing at the SH1/29 intersection in Piarere. 

    SH1/SH29 intersection

    People are encouraged to plan ahead and see where disruptive works are by using the NZTA Journey Planner.

    NZTA Journey Planner(external link)

    NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi thanks road users and the community for their patience.

    *All dates are subject to weather.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

    January 24, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Reducing workload in hundreds more schools

    Source: New South Wales Government 2

    Headline: Reducing workload in hundreds more schools

    Published: 18 October 2024

    Released by: Minister for Education and Early Learning

    A trial program aimed at slashing teacher workload and helping educators focus on classroom learning has been extended for two years as the Minns Labor Government rolls out the next tranche to more than 700 schools.

    The School Administration Reduction Program is part of the Minns Labor Government’s work to address teacher burnout and staff shortages caused by unsustainable workloads.

    The trial workload reduction program works to permanently equip schools with new systems and more efficient ways of dealing with the many additional tasks that schools, and in particular teachers, do every day above and beyond teaching their students.

    Through the program hundreds of additional School Administrative and Support Staff (SASS) are deployed to public schools to improve systems and relieve teachers of burdensome administrative work that built up under the Liberals and Nationals.

    Schools who have participated in the program have reported a substantial reduction in the workload of teachers and principals, as well as better training for staff.

    Examples of improvements made through the program include:

    • The Ponds School – improved the planning and coordinating of additional support, resources and programs offered by the school. Previously this work was performed by teachers.
    • Tacking Point Public School – better utilised technology to streamline many administrative tasks, taking them off the plate of teachers.
    • Medowie Public School – developed and implemented an efficient communication strategy to reduce teacher workload and improve correspondence with parents and carers.
    • Wallerawang Public School – enhanced staff induction processes, developing a new handbook on key school procedures including first aid, evacuation, and other WHS protocols.
    • James Fallon High School – made improvements including digitising historical records, strengthening healthcare plan systems and managing risk assessments.

    The program, which has been in 419 schools across 2023–24, will now move to more than 700 schools for 2025–26. By the end of 2026, 1,000 schools—or nearly half of NSW public schools—will have benefited from the School Administration Reduction Program.

    This program is part of a wider effort to reduce workload pressure in schools, which includes:

    • An extensive review of administrative tasks done in schools. Some 70 per cent of the tasks identified are directly linked to departmental policies, highlighting the importance of streamlining these documents and teachers’ ability to access them.
    • A line-by-line audit of teachers’ administrative and bureaucratic tasks was also completed earlier this year, as part of a broader initiative to reduce teacher workload by 5 hours a week.   The review identified around 100 tasks which cause high or very high bureaucratic workload, around 60 per cent of which directly impacts teachers. The department is using the findings to simplify tasks and further reduce teacher workload. 

    This is part of the Minns Labor Government’s ongoing work to address the teacher shortage and rebuild public education in NSW. Under the former government teachers were leaving the profession in record numbers, with teacher vacancies rising to a record high of 3,000.

    Our work to rebuild public education includes delivering teachers the biggest pay rise in a generation and reducing the number of teacher vacancies to their lowest in three years, a 24 per cent drop from last year to this year.

    Minister for Education and Early Learning Prue Car said:

    “We need our teachers focusing on what matters most – providing high quality teaching for our students in the classroom.

    “This program is reducing teacher workload and streamlining school systems on a long-term basis, allowing educators to focus on the important job of teaching.

    “We’ll closely study the learnings from the School Administration Reduction Program to inform our broader effort to cut workload across our system.”

    Michelle Said, Principal, South Creek School, said: 

    “The program has been hugely beneficial to our School for Specific Purpose. We have been able to achieve so much in our school and community due to our extra SASS taking the load off teachers and executive.” 

    Megan Manson, Principal, Canobolas Public School, said:

    “The program has made a real difference for our classrooms and the running of our office. We have used our SASS staff member to assist with administration on digital platforms, coordinating projects and excursions, covering books and other classroom duties, and running a reading fluency program.

    “All of these tasks have had a positive impact on our staff and students.” 

    MIL OSI News –

    January 24, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: PHOTOS: Capito Visits Eastern Panhandle

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito
    BERKELEY COUNTY, W.Va. – Today, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), traveled to Berkeley County, W.Va. where she participated in two events.
    First, Senator Capito visited Eagle School Intermediate in Martinsburg, W.Va. where she hosted a West Virginia Girls Rise Up event. Senator Capito launched the program in 2015 to instill confidence in young West Virginia women and empower them to be strong and kind female leaders. The program focuses on three areas: education, fitness, and self-confidence. Today’s event marks the 34th event since the program’s launch in 2015.
    “It was great to meet the fifth-grade students at Eagle School Intermediate and inspire them to set goals for the future and achieve their dreams. These girls are the next generation of West Virginia leaders and I am confident that they will go on to do big things in the future,” Senator Capito said. 
    “Eagle School Intermediate is delighted that our students engaged in this unique opportunity with Senator Shelley Moore Capito today. This initiative is designed to foster self-confidence and leadership skills among our young learners. We are thrilled to see our students benefit from Senator Capito’s inspiring presence and guidance, empowering them to become the leaders of tomorrow,” Eagle School Intermediate said.
    Later, Senator Capito, Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee and a leader on the Senate Appropriations Committee, traveled to Bunker Hill, W.Va. to deliver remarks at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Bunker Hill Water Treatment Plant. Through the appropriations process, Senator Capito has supported this project by successfully securing a Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) award that will help expand the clean drinking water capacity with this new facility. Once completed, the new plant will have the potential to serve more customers and meet the growing demand in Berkeley County.
    “As we see the amazing growth here in Berkeley County, it is critical that we have the infrastructure needed to reinforce it,” Senator Capito said. “After meeting with local officials and identifying critical projects, it was clear that replacing the outdated water treatment plant with a more modern facility was a priority. In the last four years, this public service district has added thousands more customers and this new plant will provide the infrastructure to meet their needs. Through my leadership on the EPW and Appropriations Committees, I will continue to identify critical projects like this in our communities and work to direct resources to meet their needs.”
    “The Water District is grateful to Senator Capito for her support of the objectives of Berkeley County and for her amazing interest and support of water and wastewater systems throughout WV. West Virginia is fortunate to have a Senator who knows firsthand that the most important public health component of any community is a safe and dependable water supply. She is quite remarkable in her knowledge of pumps, pipes and plants,” Jim Ouellet, Executive Director of the Berkeley County Public Service Water District, said.
    Photos from today’s events are below:

    U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) hosts a Girls Rise Up event at Eagle School Intermediate in Martinsburg, W.Va. on Thursday, October 17, 2024.

    U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) hosts a Girls Rise Up event at Eagle School Intermediate in Martinsburg, W.Va. on Thursday, October 17, 2024.

    U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) hosts a Girls Rise Up event at Eagle School Intermediate in Martinsburg, W.Va. on Thursday, October 17, 2024.

    U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) participates in the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Bunker Hill Water Treatment Plant in Bunker Hill, W.Va. on Thursday, October 17, 2024.

    U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) delivers remarks at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Bunker Hill Water Treatment Plant in Bunker Hill, W.Va. on Thursday, October 17, 2024.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 24, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Australian Centre for Child Protection celebrates 20 years of improving the lives of vulnerable children

    Source: University of South Australia

    17 October 2024

    Left to right: Professor Melissa O’Donnell, Deputy Director Research; Professor Leah Bromfield, Director and Chair of Child Protection; Amanda Paton, Deputy Director Practice; Lisa McDonald, Centre Manager

    The Australian Centre for Child Protection (ACCP), founded in 2004 by the Australian Government and the University of South Australia, is celebrating its 20th birthday and two decades of helping to prevent and respond to child abuse and neglect.

    The ACCP’s public health approach to child protection saw it quickly gain influence across the sector early on, making major contributions to the first National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children and the National Research Agenda for Protecting Children.

    Today, the Centre continues to provide leadership and input to national strategies and action plans as well as supporting Commissions and Inquiries nationally.

    Current areas of focus include families with multiple and complex needs, preventing infant removals, child sexual abuse, harmful sexual behaviours, out-of-home care and issues impacting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families.

    Deputy Vice Chancellor Research and Engagement at UniSA, Distinguished Professor Marnie Hughes-Warrington AO, says the ACCP has informed UniSA’s research, focusing on big issues, partnered approaches and developing new solutions that benefit society.

    “The Centre’s focus on partnering with the sector to drive new approaches and outcomes in child protection continues to shape Australian policy and practice in this critical field,” she says.

    Centre Director Professor Leah Bromfield says that the ACCP’s third decade marks a shift in focus to a transformation agenda.

    “We know through our work across the past two decades that our child protection systems are not fit for purpose, and we must reimagine our approach to protecting children. ACCP is driving research and innovation to shape this transformation now and into the future,” she says.

    “This new approach has the potential to be an example to the rest of the world.”

    To celebrate its 20-year milestone and during Children’s Week, on Thursday 24 October the Australian Centre for Child Protection will present a free one-day virtual symposium, sharing the latest in ACCP’s research, solutions and insights, with more than 20 presentations from Centre staff, students, and partners across a range of priority themes.

    Prof Bromfield says the symposium program has been designed to showcase the breadth of expertise and knowledge across the ACCP team.

    “It’s our way of continuing to work hand in hand with the sector, driving new knowledge that can be applied, and supporting the sector and its workforce,” she says.

    “This is how we can successfully continue to improve the lives of our most vulnerable children.”

    Registrations and the full program for the symposium can be found on the ACCP website.

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

    Contact for interview: Professor Leah Bromfield M: +61 401 635 310 E: Leah.Bromfield@unisa.edu.au

    Media contact: Annabel Mansfield M: +61 479 182 489 E: Annabel.Mansfield@unisa.edu.au

    Other articles you may be interested in

    MIL OSI News –

    January 24, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Research project to address cultural gap

    Source: Government of Western Australia

    Nearly $200,000 has been awarded to The University of Western Australia for a research project that will develop a tool to more effectively measure mental health and wellbeing in the Aboriginal community of Mullewa.

    The research project called Tharlbarra Maga: Developing a Strong Head, Strong Mind Measure received funding from Healthway’s 2023 Targeted Research Round, which called for research projects that focused on new and innovative ways to measure health behaviours.

    Chief Investigator Dr Charmaine Green from the Western Australian Centre for Rural Health (WACRH) at The University of Western Australia said the funding will support the considerable formative work that has already been undertaken in Mullewa.

    “We currently don’t have culturally appropriate tools to be able to measure the impact we are making on the local Aboriginal community’s mental health, social and emotional wellbeing,” she said.

    “This research project will provide an alternative to Western mental health tools and measures, which are often disliked and not appropriate for Aboriginal people as they do not reflect their cultural beliefs and understandings of wellbeing.

    “This research project will take two years to complete, the tools that will be developed are likely to be interactive, story and picture based, using local idioms and local artists.”

    Healthway CEO Colin Smith said Healthway looked forward to the outcomes of Dr Green’s work, as it will address a gap by providing culturally and locally relevant tools to measure mental health and wellbeing.

    “This research project will involve extensive consultation with Aboriginal co-researchers and Mullewa community members to better understand the Mullewa mental health story.

    “Once culturally appropriate tools are developed, they will be shared with the wider community to improve our understanding of community mental health in Mullewa and help shape the delivery of more effective health programs.

    “The project can also provide a blue-print for other Aboriginal communities to develop similar, locally appropriate tools.”   

    Healthway’s 2023 Targeted Research Round has supported four research projects worth nearly $800,000 to address gaps in measuring health behaviours and inform future policy and process.

    The successful recipients include:

    • Dr Charmaine Green, WACRH, The University of Western Australia – Tharlbarra Maga: Developing a Strong Head, Strong Mind Measure- $199, 640
    • Dr Emma Carlin, University of Western Australia – Measuring and supporting Aboriginal social and emotional wellbeing within primary healthcare – $199, 690
    • Associate Professor Michael Livingston, Curtin University – Measuring alcohol risk, information needs and pathways using an AI chatbot – $198,748
    • Professor Peter Gething, Curtin University – Smart Walking and Cycling: Active Travel to School Simulator – $197,876.

     

    The post Research project to address cultural gap appeared first on Healthway.

    MIL OSI News –

    January 24, 2025

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Universities – Agritech invention wins $100k Challenge – UoA

    Source: University of Auckland

    This year, a cutting-edge agritech solution designed to benefit the health of cows took out first place in the Velocity $100k Challenge.

    University of Auckland researcher Liz Cunningham, who has lost cows to mastitis, a costly disease that sees udder tissue become inflamed, often due to bacteria, won the University of Auckland Velocity $100k Challenge with her start-up – QuickMas.  

    The Liggins Institute research technician and her teammates, academic staff from the Auckland Bioengineering Institute, Faculty of Engineering and the Liggins Institute, say QuickMas is about helping in the fight against antibiotic resistance in dairy cattle.

    Cunningham says QuickMas will show whether a cow has mastitis, help identify the pathogen causing it and determine whether the cow has responded to antibiotics.

    “QuickMas will also be able to help farmers decide if their cow is safe to put back in the herd or if she may still be harbouring infectious bacteria.

    “It will give dairy farmers answers about their cows’ mastitis in as little as 15 minutes and no more than an hour.”

    The on-farm diagnostic tool, Cunningham says, is as simple as a Covid test, doesn’t require Wi-Fi, and farmers can self-interpret the results – no need to send them to a vet.

    “It’s done using a milk sample, which is processed by our machine for five minutes before it’s added to our test cartridges. Farmers will then be able to identify the source of infection.

    “The current testing method on the market sees farmers have to wait at least 24 hours for a result. It also requires Wi-Fi, which a lot of milking sheds don’t have.”

    Cunningham and her team are currently testing QuickMas prototypes.

    “We worked really hard to develop something quick, reliable and fit for farms. We want QuickMas to add value to farmers’ businesses here and all over the world.

    “Winning the Velocity challenge is amazing, and we’re excited to use the support provided to get this to market as quickly as we can to help dairy farmers and their cows.”

    Cunningham says the QuickMas team will explore potential partnerships and seek external investment over the next six months, with the plan to have the product on the market in 2025.

    “Using QuickMas will help the dairy industry in its fight against antibiotic resistance. Helping farmers understand the correct pathogen will enable them to treat their cows more efficiently. It will also inform treatment duration.

    “Farmers will have the information to give each cow individualised and responsive treatment – undertreating or overtreating with antibiotics will be a thing of the past.”

    Read about the other Velocity winners here. http://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/news/2024/10/17/innovating-until-the-cows-come-home.html

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

    January 24, 2025

  • MIL-OSI China: 28 killed, 160 injured in Israeli bombing on school-turned shelter in N. Gaza

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Displaced Palestinians are seen at a temporary shelter in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on Oct. 15, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    At least 28 Palestinians were killed and 160 others injured in an Israeli airstrike on a school housing displaced people in the Jabalia camp of northern Gaza Strip on Thursday, the Hamas-run Gaza government media office said.

    Fires broke out in the tents of the displaced individuals in the schoolyard because of the bombing. Some casualties were transferred to a hospital in northern Gaza, while ambulance teams were unable to reach the people in the targeted school, according to the Palestinian official news agency WAFA.

    Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement that the Israeli Air Force conducted a “precise strike” on an operational meeting point for Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants in northern Gaza.

    The militants were operating inside a command and control center embedded inside a compound that previously served as the Abu Hassan School, the IDF said.

    Dozens of militants were present in the compound at the time of the strike, said the IDF, which also published 12 names of those present.

    The militants were involved in rocket attacks into the Israeli territory, as well as in planning and committing attacks against IDF troops and Israel in recent days, it claimed.

    Mahmoud Basal, spokesman for the Civil Defense in Gaza, said Thursday in a statement that the Israeli army is carrying out a “systematic destruction” of the Jabalia camp, using all means, including explosive robots, to empty the camp.

    The Israeli army refuses to allow ambulances to reach the area and transport the casualties, while bodies of victims are still under the rubble, Basal said.

    Meanwhile, Gaza-based health authorities warned Thursday in a press statement that newborns in the nursery of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza are facing a humanitarian disaster due to a fuel crisis and a shortage of medicines and medical supplies amid ongoing Israeli siege of northern Gaza.

    Also on Thursday, Palestinian paramedics said they recovered the bodies of five people killed in two separate attacks on a house and a gathering north of Gaza City.

    Palestinian sources also reported at least 17 deaths on Thursday in other places across Gaza. According to the sources, three people were killed and dozens of others wounded in an Israeli airstrike on a tent housing displaced people in the city of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza.

    Medics told Xinhua that eight people were killed and dozens of others injured in an Israeli bombing on a house belonging to the al-Helou family west of Gaza City, while the Civil Defense Authority in Gaza said Thursday in a press statement that its team recovered the bodies of six Palestinians killed in a bombing in the town of al-Fakhari, east of Khan Younis, in southern Gaza.

    Local sources and eyewitnesses told Xinhua that Israeli aircraft and artillery intensively bombed the outskirts of the Zeitoun neighborhood in southern Gaza and the Sabra neighborhood in the west, amidst gunfire from Israeli tanks.

    According to the IDF, its troops have killed militants and destroyed infrastructure in the area of Rafah in southern Gaza over the past day, dismantled a “terrorist cell” and located a large number of weapons in northern Gaza, and dismantled military infrastructure and killed militants in central Gaza, including in the outskirts of Nuseirat and Al Bureij refugee camps. The IDF did not specify the number of the casualties.

    Israel has been conducting a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip to retaliate against a Hamas rampage through the southern Israeli border on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and about 250 taken hostage.

    The Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip has risen to 42,438, Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement on Thursday.

    MIL OSI China News –

    January 24, 2025

  • MIL-OSI China: 8M in China’s big cities commute over 50 km daily: Report

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    Vehicles run on Jianguo Road during morning peak hours in Chaoyang District of Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 3, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua]
    In China’s 22 most populous cities, long-distance commuters still face challenges, with more than 8 million people commuting over 50 km each day, according to a report released Thursday.
    The finding comes from the commuting monitoring report of major cities in China, released by a research institute under the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, in collaboration with the China Academy of Urban Planning & Design.
    Covering 45 major Chinese cities with rail transit, the report shows that among the 22 cities with a population exceeding 5 million, Beijing has the highest proportion of long-distance commuters, with 12 percent traveling over 50 kilometers, followed by Guangzhou at 10 percent.
    In terms of one-way commuting time, 28 percent of commuters travel for over 60 minutes in the Chinese capital, while in Shanghai, Chongqing, Tianjin, Wuhan and Qingdao, more than 15 percent of commuters fall into this category.
    One such commuter is a 46-year-old individual surnamed Sun. Every weekday, he leaves his home in Tianjin, a 13.6-million-people municipality neighboring Beijing, around 6 a.m., drives to a parking spot near Tianjin Railway Station, then switches to high-speed rail and subway to reach his workplace in Beijing — an almost two-hour, one-way commute that he has maintained for a decade.
    “I spend about 12 hours outside each day, but there’s no other choice,” Sun said, adding that he commutes rather than renting an apartment in Beijing mainly because he wants to accompany his child who is attending a junior high school in Tianjin.
    For many long-distance commuters like Sun in the megacities, rail transit services still need improvement.
    Although the total area covered by operational rail transit in the 42 surveyed cities with subway services exceeds 10,000 kilometers, only one-fifth of commuters live and work within 800 meters of a station.
    “Every 430,000 yuan (about $60,376) invested in rail transit construction results in just one additional person gaining access to the 800-meter range,” said Fu Lingfeng, an official of the China Academy of Urban Planning & Design.
    Guo Jifu, director of the Beijing Transport Institute, explained that larger cities with a higher proportion of the tertiary industry find it increasingly challenging to balance job locations and housing.
    “While planners envision an ideal scenario, the reality is that job-residence separation remains widespread in urban areas,” Guo said.
    To improve commuting experiences, Guo proposed measures such as integrating rail transit with urban development, building efficient commuting systems, and encouraging employers to provide housing and adopt flexible work arrangements.
    According to Yang Zeng, a professor at Shanghai University, the trend of living and working across cities in China is unique and differs from Western experiences and this phenomenon reflects long-term potential.
    “Strategies like city cluster integration are improving transportation and providing young people with more flexibility, enabling them to work in different cities without having to live in the main city center,” Yang said.
    For Sun, his hours-long commute is a mix of joy and fatigue. During the journey, he takes short naps, handles work on his phone and occasionally watches short videos. “I can deal with many issues while traveling. It’s a good way to use my time. I’ve gotten used to this lifestyle,” he said. 

    MIL OSI China News –

    January 24, 2025

  • MIL-Evening Report: Do IUDs cause breast cancer? Here’s what the evidence says

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brett Montgomery, Senior Lecturer in General Practice, The University of Western Australia

    PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock

    A new study has found a link between hormonal intrauterine devices (IUDs) and breast cancer.

    The research is important, but media reports of a large increase in risk may be causing unnecessary worry.

    Let’s put the findings in perspective for people who use IUDs.

    What are IUDs?

    IUDs are commonly used contraceptive devices. They sit inside the uterus (womb) to prevent pregnancy.

    Older versions contain copper as their active ingredient. Newer “hormonal” IUDs slowly release a synthetic progesterone called levonorgestrel. This mimics the body’s natural progesterone hormone.

    Both the copper and hormonal types of IUD are highly effective at preventing pregnancy over many years. Fertility is readily restored when they’re removed.

    But the hormonal IUDs have the extra advantage of making periods lighter and less painful. Some people have one inserted for these reasons, even if they don’t need contraception.

    Many women experience pain on insertion or spotting in the first few months of use. But compared to other contraceptives, women generally find IUDs very acceptable and continue to use them.

    What did the new study find?

    The new study, by researchers from Denmark, used data from national health registries to look for links between hormonal IUD use and breast cancer.

    They tracked nearly 80,000 people who started hormonal IUDs across two decades. They compared these people to an equal number of people born at the same time who did not use hormonal IUDs.

    On their raw numbers, you might think hormonal IUDs prevented breast cancer, because there were 720 cases of breast cancer in the hormonal IUD group, and nearly 900 in the other group. But that’s not the full story.

    Ideally, when researchers study the effects of medicines, they do a “randomised controlled trial”, where researchers use chance to decide whether people get one treatment or another. This ensures the two groups are very similar apart from the treatment being studied. That’s not what happened here.



    Read more:
    Randomised control trials: what makes them the gold standard in medical research?

    Instead, they simply studied people who had decided to have a hormonal IUD, and compared them to people who didn’t. This means the groups were different in many other ways.

    So, the hormonal IUD group and the other group might appear to have a different risk of breast cancer – not because of the IUDs, but because of their other differences. For example, more highly educated women might be more likely to choose IUDs, and also more likely to attend breast cancer screening, where their breast cancer would be discovered.

    The researchers “adjusted” their results to account for many differences between the two groups (including education, age, number of children, and some other medicines and medical conditions). After this “adjustment”, the numbers pointed in a different direction: towards a higher risk of breast cancer among people who used a hormonal IUD.

    However, there are many other important risk factors for breast cancer the authors seem not to have adjusted for, such as body weight, alcohol use, smoking and physical activity. If there were differences between the two groups in these things, then the study’s results may still be biased. This makes me quite uncertain about the results.

    Ultimately, we can’t say the IUDs caused the breast cancer – just that there’s an “association” or “link”.



    Read more:
    Clearing up confusion between correlation and causation

    How big are the risks?

    There are two different ways researchers express risk: “relative” and “absolute” risks. Here, the “relative” risk increase was about 30% for women using the IUDs for up to five years, 40% after 5–10 years, and 80% after 10–15 years of use.

    These sound like massive risks. But though these statistics compare the risk of breast cancer in IUD users to the risk in non-users, they do not tell us the proportion of women who will get breast cancer. For that, we need to look at “absolute” risk increases.

    These are much smaller. For every 10,000 women, this study suggests we might see an extra 14 cases of breast cancer after up to five years of use, 29 cases after 5–10 years use, and 71 cases after 10–15 years use. In “absolute” terms – as a proportion of all the IUD users – all of these risk increases are comfortably under 1%.

    Absolute risk increases are much smaller.
    Frame Stock Footage/Shtterstock

    Reporting the dramatic relative risks, and not the much smaller absolute risks, is a common flaw in stories about health risk, and goes against science reporting recommendations.

    What does other research say?

    There are other studies on this topic, including a much larger recent study from Sweden based on data from more than half a million users of hormonal IUDs.

    This suggested only a 13% relative risk increase in breast cancer – much smaller than the risk increases in the Danish study. This would mean an additional 1.46 cases of breast cancer for every 10,000 women per year.

    This is in keeping with a recent large review of studies on this topic, which also found a much smaller risk than the new Danish paper.

    The Swedish study also looked at other cancers. The results suggested a decreased risk of cancers of the cervix, ovaries and endometrium (womb lining). This mixed picture of some cancer risk and some cancer protection is also seen for traditional contraceptive pills.

    And of course, all contraception protects women from the risks of pregnancy.

    What does it mean for me?

    The link between hormonal IUDs and breast cancer is probably very small, and might be a statistical illusion rather than a real thing.

    Even if it’s a real risk, it may be offset by protection against other cancers.

    And it may be dwarfed by other risks for breast cancer, such as high body weight, physical inactivity, alcohol use, and smoking. Online resources can help you visualise these risks.

    Hormonal IUDs aren’t the right contraceptive choice for every woman. However, they deserve to stay high up on the menu of options.

    Brett Montgomery is a GP who works academically and clinically. In his clinical work he sometimes discusses contraception with patients, including IUDs, but he does not insert IUDs himself. He has no commercial relationship with any IUD manufacturer.

    – ref. Do IUDs cause breast cancer? Here’s what the evidence says – https://theconversation.com/do-iuds-cause-breast-cancer-heres-what-the-evidence-says-241663

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

    January 24, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Lufthansa Group appoints Brendan Shashoua as Lufthansa Group’s Senior Director Sales – Southeast Asia and the Pacific

    Source: Lufthansa Group

    Brendan Shashoua has been appointed Lufthansa Group’s Senior Director Sales – Southeast Asia and the Pacific. Based in Singapore, he leads Lufthansa Group’s sales force across Southeast Asia and the Pacific region. 

    Born and raised in Switzerland, Brendan Shashoua began his Lufthansa Group career in revenue management at SWISS in 2011. After 2.5 years, he progressed into sales as a Global Key Account Manager with responsibilities for the management of some of Lufthansa Group’s largest corporate customers. In 2018, he began his first team lead position in Sales Services and Groups in Switzerland where he was responsible for development of the inaugural Lufthansa Group Global Sales Services Competence Center. 

    In July 2021, he assumed the role of Director of Regional Sales Canada with responsibility for the entire Canadian market, including Lufthansa Group’s successful Joint Venture with United Airlines and Air Canada. Brendan Shashoua is a dual citizen of both Switzerland and the United Kingdom and holds an Executive MBA from Zurich University. He is happily married with one son. 

    About Lufthansa Group

    The Lufthansa Group is an aviation group with operations worldwide. With 100,000+ employees, Lufthansa Group generated revenue of €35.4bn in the financial year 2023. Our largest business segment is Passenger Airlines while other key business segments include Logistics and Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO). Other companies and Group functions such as IT companies and Lufthansa Aviation Training form complimentary components of the Group. All airlines and business segments play leading roles in their respective markets.

     

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

    January 24, 2025

  • MIL-Evening Report: A giant biotechnology company might be about to go bust. What will happen to the millions of people’s DNA it holds?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Megan Prictor, Senior Lecturer in Law, The University of Melbourne

    isak55/Shutterstock

    Since it was founded nearly two decades ago, 23andMe has grown into one of the largest biotechnology companies in the world. Millions of people have used its simple genetic testing service, which involves ordering a saliva test, spitting into a tube, and sending it back to the company for a detailed DNA analysis.

    But now the company is on the brink of bankruptcy. This has raised concerns about what will happen to the troves of genetic data it has in its possession.

    The company’s chief executive, Anne Wojcicki, has said she is committed to customer privacy and will “maintain our current privacy policy”.

    But what can customers of 23andMe themselves do to make sure their highly personal genetic data is protected? And should we be concerned about other companies that also collect our DNA?

    What is 23andMe?

    23andMe is one of the largest companies in the crowded marketplace for direct-to-consumer genetic testing. It was founded in 2006 in California, launching its spit test and Personal Genome Service the following year, at an initial cost of US$999. This test won Time magazine’s Invention of the Year in 2008.

    Customers eagerly took up the opportunity to order a saliva collection kit online, spit in the tube and mail it back. In a few weeks when the results were ready they could find out about their health, ancestry, and other things like food preferences, fear of public speaking and cheek dimples.

    The price of testing kits dropped rapidly (it’s now US$79). The company expanded globally and by 2015 had 1 million customers. The firm went public in 2021 and initially the stock price soared. As of 2024, the company claims 14 million people have taken a 23andMe DNA test.

    23andMe is one of the world’s largest biotechnology companies.
    T. Schneider/Shutterstock

    23andMe rode the wave of popular excitement and investor interest in genetics. It wasn’t alone. By 2022 the direct-to-consumer genetic testing market was valued at US$3 billion. The three largest players – 23andMe, AncestryDNA and MyHeritage – together hold the genetic data of almost 50 million people globally.

    There are dozens of smaller players too, with some focusing on emerging markets such as MapMyGenome in India and 23mofang and WeGene in China.

    What happened to 23andMe?

    23andMe has had a rapid downfall after the 2021 high of its public listing.

    Its value has dropped more than 97%. In 2023 it suffered a major data breach affecting almost seven million users, and settled a class action lawsuit for US$30 million.

    Last month its seven independent directors resigned amid news the original founder is planning to take the company private once more. The company has never made a profit and is reportedly on the verge of bankruptcy.

    What this might mean for its vast stores of genetic data is unclear.

    When people sign up for a 23andMe test the company assures them: “your privacy comes first”. It promises it will never share people’s DNA data with employers, insurance companies or public databases without consent. It puts choice in the hands of consumers about whether their spit sample is kept by the company, and whether their de-identified genetic and other data is used in research. Four in five people who bought a 23andMe test have agreed to their data being used in research.

    However, if you dig a bit deeper, it’s clear that 23andMe uses people’s data in many different ways, such as sharing it with service providers. Perhaps most importantly, if the company goes bankrupt or is sold, people’s information might be “accessed, sold or transferred” as well.

    In a statement to The Conversation, a 23andMe spokesperson said Wojcicki is “not open to considering third-party takeover proposals”, and that in the event of any future ownership change, the company’s existing data privacy agreements with customers “would remain in place unless and until customers are presented with, and agree to, new terms and statements – and only after receiving appropriate notice of any new terms, under applicable data protection laws”.

    Tips for people to protect their genetic data

    With 23andMe in the spotlight, people might want to take steps to protect their genetic data (although experts say there’s not really any more risk now than there has always been).

    The simplest thing is to delete your account, which opts you out of any future research and discards your saliva sample. But if your data has already been de-identified and used in research, it can’t be retrieved. And even if you delete your account, 23andMe says it will keep hold of information including your genetic data, date of birth and sex, to comply with its own legal obligations.

    Buying a DNA test online might feel fun and rewarding and it’s certainly been marketed that way. There are plenty of good news stories about how getting those test results has helped people to connect with lost family or understand more about their health risks. People just need to buy tests with their eyes open about what this might mean.

    First, the results might not be all positive. Finding out about health risks without guidance from a health professional can be scary. Learning that the person you thought was your mum or dad actually isn’t, is an outcome for as many as 1 in 20 people who’ve bought a DNA test online.

    Second, every company selling DNA tests does so with lots of legal conditions attached. People click through these without a second thought but researchers have shown it is worth taking a closer look. Consider what the company says about what it will do with your data and your sample, how long they will keep it, who else can access it, and how easy it will be to delete later.

    There are guidelines from organisations like Australian Genomics that can help. And bear in mind that if a company holding your DNA profile is sold, it might be hard to make sure that data is protected.

    So maybe reconsider giving a DNA test as a Christmas gift.

    Megan Prictor is a member of the International Association of Privacy Professionals and the Australasian Association of Bioethics and Health Law.

    – ref. A giant biotechnology company might be about to go bust. What will happen to the millions of people’s DNA it holds? – https://theconversation.com/a-giant-biotechnology-company-might-be-about-to-go-bust-what-will-happen-to-the-millions-of-peoples-dna-it-holds-241557

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

    January 24, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Minister Shorten interview on 2ST Mornings with Graeme Day

    Source: Ministers for Social Services

    18 October 2024

    Program:

    2ST Mornings

    Interviewer:

    Graeme Day

    E&OE TRANSCRIPT

    SUBJECTS: Northcott Dapto Disability Hub; NDIS reform

    GRAEME DAY, HOST: It’s coming up to a quarter to 10 and on the line is the Minister for the NDIS and Government Services. It’s a very good morning to Bill Shorten, hello.

    BILL SHORTEN, MINISTER FOR THE NDIS AND GOVERNMENT SERVICES: G’day, Graham. How are you today?

    DAY: Not too bad, not too bad. A busy day for you. You’re on the south coast?

    SHORTEN: Yeah, it’s fantastic. I was invited to be the special guest at a really moving event last night in Wollongong. The CEO of Greenacres, which is a marvellous disability service, 71 years old. CEO Chris Christodoulou after the last 11 years is finishing up and he’s done a great job there, but it was really moving. A lot of the participants were there, their families, a lot of the good and the great of Wollongong, Ryan Park, Paul Scully, Alison Byrne and Stephen Jones. But most importantly, Chris and his family and the guy has made a difference. And today I’m going to the new Northcott Disability Hub in Dapto, which is going to be great for people with disability in the local region

    DAY: It must be good to see government money going into these facilities and make it easier for people?

    SHORTEN: Yeah, I’m a believer. I believe that one of the best things the Government can do with very important taxes people pay is make sure that people with profound and severe disability get a better chance. And, you know, really, I know Aussies don’t like paying tax, well most don’t, but when it comes to things like Medicare and making sure that the profoundly and severely impaired have a chance for a more fulfilling life, you know, I think that’s – it’s great. And so I’m very motivated to make sure that the money gets through to the people for whom the Scheme, the NDIS was designed.

    DAY: Now, the NDIS, it certainly had its problems. When you took over as the Minister, did you realise the enormity of what had to be fixed? How far it was off the rails?

    SHORTEN: I don’t – no, I mean, the short answer is no – I don’t know if you’ve ever ordered anything on eBay and the photos look good, but when you get it, you go, hmm, that’s not what I ordered? No, the truth is a bit better than that. The reality is the NDIS is helping hundreds of thousands of people. There’s now 660,000 people receiving personal budgets and support. There’s over 400,000 people work in the sector. When I sort of campaigned for the idea, like in 2008, 9, 10, if you’d said that we’d have a Scheme helping this many people, I’d have said, you know, what’s that line out of The Castle when they talk about the price of jousting sticks? I’d say tell them they’re dreaming. But the reality is it is doing good. When Labor lost in 2013, there were four trial sites. So, you know, credit to the Libs, they’ve got it up to scale, but their eye was not on the ball when it came to the back office functions, you know, the scrutiny of their payments, looking for quality. I mean, a lot of service providers do a great job, but there are some people who are attracted like flies to the barbecue, seeing government money just lining their own pockets. And I’ve been all about getting rid of the, you know, the snake oil salesmen and the crooks out of the Scheme.

    DAY: And you’ve been fairly successful with that too, because when it first started, it seemed like there was an NDIS provider on every corner. But that has reduced somewhat because of the scrutiny that basically the Labor Government’s put on it.

    SHORTEN: Yeah, listen, this is a growth industry. You know, I used to be a union rep with the AWU and look after the steel industry. Steel is a big industry in the Illawarra, Port Kembla. There’s about 20,000 people working still, but in the last 15 years, this NDIS sector has gone from none to – it’ll be half a million people working in the next few years, which is good. The need was always there. So, it’s a growth industry, but what we’ve got to do is make sure it’s growing along set lines, that it’s not the Wild West, that people are not selling snake oil and shonky therapies or just manipulating, treating participants and their carers and their families as human ATMs.

    DAY: Can I ask you a question on behalf of the public? I think where the problem lies with the interaction of the public with government – people often say to me, with all the technology we have, for all the people that we have that are skilled, why is it with the NDIS, with Centrelink and what have you, why does it take so bloody long? It seems that there’s so much waiting time there with people that need help?

    SHORTEN: I have an answer. The reality is that you can’t run human services without humans. And my predecessors had bought the digital revolution and they’re right, it’s much quicker to do things online. But not everyone wants to go online. We get 10 million people a year coming into Centrelink or Service Australia offices. The problem is the staff have been cut to the bone. Ten years ago there was about 37,000 people working. The deal was apparently that we buy all this fancy technology and we wouldn’t need people. What we got instead was Robodebt. What we’ve got – we got down to about 27,000 staff and that’s a disaster. So, now we’re up above 30,000. Call waiting times for both Medicare and social welfare payments have now fallen and in other words, it’s getting less time before you get answered. Would you believe I’ve just introduced a queuing system in Service Australia office where you ring ahead and you can make an appointment. I know that is not rocket science, but you know, this is a major development and with the NDIA, when people knew that we were reforming, we did get a sort of tsunami of extra claims in the last six months. People trying to proverbially, some people, getting in for last drinks before we turned the tap off of some of the scams. But that’s now coming back to more manageable level. I’m sorry people have had bad experiences waiting. I know it is happening, but all I can tell you is that the KPI or the sort of key performance indicator I asked from my senior public servants is tell me waiting times every week on the phone. I just want to know are we getting it done more quickly and are we processing payments more quickly? Now I know for someone who’s still waiting to get their old Age Pension sorted or their DSP, they might say, well, it doesn’t matter what Bill says, I’m still waiting. The fact is, on a lot of indicators, like it’s just evidence, so I’m confident to say it. We have – it is getting better, you know, the number of complaints that we get have been cut in half in terms of Centrelink. The other good thing is in the NDIS, the number of complaints we’re investigating nearly doubled because we’re putting more resources into investigating the rorts.

    DAY: You certainly have done a great job. One thing just before you go, because I know you’ve got to go shortly, you’ve decided in the not too distant future to call it a day on your political career? You’ve certainly been high profile. You’ve seen the ups and you’ve seen the downs. When it comes to public life, what, what is the moment where you go, look, I’m going to step down and spend more time for me or my family because we often see it in public life and it comes out of the blue? Was it a long process of you thinking it through or was it just one day walking up the stairs going, you know what, I think I might like to do something else?

    SHORTEN: Sort of a mix. I mean, first of all, I should say that for all the crap days – and sometimes you have them – I wouldn’t give up a single day in the last 17 years. Probably the only day I’d give up is the day my mum passed. And other than that, you know, I’m – what’s that Frank Sinatra line? Regrets, I’ve got a few, but then again, too few to mention. I – no one in my family’s ever been a politician, like my family – you know, my grandma was an air raid warden in Britain, and she lived in the northeast in public housing. My mum was the first in the family to ever go to university. No one – I pinch myself, it’s a privilege to serve. When I occasionally hear about pollies lining in their own pockets, it drives me nuts because that’s not what most of them do. I just think it’s a privilege to serve. The hard thing is, when do you call it quits? When do you say, I’ll do something else? Because I’m not retiring. I’m moving into another aspect of public life, helping adults, young people and adults do lifelong learning and universities, and how do we foster a spirit of critical thinking and enquiry in a generation? So, I’m going to a busy job, but it’ll be less partisan, which is fine. I’m happy not to have to trade sledges every day. I mean, at a certain point you get sick of playing in the cricket team of sledging, which is parliament. I’ve mixed feelings. I love my portfolio. Not everyone in my portfolios loves me, but I love them, well nearly everyone. I love my electorate. I live in the northwestern suburbs of Melbourne. I’ve lived there for 35 years, like, I love it. Do you leave when you’re going well, or do you leave when you’re carried out? I had a choice to be a lifer and there’s nothing wrong with that. I never wanted to be, with respect, a corporate door opener. That’s what some politicians do. There’s this myth that we all get pensions. We don’t. We’re very well remunerated, but I’ve always known the day after politics I’ll have to find a job. So, I applied for the this job to run the university under my own steam. It wasn’t a government appointment, so I’ve got mixed feelings. I love what I do and I’m really going to love helping the University of Canberra, but also higher education and TAFE. You know, I’m interested in – we can’t stop learning and I think Australia does best when we’re giving people the skills to equip – the future is changing so quickly. How do we help people? So, I’m going into a new facet of helping people, but I love what I do currently. I mean, when does a good athlete – not that I’m an athlete, but when does a good athlete stop playing footy? When does, you know, when do any of us, you know, you’re a good journalist, when do you decide you want to do something else? It’s not – I would give no advice to anyone else except always pick a job that you love doing.

    DAY: Absolutely. Mate, thanks so much. Thanks for the job that you have done and say g’day to Stephen Jones for us as you do the opening today at Northcott.

    SHORTEN: Sorry, mate, we broke up then.

    DAY: I was just saying thanks for the job that you have done and say g’day to Steve Jones for us when you – both of you are there for the opening of Northcott at Dapto today.

    SHORTEN: Yeah, well, that was – I’m going to look forward to Northcott today, but that was [inaudible]

    DAY: Okay, mate. Okay, we’ll talk soon.

    SHORTEN: All right, good on you. Thank you.

    DAY: Okay, great to talk to you. Thanks so much. Bye.

    SHORTEN: Bye.

    MIL OSI News –

    January 24, 2025

  • MIL-Evening Report: When does the love of the game outweigh the cost? ABC’s Plum brings rugby league’s concussion crisis to the fore

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle O’Shea, Senior Lecturer, School of Business, Western Sydney University

    ABC

    Brendan Cowell’s 2021 novel Plum has expertly wed two seemingly unnatural partners: rugby league and poetry. Cowell’s story is both an ode of love to rugby league, and a powerful exploration of the catastrophic effects of sport-induced brain injury.

    This story has now been brought to life in an ABC drama of the same name. It brilliantly reflects the experience of many players who are left to suffer – often in silence – with the long-term costs of the game.

    A theatre of damage revealed

    Our introduction to the main character, Peter “The Plum” Lum (played by Cowell), is jarring. Plum’s body lies motionless in a darkened changing room, enveloped by the distant sounds of a roaring stadium full of fans, a sharp referee’s whistle and the commentator’s pitched voice: “this poor bloke, he has had his head absolutely battered”.

    We watch the doctor’s light worryingly cast to and fro across Plum’s dazed gaze, while his heavily pregnant wife’s concerned face looms large. Much larger, however, is the coach’s demand: “get the salts doc” – and his insistence that “the only way he (Plum) isn’t going back out there (on the field) is if he is fucking dead”.

    And so the act proceeds, with Plum, like many athletes before and after him, returning heroically to the field. Though his team is victorious – another trophy retained – we’re forced to consider the unspoken costs of his love for the game.

    These costs are amplified once the adoration from Plum’s fans and teammates, and his mantle as Cronulla’s king, are no more. We come to know a shell of a man who is desperate to deny, despite the advice of his doctor, the cognitive and other effects of the “little jolts” and “hard head knocks” experienced throughout his career.

    The intensity with which Plum keeps his health condition a secret, and the ongoing abuse he levels on his body, provide a window into the lived experiences of many rugby league players. While this game gives, it also takes more than its fair share.

    Asher Keddie stars as Plum’s former wife, Renee.
    ABC

    Masculinity and collision sports

    The series highlights the emerging scientific link between collision sports such as rugby league and degenerative brain conditions including CTE-induced dementia – as well as attempts to discredit this science and silence the voices of athletes and families seeking redress from league administrators.

    Contact and collision sports have often required athletes to sacrifice their brains and bodies in the pursuit of glory and success.

    While a diagnosis of the degenerative brain disease Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) can only be made posthumously, Plum displays many of the hallmark symptoms: impaired judgement, impulse control issues, aggression, depression and anxiety.

    Viewers are taken into the deep fog of this existence. As a 1990s playmaker, Plum had fame but not fortune. Nearing 50, working at an airport, we see a traumatic near-miss as he experiences an epileptic seizure.

    His forgetfulness leaves him unable to remember his favourite player’s name at a Cronulla Sharks corporate event. He suffers confusion and anxiety. Aggressive acts, including punching holes in bedroom walls, become his daily pain and shame.

    Plum’s absent father’s advice to “never take a backwards step” also echoes throughout the series, reflecting the deeply embedded view of rugby league as a hard sport played by equally hard men.

    This hard man veneer is grounded in stoicism – and for Plum and his former teammates, in unhealthy addictions to gambling, drugs and grog. Plum repels his family and friends, making his world intentionally small for fear he might forget something or someone. The series brings to the fore the raw and visceral effects of hypermasculinity and not speaking out.

    Cowell himself hails from the Sydney suburb of Cronulla, where the show is set.
    ABC

    Rugby league and poetry

    The series also features poetry and the presence of past literary figures (conjured in Plum’s mind) such as Charles Bukowski and Sylvia Plath. As viewers, we see Plum’s internal dialogues with these apparitions, but his family and friends can’t.

    Plum also joins a local poetry group, where his decaying brain finds purpose and connection. This unlikely outlet becomes his therapy. It comforts him and provides him a space to communicate his experiences with the outside world. Through his ode to rugby league, we witness him come closer to clarity.



    Read more:
    Why a portrait of a former NRL great could spark greater concussion awareness in Australia

    All the while, Plum’s son is a talented player on the verge of a professional rugby league contract. And although Plum doesn’t regret a minute of his playing career, his prognosis leaves him urging his son away from the sport’s theatre of damage. This is a decision echoed by many parents in real life.

    The future of collision sports

    Reflecting on the potential impact of his book and the ABC series, Cowell imagines a space where the competitive commercial rivalries between football codes such as AFL, rugby union and soccer are suspended.

    Instead of competing for a greater share of the market via trivial one-upmanship, sport leagues could pool their resources to invest in science that helps us understand and prevent sport-induced brain trauma.

    Considering how many rugby players conceal and/or fail to report concussive episodes, we’ll need a major cultural shakeup at all levels of the game – because a love for the game should never come at the expense of oneself.

    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. When does the love of the game outweigh the cost? ABC’s Plum brings rugby league’s concussion crisis to the fore – https://theconversation.com/when-does-the-love-of-the-game-outweigh-the-cost-abcs-plum-brings-rugby-leagues-concussion-crisis-to-the-fore-240550

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

    January 24, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man Involved in Shooting During Tennessee State University Homecoming Charged with Federal Firearm Violation

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    NASHVILLE – A criminal complaint obtained today charges Marquez Davis, 24 of Nashville, with being a previously convicted felon in possession of a firearm, announced Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee Thomas J. Jaworski.

    According to the complaint, officers of the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (“MNPD”) were searching for Davis on October 14, 2024, to arrest him on state charges related to the deadly shooting on Jefferson Street during Tennessee State University’s Homecoming celebration on October 12th. MNPD officers located Davis in a house in North Nashville and prepared to arrest him on outstanding warrants. Footage from law enforcement’s aerial surveillance showed an individual, later identified as Davis, exit the residence’s rooftop, climb to an adjacent rooftop, and discard a firearm. Davis was then arrested by MNPD on criminal homicide charges related to the October 12th shooting on Jefferson Street.  Officers recovered a Franklin Armory Inc, Model FAI-15 caliber multi-pistol near where Davis discarded it from the rooftop. According to the criminal complaint, Davis has prior felony convictions for robbery, possession of a controlled substance for resale, and being a felon in possession of a handgun.

    “Everyone in our community must be able to gather and celebrate together without fearing random gun violence,” said Acting United States Attorney Thomas J. Jaworski. “Our office will do whatever it takes to keep firearms out of the hands of felons who may use those firearms to inflict greater damage on our citizens.” Jaworski added: “Our firm commitment is in our continued partnership with Chief Drake and the MNPD to hold offenders accountable, reduce gun violence, and ensure safer communities for everyone.”

    If convicted, the defendant faces up to 15 years in prison.

    This case is being investigated by the MNPD and the ATF. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ahmed A. Safeeullah is prosecuting the case.  

    A federal complaint is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

    # # # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

    January 24, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Australia: UTAS Inveresk precinct complete with the opening of The Shed

    Source: Australian Ministers for Education

    The University of Tasmania (UTAS) today celebrated the opening of its latest facilities, penning a new chapter in the life of one of Australia’s oldest universities – supported by funding from all three levels of government.

    The Shed, the last of three new buildings at UTAS’s redeveloped Inveresk campus at Launceston, is set to receive students from semester one next year.

    Centrally located opposite City Park, The Shed is the largest of UTAS’s three new facilities, and includes a variety of specialised allied health clinics, science labs and nursing simulation facilities.

    The facility will host community health education programs, professional development workshops, sports science testing and wellbeing initiatives, as well as a range of community activities and events.

    The $97 million project was delivered as part of the $304 million relocation and redevelopment of UTAS’s main Launceston campus from Newnham to Inveresk – which is expected to increase student numbers to 10,000 by 2032.

    This transformation was jointly funded, with $130 million from the Australian Government, $108.6 million from UTAS, $60 million from the Tasmanian Government and $5.4 million from the City of Launceston – as part of the $609.4 million Launceston City Deal.

    Quotes attributable to Federal Minister for Education, Jason Clare MP:

    “Congratulations to the Vice-Chancellor, staff and students on the opening of The Shed right here in the heart of Launceston.

    “This new building will help train more nurses and health workers and support more people in Northern Tasmania to get a crack at going to uni.”

    Quotes attributable to Federal Minister for Regional Development and Local Government, Kristy McBain MP:

    “As someone that had to leave home to attend university, I know how important it is to have education opportunities locally, especially in our regions – because postcodes shouldn’t be a barrier for your future.

    “Having toured this campus last year, I know its central location and high-quality facilities will boost attendance numbers – with 2,400 students already moving to the Inveresk precinct, and around 4,000 students expected from early next year.”

    Quotes attributable to Tasmanian Minister for Education, Jo Palmer:

    “The Shed is an important piece of infrastructure, but it’s what will occur within its walls and upon this new campus that is most important.

    “This project provides exciting opportunities for our young people embarking on their journey of lifelong learning and also for the wider community.

    “Being able to stay in Tasmania and study new courses such as speech pathology, physiotherapy and occupational therapy is so important for our young people.”

    Quotes attributable to Tasmanian Minister for Business, Industry and Resources, Eric Abetz MP:

    “The completion of The Shed is a significant milestone in the Northern Transformation Project. This state-of-the-art facility is a testament to what can be achieved when all levels of government, the University of Tasmania, and the local community work in unison for a common goal.

    “This transformation project is not just about new buildings, it’s about creating an environment that fosters innovation, learning, and growth, with benefits extending well beyond the university’s walls and into the community.

    “It is exciting to see the tangible outcomes of this investment driving significant economic activity across the region—creating jobs, supporting local industries, and delivering long-term benefits to the Tasmanian economy.”

    Quotes attributable to Federal Labor Senator for Tasmania, Helen Polley:

    “We continue to deliver the projects that people in Launceston and across Northern Tasmania deserve – with this transformative campus to ensure people can study in-demand qualifications at home.

    “With the expected influx of new students into Launceston in the coming years, our investment in the University’s presence at Inveresk will support new jobs and stimulate our local economy long into the future.”

    Quotes attributable to City of Launceston Mayor Matthew Garwood:

    “The completion of UTAS’s campus is an amazing milestone for the city and region.

    “Launceston’s CBD has been transformed by the relocation of UTAS’s campus to Inveresk into a vibrant and dynamic precinct.

    “We have seen how the relocation has given confidence to nearby investments in the city, including our own redevelopment of the iconic Albert Hall.

    “Inveresk has now become a really colourful and contemporary part of Launceston, with its links to QVMAG, UTAS Stadium and our CBD.”
     

    MIL OSI News –

    January 24, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Interview with 4CA AM Murray Jones

    Source: Australian Ministers for Education

    MURRAY JONES [HOST]: Well, having lived in the regions for quite a few years, thankfully I had the opportunity to go to university, studied law actually, many, many years ago. But I remember hearing a statistic in recent times; of the people you may walk past, if you’re walking down Circular Quay in Sydney, one in two of the people that you pass, at least one in two, have a university degree or at least some form of tertiary education. You go further out, further out to the regions, the numbers get down to just one in five with a university degree or some form of tertiary education. It may even be even lower in some areas. So, particularly in the regional areas, getting further education facilities and opportunities, life changing for Australians. My special guest this morning, Assistant Minister for Education, also Assistant Minister for Regional Development, Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. He’s got quite the portfolio. Senator Anthony Chisholm joins me from Innisfail. Good morning, Anthony. How are you today?

    ANTHONY CHISHOLM [ASSISTANT MINISTER]: Good, Murray, good to be with you again. And, yeah, a really telling introduction there as well about the challenges that many people in regional Australia face.

    JONES: Yes, certainly when it comes to education. Look, you know, when we talk about, you know, obviously with the Queensland election, a lot of issues of crime, a lot of issues with respect to dysfunction that have come up, the better education, the better you are involved in society and doing things regardless of your age, you’re more likely to be staying off the street, not committing crime, and of course, negotiating this world when it comes to misinformation, disinformation, you know, a good education makes such a difference. So, the reason why you’re here and the reason why we’re talking to you, pretty exciting stuff, actually. Cassowary Coast Innisfail, the Cassowary Coast University Centre, has just been opened. The Innisfail facility, part of twelve new regional university study hubs that have been rolled out, Anthony.

    CHISHOLM: Yeah, really exciting and real pleasure for me to be here today to help open the hub. It’s already got 30 students who are studying here and for me that’s 30 people who might not have taken on a higher education degree if they didn’t have access to the support that these regional university study hubs provide. So, full credit to the Cassowary Coast Council for having the vision. They’ve got a partner in Vocational Partnerships Group who are working with them to make this hub a reality and I’m expecting that it will achieve outstanding results. And those young people growing up in Innisfail who aspire to a higher education degree, what this hub means is that they don’t have to leave town to achieve it. They can stay in their local community, they can have their support network around them of family and friends. And the exciting thing is that the next nurse or teacher that we desperately need in this part of the world can stay and study locally, which is fantastic.

    JONES: Now, it’s not a satellite university as such, I believe it’s not necessarily aligned with any particular university, but at the same time, it’s kind of aligned with all of them I understand.

    CHISHOLM: Yeah, that’s correct. So, this is led by council and obviously they’ve got the partnership with the Vocational Partnerships Group as well. But the beauty of these hubs is they’ve been established around the country and there’s more than 40 operating around regional Australia at the moment, is you can walk into them, you can meet students and they’ll be studying at universities all across the country. And what they get from the hub is that support, that mentoring, that help in navigating, and a high percentage of these people studying are first in family. As you know, Murray, universities can quite often be daunting places when you first turn up or you first engage.

    JONES: Sure.

    CHISHOLM: So, having those people there to support, provide that network to ensure they can navigate and achieve their best results is really important. And that’s what these regional university study hubs are providing around the country. And it’s exciting that that’ll now be an opportunity for students from around the Innisfail area.

    JONES: And look, I understand the statistics, more than 20 per cent of the Innisfail population identifying as First Nations people. So, I guess a great opportunity also for First Nations people to get involved in this particular hub.

    CHISHOLM: That’s right. And one of the things that these hubs have been really successful at is getting out and attending the local high schools and talking to those younger students to give them that hope and ambition that they can actually study at university. It doesn’t mean you’ve got to move away from home. And I think it just opens those eyes and gives people a real incentive to know that they can do – they can study, they can achieve, but they can do it locally. And that, I think particularly with the cost of living at the moment and the challenge that it would be for someone moving away from home, I think having that opportunity to do that locally is tremendous.

    JONES: Yeah, it certainly is. And look, you know, we’ve heard it many times over the years, some of the biggest issues certainly for Australians when it comes to elections, the things that they consider – education opportunities and obviously health, climate change, but particularly education, so important there. And look, you know, from a personal perspective, when it comes to identifying misinformation, disinformation and having an objective view on the world, I think education is just so important. And I’m sure I’ve mentioned to you before, my other half, she’s actually a schoolteacher as well. Can we touch on something? Even though you’re the Federal Assistant Minister for Education, there’s been a lot of talk about school lunches as part of the packages that have been put forward by various political parties. So, there’s been a bit of discussion there. Just in general terms, what do you think, particularly for primary school, for schools to actually be providing school lunches for students?

    CHISHOLM: Yeah, it’s interesting, Murray, and I – as you’re aware, I’m Assistant Minister for Education, so I get to regularly engage with the schooling system around the country. My brother is actually a groundsman at a state school closer to Brisbane as well –

    JONES: Okay.

    CHISHOLM: – so I regularly get updates from him about what he’s up to. But the thing that I’ve noticed is that so many schools around the country are already doing this type of thing, whether it be breakfast programs, whether it be lunch for children. And I think it’s just reflective of the times that we’re in around people doing it tough. Parents are really busy, and there often are schools that are fitting the bridge. So, I can understand why the state thinks that this is a good program to implement across the country and make it more universal and accessible so that all schools have the opportunity to do it. But I think it would be fair to say, and I’m sure you’d get this if you talk to other primary schools, that there’s already something similar being offered across breakfast and lunch for most schools. So, extending that and operating it universally and making sure it’s accessible to everyone, I think is a good announcement by the state government.

    JONES: And, you know, I often do hear it from my partner, you know, just basic things of having food for lunch, even having food the night before, having a clean uniform, all the textbooks, all the facilities and bits and pieces. Maybe not textbook these days, but I guess having those education facilities, you know, having them sorted out for kids is just so important so they can take that step and actually be very much involved in education. So, I’m sure when it comes to those lunches, that’s something we’ll be hearing about a lot more. Great to talk to you about this particular one. It’s the Cassowary Coast University Centre in Innisfail. Nice for you to be spending some time in the region and thank you so much for your time this morning, Anthony Chisholm. Cheers.

    CHISHOLM: Thanks, Murray. Good to be with you again.

    MIL OSI News –

    January 24, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Australia: University of Tasmania ‘The Shed’ opening

    Source: Australian Ministers for Education

    I begin by acknowledging the Traditional Owners of the land on which we are meeting and pay my respects to elders past and present. 

    I also acknowledge: 

    • Tasmanian Minister for Education, Jo Palmer
    • Launceston Mayor, Councillor Matthew Garwood
    • Vice Chancellor Professor Rufus Black
    • My good friend, Senator Helen Polley

    It is wonderful to be here today to open The Shed. I’ve got to say it is the most impressive shed I’ve ever seen. 

    I was here not too long ago when it was still being built.

    It really is fantastic to see it come to life and from next year offering degrees in everything from science, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, medicine and physiotherapy. 

    When I think about the best universities in Australia, I don’t look at rankings. 

    I look at what they do.

    And when I do that, I see universities like you.

    Universities that are the real deal when it comes to fairness and opening the doors of opportunity. 

    When it comes to helping more people from poor families and the regions to get a crack.

    Things that are important to me.

    Last year, 16 per cent of university students were from disadvantaged backgrounds. 

    Here at University of Tasmania it was 25 per cent.

    That sort of university doesn’t just change the lives of the students you teach. 

    It ricochets through generations. 

    It transforms communities. 

    That’s the power of education. 

    That’s why the deal that Jo and I, and the Prime Minister and Premier Rockliff, signed a few weeks ago is so important. 

    Properly funding our schools and tying it to reforms to help young Tasmanians catch up, keep up and boosting the number of children finishing high school.

    Building that bridge to get here. 

    But it’s not just about the number of people who go to university or the number who finish school or go to early education and care.

    It’s even more basic than that. 

    It’s the number of years you are likely to live. 

    Last time I was here, Rufus and I talked exactly about that.

    In Newstead – 2.5 km down the road – the average life expectancy is 85.

    In Grindelwald – 18 km north of here – it is 74.

    11 years less. 

    The average person in Grindelwald lives 11 years less than the average person in Newstead.

    About 25 minutes apart on a good day. 

    And it’s the same if you look in the Hobart region. 

    In Bridgewater, the life expectancy is 67 and in Sandy Bay it’s 86. That’s 19 years less.

    In fact, for every kilometre you travel north away from Sandy Bay, you lose a year of life expectancy. 

    That’s what inequity really looks like in its most awful form. 

    Education can’t change everything. 

    But it is the most powerful change-maker in this country.

    It’s why the reforms I am driving in higher education are about giving more people a crack at university. 

    About breaking down the barrier that stops a lot of people from the outer suburbs and regions getting a look in. 

    It’s why places like this are so important. 

    This is more than just a building, it’s a beacon.

    It shows you know, like I do, that education is the most powerful cause for good in this country. 

    UTAS describes itself as “an agent for change”.

    That’s what education is. 

    It’s the greatest tool we have to build a country where your chances in life don’t depend on who your parents are, where you live or the colour of your skin. 

    A country that the Prime Minister describes as a place where no one is held back and no one is left behind. 

    We can be that country.

    And our education system can make it real. 

    But that means serious reform. 

    The sort we are doing now. 

    And more.

    And it will be better because of what you have built right here in Northern Tasmania. 

    It’s an honour to be here and share this moment with you today.

    MIL OSI News –

    January 24, 2025
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