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Category: Education

  • MIL-OSI Global: Moldova votes on whether to join EU as Russia intensifies vast disinformation campaign

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Stefan Wolff, Professor of International Security, University of Birmingham

    Moldova is emerging as a major strategic battleground in a fierce competition between Russia and the west. A Kremlin-backed disinformation campaign has intensified over the last few months, in the run-up to Moldova’s presidential elections.

    One of the key reasons for this is that a referendum on EU membership has been scheduled for the same day, October 20.

    The challenges for this small country, wedged between Ukraine and Romania, are complex. Russia continues to foment instability through its persistent disinformation initiatives, instigation of anti-government protests, and acts of sabotage and vandalism.

    Add to this credible allegations of vote buying, and efforts to call into question the legitimacy of a pro-European election and referendum result, and the situation in Moldova appears highly combustible.

    Moldova gained its independence in 1991 after the fall of the Soviet Union. A brief civil war between the government and separatists in the eastern Transnistria region, supported by remnants of the Soviet army stationed there, ended with the de-facto division of the country.



    Read more:
    Moldova: Russia continues its mischief-making in breakaway Transnistria

    Attempts to settle this conflict have made little progress over the past three decades. And living with an unresolved conflict within its borders has held Moldova back in its development, and contributed to economic problems.

    Voting on EU membership

    Moldova’s incumbent, staunchly pro-western president, Maia Sandu, has tied the EU referendum to her re-election campaign. The referendum could be the country’s best chance to finally break free from its Soviet past.

    If recent polls are accurate, a clear majority of the electorate is likely to vote “yes” on whether they support joining the EU, which would be the first step in a lengthy process.

    Moldova’s president speaks to the European parliament in 2022.

    For many Moldovans, EU membership is associated with better economic development in one of Europe’s poorest countries. The October 10 visit of Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, suggested that the EU could help.

    Von der Leyen did not merely offer political support for Sandu, she also brought with her a financial support package worth €1.8 billion (£1.5 billion) over the next three years to boost economic growth.

    But this vision that the EU can help Moldova’s economy is fiercely contested by Russia and its proxies in Moldova. They exploit the anxiety among a significant number of Moldovans that a vote to join the EU is one that will force the country towards higher inflation, more immigration, politicised anti-corruption measures, mandatory English-language proficiency, and the sale of Moldovan land to foreigners.


    Shutterstock

    Persistent domestic issues such as the economy have been skilfully targeted in a vast Kremlin-backed influencing campaign.

    For a long time, Moldova has suffered from a lack of social, political, institutional and territorial cohesion. The country has significant social divisions between different ethnic and linguistic groups, as well as urban-rural and rich-poor divides.

    Politically, the party system remains highly fractured and increasingly polarised, and lacking common ground over what Moldovan national identity stands for.

    Moldova’s challenges

    Moldova’s territorial disputes also remain challenging. This is most obvious in the pro-Russian Transnistria region and in Gagauzia, but also in ethnically and culturally distinct regions such as Balti and Taraclia.

    These regions will require careful management to prevent a major political and economic crisis in the aftermath of October 20 and beyond. Some of the reforms in the country as part of the integration process, such as EU regulations on competition, subsidies and market access, will have a short-term cost for Moldova. Moldovans who oppose the country’s westward orientation are likely to exploit this in anti-EU narratives.

    So far, Russian destabilisation operations don’t seem to have eroded most Moldovans’ European aspirations. But the mix of blunt disinformation and skilfully capitalising on the cost of living crisis, which has hit Moldova hard as a result of the war against Ukraine, has given Russia and its allies tools to entrench, and in some cases deepen, divisions here.

    The world is watching the US election campaign unfolding. Sign up to join us at a special Conversation event on October 17. Expert panellists will discuss with the audience the upcoming election and its possible fallout.

    Much of the pro-European campaigning has been framed as anti-Russian. But one of the cleverer moves by the pro-Russian movement is to suggest that Moldovans can be both a friend to Moscow and Brussels, and don’t have to choose.

    If a Sandu government is building a pro-European alliance, she will want to grow support from the Russian-speaking part of the population. This will be essential to both counter Russian destabilisation efforts and to build a broader coalition.

    As countries that have joined the EU – from the Baltic to the Balkans – have demonstrated over the past two decades, the EU accession process can help reshape political and economic institutions, and can ultimately help create a more optimistic vision of the future.

    Crucially, this is not something that Russia’s narrative of fear can credibly offer to the majority of Moldovans.

    Stefan Wolff is a past recipient of grant funding from the Natural Environment Research Council of the UK, the United States Institute of Peace, the Economic and Social Research Council of the UK, the British Academy, the NATO Science for Peace Programme, the EU Framework Programmes 6 and 7 and Horizon 2020, as well as the EU’s Jean Monnet Programme. He is a Trustee and Honorary Treasurer of the Political Studies Association of the UK and a Senior Research Fellow at the Foreign Policy Centre in London.

    – ref. Moldova votes on whether to join EU as Russia intensifies vast disinformation campaign – https://theconversation.com/moldova-votes-on-whether-to-join-eu-as-russia-intensifies-vast-disinformation-campaign-240657

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Songwriters have long revealed the ugly side of ‘love’ – from John Lennon to Mariah Carey

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Glenn Fosbraey, Associate Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Winchester

    For as long as pop music has existed, there have been love songs. And as long as there have been love songs, songwriters have been wrestling with what love means to them. We have been told that love is the best, that it can mend our souls, and keep us alive. But we have also been warned that love is a battlefield upon which we will be torn apart, and eventually killed.

    Sitting somewhere between these mixed messages is what I will call the “ugly love songs” category. These are songs that focus on concepts like control, jealousy and emotional blackmail, all presented (to paraphrase U2) in the name of love. It’s unlikely you’ll ever see ugly love songs popping up as a genre search option on Spotify, but here’s what you might find if it did.

    First, songs with themes of control and possession. In 2020, a group of psychology researchers used the phrase “you belong to me” in the title of a piece of research which focused on male control, dominance and manipulation of women. Yet these words have been sung in over 600 songs, by artists as diverse as Boyz II Men and Slipknot and used as a song title for the likes of Brian Adams, Steve Perry, Elvis Costello, Dean Martin, Suede and Sam Cooke.

    Similarly possessive phrases are also commonplace in lyrics such as “never gonna let you go” (Led Zeppelin, Kiss and Jay Sean) “won’t let you leave” (Nas, Trey Songz and Air Supply) and “won’t let you go” (Daniel Bedingfield, Three Dog Night and Elvis Presley).

    The phrase “you’re mine” (or variations thereof) has also been frequently used, showing up in hundreds of songs. And then there are artists that make possessions of themselves, like Little Mix and Selena Gomez singing “I’m yours” on Secret Love Song and Come and Get It respectively, and Destiny’s Child on Cater 2 U with the vomit-inducing lyrics: “What you wanna eat, boo? Let me feed you / Let me run your bathwater / Baby, I’m yours, I wanna cater to you, boy.” Shudder.

    Cater 2 U by Destiny’s Child.

    Songs about jealousy

    A complex emotion which contains varying levels of anger, sadness, irrationality, fear and resentment, jealousy has found its way into several ugly love songs over the years. The most famous example came courtesy of John Lennon with Jealous Guy (1971), which saw him rework the lyrics of White Album-era Beatles demo Child of Nature into a display of chronic insecurity.

    Lines like “I was feeling insecure / You might not love me anymore” make listeners sympathise with him. But perhaps less so “I began to lose control/ I’m sorry that I made you cry”, which show how hurtful and damaging the emotion can be to the other person in the relationship.

    No One Else by Weezer.

    Elsewhere, alt-rock band Weezer’s song No One Else is described by its songwriter Rivers Cuomo as being “about the jealous-obsessive asshole in me freaking out on my girlfriend” and contains the lyrics “I want a girl who will laugh for no one else / When I’m away, she puts her makeup on the shelf / When I’m away, she never leaves the house.”

    Then there’s The Police’s infamously creepy Every Breath You Take which sees our heartsick narrator begging for his former lover’s embrace (“I keep crying, baby, baby please”) before really overstepping the mark and, now in full-on stalker mode, informing them that he’ll be watching their every move, breath and step. And not just occasionally, either, but every single day.

    Emotional blackmail

    Emotional blackmail is the act of using a person’s feelings of kindness, sympathy, or duty in order to persuade them to do something or feel something, and it has cropped up in a number of songs over the years.

    Without You, originally by the group Badfinger, and later covered by both Harry Nilsson and Mariah Carey, suggests that “it’s only fair” to let their departing lover know what they “should know” – which is that they’ll be unable to go on living if they follow through on their desire to leave the relationship.

    If You Buy This Record Your Life Will Be Better by The Tamperer feat. Maya.

    LeAnn Rimes goes down a similar route with her 1997 hit How Do I Live?, where she tells her “baby” that they are “everything good” in her life, and that (I guess logically) their exit would leave her unable to survive.

    To end on a lighter note, a year later, with tongue firmly in cheek, The Tamperer (featuring Maya) took the manipulation angle to the extreme by singing over and over that “if you buy this record your life will be better, your life will be better, your life will be better”. Note: I didn’t buy it, so can’t comment, but maybe if I had, I’d be writing this from my private beach in the Maldives.


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    Glenn Fosbraey 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. Songwriters have long revealed the ugly side of ‘love’ – from John Lennon to Mariah Carey – https://theconversation.com/songwriters-have-long-revealed-the-ugly-side-of-love-from-john-lennon-to-mariah-carey-240501

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why might people believe in human-made hurricanes? Two conspiracy theory psychologists explain

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Iwan Dinnick, Research Fellow, Psychology, University of Nottingham

    Hurricane Milton slammed into the west coast of Florida on October 9, becoming the second powerful hurricane to hit the state in just two weeks.

    While most people turned to meteorologists for explanations, a vocal minority remained sceptical, proposing that the hurricanes were engineered, that Florida’s weather was being manipulated, or even that it was targeted at Republican voters.

    These ideas aren’t new. As psychologists, we research the roots of conspiracy theories, and have found they often emerge in the wake of natural disasters. Investigating these theories is especially crucial as extreme weather events are projected to become more severe and frequent.

    Conspiracy theories explain important events by attributing them to the secret actions of a small, powerful group. Yet, if we take a step back from this psychological definition, something striking becomes apparent.

    If conspiracy theories explain events as the actions of a small group, then conspiracy theories should only apply to events where such a group’s influence is plausible.

    For example, faking the moon landing would have required Nasa to create an elaborate set, costumes, actors, and maintain secrecy. While unlikely, it is conceivable because humans can design sets, make costumes, and act. However, climate-based conspiracy theories don’t fit this mould as easily.

    Unlike movie sets or staged events, humans don’t control the climate in the same direct way. While we can seed individual clouds to encourage rain, for instance, a whole hurricane is simply far too big and too powerful for human technology to have any impact. This makes climate conspiracy theories seem less plausible, as the climate is beyond the direct manipulation that other conspiracy theories depend on.

    Why people turn to weather conspiracies

    People have a fundamental need to feel safe and secure in their environment. If climate change is real, it poses an existential threat, leading some to reject it in favour of conspiracy theories that preserve their sense of safety.

    Additionally, individuals desire a sense of control and agency over their environment. When faced with the uncontrollable nature of climate change, people often embrace conspiracy theories to regain that sense of control. Notably, recent psychological research has shifted focus from macro-level conspiracy beliefs, like climate change, to micro-level beliefs concerning local natural disasters.

    The first psychological study of this kind looked at a major tornado outbreak in the US midwest in 2019. Researchers found that people more affected by the outbreak were more likely to believe the tornadoes were controlled by the government. Importantly, this belief was explained by the fact that those affected by the tornadoes felt like they had no control over their own life.

    Tornado aftermath in Dayton, Ohio, May 2019. Tornadoes killed 42 in the US that year.
    CiEll / shutterstock

    Building on these initial findings, another study asked participants to imagine living in a fictional country called Nebuloria. Half were told that natural disasters might occur soon, prompting them to take precautions for their safety, while the others were told that such disasters were rare and that there was no need to worry.

    Participants were then asked about various conspiracy beliefs, such as whether the contrails left by planes Nebuloria were “evidence of weather manipulation”. Results showed those in the high-risk scenario were more likely to endorse conspiracy beliefs.

    Notably, what explained this increase in conspiracy beliefs was the fact that high-risk participants felt a sense of existential threat. This suggests that when people feel vulnerable due to environmental risks, they turn to conspiracies to regain control, even if the threats are beyond their reach.

    A self-perpetuating cycle

    It might seem intuitive that if you don’t believe in something, you won’t act as though it were true. Thus, if you don’t believe that climate change is true you are not going to act as if it is. Indeed, a large and growing amount of psychological research bares this out.

    The more that people ascribe to climate-related conspiracy beliefs the less likely they are to believe in the scientific consensus of human-made climate change, the less likely they are to have any pro-environmental concern, and the less likely they are to trust in the scientists that produce the evidence.

    These beliefs do not remain abstract. The more that people believe in climate conspiracy theories, the less likely they are to take action to mitigate climate change. Research has shown that merely exposing people to climate change conspiracies is sufficient to decrease their desire to sign a petition to support pro-environmental policies.

    This has serious implications. First, if people don’t believe in climate change, they won’t take action, accelerating its progression. Second, the more that climate change accelerates, the more frequent natural disasters become. As we’ve seen, an increase in natural disasters leads to a rise in conspiracy beliefs, creating a harmful and self-perpetuating cycle.

    Research shows that natural disasters can fuel conspiratorial thinking about unrelated events, which harms democratic engagement, public health and social cohesion. In short, climate-based conspiracy theories can have wide-ranging negative effects beyond climate-related matters.

    What can be done?

    There are reasons to be hopeful that certain interventions that foster analytical thinking or a critical mindset can reduce conspiracy beliefs. For example, exposing people to scientific reasoning that challenged the assumptions behind COVID-19 conspiracies significantly reduced their belief in those conspiracy theories. Also, a better use of resources and skills to cope with natural disasters can reduce conspiracy theories.

    If we don’t act on climate change, the rise in natural disasters will likely lead to more conspiracy theories. The stakes are high, but with thoughtful interventions, we can break this harmful cycle.


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

    Get our award-winning weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 35,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

    Iwan Dinnick is employed as a Research Fellow at the University of Nottingham through a Leverhulme funded Research Project.

    Daniel Jolley has received funding from the Leverhulme Trust, the British Academy, and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

    – ref. Why might people believe in human-made hurricanes? Two conspiracy theory psychologists explain – https://theconversation.com/why-might-people-believe-in-human-made-hurricanes-two-conspiracy-theory-psychologists-explain-241098

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Universities all want higher fees and funding – but the government may prefer a more targeted approach

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Chris Millward, Professor of Practice in Education Policy, University of Birmingham

    Chay_Tee/Shutterstock

    Like most of the UK, universities were surprised by the timing of July’s general election. They had no time to influence the incoming Labour government’s policy commitments.

    Labour’s manifesto acknowledged the financial problems suffered by England’s universities, which are caused by a real-terms decline in the maximum fee they are allowed to charge UK undergraduates. But it did not explain how they would be resolved.

    However, universities have used the summer to sharpen their case. This is detailed in a new report, which is timed to influence the new government’s first budget at the end of October. It calls for a rise in tuition fees, increased research funding and grants for students from poorer backgrounds.

    Many of the report’s authors have served as senior ministers and public officials. They have direct experience of the difficult choices made in government.

    But the report has been put together by Universities UK, which represents all types of universities. So it seeks more funding for all university activities, and does not help the government make choices between potential investments. The government could, for example, increase student numbers and research funding throughout higher education or concentrate on particular subjects and places.

    This is quite different to the new government’s approach. It wants to provide confidence in university finances. Then set priorities for investment and identify how to address them.

    The higher education regulator, the Office for Students, has a new chair – senior public servant Sir David Behan – and a new remit. The regulator will switch resources previously devoted to culture wars issues, such as campus debate, towards closer engagement with universities on their financial health.

    In parallel, the government is establishing a new agency called Skills England to set priorities throughout tertiary education. This embraces learning in universities, further education colleges and private training providers, both in the classroom and the workplace. These priorities will be part of a broader industrial strategy, which will be finalised early next year.

    In its green paper on the industrial strategy, the government highlights the importance of place. By supporting the clustering of industries in specific locations, it wants not only to stimulate economic growth but also to create education and job opportunities in those places. Different regions have strengths in life sciences, advanced manufacturing, digital industries and clean energy, and different types of cultural industries.

    This strategy will require alignment of the diverse influences shaping tertiary education. That includes the choices made by students about what and where to study, employers about the use of a growth and skills levy, and local mayors who already fund adult learning and have been promised more powers. The strategy will also include visas for graduate and other migrant workers, which will become increasingly tied to the government’s priorities.

    Suggestions and requests

    Some aspects of Universities UK’s report are consistent with this approach. It advocates closer collaboration between universities, colleges and employers in local areas, and joined up funding and regulation to encourage this.

    It sets an ambition for 70% of all young people to take part in tertiary education. This contrasts with the last Labour government’s target for 50% in higher education alone.

    The report also shows how universities and government could share evidence to set joint objectives. That could enable a more common understanding of the costs and benefits of international students, and the impact of universities in their local areas.

    Crucially, the Universities UK report asks the government for more money. The most substantial changes involve raising UK undergraduate fees alongside inflation, reintroducing government maintenance grants for the poorest students, and increasing funding for research.

    This injection of funds would be accompanied by a transformation scheme to improve efficiency. But the report does not identify whether that should lead universities and subjects in some places to grow, while others reconfigure and consolidate.

    Universities have successfully argued for higher fees on three occasions during the 21st century to date. In 2004, 2010 and 2016, Labour, the coalition and then Conservative governments agreed to raise the maximum fee for UK undergraduates to £3,000, £9,000 and £9,250 respectively.

    These changes were backed by income-contingent student loans and supplemented by increasing research funding. On each occasion, governments were persuaded about the benefits of a financially sustainable, globally competitive and expanding university sector. These changes allowed all universities to increase their income and grow.

    However, there is now sharper recognition that increasing the supply of graduates and research can yield unequal opportunities and growth.

    Analysis of student migration patterns shows the inequalities arising from unfocused growth, including an increasing concentration of highly skilled jobs in particular areas, such as London.

    Labour’s manifesto stated that “the country remains too centralised, with the economic potential of too many regions and communities ignored”. So the government may prefer not to invest more in higher education unless it is focused on specific activities and places.

    Since July, universities have enjoyed a more engaged and supportive government. The minister responsible for research has announced that the war on universities is over. And his counterpart in education is welcoming international students to the UK. Any increase to fees and funding will, though, incur political and financial costs. That will require ministers to set priorities and make choices.

    Chris Millward is employed by the University of Birmingham, which is directly affected by the issues addressed in this article. He is also a Trustee of the Academy of Social Sciences and the Society for Research into Higher Education, and a member of MEDR, which is the Commission for Tertiary Education and Research in Wales.

    – ref. Universities all want higher fees and funding – but the government may prefer a more targeted approach – https://theconversation.com/universities-all-want-higher-fees-and-funding-but-the-government-may-prefer-a-more-targeted-approach-240142

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Decline of X is an opportunity to do social media differently – but combining ‘safe’ and ‘profitable’ will still be a challenge

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Andy Tattersall, Information Specialist, University of Sheffield

    BongkarnGraphic / Shutterstock

    It’s now almost two years since Elon Musk concluded his takeover of Twitter (now called X) on 27 October 2022. Since then, the platform has become an increasingly polarised and divisive space.

    Musk promised to deal with some of the issues which had already frustrated users, particularly bots, abuse and misinformation. In 2023, he said there was less misinformation on the platform because of his efforts to tackle the bots. But others disagree, claiming that misinformation is still rife there.

    A potential reaction to this may be apparent in recent data highlighted by the Financial Times, which showed the number of UK users of the platform had fallen by one-third, while US users had dropped by one-fifth. The the data used to reach these conclusions may be open to question, as it is hard to find out user numbers directly from X.

    The figures also come out against the background of a disagreement over whether X’s traffic is waning or not. But there has been a notable trend in academia for individuals and some organisations to leave for alternative platforms such as Bluesky and Threads, or to quit social media altogether.

    Elon Musk has claimed that X is hitting record highs in user-seconds, a measure of how long users are spending on the site. But advertising revenue is reported to have dropped sharply amid Musk’s controversial changes, such as his “free speech” approach on the platform. If so, it will be reflected in the platform’s financial performance which has been dire. The platform currently has no clear pathway to profitability.

    X’s loss has naturally been a gain for its competitors. Despite a rather slow start due to its “invite only” model, Bluesky recently announced that it had topped 10 million users. This is still quite small compared to X’s 550 million users and Threads’ 200 million users.

    But there are questions with all platforms over how active users are and the proportion of bots versus human users. Threads also benefits by being connected to Instagram.

    The world’s richest man can afford to let X devalue from his purchase price of US$44 billion (£33.7 billion). Likewise, Meta can probably afford to prop up Threads. But Bluesky will have to find inventive ways to remain viable as a platform. So is it the right time for users to try something completely different on social media?

    Alternatives to X have to be mindful of striking the right balance between being a viable social media platform and not developing the same issues that have turned X toxic for many users.

    Elon Musk bought Twitter in 2022.
    Frederic Legrand – Comeo / Shutterstock

    The approach taken by Bluesky and Mastodon is to engage with their community more to deal with issues such as abuse and fake information. Moderating content is tricky, as it requires a lot of resources and support for those using the platform.

    But the contrast with Elon Musk’s approach to ownership is stark.

    The problem for Bluesky, and to a lesser extent Mastodon, is that once a platform gains traction it also attracts those with bad intent. Think of it as the one nice, cool bar in town that suddenly becomes popular. Once everyone hears about the bar, the troublemakers start to arrive.

    When that happens, the good people have to find a bar elsewhere. Once an alternative platform becomes a means to reach many millions, the people that drove users away from X may head there like moths to a light.

    Alternative approaches

    One possible solution is a subscription model for social media alongside paid advertisements. For growing platforms, such as Bluesky, sponsored posts and adverts will come as the user base grows in numbers.

    But as was evident with X, that is unlikely to be enough. X’s annual revenue peaked at US$5 billion (£3.8 billion) in 2021 and has been in decline ever since. This also takes into account how the platform has culled thousands of jobs in the past two years.

    The subscription model is not new to social media. X has its own paid-for blue checkmark and LinkedIn has a premium subscription. This alone still does not guarantee a profitable or functioning social media platform.

    Having a subscription-based social media platform is not exactly equitable either, as not everyone can afford to pay. The question is how much people would be willing to pay for a social media subscription that guarantees no adverts and bots, as well as proper moderation to remove abusive and fake information accounts.

    The trade off is that free users would have to deal with the inconvenience of adverts on their timelines. There could be other models floated where non-profit and student accounts are cheaper, but this again excludes other users. It also may not sit well with shareholders focused on profitability.

    As it stands, if all 10 million Bluesky users paid £5 a month to the platform, it would generate £60 million a year. That is not even close to X’s revenue of US$300 million (£230 million) back in 2012.

    Real change

    People moving to a new social media platform will want assurances that it won’t turn into another X. Organisations and individuals with large followings may also be reluctant to invest time in new platforms when they still get something out of the old. There are big, mainstream alternatives of course: Instagram, Facebook and TikTok, but Twitter offered something different.

    Real change could happen when the organisations leaving X due to how it has been run reaches a critical mass, though what that threshold represents is open to question. Those in the world of academia are cautious and at best hedging their bets, as I have found with my own search.

    Just as X increasingly fails to deal with misinformation, it is leaning further into the same headwind as right-wing platforms such as Truth Social. The newer platforms might find themselves a safer haven for now, but that is likely to change if lessons around ownership, funding and moderation are not learned.

    Andy Tattersall 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. Decline of X is an opportunity to do social media differently – but combining ‘safe’ and ‘profitable’ will still be a challenge – https://theconversation.com/decline-of-x-is-an-opportunity-to-do-social-media-differently-but-combining-safe-and-profitable-will-still-be-a-challenge-241228

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Manitoba Government Announces Lloyd Axworthy to Lead Winnipeg Rail Relocation Study

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    October 15, 2024

    Manitoba Government Announces Lloyd Axworthy to Lead Winnipeg Rail Relocation Study

    – – –
    Study will Determine Feasibility of Relocating Rail Lines in Winnipeg: Kinew

    The Manitoba government is moving forward on its commitment to determine the feasibility of relocating Winnipeg’s rail lines by selecting Lloyd Axworthy as study lead, Premier Wab Kinew announced today. 

    “Manitoba’s rail lines are an essential part of what makes our province a central, economic hub and it’s important we explore the best options for its location,” said Kinew. “Dr. Axworthy is the best person to guide this process. With his proven leadership and commitment to our province, I know he will bring together the concerns of residents, the business community and all levels of government to bear on this important issue. We know this will be a long-term project and our government looks forward to receiving the results of this study.” 

    “It’s a propitious time to study the important relationship of the railways to our city and develop an integrated plan that can centre Winnipeg as the location of a major transportation hub,” said Axworthy. “Addressing long-standing issues regarding safety, security and the cost-effective transit across railroad properties and the relocation of certain railway lands opens significant opportunities for development of needed housing, and open space will be a key aspect of this study.”  

    Budget 2024 included a $200,000 investment for this initiative. The study, which has been called for by years by experts and community leaders, will explore relocating rail lines and yards from Winnipeg including the Canada Pacific Railway Ltd. rail yards as well as other lines, noted the premier. 

    “After years without any progress on a feasibility study, I’m excited to work collaboratively with important stakeholders,” said Infrastructure and Transportation Minister Lisa Naylor. “This study will allow us to make informed decisions about how to best move forward and I look forward to seeing this important work continue.” 

    The study is expected to take two years and include interim reports before recommendations are released in the final report, noted the premier. 

    – 30 –

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Appointment of Director General for the East Africa Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery Office Dr. Kennedy K. Mbekeani

    Source: African Development Bank Group

    The African Development Bank Group is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Kennedy K. Mbekeani as Director General for the East Africa Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery Office, effective from 16th October 2024.

    Dr. Kennedy K. Mbekeani, a citizen of Malawi brings over 25 years of senior level experience in development finance, project management, policy advisory services, and knowledge generation across country and regional levels. Prior to this appointment, he served as Deputy Director General for the Bank’s Southern Africa Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery Office.

    He holds a Bachelor of Social Science (Economics and Statistics) degree from the University of Malawi, an MPhil in Monetary Economics from the University of Glasgow, and both an MA and PhD in International Economics from the University of California. He has authored numerous publications focusing on trade, regional integration, and infrastructure development in Africa.

    In his previous role as Deputy Director General for the Southern Africa Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery Office, Dr. Mbekeani led the Bank’s business development and delivery for sovereign, non-sovereign investments and provided advisory services to South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Eswatini, Namibia and Mauritius. His efforts contributed to the Bank’s reputation as a trusted partner for high impact development projects in the region. He also managed relationships with key government and private sector, positioning the Bank for success.

    Dr. Mbekeani joined the Bank in 2009 as Chief Trade and Regional Integration Officer. He has held various senior roles including Lead Regional Economist at the South African Resource Centre, Officer in Charge and Acting Regional Director of the Bank’s South African Resource Centre in South Africa, and Officer in Charge of the Bank’s Ghana Country Office. When he served Country Manager for Uganda, he successfully expanded the Bank’s portfolio to over $2 billion.

    Before joining the Bank, Dr. Mbekeani worked for the United Nations Development Programme as a Trade, Debt and Globalisation Advisor for East and Southern Africa. He also served as Senior Research Fellow at the Botswana Institute for Development Policy Analysis, and Senior Economist at the National Institute for Economic Policy in South Africa.

    Commenting his appointment, Dr. Mbekeani said: “I am grateful and feel honoured by the confidence President Adesina placed in me through this appointment, as Director General for the East Africa Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery Office. I look forward to working with the President, the Board of Directors, Senior Management, our teams and stakeholders to enhance the Bank’s operational efficiency, effectiveness and drive impactful developmental outcomes across the region”.

    Commenting the appointment, the President of the African Development Bank Group, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina said: “I am delighted to appoint Dr. Kennedy Mbekeani as Director General for the East Africa Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery Office. Kennedy brings extensive experience in managing operations, policy dialogue, coupled with astute diplomacy and well-tested ability to work effectively with countries and development partners. He had previously worked in East Africa as the Country Manager for Uganda, before being promoted to the position of Deputy Director General of the Southern Africa Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery Office. His knowledge of the Eastern Africa region and well-proven experience in delivering robust operations for the public and private sectors will strongly benefit the work and operations of the African Development Bank Group in East Africa and all countries in the region”.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Sunderland schoolchildren give rugby a try

    Source: City of Sunderland

    Schoolchildren have been tackling some new skills as the city gets ready to host the opening match of the Women’s Rugby World Cup in August 2025.

    A total of 240 participants from 20 primary schools and 10 secondary schools across the city took part in a special rugby skills event at Silksworth Community Pool, Tennis and Wellness Centre on Tuesday 15 October.

    The children all took part in skill-based games and activities focusing on skills like agility and throwing and catching, as Active Sunderland is working to encourage more schools, clubs and communities to take up the sport ahead of the Women’s Rugby World Cup coming to the city next year.

    Sunderland City Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities, Culture and Tourism, Councillor Beth Jones, said: “I’m delighted to see so many children getting active and learning physical skills as well as valuable communication and teamwork. As the city is getting ready to host England’s Red Roses for the opening match of the Women’s Rugby World Cup at the Stadium of Light, it’s wonderful to see so many young people taking an interest in the sport.

    “I hope that more people will be inspired to give it a go as we look forward to the tournament, and there are plenty of opportunities to get involved. The city council is working alongside community rugby clubs to offer something for everyone, from girls’ rugby to walking rugby and a variety of fitness sessions, so there’s never been a better time to give rugby a try.”

    The Active Sunderland Rugby Skills Event was supported by The Newcastle Falcons, who brought touch rugby activities for the schoolchildren to try. The focus of the day was learning new skills and taking part in physical activity, but children who demonstrated skills like teamwork and leadership received awards for their efforts.

    A legacy programme taking place around the World Cup is designed to get more people playing rugby and encourage more women and girls to take up the sport. Active Sunderland is creating new opportunities for communities to take part in recreational rugby activities and recently five sets of junior rugby posts have popped up located at Commercial Road, Barnes Park, Success Road, Princess Anne Park and Shipwrights Playing Fields with exciting programmes to be announced.

    The draw for the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 will take place on Thursday, 17 October, with the match schedule set to be released on Tuesday 22 October.

    The draw will be broadcast live on BBC’s The One Show, one of the UK’s most-watched primetime programmes, airing from 19:00 (GMT +1). This marks a key milestone for the tournament, set to be the largest sporting event in England in 2025.

    To find out more or see opportunities to get into rugby, visit https://www.mysunderland.co.uk/rugby

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Veolia Orchard is branching out to new schools in St Albans District

    Source: St Albans City and District

    Publication date:

    Veolia Orchard is open for applications once again.

    This scheme invites schools to increase biodiversity and become part of Veolia’s family tree by growing their onw strawberries or nurturing their own orchard of fruit trees.

    Since 2022, Veolia Orchard has delivered 25 fruit trees and 10 strawberry plants to 6 schools across the borough. This local network is just a small part of a whole family of 1,085 trees and 780 strawberry plants steadily growing at 291 schools across the UK.

    This initiative launched in 2022, with fruit trees donated to schools in order to give young people a chance to experience the benefits of engaging with nature as well as improving local biodiversity. Building on its initial success, in 2023 the scheme expanded to include strawberry plants, ensuring that urban schools with limited outdoor green space could participate.

    Each orchard comprises either five trees or ten strawberry plants per school, an individual component of a much wider network. Schools can apply online until 8 November 2024  using the following link: https://www.veolia.co.uk/veolia-orchard

    Successful candidates will then hear back from 25 November with deliveries taking place in spring 2025. Schools can opt for an interactive planting event where Veolia’s experts guide students through their planting whilst educating them on the orchard’s long-term benefits to the community and environment.

    Pascal Hauret, Municipal Managing Director at Veolia said: 

    The Veolia Orchard scheme is about growing more than just fruit; it’s about cultivating a love of nature in our future environmental ambassadors. I am especially happy to see this initiative continue to flourish in urban schools where there are typically fewer opportunities to interact with the environment. Not only are we boosting biodiversity by introducing new fruit tree species, creating habitats for pollinators, and enhancing the genetic diversity of cities with urban farming, we’re planting the seeds for a more sustainable future.

    Chris Traill, Strategic Director for Community and Place Delivery for St Albans City and District Council,  said:

    This is a fantastic initiative by our waste and recycling contractor Veolia which we have been supporting for a few years now.

    I urge the District’s schools to apply as it is a fun way to increase awareness of environmental issues among their young pupils as well as give them the rewarding experience of planting trees, creating habitats and improving biodiversity.

    ▁▁▁

    ABOUT VEOLIA 

    Veolia’s ambition is to become the benchmark company for ecological transformation. With nearly 218,000 employees on five continents, the Group designs and deploys useful, practical solutions for managing water, waste and energy that help to radically change the world. Through its three complementary activities, Veolia contributes to developing access to resources, preserving available resources and renewing them. In 2023, the Veolia group served 113 million people with drinking water and 103 million with wastewater services, produced 42 terawatt-hours of energy and recovered 63 million metric tons of waste. Veolia Environnement (Paris Euronext: VIE) generated consolidated sales of €45.3 billion in 2023. http://www.veolia.com

    ▁▁▁

    Millie Brooke, Digital & PR Officer

    Tel. 07944 886 293

    emailmillicent.brooke@gmail.com

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Trying to lose weight? Here’s why your genetics could be just as important as your exercise regime

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Henry Chung, Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Science, University of Essex

    The more genes associated with weight loss a participant had, the more they responded to exercise. Chalermpon Poungpeth/ Shutterstock

    Weight loss is a complicated process. There are so many factors involved including your diet, how much sleep you get each night and the kind of exercise you do. Our recent study shows that your specific genetic profile may also have a dominant effect on how well you lose weight through exercise. This might explain why two people who do an identical workout will see very different results.

    We identified 14 genes that appeared to significantly contribute to how much weight a person lost through running. This suggests that some of us have a natural talent when it comes to burning fat and losing weight through exercise.

    To conduct our study, we recruited 38 men and women born in the UK aged between 20 and 40. None of the participants regularly exercised at the start of the study. The group was randomly divided, with one half following a strict eight-week endurance programme that consisted of three weekly runs of 20-30 minutes.

    The other group acted as a control. They were instructed to refrain from exercise and continue their daily routines as normal over this study period, including diet and lifestyle habits.

    All participants conducted a running test to see how far they could run in 12 minutes, and were weighed before and after the study period. This was to gauge their initial fitness level and see how much they changed over the duration of the study. Body mass index (BMI) was also calculated.

    Additionally, a saliva sample was collected from each person with a DNA test kit at the end of the study to assess their unique genetic profile.

    It’s important to note that everyone who participated in the study had a similar body weight, BMI and aerobic fitness level at the start of the study. This is beneficial for multiple reasons. It meant everyone was at the same starting point, and some confounding variables were already controlled for such as fitness level. This ultimately improves accuracy in interpreting the results.

    Exercise genes

    Everyone in the exercise group managed to lose weight – around 2kg on average. The control group, on the other hand, put on a little bit of weight.

    While a 2kg weight loss may not sound like a lot, it’s significant considering the exercise regime only lasted eight weeks and participants made no changes to their diet.

    More significant, however, was the large variation in results among those that exercised – with an up to 10kg difference in weight loss between some of the participants. In fact, everyone within the exercise group improved at different rates.

    Since we controlled for factors such as the intensity, duration and frequency of the exercises and used participants who’d had a similar body weight and fitness level at the start of the study, this suggests that some people naturally benefited more than others from endurance training.

    When we looked at the genetic profiles of our participants, we found that differences in each person’s response to the exercise was strongly associated with their specific genetics.

    We showed there was a strong linear correlation between the amount of weight participants lost and 14 genes that have previously been shown to be associated with body weight, metabolism or psychological conditions that affect BMI. The greater number of these genes a participant had, the more weight they lost. Our results also revealed that around 63% of the variance in weight lost among participants were explained by the genes identified.

    For example, research has shown the PPARGC1A gene plays a role in metabolism and the use of fats for energy while exercising. Our study found that all participants who lost more than 1.5kg from exercise had this gene. Those who lost less than this did not have this gene.

    Genes are only one part of the equation, however.
    EvMedvedeva/ Shutterstock

    Our findings align with what previous studies have shown. But while previous papers have only looked at the link between individual genes and weight loss, ours is the first to show that 14 different genes appear to work in combination to affect whether a person loses weight from endurance exercise.

    Piece of the puzzle

    Our study also suggests that while some people possess genes that make it easier for them to get fit and lose weight, people with these favourable genetics can only flourish if they actually exercise. In fact, our control group also had a number of these listed genes, but without exercise these genes could not activate, and so the participants did not lose any weight.

    While our study provides compelling findings, it’s not without limitations. Since we only looked at endurance-based exercise, it will be important for future studies to investigate whether there are similar links between weight loss, genetics and combinations of different types of training (such as a mixture of endurance and strength sessions into a training plan).

    It’s also worth mentioning that exercise is only one piece of the puzzle when it comes to weight loss. So even if you have all 14 of these genes, you won’t lose any weight or get fit if you don’t exercise and maintain a healthy diet and sleep pattern.

    On the flip side, someone that only has a few of these favourable genes can still benefit if they exercise and are mindful of other aspects of their lifestyle.

    Henry Chung receives funding from Innovate UK, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). No funding from this organisations was received for the study described in this article.

    Chris McManus receives funding from Innovate UK, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). No funding from these organisations was received for the study described in this article.

    Sally Waterworth receives funding from receives funding from Innovate UK, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). No funding from these organisations was received for the study described in this article.

    – ref. Trying to lose weight? Here’s why your genetics could be just as important as your exercise regime – https://theconversation.com/trying-to-lose-weight-heres-why-your-genetics-could-be-just-as-important-as-your-exercise-regime-240506

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI: GoldSmith Labs Unveils Shockingly Human AI Voice Agents to Revolutionize Business Sales

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CLEVELAND, Oct. 15, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — GoldSmith Labs, a fast-growing tech startup founded by Brendan Smith and Ethan Golden, has released its newest product: an AI Voice Agent that simplifies business communication, resulting in improvements to both inbound and outbound customer interactions for companies. The company seeks to dramatically decrease operational expenses without sacrificing productivity by managing tasks such as customer service, appointment scheduling, and lead generation—all without human intervention.

    A Collaboration of Frustration and Innovation

    GoldSmith Labs is the brainchild of Brendan Smith, an experienced entrepreneur and marketing agency owner who grew tired (and slightly frustrated) with how tedious cold calling could actually be. Despite the necessity of cold calling in lead generation for many industries, Smith knew this was an area that could be disrupted. He teamed up with Ethan Golden, an AI automation expert and former University of Arizona student. Together, they developed an AI solution that would solve most of the problems business communication causes while achieving the desired results.

    “We wanted to create something that businesses could set and forget,” Smith said. “Our Voice Agent handles everything, allowing businesses to grow while we manage their communication.”

    AI Voice Agent: Cutting-Edge Technology for the Modern Enterprise

    The AI Voice Agent from GoldSmith Labs uses advanced artificial intelligence to handle up to 10,000 calls per hour—a complete game changer within the industry. From inbound inquiries and outbound sales to appointment scheduling and customer support, the system is built to optimize every interaction.

    “Robots don’t get tired, they don’t need breaks, and they certainly don’t incur company expenses on trips,” Golden stated. “They are stable, responsive, and always improving.”

    The AI draws from a library of over 10,000 unique voices to ensure businesses can tailor their agents based on company branding and target audience. This personalized touch is designed to enhance customer experience, making it as smooth and human-like as possible.

    Additionally, the AI continually adapts, becoming more effective by learning from data gathered from every call it handles. This data-driven approach allows the system to scale and evolve with the company’s growth.

    Aiming for the Market Leaders

    GoldSmith Labs may be a new name in the market, but it has huge aspirations. The company hopes to become the go-to platform for AI-driven voice interactions across industries like real estate, customer service, and even food orders. Smith and Golden have set an ambitious goal of reaching $30 million in annual revenue while serving over 20,000 clients within five years.

    “We aim to dominate the space by offering the best in AI voice agents,” Smith explained. “In a few years, we want GoldSmith Labs to be synonymous with AI voice interaction across all industries.”

    Targeting Middle to Top-Market Businesses

    The launch of GoldSmith Labs’ AI Voice Agent is particularly aimed at middle to top-market decision-makers looking to cut costs while increasing operational efficiency. These businesses understand the value of automation but need solutions that can manage complex, large-scale interactions without compromising quality.

    “Our target audience is professionals who are serious about scaling their business while keeping everything efficient,” Golden noted. “We know our solution isn’t just another tool in the toolkit—it’s a game changer.”

    A Visionary, Results-Driven Brand

    In many ways, the culture of GoldSmith Labs reflects its leadership. Smith describes the company’s ethos as “born to win,” which manifests in a results-driven approach without compromise. “We make things happen. Either get with it, or get left behind,” he declared, emphasizing the startup’s bold stance in the competitive AI space.

    The AI Voice Agent empowers businesses to save time, reduce costs, and achieve greater productivity. By offering a highly efficient and impactful product, GoldSmith Labs stands out from the competition and delivers immediate results.

    Looking Ahead

    With its focus on rapid growth and market share, GoldSmith Labs positions itself as a leader in the future of business communication. Its innovative AI Voice Agent, paired with its results-driven leadership, makes the company one to watch in the coming years.

    For more information on GoldSmith Labs and its AI Voice Agent, visit http://www.goldsmithlabs.com.

    Name: Brendan Smith, Ethan Golden
    Company: GoldSmith Labs
    Phone: +1 (307) 202-8593
    Email: media@frostpublishinggroup.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f77d3dca-b087-481b-b0bc-4fab373125c1

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: In the age of supposed anti-ambition, is Kamala Harris’s pro-work message resonating?

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Scott Schieman, Professor of Sociology and Canada Research Chair, University of Toronto

    “Our ambition and aspiration should be baseline, and we should aspire and have the ambition and plan to do more … I want Americans and families to not just get by but to be able to get ahead.” United States Vice President Kamala Harris, outlining her plan to build an “opportunity economy” in a recent speech.

    As a sociologist who studies how people think and talk about getting ahead in life, I’ve been struck by the tsunami of anti-ambition rhetoric in recent years that seems at odds with Harris’s messaging.

    A prominent 2022 feature in The New York Times Magazine’s Future of Work issue, for example, proclaimed a new “Age of Anti-Ambition.”

    While many joined the “ambition is out” chorus, a softer refrain suggested that ambition had merely become quiet as Fortune magazine reported people were “no longer chasing achievement for achievements’ sake.”

    Given all the anti-ambition rhetoric, it’s reasonable to ask: is Harris’s message about ambition resonating with voters with less than a month until the presidential election? Does anyone still believe ambition is important for getting ahead?

    Shifts in sentiment

    Let’s look at some data. The General Social Survey (GSS) — the gold standard for tracking American attitudes and beliefs since the 1970s — asks a set of questions about the importance that people give to different ways of getting ahead in life.

    The list includes “ambition,” “hard work,” “a good education,” “coming from a wealthy family,” “knowing the right people,” etc. For each, respondents select from these response options: “essential,” “very important,” “fairly important,” “not very important” and “not at all important.”

    In 1987, the first time the GSS presented these questions, 43 per cent of American workers said that ambition was “essential” to getting ahead; 44 per cent said it was “very important;” 11 per cent said it was “fairly important;” and only two per cent said “not very/not at all important.”

    Most respondents to the GSS say ambition is important or very important to success, both years ago and more recently.
    (Mimi Thian/Unsplash)

    I didn’t believe that Americans had ditched ambition since then, but I needed data to test my hunch, so I solicited the research firm YouGov in 2023 and 2024 for two national surveys of 7,500 American workers. I call my study the MESSI (Measuring Employment Sentiments and Social Inequality).

    My 2024 survey finds that most American workers still believe in the importance of ambition, but sentiments have shifted.

    The share who now say ambition is “essential” dropped nine percentage points from 1987 to 34 per cent. While the share who said ambition was “very important” dipped by two points (now 42 per cent), the percentage who felt ambition was “fairly important” or “unimportant” increased by 11 points.

    This softening is noteworthy. But, then again, if we are truly in an anti-ambition era, would three-quarters of American workers still see ambition as very important or essential?

    Message falling flat?

    In her stump speeches, Harris often mentions the “dignity of work” and the power of “hard work.” But after years of anti-work rhetoric mixed with new anti-ambition language like “quiet quitting,” a message celebrating the importance of hard work to get ahead might fall flat.



    Read more:
    If companies want to stop quiet quitting they need to take burnout seriously

    Let’s return to the 1987 GSS. Back then, 91 per cent of working Americans said hard work was “very important” or “essential” to getting ahead.

    That dipped slightly to 89 per cent in 2021 and then dropped to 77 per cent by 2024.

    On one hand, an 11-point plunge might be seen as a concern. On the other hand, we could interpret the fact that almost eight in 10 American workers say that they still value hard work as a sign of its resilience — especially given the cultural onslaught against work’s reputation and the persistent narrative about employees being miserable in their jobs since 2021.



    Read more:
    New research debunks the ‘unhappy worker’ narrative, but finds most still believe it

    Willing to work harder

    According to a viral video on TikTok, quiet quitting is when you “quit the idea of going above and beyond.”

    Given quiet quitting’s popularity among anti-ambition/anti-work narratives, I wondered how Americans would respond to a GSS question that asks the extent of agreement or disagreement with the following: “I am willing to work harder than I have to in order to help the firm or organization I work for succeed.”

    If quiet quitting has truly reached astronomical levels, wouldn’t it make sense that most Americans would strongly disagree with that statement?

    Two GSS data points in 2006 and 2016, well before the COVID-19 pandemic, show that eight in 10 American workers said they were willing to work harder than necessary. In my 2023 and 2024 MESSI surveys, I found that dropped to six in 10. Now, a greater share neither endorses nor rejects giving a little extra. Ambivalence is a bit more of a standard response.

    ‘Hard work is good work’

    What’s the takeaway? Sweeping sociological claims that we’re living in an age of anti-ambition and that most people are quiet quitting simply aren’t justified.

    Yes, sentiments about the importance of ambition and hard work — and going above and beyond — have shifted. And even though that shift is quieter than media discourse would have you believe, economic pessimism remains entrenched despite objective evidence to the contrary.

    Harris may therefore have her work cut out for her in selling an “opportunity economy” message as election day draws closer. But as she has said: “Hard work is good work.”

    Scott Schieman receives funding from Social Science and Humanities Research Council.

    – ref. In the age of supposed anti-ambition, is Kamala Harris’s pro-work message resonating? – https://theconversation.com/in-the-age-of-supposed-anti-ambition-is-kamala-harriss-pro-work-message-resonating-240427

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Bennie G. Thompson Announces Department of Defense Grants to Jackson State University Under HBCU/MI Program

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Bennie G Thompson (D-MS)

    October 4, 2024

    BOLTON, MS – Congressman Bennie G. Thompson is pleased to announce that the Department of Defense (DoD) has awarded $50.1 million in grants to 98 university researchers under the Fiscal Year 2024 Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority-serving Institutions (HBCU/MI) Program.

    Jackson State University (JSU) in Mississippi has been awarded two grants, totaling $512,870, for research and educational advancements in critical scientific fields:

    INSTITUTION

    INSTRUMENTATION PROPOSAL

    AMOUNT

    Jackson State University

    Acquisition of an Advanced Potentiostat for Research and Training in Jackson State University

    $115,006

    Jackson State University

    Optical Laser Lithography Fabrication System and Local Multiferroelectric Properties of Van Der Waals Materials and their Heterostructure

    $397,864

    These funds will be used to support advanced research and education in fields important to national security and defense. The DoD HBCU/MI Program plays a pivotal role in strengthening the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) pipeline while increasing the research and educational capacity of HBCUs and Minority-serving Institutions.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ciscomani Hosts Women’s Health Roundtable Event in Tucson

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Juan Ciscomani (Arizona)

    Tucson, AZ – U.S. Congressman Juan Ciscomani (AZ-06) hosted a Women’s Health Roundtable alongside experts from the University of Arizona, the National Institute of Health (NIH), and Women’s Health Access Matters (WHAM) to discuss the need to advance research initiatives, expand healthcare access, and promote innovation in women’s healthcare. 

    While at this event, Ciscomani met with Maria Martinez, a two-time survivor of breast cancer who is fighting to expand access to critical care after she was denied an MRI by her insurers. In 2024, Maria Martinez awarded Ciscomani the Breast Cancer Guardian Award. Watch their video together here. 

    “As your Representative and a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, I am committed to pushing legislation, funding, and other efforts to address the gap in women’s healthcare innovation,” said Ciscomani. “It was an honor to host this roundtable and hear directly from distinguished panelists, experts, and my constituents about the best ways to improve women’s healthcare and support women and families in southern Arizona, and across the nation.” 

    Background 

    • As a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Ciscomani: 

      • Voted to fully fund the National Institutes of Health at $48 billion in Fiscal Year 2025. 

      • Voted to fully fund the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program at $238 million. 

      • Prioritized the critical cancer research efforts at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), proposing $7.9 billion total for NCI, or an increase of $650 million. 

    • Ciscomani co-led H.R.8839, Maternal and Infant Syphilis Prevention Act with Rep. Caraveo (CO-08) to address the drastic increases in syphilis cases nationwide, especially in Arizona, and its impacts on maternal and infant health. Directs HHS to issue guidance to states on best practices for screening and treatment of congenital syphilis under Medicaid/CHIP. 

    • Ciscomani co-led the introduction of H.R. 9335, the Maternal and Infant Delivery: Wellness, and Integration with Vital Expertise Support (MIDWIVES) for Servicemembers Act with Rep. Kilmer (WA-06) to expand midwifery care to servicemembers and their families. 

    • Ciscomani cosponsored H.R.4534, the Women and Lung Cancer Research and Preventive Services Act introduced by Rep. Boyle (PA-02) to address a leading cause of cancer death in women by assessing the status of existing research and gaps in current lung cancer research in women, as well as identifies new opportunities for research and initiatives. 

    • Ciscomani cosponsored H.R.6749,the Menopause Research and Equity Act of 2023 introduced by Rep. Clarke (NY-09) which directs the NIH to evaluate the results and status of completed and ongoing research related to menopause, perimenopause, or midlife women’s health, and to conduct and support additional research. Specifically, NIH will highlight any gaps in knowledge and what treatments there could be for menopause-related symptoms. 

    • At a House Appropriations Subcommittee hearing, Ciscomani questioned Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra about initiatives to promote and expand access to women’s healthcare. 

    • Ciscomani joined a bipartisan letter to Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (MO-08) and Ranking Member Richard Neal (MA-01) urging the inclusion of the Child Care Investment Act in the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act 

    ### 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Baldwin Introduces Bill to Protect Wisconsinites from Predatory Wall Street Investors

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) introduced the Stop Wall Street Looting Act, comprehensive legislation to fundamentally reform the private equity industry and level the playing field by forcing private investment firms to take responsibility for the outcomes of companies they take over, empowering workers and protecting investors.

    Since 2020, private equity fund assets have grown exponentially, reaching nearly $8 trillion in 2023 compared to $4.5 trillion in 2020. Private equity funds have purchased companies in nearly every sector of the economy — from nursing homes, to newspapers, to grocery stores — laying off hundreds of thousands of workers and ruining thousands of companies in the process.

    “When out-of-state investors buy Wisconsin companies only to turn a quick profit and shutter their doors, it’s Wisconsin workers and communities that suffer. I’m committed to ensuring that when Wisconsin businesses are purchased, Wisconsin families are protected and not left high and dry like we’ve seen in places like Janesville, Green Bay, and Waukesha,” said Senator Baldwin. “Our legislation will help put workers and our community first – protecting them from predatory practices that too often result in devastating job losses for Wisconsin’s working families.”

    The private equity industry claims to invest in companies while also earning high returns for investors by using their management expertise to make the companies’ operations more efficient, and then selling the companies at a profit. In reality, private equity funds often load mountains of debt on the companies they buy, strip them of their assets, and extract exorbitant fees and dividends, guaranteeing payouts for themselves regardless of how the investment performs. When their debt-ridden investments go belly-up, private equity funds walk away with no responsibility for the mess they create, leaving workers in the lurch and forcing communities to clean up their mess.

    This bill would level the playing field, protect workers, consumers, and investors, and force private equity firms to take responsibility for the companies they control by closing the loopholes that allow private equity to capture all the rewards of their investments while insulating themselves from risk and liability. The Stop Wall Street Looting Act will:

    • Require Private Investment Funds to Have Skin in the Game: Private equity firms, the firm’s general partners, and their insiders will all be on the hook for the liabilities of companies under their control — including debt, legal judgments, and pension-related obligations — to better align the incentives of private equity firms and the companies they own. Liability would not extend to the fund’s limited partners, ensuring that only those that control portfolio firms are on the hook. In order to encourage more responsible use of debt, the bill ends the tax subsidy for excessive leverage and closes the carried interest loophole.
    • End Looting of Portfolio Companies. To give portfolio companies a shot at success, the bill limits how much money private equity firms can extract from companies and closes the loophole that private equity firms have used to hide certain assets from bankruptcy courts.
    • Protect Workers, Customers and Communities. This proposal prevents private equity firms from walking away when a company fails and protects workers and communities by:
      • Prioritizing workers’ pay in the bankruptcy process and amending the laws to increase the priority claims for unpaid earnings and other benefits from $10,000 to $20,000 per worker.
      • Creating incentives for job retention so that workers can benefit from a company’s second chance.
      • Ending the immunity of private equity firms from legal liability when their portfolio companies break the law, including the WARN Act. When workers at a plant are shortchanged or residents at a nursing home are hurt because private equity firms force portfolio companies to cut corners, the firm should be liable.
      • Expanding protections for striking workers by clarifying unfair labor practices and the employer duty to bargain.
    • Empower Investors by Increasing Transparency. Private equity managers will be required to disclose fees, returns, and other information about their funds and the corporate loans they make so that investors can monitor their investments.
    • Put Guardrails Around Accessing Public Funds. Firms receiving any funds from a federal or state agency must publicly disclose how the funds are used and will be prohibited from acquiring any company or making a distribution to investors for two years after receipt.
    • Drives REITS out of Health Care. Payments from federal health programs to entities that sell assets or use assets for a loan collateral made to a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) are prohibited; repeal a rule in the Tax Code that allows taxable REIT subsidiaries to exert influence on the operations of health care entities; and remove the 20 percent pass-through deduction, passed in the 2017 Trump tax cuts, for all REIT investors.

    The bill is led by Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and also co-sponsored by Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Tina Smith (D-MN), and Ed Markey (D-MA) in the Senate.

    The bill is supported by Action Center on Race and the Economy, AFL-CIO, American Economic Liberties Project, American Federation of Teachers, Americans for Financial Reform, Center for Popular Democracy, Communication Workers of America, Community Catalyst, Economic Policy Institute, Indivisible, National Employment Law Project, National Women’s Law Center, Private Equity Stakeholder Project, People’s Action, SEIU, Strong for All, Take on Wall Street, United for Respect, Working Families Party, and Worth Rises.

    “Private equity has an immense impact on the U.S. economy, touching virtually every aspect of life from healthcare to housing to technology to retail and more. Private equity’s extractive playbook harms workers and communities, diminishes access to quality affordable health care, worsens the housing crisis and the climate crisis, and perpetuates systemic racism. Without major changes, a handful of ultra wealthy Wall Street executives will continue getting richer at everyone else’s expense. The Stop Wall Street Looting Act takes important, much needed steps to reign in Wall Street predatory practices and promote a just and sustainable economy,” said Lisa Donner, Executive Director, Americans for Financial Reform.

    “Union busting, pollution, and bankruptcy aren’t side effects of the private equity model: they are the model,” said Porter McConnell, Take on Wall Street. “It’s a smash-and-grab, plain and simple. That’s why we are so pleased to see comprehensive legislation like the Stop Wall Street Looting Act introduced in Congress today. We created the loopholes in the law that allowed the private equity industry to thrive, and we can end them. Our communities, our economy, and our democracy are depending on it.”

    “As we fight for more public investment in the child care sector, we must also rein in private equity’s ability to enrich themselves at the expense of the public. Building guardrails – such as those in the Stop Wall Street Looting Act – will help put the wellbeing of children and families ahead of private equity’s profits,” said Melissa Boteach, Vice President, Income Security and Child Care/Early Learning, National Women’s Law Center.

    “Private equity firms, which control nearly $15 trillion in assets, routinely prioritize quick, outsized profits, at the expense of workers, patients, renters, and local economies as part of their business model,” said Chris Noble, Policy Director for the Private Equity Stakeholder Project. “The Stop Wall Street Looting Act provides an essential check on this opaque industry. By addressing the systemic risks tied to debt-laden private equity buyouts, this legislation prioritizes the long-term health of businesses and communities over short-term profits for wealthy private equity executives.”

    “Private equity should have no influence over medical treatment decisions made jointly by independent physicians and their patients. The Stop Wall Street Looting Act goes a long way towards ensuring physicians, in consultation with their patients, are able to deliver quality, patient-centered, cost-efficient care without corporate interference,” said Dr. Stephen M. McCollam, Chair, Coalition for Patient-Centered Care.

    “Wall Street private equity firms have proven themselves to be a parasite on workers, our economy, and American retailers by gutting companies for profit and driving mass layoffs. Holding billionaire profiteers accountable for the damage they do to our working families and communities is imperative to addressing growing economic inequality,” said United for Respect Co-Executive Directors Bianca Agustin and Terrysa Guerra in a joint statement. “The Stop Wall Street Looting Act will help close loopholes in our laws that for too long have allowed private equity to pillage companies and amass huge profits while workers lose their jobs and are left with nothing. United For Respect is proud to support this bill — and we need all legislators to join us in protecting workers and putting Wall Street on the hook for the havoc they reap.”

    Full text of this legislation is available here. A one-pager on this legislation is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Austerity and recession: 3 simple graphs that explain New Zealand’s economic crisis

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Geoff Bertram, Visiting Scholar, School of History, Philosophy, Political Science and International Relations, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington

    Getty Images

    Economists working on macroeconomic policy – things like taxes and spending, interest rates and border controls on flows of trade and money – often refer to a set of key relationships governments can influence. In the textbooks, each of those relationships is drawn as a curve in a graph.

    First is the IS (“investment–saving”) curve. This says that if everything else stays the same, the Reserve Bank can increase economic output and employment by lowering the interest rate. Or it can cause a recession by raising the interest rate. (For simplicity’s sake, the curves here are depicted as straight lines.)

    Second comes the Phillips Curve, which is usually drawn sloping upwards to suggest that if everything else stays the same, inflation will rise during economic booms and fall in recessions. In other words, the Reserve Bank or the government can apparently bring inflation down by causing a recession.

    Third comes the trade balance – the current account of the balance of payments (investment income and traded goods and services between New Zealand and the rest of the world).

    If everything else stays the same here, as the exchange rate of the dollar falls, the current account strengthens by moving towards or expanding a surplus. If the exchange rate rises, the current account weakens: exports fall and imports increase.

    However, it’s a mistake to suppose each of these relationships will stay where it is while the government and Reserve Bank each tinker with their own policy settings. So, what could go wrong?

    The effect of austerity

    Start with the IS curve – the way output and employment are affected by interest rates, assuming the government makes no big budgetary changes. But what if the government embarks on an austerity program, slashing its spending and cancelling projects, which shrinks the economy?

    At any given interest rate, output and employment will be lower, shifting the whole curve “leftwards” towards lower economic activity (see above).

    Even if the Reserve Bank lowers the interest rate, that won’t expand the economy because the government’s fiscal policy is killing off its expansionary effect. The recession created by the austerity program rolls on.

    Along the way, it increases costs to government from unemployment, paying other benefits, and lower tax revenue. If the government responds with further austerity, we enter a downward self-reinforcing spiral.

    Wages and inflation

    Second, take the Phillips Curve and ask what happens if inflation isn’t, in fact, sensitive to how the economy is doing.

    In this case, driving the economy into recession has no effect on the inflation rate. When the Reserve Bank changes the interest rate, inflation just stays where it is because the Phillips Curve is flat, not upward-sloping. Reducing inflation requires completely different policy interventions.

    Back when the Phillips Curve was invented, it was reasonable to think inflation fell during recessions because workers could get higher wage increases in booms than in slumps.

    Bringing on a recession would reduce the bargaining power of workers, result in slower wage growth, and thereby tame inflation (given that wages are an important part of the costs of production).

    But workers today have lost the bargaining power they used to have when unions were strong and welfare-state thinking prevailed.

    In a paper fellow economist Bill Rosenberg and I published this year, we show the bargaining power of labour was killed off in 1991 by the Employment Contracts Act and has not recovered since. Wages no longer drive inflation in contemporary New Zealand.

    Interest rates and inflation

    Could the Phillips Curve work because producers of goods and services push up prices and profits faster in booms and cut their margins in recessions?

    It’s possible: there’s plenty of evidence of big companies using their market power to price-gouge consumers. But it’s not clear this exercise of market power is greater in booms and lesser in slumps.

    In fact, the opposite could be true. Small businesses are most likely to be driven out of the market in recessions, leaving big companies with increased market share and less competitive pressure on their margins.

    Forces both locally and in international markets have clearly been pushing the Phillips Curve down, producing lower inflation. Local forces include the current government’s abrupt cancellation of major construction activities, dismissal of public servants, the constant negative messaging on the state of the economy, and rising outward migration as a consequence of all these.

    International markets, including falling prices for imports such as oil, have also clearly been pushing the Phillips Curve down. While the Reserve Bank will claim credit, it’s not at all clear the bank’s interest rate policy has made that much difference.

    Finally, what about the international balance of payments? One thing the Reserve Bank can do by changing the interest rate is change the exchange rate between the New Zealand dollar and other currencies.

    If New Zealand’s interest rates increase relative to elsewhere in the world, short-term money flows in to take advantage of the higher rates. This raises the exchange rate, and in turn weakens the external balance by cutting the return on exports and increasing the volume of cheaper imports.

    Producers of goods and services that face international competition are squeezed. Meanwhile, what used to be called the “sheltered” or “non-tradeable” industries – including the big banks, insurance companies, electricity suppliers, supermarkets, consultancies – are unscathed.

    Deeper recession

    The Reserve Bank may not have much effect on inflation, but it can certainly affect the structure of the economy. Using the interest rate as the weapon against inflation squeezes manufacturers, tourism and farmers, but leaves non-tradables largely untouched.

    Right now in New Zealand, the IS curve is remorselessly shifting left as the economy plunges into a deeper recession exacerbated by government austerity – an ideologically driven quest for instant fiscal surpluses, low public debt and a shrinking public sector relative to GDP.

    Falling interest rates will struggle to make expansionary headway against that austerity.

    Meanwhile, corporate profiteering and rising government charges continue to put upward pressure on the Phillips Curve, and the balance of payments is weakening. This means the country as a whole is piling up increasing debts to the rest of the world (largely through the Australian-owned banks).

    The question is, does the current government understand where its policies are taking us?

    Geoff Bertram 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. Austerity and recession: 3 simple graphs that explain New Zealand’s economic crisis – https://theconversation.com/austerity-and-recession-3-simple-graphs-that-explain-new-zealands-economic-crisis-241259

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to perspective piece discussing ultra-processed foods and public health warnings

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    A perspective piece published in PLOS Medicine looks at ultra-processed foods and public health warnings. 

    Dr Ian Johnson, Nutrition researcher and Emeritus Fellow, Quadram Institute, said:

    “The term “ultra-processed food” (UPF) encompasses a very broad and poorly defined category of manufactured food products ranging, for example, from canned soft drinks to highly processed breakfast cereals, cakes, and commercially prepared ready meals.  In recent years, many epidemiological studies conducted across the industrialised world have shown associations between high consumption of UPF and various adverse health outcomes, but the associations, though statistically significant, are often not particularly strong.  The broad and imprecise definition of UPF, coupled with the limitations of observational research, have so far made it extremely difficult to identify causal mechanisms associated with particular foods.  Having considered the current state of knowledge, which is based largely on observational studies, the authors of this timely and thoughtful opinion piece are right to draw attention to the current dearth of definitive mechanistic research on this topic, and to emphasise the difficulties and possible adverse consequences of issuing blanket advice to consumers to avoid such a wide range of foods.”

    Dr Hilda Mulrooney, Reader in Nutrition & Health, London Metropolitan University, said:

    “This is an important and timely paper, given the current level of interest in UPFs and their potential effects on health.  I think this is a reasonable and realistic perspective of where we are at the moment.  It summarises a lot of complex discussion and presents a rational and cautious viewpoint, in my opinion.  It is sensible not to rush to judgment on the basis of data which does not yet demonstrate causality.  It is important to acknowledge the fact that for some groups in particular, foods classed as UPFs make very significant contributions to nutrient intakes, and these would be difficult to achieve otherwise.

    “Much of the research available shows associations between UPFs and health outcomes and cannot demonstrate causality.  This distinction is important, given that many UPFs (e.g. breakfast cereals, breads) make substantial contributions to nutrient intakes in the UK population.  The contribution will be greater for some groups than others, and as the authors suggests, a group likely to be most affected by blanket advice to avoid UPFs is those on lower incomes, who are already at greater risk of poor health and health inequalities.

    “The potential mechanisms of action of UPFs in relation to ill health are unknown, although several have been suggested.  If causality between poor health outcomes and intake of UPFs is demonstrated – and it has not been so far – then understanding how this is happening will be an important aspect of the health messages crafted.  Much of the research on UPFs focuses on the NOVA classification, a system which has been criticised for failing to include or acknowledge the nutritional contributions of UPFs, focusing instead on the extent and type of processing involved.  This ignores the emerging evidence that different groups of processed foods may have different effects in the body.  There may well be stronger evidence in the future which will allow focused messages in relation to specific types of UPFs and health, but at the moment we do not have this information.  Given this, and the potential for harm to already vulnerable groups of a blanket message about UPFs, the balanced approach of these authors is sensible.  What we know now does not change the messages we have already had in place for some years – to cut down on the UPFs which are high fat, salt and sugar foods and drinks as much as possible and include whole foods in the diet where possible.  We need to understand what the effects of different groups of UPFs on health may be, whether relationships observed are causal or not, and how any relationships are mediated.  We are not there yet.”

    ‘Ultraprocessed food (UPF), health, and mechanistic uncertainty: What should we be advising the public to do about UPFs?’ by Eric Robinson and Alexandra Johnstone was published in PLOS Medicine at 19:00 UK time on Tuesday 15 October 2024.

    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1004439

    Declared interests

    Dr Ian Johnson: “I have no current conflicts of interest.  I have previously acted in an advisory capacity both to a leading food manufacturer (Barry Callebaut), and to government agencies including SACN, but I have received no funding of any kind from the food industry in the last 5 years.”

    Dr Hilda Mulrooney: “I have no conflicts of interest to declare.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Ultra-processed foods: Why Public Health warnings could backfire Scientists say issuing blanket advice against UPFs would be premature Least well off could actually end up switching to LESS healthy foods More research is needed first into the links between these products and poor health :east well-off may be most affected if blanket pubic health warnings issued without more scientific evidence.

    Source: University of Aberdeen

    Professor Alexandra JohnstoenScientists say issuing blanket advice against UPFs would be prematureLeast well off could actually end up switching to LESS healthy foodsMore research is needed first into the links between these products and poor health:east well-off may be most affected if blanket pubic health warnings issued without more scientific evidence.
    Premature warnings to consumers to avoid eating all ultra-processed food products have likely social costs and may harm the health of people facing food poverty – at least in the short term.
    This is the clear message to policymakers in a newly-published perspective article from Professors Alexandra Johnstone from the Rowett Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Aberdeen and Eric Robinson of the University of Liverpool.
    They say that until the link between ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and poor health is better understood, the focus of official public advice should remain on avoiding known threats: high fat, sugar and salt content.
    Issuing formal warnings about UPFs in the UK – which some other countries have done – could be counter-productive, leading some people to switch to alternatives that are not classified as ultra-processed but are less nutritious than what they were consuming before, they argue.
    And they highlight the potential “social cost for many people with more limited resources” of removing convenient options and the possible negative mental health impacts on “those who worry about their health or live with eating disorders, particularly if social circumstances make avoiding UPFs difficult”.
    The article – published by PLOS Medicine as part of a collection on the subject of UPFs – concludes: “Based on the balance of current evidence, we do not believe it is appropriate to be advising consumers to avoid all UPFs and we await further evidence to inform consumer guidance on the need to limit consumption of specifics foods based on their degree or type of processing.
    “We know with certainty that foods which are energy dense and/or high in saturated fat, salt or sugar are detrimental to health and we should continue to advise consumers to limit consumption of these foods. Likewise, we should be encouraging consumption of health promoting foods, like fruits, vegetables and wholegrains.

    We must guard against the possibility that the people in our society who are already most at risk of not being able to afford to eat healthily are not put in an even worse position as we continue to investigate the links between some ultra-processed foods and poor health.” Professor Alexandra Johnstone

    “Mechanistic uncertainty over food processing and health should not prevent immediate and much needed public health policy to regulate the food industry in order to dramatically reduce the advertisement, availability and dominance of foods high in energy and/or saturated fat, salt or sugar on national diets.
    “However, mechanistic uncertainty should determine how the public are communicated to and play a central role in determining public advice and emerging national dietary guidance on UPFs and food processing health risks.”
    Pressure to issue guidance against eating UPFs – which account for a significant part of national diet  – has mounted in the media and elsewhere because of consistent evidence from a growing number of observational studies that they are linked to poor health outcomes.
    But many UPFs are also high in fat, sugar and salt and as yet, the Food Standards Agency believe other possible causes of ill health from consuming them “have not yet been fully explained by the science” and so specific public guidance has not been issued.
    Food Standards Scotland (FSS) warned in March that “there is a risk that the emphasis on ultra-processed foods creates a distraction from the key diet issues where there is robust evidence for action, i.e. high fat, salt and sugar foods, thereby providing further impetus for FSS to provide clear consumer messaging on this issue.” FSS has since published its organisational position on the topic, alongside consumer facing advice, reaffirming these conclusions.
    Professor Johnstone said: “We must guard against the possibility that the people in our society who are already most at risk of not being able to afford to eat healthily are not put in an even worse position as we continue to investigate the links between some ultra-processed foods and poor health.
    “We need more high-quality mechanistic research in humans, using controlled diets, to tease out the effects of nutrient profile and ultra-processing per se. Diet reformulation and diet quality are two key aspects of our food environment and alongside affordability, these remain food system challenges.”
    Professor Robinson said: “Foods classed as ultra-processed which are high in fat, salt and/or sugar should be avoided, but a number of ultra-processed foods are not. We should be thinking very carefully about what advice is being given to the public, as opposed to providing simplified and potentially misleading messages that grab headlines.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Who cares? How virtual health is changing in-home caregiving

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Alexandra Beukens, Research Assistant, Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University

    Some patients who have limited knowledge of digital technology rely on a caregiver to facilitate virtual appointments. (Shutterstock)

    Seventy-five per cent of health care in Canada is provided at home by unpaid family caregivers. Not only is this essential health-care work often unrecognized and under-supported, it is rapidly changing.

    Since the COVID-19 pandemic, many health-care appointments have shifted to telephone and videoconferencing. This change in the mode of health-care delivery has now become more fully integrated into the Canadian health-care system.

    While a lot of policy and research has focused on the impact of this transition on doctors and patients, these changes also have important implications for caregivers.

    With a growing portion of Canadians opting to age in place at home, family members will increasingly be relied upon to provide care. However, unlike professional health-care workers, family caregivers are generally not compensated for their labour.

    With a growing portion of Canadians opting to age in place at home, family members will increasingly be relied upon to provide care.
    (Shutterstock)

    In fact, the act of caregiving is associated with personal costs. Caregivers often must take time away from paid work to provide care, which in turn affects their financial security. Notably, women make up the major share of caregivers in Canada.

    To better understand the needs of caregivers, our research team reviewed existing studies, and conducted interviews and workshops with caregivers and others taking part in virtual health. Our findings shed light on how virtual care has so far interacted with existing inequities to create opportunities and challenges for caregivers.

    The impact of virtual care

    For example, virtual care has reduced the economic costs of attending appointments by lessening the need for caregivers to take time off work. It has also expanded caregiver networks, allowing those living at a distance to be involved in a loved one’s care, and opened new avenues for caregivers to find supportive communities and services online.

    However, caregivers also report encountering challenges with virtual care. Among these are experiences overcoming the “digital divide,” which acknowledges differences in access to technology (such as limited internet access) and/or a lack of operational knowledge of digital devices.

    Establishing rapport with health-care professionals during virtual health consultations can be a challenge.
    (Shutterstock)

    Although technology and internet usage have become increasingly ingrained in the day-to-day lives of Canadians, individuals living with limited incomes, or who live in remote areas, still face barriers to reliable internet.

    Our research suggests this limits options for accessing virtual forms of health care. Meanwhile, some patients who have more limited knowledge of digital technology rely on a caregiver to facilitate virtual appointments.

    Other challenges with virtual care identified by caregivers include difficulty establishing rapport with a clinician during virtual meetings. This can be especially true for those without a designated family physician, who instead regularly meet with virtual walk-in doctors.

    For Indigenous communities, this lack of a consistent point of care undermine efforts to access care that is free from racism, stigma and discrimination — something that is largely achieved through the long-term establishment of trusting relationships with patients and their caregivers in a community setting.

    For caregivers of diverse languages, we found that virtual appointments outside of formal health-care spaces where interpretation services are more readily available often mean that they are called upon to translate language and cultural nuances with clinicians, adding to their responsibilities as caregivers.

    Barriers and stressors

    Many caregivers are seniors themselves, who are taking care of a spouse or an elderly parent.
    (Shutterstock)

    Navigating new virtual health-care tools can also create new stressors for caregivers. For instance, uncertainty as to where and how to follow up with a clinician, or concerns related to privacy and confidentiality. These concerns, amidst other barriers, can compound feelings of anxiety for caregivers already grappling with the stress of their loved one’s care.

    One community support worker we interviewed for our study noted that most caregivers in their program were seniors themselves, who were taking care of a spouse or an elderly parent. “So, they are seniors, too … they may not have the technology skills to access to the virtual care.” This includes hardware. The support worker noted that older caregivers may not have smartphones, tablets, laptops or even internet. This can create a financial barrier as well as a technological one: “For some low-income seniors, it’s very difficult,” they said.

    These experiences make clear that, although virtual health care brings new opportunities that can alleviate access barriers for caregivers, there is also a risk of new challenges being introduced.

    Health policymakers and clinicians must be attentive to caregivers’ unique needs if we are to have truly equitable models for virtual care. Meaningful engagement with caregivers of diverse socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds is a necessary first step.

    Alexandra Selinger receives funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

    Julia Smith receives funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and Health Research BC

    Lindsay Hedden receives funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Social Sciences and Health Research BC.

    Muhammad Haaris Tiwana receives funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

    – ref. Who cares? How virtual health is changing in-home caregiving – https://theconversation.com/who-cares-how-virtual-health-is-changing-in-home-caregiving-232023

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Dmitry Chernyshenko: The “For Loyalty to Science” Award Helps Raise the Prestige of the Scientist Profession

    MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Award for Fidelity to Science

    The Expert Council determinedshortlist of the 10th All-Russian Prize “For Loyalty to Science”.

    The names of the winners will be announced at a ceremony on October 28. The organizer of the annual event is the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia.

    “In the Decade of Science and Technology, announced by President Vladimir Putin, the popularization of research and development is of particular importance. The “For Loyalty to Science” award helps to encourage journalists, bloggers, and popularizers, who, among other things, help to raise the prestige of the scientific profession and attract new personnel to the field for the technological leadership of our country. This year, more than 1.8 thousand applications from 80 regions of Russia were submitted for the award – almost 1.5 times more than last year. The most popular nomination was “Science for Children”. It was held for the first time and accepted applications from projects for the youngest. The emergence of such nominations and topics is an important trend, since the development of the country and our common future depend on what the younger generation will be interested in, what knowledge and skills they will develop,” emphasized Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko.

    The winners of the award will receive a cash reward and special prizes from the competition partners: a trip on a nuclear icebreaker, a trip to one of the Russian cosmodromes, an excursion to one of the high-tech facilities of PJSC Gazprom, a tour of an aircraft manufacturing plant with the opportunity to test their strength on the MC-21 pilot training complex.

    “In the last few years, our award has been breaking records in terms of the number of applications submitted. This year, the most popular nominations were: “Science for Children”, “Author of Digital Content”, “Recognition”, “Scientific Press Service of the Year”, “Work with Experience: Protecting Historical Truth”, “Russian Science for the World”. Such a wide range of applicants’ interests speaks of the great attention paid to the activities of scientists and researchers in completely different industries and spheres. Thanks to your work, dear participants, the number of people interested in Russian science is growing, especially among the younger generation, and this is especially valuable,” said Minister of Education and Science Valery Falkov.

    The applications received were evaluated by journalists who widely cover scientific topics, scientists, representatives of government authorities, private foundations, companies, non-profit organizations, press services of universities, and research institutes. The laureates and diploma winners will be determined by the prize organizing committee.

    The event’s partners are the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Kurchatov Institute National Research Center, and Lomonosov Moscow State University. For more than five years in a row, the award has been supported by the Art, Science, and Sport Charity Foundation. The award is held as part of the Decade of Science and Technology announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

    The founders of special prizes are traditionally the state corporations Roscosmos, Rostec, and Rosatom. Since 2024, PJSC Gazprom and PJSC VTB Bank have become the new partners of the award.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    http://government.ru/nevs/53001/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: China’s government is about to spend big on stimulus – can it turn around the country’s sluggish economy?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Wenting He, PhD candidate of International Relations, Australian National University

    Sanga Park/Shutterstock

    China’s relentless economic growth used to be the marvel of the world. Oh, what a memory.

    The past couple of years have seen China contend with an economic slowdown amid colliding crises, many of which make it internationally unique. Consumer prices have been approaching deflationary territory, there’s an oversupply of housing, and youth unemployment has soared.

    Mounting pressure has forced the Chinese government to step in. Over the past month, Beijing has put forward a set of significant economic stimulus measures aimed at reviving China’s faltering economy.

    According to a research note by Deutsche Bank, this stimulus could potentially become “the largest in history” in nominal terms. But there’s still a lot we don’t know. So what kinds of measures that are in this package so far, and has China been here before?

    What’s in the package?

    On September 24, Pan Gongsheng, governor of China’s central bank, unveiled the country’s boldest intervention to boost its economy since the pandemic.

    The initiatives included reducing mortgage rates for existing homes and reducing the amount of cash commercial banks are required to hold in reserves. The latter is expected to inject about 1 trillion yuan (A$210 billion) into the financial market by letting the banks lend out more.

    China has been grappling with an oversupply of housing and a property sector crisis.
    Charles Bowman/Shutterstock

    On top of this, 800 billion yuan (A$168 billion) was announced to strengthen China’s capital market.

    This comprised a new 500 billion yuan (A$105 billion) monetary policy facility to help institutions more easily access funds to buy stocks, and a 300 billion yuan (A$63 billion) re-lending facility to help speed up sales of unsold housing.

    Further signs of economic revitalisation became evident at a Politburo meeting of China’s top government officials, two days after this announcement.

    Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed the urgency of economic revival. Xi even encouraged officials to “go bold in helping the economy” without having to fear the consequences.

    That same day, seven government departments released a joint policy package to stabilise China’s 500 billion yuan (A$105 billion) dairy industry, which has been severely impacted by declining milk and beef prices since 2023.

    A market rollercoaster

    Initially, the market’s response was overwhelmingly positive. Perhaps too positive. In the last week of September, stock markets in Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong saw their biggest weekly rise in 16 years.

    On October 8, following China’s National Day holiday, turnover on the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges hit an unprecedented 3.43 trillion yuan (A$718 billion). However, expectations for further stimulus measures were met with disappointment.

    China’s National Development and Reform Commission brought forward 100 billion yuan (A$21 billion) in spending from the 2025 budget. That wasn’t enough to sustain market optimism. On October 9, Chinese stocks saw their most severe drop in 27 years.

    This downturn only worsened a few days later, when China’s Ministry of Finance hinted there was “ample room” to raise debts but did not specify any new stimulus measures.

    Still thin on the details

    The market remains deeply uncertain about the future direction of China’s economic policies and what they might mean for the world. Hopes that more details might be released over the weekend were largely dashed.

    Back in July, Chinese authorities asserted in their Third Plenary Session communique that China “must remain firmly committed” to achieving this year’s economic growth target of 5%. Compared to the country’s reform-era economic performance, that’s a modest goal.

    But facing a persistently sluggish economic outlook, Xi later seemed to subtly shift the tone, changing the language from “remain firmly committed” to “strive to fulfill” in September.

    Over the past decades, China has frequently employed massive-scale stimulus measures to revive its economy during downturns. These policies have been able to significantly rejuvenate the economy, though occasionally with some worrying side effects.

    In response to the 2008 global financial crisis, China’s State Council released a 4 trillion yuan (A$837 billion) stimulus package. This successfully helped China stand firm through the crisis and was credited as a key stabiliser of the global economy.

    But it also accumulated trillions of yuan in debt through local government financing and accelerated the rise of “shadow banking” – unregulated financial activities.

    China also spent big on stimulating its economy in 2015, following stock market turbulence, and then again in the wake of the pandemic.

    What should we expect?

    What should we expect this time? How balanced or sustainable will any ensuing growth be?

    We are still waiting on many of the details about the size and scope of the package, but any big increase in Chinese economic demand will likely have “spillover” effects.

    As we’ve discussed, many of the measures announced to date will have their most immediate effect on borrowing, lending and liquidity in China’s stock markets.

    That suggests we should watch for what’s called the “wealth effect” in economics. This is the theory that rising asset prices – such as for housing or shares – make people feel wealthier and therefore spend more.

    If China’s big stimulus spend causes sustained increases in asset values, it could give rise to economic optimism. Chinese consumers – and investors – may become less anxious about the future.

    From Australia’s point of view, that could see increases in demand in areas where our economies are interlinked – iron ore, tourism, education and manufactured food exports.

    More broadly, Chinese demand could contribute to growth in other global economies, with a self-reinforcing effect on the world as a whole.

    Beware financialisation

    On the other hand, China’s shift to depending more on volatile asset price rises in its capital markets to sustain growth could have destabilising effects. Where asset price increases benefit those at the “top end of town,” they can breed inequities and imbalances of their own.

    China’s “Black Monday” stock market crash in 2015 raised alarm in Beijing. Partly reflecting a wariness of excess financialisation, Xi cautioned at the time that “housing is for living in, not for speculation”.

    So far, China is still navigating its path towards a more sustainable development model, striving to strike a balance between sustaining economic growth and stabilising its domestic markets and political landscape. As for the outcome, it remains a profound uncertainty for us all – perhaps China itself included.

    Wesley Widmaier receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

    Wenting He 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. China’s government is about to spend big on stimulus – can it turn around the country’s sluggish economy? – https://theconversation.com/chinas-government-is-about-to-spend-big-on-stimulus-can-it-turn-around-the-countrys-sluggish-economy-241260

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: AI is creeping into the visual effects industry – and it could take the human touch out of film and TV

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By AD Narayan, Visual Effects Artist and Lecturer in Digital Communication, Auckland University of Technology

    IMDB

    From the mind-bending reality warps of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) to the breathtaking alien vistas of Avatar: The Way of Water (2022), visual effects have transported us to worlds beyond imagination. Yet the future of visual effects (VFX) could hang in the balance as artificial intelligence is subsumed into screen production processes.

    Lionsgate’s recent partnership with AI startup Runway has sparked controversy in the visual effects industry.

    By allowing Runway to train AI on Lionsgate’s vast film and TV catalogue, the collaboration promises increased efficiency and financial savings – but at what cost?

    Growing apprehension among workers

    According to a research report published in January, 75% of 300 entertainment industry leaders surveyed said generative AI tools, software and models had contributed to the elimination, reduction or consolidation of jobs within their business divisions.

    The report highlighted the visual effects sector as being particularly vulnerable, as AI techniques are often applied in post-production processes. This vulnerability was typified in our own research published today.

    Our work reveals visual effects artists have serious concerns about generative AI’s integration into screen production. These include worries over job insecurity, creative devaluation, and the potential for AI to produce derivative content that fails to meet audience expectations.

    Challenges of AI in the VFX industry

    Our findings reflect growing concerns that AI’s use in filmmaking could magnify existing industry problems. It could, for instance, exacerbate unfair working conditions. Or it could undermine creativity if artists are expected to “clean up” AI-generated work rather than create their own.

    Visual effects artists, who have typically been early adopters of new technologies, acknowledge AI could bring both opportunities and challenges. While it could help streamline certain tasks, it could equally impact on the overall quality of their work.

    The artists we spoke to were worried a reliance on AI might stifle creativity and skill development, by making the work “more mechanical and less creative”. In a recent example, the AI-generated title sequence for Marvel’s Secret Invasion series was widely criticised for lacking artistic merit.

    There were also questions about how artists would be compensated if their work is used to train AI models.

    Some senior supervisors were particularly concerned about the ethical and legal considerations of using AI on commercial projects. They were uncertain around intellectual property rights for AI-generated content, as well as the potential for copyright infringement.

    On the creative and technical front, artists recognised AI’s value in generating ideas and automating repetitive tasks. However, nearly all of them said AI tools weren’t yet production-ready, and highlighted difficulties with integrating said tools into existing pipelines.

    The next steps

    The VFX industry was already struggling with profits and sustainability before the AI boom. Visual effects companies often face bankruptcy – even Oscar-winning ones. In many cases, artists will get laid off once a project is complete.

    Life of Pi (2012) won an Oscar for its visual effects work – but the company responsible for it went bankrupt.
    IMDB

    The partnership between Lionsgate and Runway represents the industry’s collective failure to address concerns over AI. But there’s still time to fix things.

    The first step is developing clear industry guidelines for AI’s use in visual effects. Above all else, AI should help augment human creativity, rather than replace it. And artists should be fairly compensated if their work is used to train AI models.

    Investment in training programs could also help artists adapt to new AI tools without compromising their creativity. As one interviewee told us, human expertise and creativity remain important in visual effects.

    “Understanding the why behind certain choices, the creative decision making, that’s something I haven’t really seen AI effectively do,” they said.

    As the industry stands at a technological crossroads, it must balance the pursuit of efficiency with genuine creativity. Otherwise, we risk losing the human touch that brings our favourite films to life.

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

    – ref. AI is creeping into the visual effects industry – and it could take the human touch out of film and TV – https://theconversation.com/ai-is-creeping-into-the-visual-effects-industry-and-it-could-take-the-human-touch-out-of-film-and-tv-240112

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Bennet, Hickenlooper Welcome Funding for Colorado Organizations Supporting Veterans

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Colorado Michael Bennet

    Denver — Colorado U.S. Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper welcomed over $1.6 million from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for eight Colorado organizations that offer adaptive sports, recreational activities, and equine therapy for veterans and service members living with disabilities. 

    “Our veterans have sacrificed so much to keep our country safe, and we owe them our support after they have served,” said Bennet. “Colorado veterans deserve to live a full and independent life, and this funding will help wounded heroes access athletics and other recreational activities.”

    “Adaptive sports give our wounded veterans a community and outlet for mental health,” said Hickenlooper. “This funding makes it easier for our disabled vets to hit the slopes and enjoy all the outdoor activities that make Colorado special.” 

    The funding comes from the VA’s’ Adaptive Sports Grant Program, which supports more opportunities for disabled veterans to play recreational sports and activities customized to better fit their needs.  The VA has awarded over $119 million in grants through the Adaptive Sports Grant Program during the last nine years.

    A full list of selected organizations is below:


    Location

    Project Name

    Amount Awarded

    Sports

    Westminster

    Adaptive Adventures

    $748,510

    Alpine Skiing, Climbing, Cycling, Dragon Boat, Kayaking, Paddleboarding, Snowboarding

    Snowmass Village

    Challenge Aspen

    $230,100

    Alpine Skiing, Archery, Biking, Fly Fishing, Snowboarding

    Crested Butte

    Adaptive Sports Center of Crested Butte, Inc.

    $180,320

    Alpine Skiing, Backpacking, Biking, Canoeing, Climbing, Cycling, Kayaking, Nordic Skiing, Paddleboarding, Rafting, Snowshoeing

    Denver

    National Sports Center for the Disabled

    $145,394

    Air Gun, Alpine Skiing, Archery, Biking, Boating, Climbing, Fishing, Hiking, Nordic Skiing, Rafting, Snowboarding

    Breckenridge

    Breckenridge  Outdoor Education Center

    $105,637

    Air Rifle, Archery, Boccia, Cycling, Golf, Kayaking, Powerlifting, Rowing, Sitting Volleyball, Table Tennis, Wheelchair Basketball

    Colorado Springs

    Archery School of the Rockies Inc.

    $94,416

    Archery

    Vail

    Vail Veterans Foundation, Inc.

     

    $72,515

    Alpine Skiing, Fly Fishing, Horseback Riding, Rafting, Rock Climbing, Snowboarding, Ziplining

    Fruita

    Harmony Acres Equestrian Center

    $67,201

    Equine-Assisted Activities and Therapies

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Three letters, one number, a knife and a stone bridge: how a graffitied equation changed mathematical history

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn Arianrhod, Affiliate, School of Mathematics, Monash University

    William Murphy / Flickr, CC BY

    On October 16 1843, the Irish mathematician William Rowan Hamilton had an epiphany during a walk alongside Dublin’s Royal Canal. He was so excited he took out his penknife and carved his discovery right then and there on Broome Bridge.

    It is the most famous graffiti in mathematical history, but it looks rather unassuming:

    i 

    ²

     = j 

    ²

     = k 

    ²

     = ijk = 

    –1

    Yet Hamilton’s revelation changed the way mathematicians represent information. And this, in turn, made myriad technical applications simpler – from calculating forces when designing a bridge, an MRI machine or a wind turbine, to programming search engines and orienting a rover on Mars. So, what does this famous graffiti mean?

    Rotating objects

    The mathematical problem Hamilton was trying to solve was how to represent the relationship between different directions in three-dimensional space. Direction is important in describing forces and velocities, but Hamilton was also interested in 3D rotations.

    Mathematicians already knew how to represent the position of an object with coordinates such as x, y and z, but figuring out what happened to these coordinates when you rotated the object required complicated spherical geometry. Hamilton wanted a simpler method.

    He was inspired by a remarkable way of representing two-dimensional rotations.
    The trick was to use what are called “complex numbers”, which have a “real” part and an “imaginary” part. The imaginary part is a multiple of the number i, “the square root of minus one”, which is defined by the equation i ² = –1.

    By the early 1800s several mathematicians, including Jean Argand and John Warren, had discovered that a complex number can be represented by a point on a plane. Warren had also shown it was mathematically quite simple to rotate a line through 90° in this new complex plane, like turning a clock hand back from 12.15pm to 12 noon. For this is what happens when you multiply a number by i.

    When a complex number is represented as a point on a plane, multiplying the number by i amounts to rotating the corresponding line by 90° anticlockwise.
    The Conversation, CC BY

    Hamilton was mightily impressed by this connection between complex numbers and geometry, and set about trying to do it in three dimensions. He imagined a 3D complex plane, with a second imaginary axis in the direction of a second imaginary number j, perpendicular to the other two axes.

    It took him many arduous months to realise that if he wanted to extend the 2D rotational wizardry of multiplication by i he needed four-dimensional complex numbers, with a third imaginary number, k.

    In this 4D mathematical space, the k-axis would be perpendicular to the other three. Not only would k be defined by k ² = –1, its definition also needed k = ij = –ji. (Combining these two equations for k gives ijk = –1.)

    Putting all this together gives i ² = j ² = k ² = ijk = –1, the revelation that hit Hamilton like a bolt of lightning at Broome Bridge.

    Quaternions and vectors

    Hamilton called his 4D numbers “quaternions”, and he used them to calculate geometrical rotations in 3D space. This is the kind of rotation used today to move a robot, say, or orient a satellite.

    But most of the practical magic comes into it when you consider just the imaginary part of a quaternion. For this is what Hamilton named a “vector”.

    A vector encodes two kinds of information at once, most famously the magnitude and direction of a spatial quantity such as force, velocity or relative position. For instance, to represent an object’s position (x, y, z) relative to the “origin” (the zero point of the position axes), Hamilton visualised an arrow pointing from the origin to the object’s location. The arrow represents the “position vector” x i + y j + z k.

    This vector’s “components” are the numbers x, y and z – the distance the arrow extends along each of the three axes. (Other vectors would have different components, depending on their magnitudes and units.)

    A vector (r) is like an arrow from the point O to the point with coordinates (x, y, z).
    The Conversation, CC BY

    Half a century later, the eccentric English telegrapher Oliver Heaviside helped inaugurate modern vector analysis by replacing Hamilton’s imaginary framework i, j, k with real unit vectors, i, j, k. But either way, the vector’s components stay the same – and therefore the arrow, and the basic rules for multiplying vectors, remain the same, too.

    Hamilton defined two ways to multiply vectors together. One produces a number (this is today called the scalar or dot product), and the other produces a vector (known as the vector or cross product). These multiplications crop up today in a multitude of applications, such as the formula for the electromagnetic force that underpins all our electronic devices.

    A single mathematical object

    Unbeknown to Hamilton, the French mathematician Olinde Rodrigues had come up with a version of these products just three years earlier, in his own work on rotations. But to call Rodrigues’ multiplications the products of vectors is hindsight. It is Hamilton who linked the separate components into a single quantity, the vector.

    Everyone else, from Isaac Newton to Rodrigues, had no concept of a single mathematical object unifying the components of a position or a force. (Actually, there was one person who had a similar idea: a self-taught German mathematician named Hermann Grassmann, who independently invented a less transparent vectorial system at the same time as Hamilton.)

    Hamilton also developed a compact notation to make his equations concise and elegant. He used a Greek letter to denote a quaternion or vector, but today, following Heaviside, it is common to use a boldface Latin letter.

    This compact notation changed the way mathematicians represent physical quantities in 3D space.

    Take, for example, one of Maxwell’s equations relating the electric and magnetic fields:

    ∇

     

    ×

     

    E

     

    = –∂
    B
    /∂

    t

    With just a handful of symbols (we won’t get into the physical meanings of ∂/∂t and ∇ ×), this shows how an electric field vector (E) spreads through space in response to changes in a magnetic field vector (B).

    Without vector notation, this would be written as three separate equations (one for each component of B and E) – each one a tangle of coordinates, multiplications and subtractions.

    The expanded form of the equation. As you can see, vector notation makes life much simpler.
    The Conversation, CC BY

    The power of perseverance

    I chose one of Maxwell’s equations as an example because the quirky Scot James Clerk Maxwell was the first major physicist to recognise the power of compact vector symbolism. Unfortunately, Hamilton didn’t live to see Maxwell’s endorsement. But he never gave up his belief in his new way of representing physical quantities.

    Hamilton’s perseverance in the face of mainstream rejection really moved me, when I was researching my book on vectors. He hoped that one day – “never mind when” – he might be thanked for his discovery, but this was not vanity. It was excitement at the possible applications he envisaged.

    A plaque on Dublin’s Broome Bridge commemorate’s Hamilton’s flash of insight.
    Cone83 / Wikimedia, CC BY-SA

    He would be over the moon that vectors are so widely used today, and that they can represent digital as well as physical information. But he’d be especially pleased that in programming rotations, quaternions are still often the best choice – as NASA and computer graphics programmers know.

    In recognition of Hamilton’s achievements, maths buffs retrace his famous walk every October 16 to celebrate Hamilton Day. But we all use the technological fruits of that unassuming graffiti every single day.

    Robyn Arianrhod 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. Three letters, one number, a knife and a stone bridge: how a graffitied equation changed mathematical history – https://theconversation.com/three-letters-one-number-a-knife-and-a-stone-bridge-how-a-graffitied-equation-changed-mathematical-history-241034

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Has Kamala Harris reached the ceiling of her ability to make gains against Trump?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jared Mondschein, Director of Research, US Studies Centre, University of Sydney

    With less than three weeks to go before Election Day, the polling at this point is clear: Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are effectively tied.

    Harris has led the Democratic ticket for less than three months, but in that short time she has galvanised Democratic voters and significantly increased the popularity of the Democratic ticket. Yet, current levels of US political polarisation and, perhaps more notably, calcification, make one wonder just how much more support she could win.

    In other words, few Americans are undecided in their views of Donald Trump – he galvanises both his base and his opponents alike – so there are simply not many American voters remaining for Harris to try to win over.

    Initial momentum has plateaued

    When 81-year-old Joe Biden led the Democratic ticket in early 2024, only 55% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning voters were enthusiastic about the election.

    While the 2020 presidential election between Biden and Trump broke records for US voter turnout, the 2024 redux was looking like it would break the opposite sort of records – for voter disinterest.

    That is, at least, until Harris assumed the top of the Democratic ticket on 21 July 2024. Within a month of Biden stepping down as the party’s nominee, Democratic enthusiasm for their significantly younger candidate jumped 23 points to 78%. This eclipsed not only levels of enthusiasm that Democrats had for Barack Obama in 2008, but also the levels of enthusiasm that Republicans currently have for Donald Trump.

    Harris’ momentum saw the race quickly move on from deep analysis of the “double haters” – the record 25% US voters who disliked both Trump and Biden and were simply deciding which they hated less. With a much closer contest now likely, attention shifted to key swing states such as Pennsylvania, where Harris closed Trump’s five-point lead over Biden to now be around even.

    Small changes can make a big difference

    Harris’ ability to make the Democratic ticket competitive should not be undervalued. After all, as recently as June 2024, she was one of the few Democratic politicians who actually had a lower national approval rating than Joe Biden.

    With that said, the momentum for Harris should not be seen as a sea change across the country. As much as she energised a previously lacklustre Democratic ticket, approval of Harris among self-described Independent voters only increased from 36% to 43% in the same timeframe. Republican approval of Harris decreased slightly from 6% to 4% over the same period.

    Ultimately, even the slightest of changes can completely shift the nature of the race, particularly given how slim the margins have been in the last two presidential elections. In the 2016 presidential election, for example, Trump’s margin of victory was some 75,000 votes across three swing states. In 2020, Biden’s margin of victory was about 45,000 votes across three swing states.

    Harris or Trump’s 2024 margin of victory very well may be less than 0.03% of the US electorate, making this potentially the closest US election in decades.

    Has support for Harris peaked?

    For the first half of 2024, Trump polled considerably ahead of Biden in the key swing states that will most likely decide the US election. Then, within weeks of Harris becoming the presidential nominee in July, the difference in the swing states between Trump and his opponent shrank to around 1-2 percentage points.

    Now, nearly three months later, the polling is essentially unchanged – remaining well within the standard margin of error of around ±3%.

    As much as Harris has eclipsed Biden in the race against Trump, there is no denying the statistical reality that Harris is no longer gaining ground on Trump in the way that she was in the early weeks of her candidacy.

    Some have argued that Harris’ liabilities – and perhaps the reason she has stalled in the polls – are that Americans remain fairly negative on the economy, she is in the incumbent administration instead of on an outsider ticket, and that many view her as simply too progressive.

    Yet judging by the fact that Harris appears to be polling better than “a generic Democrat” – who generally are more popular than any other Democrats because they are not real people with real positions – it’s perhaps more likely that in these polarised and calcified times, Harris very well may have simply peaked as high as any other Democratic candidate possibly could.

    With American voter intentions barely shifting after an insurrection, pandemic and assassination attempts, it’s hard to imagine Harris can do much better than she already is doing.

    Harris’ best strategy for success on November 5 may therefore need to be less focused on winning over more of the very few undecided voters remaining, and instead more focused on simply getting her energised supporters to turn up on Election Day.

    Jared Mondschein 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. Has Kamala Harris reached the ceiling of her ability to make gains against Trump? – https://theconversation.com/has-kamala-harris-reached-the-ceiling-of-her-ability-to-make-gains-against-trump-240902

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: An immediate ban has been issued for the herbicide dacthal. What are the health risks?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Musgrave, Senior lecturer in Pharmacology, University of Adelaide

    Last week the Australian government cancelled the registration of all products containing chlorthal dimethyl, a weedkiller commonly known as dacthal.

    No phase out period applies. The cancellation is immediate, due to the risks it poses to human health – primarily unborn babies.

    This means using dacthal as a chemical agricultural product “is now illegal”, according the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority.

    So what has changed? What are the health risks of being exposed to dacthal – and how long have we known about them?

    What is dacthal?

    Dacthal and chlorthal dimethyl are alternative names for dimethyl tetrachloroterephthalate, or DCPA. This is a herbicide registered to control weeds in both agricultural and non-agricultural settings.

    Dacthal works by inhibiting auxin, a growth hormone in plants which promotes the development of buds, roots and lengthening cells.

    It is used to selectively kill annual grasses and many other common weeds, without killing turf grasses, flowers, fruits and vegetables. Dacthal is applied before weeds emerge, often when still in their seed stage.

    In Australia it is used in twelve herbicide products. All have been cancelled as of October 10 2024.

    Farmers and retailers are allowed to hold products until they’re recalled, but must not use them. The government says it will provide information about product recall shortly.

    What are the health risks?

    As dacthal targets a hormone found only in plants, for adult humans and mammals the chemical has limited acute and subchronic toxicity. This means brief exposure to high levels of dacthal, or longer-term exposure to modestly high levels, have no effect.

    However there is a health risk for unborn babies whose mothers have been directly exposed. This could be through mixing the chemical, loading and applying it, or from residue on treated crops – for up to five days after first applied.

    The chemical has been linked to low birth weight, and life-long impacts, which can include impaired brain development and motor skills.

    The government has advised pregnant agricultural workers who are concerned to speak to their clinician.

    What changed?

    Safety data for chemicals such as pesticides are periodically reevaluated. This is to see if any new risks have become apparent with advances in technology and our understanding of biology.

    In 2013, the United States Environmental Protection Agency called for fresh safety data to look at effects of dacthal on thyroid hormones.

    Fast forward to 2022. In that time, the company producing dacthal had failed to produce the required study. So the US Environmental Protection Agency issued a notice it would suspend technical-grade products containing dacthal.

    In response, the company submitted a thyroid study performed in rats. This study showed dacthal could affect thyroid function at doses lower than previously known.

    The US government determined this did not change recommendations for adults. However dacthal may affect thyroid function of a fetus at lower doses than those those that harm adults.

    What did the study in rats find?

    Dacthal was found to inhibit two thyroid hormones in rat pups whose mother had been exposed while pregnant.

    There was a 35-53% decrease in the hormone triiodothyronine, known as T3. And for thyroxine (T4), rat pups experienced a 29-66% decrease after their mother’s exposure.

    Decreases in these two hormones are associated with risks to unborn children including low birth weight and impaired brain development, IQ and motor skills.

    Of particular concern was the effects occurred at much lower levels than previously thought. The decreases in T3 and T4 occurred in rat pups exposed to levels of dacthal ten times lower than the safe threshold for their mothers. This means pregnant rats exposed to dacthal at those levels had no adverse effects, but their unborn babies did.

    Exactly how the chemical caused decreases in T3 and T4 in rat pups is not clear.

    However the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority considers this study relevant to humans. The changes in regulation are based on the potential harms if unborn babies are exposed via their mothers.

    The health risk is to the development of an unborn baby exposed to dachtal via their mother.
    Fox_Ana/Shutterstock

    What exposure is safe?

    The rat study was used to calculate maximum levels of exposure for pregnant workers. This maximum – 0.001 mg dachtal/kg body weight/day – was considered appropriate to reduce risk to the unborn child (and was not expected to harm adults).

    However, the maximum acceptable level was exceeded in all estimates of exposure to dachtal. This was the case even when the person was wearing protective clothing, gloves, and using a respirator.

    Even under stringent safety conditions, potential harms to an unborn child could not be ruled out. For this reason the US stopped sale of dacthal via an Emergency Order on 6 August 2024. Australia has since followed suit with its own ban.

    How long have we known about this?

    The US government only received the thyroid information in 2022. It then had to determine whether the levels of exposure under real world conditions would equate to risk in humans.

    This is not straightforward, as the pesticide is used under a variety of conditions, including:

    • mixing and preparing the pesticide using personal protective equipment
    • downstream spay drift
    • treatment of lawns and exposure to the lawn after treatment.

    Each of these scenarios requires careful analysis of potential risks.

    In addition, exposure can be through inhalation and/or skin contact. All this must be taken into account and these calculations take time.

    Should I be worried?

    If you were not pregnant and using personal protective clothing while using or applying dacthal herbicides, this is little cause for worry. Your exposure is below the maximum limit.

    But if you were pregnant when using dacthal pesticides, please consider consulting your child’s paediatrician.

    Ian Musgrave has received funding from the National health and Medical Research Council to study contaminants in herbal medicines. He has received ARC funding for studying Alzheimer’s disease in the recent past. He is a member of the Science Communicators South Australian Branch.

    – ref. An immediate ban has been issued for the herbicide dacthal. What are the health risks? – https://theconversation.com/an-immediate-ban-has-been-issued-for-the-herbicide-dacthal-what-are-the-health-risks-241257

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Australian schools need to address racism. Here are 4 ways they can do this

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Aaron Teo, Lecturer in Curriculum and Pedagogy, University of Southern Queensland

    The Australian Human Rights Commission wants to see schools address racism, as part of a broader push to address the problem across Australian society.

    As it says in a recent report,

    People are not born with racist attitudes or beliefs […] Addressing racism in schools is crucial to ensure that victims do not leave education facing lifelong disadvantage, and perpetrators do not enter adulthood believing racist behaviours are acceptable […].

    But racism is hardly mentioned in the Australian Curriculum – for example, it is noted in passing in the health and physical education curriculum for years 5 to 8. However, there is no consistent approach across subject areas, or at the state level.

    This means teaching about racism is largely left up to individual schools and teachers.

    Yet research shows they can be reluctant to speak about these issues with students. This is for a range of reasons, such as worrying they will say the wrong thing.

    How should school systems, schools and teachers address racism? Here are four ways.

    1. Teach racial literacy

    We know children demonstrate stereotyping and prejudice from an early age and students from racial minorities are frequently targets of racism and discrimination at school.

    In Australia, racism debates can also involve dangerous and ill-informed opinions.

    So we need to start teaching children and young people about racial literacy skills from the first year of schooling. This means they grow up to have the knowledge and language to talk about and confront racism.

    Some of these skills include:

    • being able to identify how racism appears in everyday interactions, the media and society more broadly

    • debunking common myths about racism, such as it is a “thing of the past”. Or “everyone has equal access to the same opportunities and outcomes if they work hard enough”

    • understanding the impacts of racism, including on people’s opportunities, education and their health and wellbeing

    • understanding how our own backgrounds, privilege and bias can influence how we confront or don’t confront racism.

    Students also need to learn how racism can be structural, systemic and institutional. This means racism is not just about an individuals’ beliefs or actions. Laws, policies, the way organisations are run and cultural norms can all result in inequitable treatment, opportunities and outcomes.

    2. Teach students how to react

    We also need to teach children how to react when they witness racism with age-appropriate tools.

    For both primary and secondary students, the first question should always be, “Is it safe for me to act?”, followed by “Am I the best person to act in this situation?”. Depending on their answers, they could:

    • report the incident to an appropriate adult or person in authority

    • show solidarity with the victim by comforting them and letting them know what happened was not OK

    • interrupt, distract or redirect the perpetrator

    • seek help from friends, a passerby or teacher.

    3. Create safe classrooms and playgrounds

    Teachers need to ensure classrooms and schools are safe spaces to discuss racism.

    This can include:

    • acknowledging how our own experiences, biases and privileges shape our world views

    • clearly defining the purpose of a discussion and the ground rules

    • using inclusive language.

    In particular, schools have a unique duty of care for minority students, who need to know they can talk openly about these issues with their peers and teachers without fear or judgement.

    This includes addressing sensitive topics like how they might experience or witness racism, the effect it can have on their health and wellbeing and those around them, and the consequences of talking about or reporting racism.

    4. Develop teachers’ skills

    As part of creating safe classrooms, teachers need to be able to confidently discuss tricky topics in an age-appropriate way.

    Our work has shown some teachers deny racism or perpetuate racist stereotypes. Others may avoid the topic, worrying they will say or do the wrong thing.

    Our current (as yet unpublished) research on anti-racism training with classroom teachers suggests they can increase their confidence to talk and teach about racism if given appropriate, and sustained training.

    What needs to happen now?

    We need anti-racism education to be an official part of school curricula. To accompany this, we need genuine commitments and modelling from policymakers, school leaders, teachers, parents and carers to address racism in schools.

    We need to talk openly about racism in schools. That means explicitly naming it, calling it out, and not getting defensive when it is identified and action is required.

    Aaron Teo is Convenor for the Australian Association for Research in Education Social Justice Special Interest Group, Queensland Convenor for the Asian Australian Alliance, member of the Challenging Racism Project, and member of the Advisory Committee for the Australian Human Rights Commission’s study into racism in Australian universities

    Rachel Sharples has received funding from the Australian Research Council and the NSW Department of Education. She is a member of the Challenging Racism Project (CRP) and the Centre for Resilient and Inclusive Communities (CRIS).

    – ref. Australian schools need to address racism. Here are 4 ways they can do this – https://theconversation.com/australian-schools-need-to-address-racism-here-are-4-ways-they-can-do-this-239823

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Jon Irvine Appointed IAM Healthcare Coordinator

    Source: US GOIAM Union

    IAM International President Brian Bryant has appointed Jon Irvine as IAM Healthcare Coordinator, effective Oct. 1, 2024. This appointment will build on the IAM’s commitment to empowering technical and professional workers in the healthcare industry.

    Irvine’s first exposure to the importance of a strong union voice for healthcare workers came from his mother, who spent her career as a Registered Nurse and proud AFSCME member. Jon would follow in his mother’s footsteps during the 2008 Great Recession and attended the Institute of Technology’s Licensed Practical Nursing program. Irvine eventually returned to work in the forestry field leading to his tenure with the IAM.

    Irvine began his IAM service in 2010 with Local W130 at the Port of Olympia in Washington state, where he served in many roles from Chief Shop Steward to Local President. He would go on to hone his skills as a professional trade unionist as a full-time team member with the Oregon AFL-CIO, providing collective bargaining, organizing and legislative support to affiliated unions.

    Eventually, Irvine returned to the IAM as a Business Representative with District W24, where he led the district’s organizing and legislative efforts. Irvine proved to be crucial part of District W24’s organizing success winning several campaigns for working people in the healthcare, automotive and manufacturing industry. 

    Irvine has spent the last two years of his career as an Education Representative at the IAM’s Winpisinger Education and Technology Center developing and teaching high level labor education to empower IAM members. As an Education Rep, Irvine played a pivotal role in supporting the educational needs of the IAM’s Healthcare, Railroad, Organizing and Woodworker Departments.

    “I’m grateful and humbled by the International President’s faith in my ability to help this team grow the IAM’s footprint in this industry and look forward to working with the IAM Healthcare team to reach this end,” said Irvine. “Healthcare workers play a vital role in our society. Diagnosing, treating and comforting people who are sick or injured is a noble endeavor. These workers deserve a collective voice, and I believe IAM Healthcare is the union to make sure these essential workers issues are heard loud and clear.”

    “Jon’s education and experience in healthcare work, organizing, collective bargaining and legislative action makes for a welcome addition to the IAM Healthcare team,” said International President Bryant. “Jon is joining IAM Healthcare at a critical moment for our union’s growing advocacy for both healthcare professionals and patients.” 

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Experts of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women Praise Chile’s Laws on Violence against Women, Ask about Measures to Prevent Trafficking of Children and Sexual Abuse of Girls

    Source: United Nations – Geneva

    The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women today considered the eighth periodic report of Chile, with Committee Experts praising the State’s laws on violence against women and femicide, and raising questions about measures to prevent trafficking of children and sexual abuse of girls.

    One Committee Expert said Chile had impressive laws on violence against women and femicide.  What was the reparation regime for femicide?

    A Committee Expert said trafficking remained a problem in Chile.  There were around 20,000 illegal adoptions; the stealing of children was reportedly a lucrative business for criminal groups.  What measures were in place to support women and children who were at risk of trafficking?

    Another Expert said the Committee was concerned by the high rates of teenage pregnancy and sexual abuse of teenage girls.  What was being done to prevent early pregnancies, sexual abuse of girls, and delays in processing of abortion requests?

    Introducing the report, Antonia Orellana Guarello, Minister of Women and Gender Equity of Chile and head of the delegation, said an emblematic advance in the fight against violence in Chile was the enactment this June of the comprehensive law against gender violence. In the last two years, law reform had established a comprehensive protection and reparation regime for victims of femicide. National violence against women programmes had been redesigned to offer care to a wider range of victims.

    Ms. Orellana Guarello said the Government had developed the National Action Plan against Trafficking in Persons 2023-2026, focusing on prevention, protection of victims, prosecution of crimes, intersectoral coordination, and international cooperation.  This plan had made it possible to double the State’s capacity to care for adult victims.

    The delegation added that the State had a new procedure for assessing international adoptions and was supporting investigations into kidnapping of children. One individual who had been kidnapped had been identified and reunited with their family.  The State party was working to establish a genetic database to help reunite families and victims.

    Chile had seen a downward trend in teenage pregnancies since 2016, the delegation noted, influenced by the free distribution of contraception.  The State party was developing legislation that decriminalised abortion.  Around 70 per cent of girls under 14 who requested abortions did so on the grounds of rape.  An early referrals programme had been developed to speed up their access to abortions.

    In closing remarks, Ms. Orellana Guarello said Chile was committed to implementing the rights of women in all their diversity.  The State party would work to collect disaggregated data on women, achieve gender parity at all levels, increase access to abortion, promote the rights of older women and reform the pension system, and improve the situation of women deprived of liberty.

    Ana Peláez Narváez, Committee Chair, in concluding remarks, said that the dialogue had helped the Committee to better understand the situation of women and girls in the State party.  It would develop recommendations based on the dialogue to strengthen the implementation of the Convention for the benefit of all women and girls in Chile.

    The delegation of Chile consisted of representatives from the Supreme Court; Ministry of Justice and Human Rights; National Migration Service; Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Ministry of Women and Gender Equity; Ministry of the Interior and Public Security; Public Prosecutor’s Office; Gendarmerie; Public Criminal Defender’s Office; Cabinet of the Minister of Social Development and Family; and the Permanent Mission of Chile to the United Nations Office at Geneva.

    The Committee will issue the concluding observations on the report of Chile at the end of its eighty-ninth session on 25 October.  All documents relating to the Committee’s work, including reports submitted by States parties, can be found on the session’s webpage.  Meeting summary releases can be found here.  The webcast of the Committee’s public meetings can be accessed via the UN Web TV webpage.

    The Committee will next meet in public at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, 16 October to consider the tenth periodic report of Canada (CEDAW/C/CAN/10).

    Report

    The Committee has before it the eighth periodic report of Chile (CEDAW/C/CHL/8).

    Presentation of Report

    ANTONIA ORELLANA GUARELLO, Minister of Women and Gender Equity of Chile and head of the delegation, said that since the last dialogue, Chile had experienced social protests, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the emergence of “anti-rights” groups.  Despite these challenges, the State had made progress in institutional, legal and administrative mechanisms to ensure the rights of women.  The National Equality Plan, updated in 2023, was the roadmap for equality policies in Chile. Minority groups had participated in the construction and monitoring of the plan.  In 2023 and 2024, six billion pesos were allocated to projects that directly benefited the diversity of women in different State institutions.

    An emblematic advance in the fight against violence was the enactment this June of the comprehensive law against gender violence, which established measures to punish and eradicate gender-based violence.  It created a judicial supervision mechanism, recognised children and adolescents as victims, and established an integrated data system on cases of gender violence. In the last two years, law reform had improved procedural guarantees and protected the rights of victims of sexual crimes; advanced the prevention, investigation and punishment of workplace sexual harassment; and established a comprehensive protection and reparation regime for victims of femicide, including a pension for sons and daughters, which until August 2024 has benefited 126 children and adolescents. National violence against women programmes had been redesigned to offer care to a wider range of victims.  The budget allocated to the prevention of violence against women had been increased by 22 per cent between 2021 and 2024.

    In 2022, a law prohibiting child marriage was enacted.  Thanks to this law, in the last two years there were no marriages with spouses under 18 years of age.  The Government had also developed the National Action Plan against Trafficking in Persons 2023-2026, focusing on prevention, protection of victims, prosecution of crimes, intersectoral coordination, and international cooperation. This plan had made it possible to double the State’s capacity to care for adult victims.  As of May 2024, humanitarian visas were issued to 21 women victims.  Progress had also been made with respect to the payment of child support through the creation of the National Registry of Alimony Debtors and the effective payment law. This had allowed the payment of more than 333 million United States dollars for alimony, benefiting more than 50,000 families as of May 2024.

    Chile was processing the bill that modified the Labour Code to promote equal pay between men and women, seeking to address the persistent gender wage gap, which stood at 23.3 per cent.  The Buenos Aires Commitment recognised the right to care and be cared for.  The Government had introduced a bill to establish a national policy on care to guarantee access to care in conditions of dignity.  Resources for care systems would be increased by 40 per cent by 2025, with the goal of serving 75,000 people with severe dependency.

    The More Women Scientists Programme had provided posts to women in science, technology, engineering and maths programmes at the university level.  The number of women selected for such programmes had since increased by 16.8 per cent.  The Government had implemented an inspection manual for the voluntary interruption of pregnancy law, which gave tools to local authorities for the supervision of health facilities.  It had also reduced the prices of oral, vaginal and long-acting contraception.

    The percentage of women participating in politics had increased in recent decades.  Chile was ranked sixth worldwide in high-level representation of women, with 58.3 per cent of members of the Cabinet of Ministers being women.  The Government was also promoting projects such as gender quotas in the elections of regional governors and councillors.  In the last two years, spaces had been created for women to participate in the evaluation and transformation of public policy, such as the Citizen Dialogues for the Care System, which had 12,614 participants, of which 80.4 per cent were women.  Dialogues were also held for rural women and for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex community, on sexual and reproductive rights and pension reform.

    In the last two years, 119 indigenous language and culture educators were recruited.  The Good Living Plan promoted the participation of Mapuche and rural women in political and social decisions through territorial dialogues.  The Government had also doubled the quota for hiring people with disabilities in companies and public institutions with 100 or more workers.  The National Policy on Migration and Foreigners provided comprehensive care for foreign women victims of domestic and gender-based violence.  Since 2023, the gender identity accompaniment programme had been implemented, serving more than 2,500 transgender and gender non-conforming children and adolescents.  This year, the Protocol for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders was approved, reaffirming the commitment of the State to protect women human rights defenders.  The Protocol on the Treatment of Pregnant Women in Detention sought to guarantee respect for and exercise of these women’s rights.  From 2022 to May of this year, a total of 321 pregnant women had benefited from this law.

    The Committee’s recommendations would allow the State to make progress in complying with its international commitments and to guarantee respect for human rights.

    LORETO CARVAJAL, Senator of the Republic, said she was a member of a group of parliamentarians that promoted the creation of the Commission on Women and Gender Equity, a space to debate policies against discrimination and violence against women. The law on labour conciliation enshrined the right to remote work for all workers who had children under 14 years of age in their care.  Another law prohibited sexual and workplace violence and harassment at work.  The National Congress had also established its first breastfeeding room, and the Senate had installed 24 kits with menstrual hygiene products in its bathrooms.  The Work-Life Balance Protocol supported women with family and care responsibilities. 

    Chile also faced several challenges.  The revision of the civil partnership regime was still pending, as was a bill to strengthen the anti-discrimination law.  It was essential that resources were appropriately allocated to initiatives that addressed gender-based violence and promoted women’s economic empowerment.  There also needed to be increased cooperation between the legislative branch, the executive and civil society.  The delegation would faithfully reflect on both the State’s progress and the challenges remaining regarding the implementation of the Convention.

    ANDREA MUÑOZ SÁNCHEZ, Minister of the Supreme Court of Chile, said Chile’s understanding of the need to increase women’s access to justice had improved over the reporting period, and legal instruments and rulings reflected this.  The Supreme Court of Justice had a technical secretariat on gender equality and a gender equality policy.  There had been rulings regarding cases of violence against women that dealt with abandonment and recognition of non-typical cases of violence, including the use of legitimate use of self-defence by women.  There had also been rulings on the rights of women deprived of liberty and rulings recognising non-binary gender, and alternatives to detention had been issued for pregnant women.  The judiciary had also implemented many measures to eradicate sexual harassment in the workplace.

    Statement by the National Human Rights Institute

    CONSUELO CONTRERAS LARGO, National Director, National Human Rights Institute of Chile, said Chile’s statistics on violence against women were not disaggregated based on ethnicity, location, age, disability, sexual orientation and migrant status; this needed to be done.  It was worrying that amendments to the conjugal partnership law and the anti-discrimination law had not progressed.  The gap in representation between men and women continued to be wide, especially in mayoral offices and in the Senate, where women made up only 17 per cent and 24 per cent of representatives, respectively.  There was no gender quota in municipal elections, and for parliamentary elections, the quota would be in force only until 2029. 

    Difficulties in reporting violence and accessing care for minority women were concerning. There was a low number of personnel responsible for investigating trafficking in persons in the investigative police.  It was also worrying that only 15 universities offered training in gender violence, women’s rights, and gender perspective, and there was no discussion in Congress about comprehensive sex education in the school curriculum. 

    Gaps in wages and employability of men and women remained, while unemployment rates continued to be higher in women than in men.  The Institute was also concerned about barriers that hindered the provision of access to voluntary termination of pregnancy, including training and conscientious objection, and about the situation of pregnant women and women with children in prisons and the lack of progress on the bill prohibiting pretrial detention for such women.  The Institute was concerned about the lack of cultural relevance of policies for the prevention of violence against indigenous women.

    Questions by a Committee Expert

    MARION BETHEL, Committee Expert and Rapporteur for Chile, said that the Committee welcomed the efforts by the State party to disseminate the Convention and the ratification of the Optional Protocol in 2020.  Capacity-building efforts had reached over 46,000 public servants.  Had the State party established a permanent accountability mechanism regarding the Convention?  Was the Convention promoted in rural areas and had it been translated into indigenous languages? 

    The recent reform of the Constitution was a unique opportunity to advance gender equality and incorporate comprehensive protections for women’s rights.  However, this process had faced challenges.  What steps had been taken to anchor women’s rights in the Constitution? The Committee was concerned about discrimination targeting indigenous women and women of African descent.  What steps had been taken to amend the law on discrimination in line with the Convention?  How many cases had been tried under the law and what reparation had been provided to minority women?  What steps had been taken to address the law’s inadequacies?

    The availability of legal assistance for minority women remained insufficient.  How was the State party addressing this?  What training was being provided on gender equality and support for women for members of the judiciary?  Did training provided for the police and prison service improve access to justice for indigenous women, and how was gender mainstreaming being incorporated in the judiciary?

    Ms. Bethel welcomed that the Convention had been invoked in court rulings.  The State party needed to collect disaggregated data to inform public policy on gender.  What had been the impact of the work of the Intersectoral Working Group on the Rights of Indigenous Women?

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said Chile was committed to addressing gaps in monitoring the implementation of the Convention. The State party was making use of the “SEMORE” system, which collected data on the implementation of human rights treaties.  A mechanism had opened that allowed civil society to monitor the implementation of the Convention and a gender budgeting system would soon be implemented.

    More than 33,000 public servants had received training on gender equality.  The State was collaborating with the local office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to strengthen training on the Convention for public officials.  Between 2022 and 2024, around 7,500 members of the judiciary took courses on gender issues and more than 900 members of the investigative police had also received such training.  From this year, all criminal and family judges were required to undergo mandatory training on violence against women, and prosecutors also underwent training on the Convention.

    The judiciary provided defence for all individuals.  There were specialised defenders for indigenous women and intercultural communicators who supported these women.  A bill to reform the Anti-Discrimination Act addressed shortcomings in the legislation and the need to compensate victims; this bill had been rejected, but work was underway to reform it so that it could be passed.

    The Government was working to establish institutions, roadmaps and training programmes to promote the rights of indigenous women.  The judiciary had a handbook of good practices related to gender, and a repository of judgements related to gender had been published.  More than 11,000 judgements had referenced the Convention, including 8,000 judgements by family courts.

    The Sub-Commission on Gender Statistics had established a standard on statistics on gender identity.  Upcoming surveys on gender-based violence would cover rural areas.  The new national census would include questions on gender identity, ethnicity and other characteristics.

    Questions by Committee Experts 

    A Committee Expert congratulated the State party on the creation of the Ministry for Women and Gender Equity. What percentage of the national budget had been devoted to gender institutions in the last three years? How did the State party ensure compliance by public officials with the Convention?  What was the mandate of the National Service for Women and Gender Equity? How was the Women’s Ministry empowered to influence other ministries, institutions and the media?

    The fourth national action plan on equality between men and women was commendable.  What budget had been attached to the plan and what achievements had it made?  Were issues concerning disadvantaged women integrated into national priorities? What measures were in place to monitor the implementation of the plan?

    MARION BETHEL, Committee Expert and Rapporteur for Chile, commended the State party for its use of temporary special measures in promoting the representation of women in political bodies.  There was an absence of temporary special measures to promote the rights of disadvantaged women in other areas, however.  What groups of women had been targeted by temporary special measures and what steps had been taken to guarantee women’s rights in the economic recovery plan?  How were temporary special measures being used to address gender stereotypes and promote women’s access to employment?

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said the National Service for Women and Gender Equity promoted gender equality and women’s empowerment in various areas.  The budget for the Service had been increased in recent years, and its programme to combat violence had been strengthened.  Its activities reached more than 150,000 women, preventing violence and promoting women’s political participation.

    Almost 46,000 members of the police service had received training on human rights and gender, including over 500 directors of the police force.  The share of women applying for posts within the police had increased to 40 per cent. 

    The Women’s Ministry had participated in drafting the post-pandemic economic recovery plan in 2022, incorporating gender perspectives into the plan.  The rate of female integration in the workforce had increased by two per cent since the implementation of the plan.  Subsidies were provided to employed women to access childcare, and structures providing care for the elderly had been strengthened to alleviate women’s care burden.  The childcare system had been reformed to increase access for marginalised women.

    The labour inclusion law had helped to double the number of women with disabilities who had access to the labour market.  There was currently a record number of women in construction in Chile.

    Questions by Committee Experts 

    MARION BETHEL, Committee Expert and Rapporteur for Chile, said there was a lack of temporary special measures for indigenous women, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex women, and other disadvantaged women.  Was the State party working to create these?

    ANA PELÁEZ NARVÁEZ, Committee Chair, asked how the State party ensured access to justice for vulnerable women.  Could indigenous women use their own languages in court?  What measures were in place to protect girls in the justice system?  How did the State ensure access to its national surveys for indigenous women, girls and women with disabilities? 

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said the Government was drafting a law on access to justice for gender-based crimes.  The judiciary had training programmes on gender and sexual diversity and there had been an inclusion protocol developed for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex community.

    The Government was working to ensure access to social programmes for marginalised groups of the population. Community care centres had been set up in rural areas to support the care burden for indigenous peoples. Information on sexual and reproductive rights was being provided to indigenous women in different indigenous languages and in Braille.  The national census was made available in the main three indigenous languages.  A law had been passed to recognise Chilean people of African descent, and the Ministry of Women had a body working to promote the rights of women of African descent.

    Questions by Committee Experts 

    A Committee Expert welcomed that Chile’s domestic legislation needed to be interpreted in line with the international human rights treaties ratified by Chile, and commended the State party’s efforts to address historical wrongs against women.  How was the State party advancing space exploration led by women and addressing the threats posed to women by autonomous weapons systems?  How would the State party incorporate women peacebuilders within its national action plan on women, peace and security?

    Technology-assisted violence disproportionately affected women.  How was the State party addressing algorithmic biases against women in artificial intelligence models?  The State had impressive laws on violence against women and femicide.  What was the reparation regime for femicide?  How did the State party monitor the implementation of the law on workplace harassment and prevent reprisals against women who reported it?  The State party needed to immediately promulgate the law on consent for sexual relations.  Was the monitoring mechanism for discrimination against HIV-positive people still in place?  Did the media law prohibit gender stereotyping? 

    Trafficking remained a problem in Chile. There were around 20,000 illegal adoptions; the stealing of children was reportedly a lucrative business for criminal groups.  Children in child protection centres were at risk of trafficking.  What reparations had been provided for victims of illegal adoptions?  What measures were in place to support women and children who were at risk of trafficking?

    ANA PELÁEZ NARVÁEZ, Committee Chair, congratulated the State party on implementing the ruling of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights regarding reparation for the forced sterilisation of a woman.  Was forced sterilisation of women with disabilities common?  When would the State party criminalise this practice? How was the State party ensuring protection for girls who were wards of the State from institutional violence?

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said women were included in Chile’s armed forces.  The Commission of Peace and Understanding between the State and the Mapuche people, which included Mapuche women, was striving to achieve peace and an end to conflict with the Mapuche.  Chile had had a feminist foreign policy since 2022, and a gender lens was incorporated into foreign aid activities.  Chile was focusing on including women in international peace negotiations, such as negotiations with Colombia.  The State party had included a gender dimension in the regulation of autonomous weapons and in disarmament efforts.

    There were differing opinions on the effectiveness of establishing a law on consent for sexual relations; negotiation on this act was ongoing.  Laws had been implemented that increased penalties for obstetric violence and the non-consensual dissemination of pornographic material.  The new comprehensive law on violence against women addressed obstetric violence.  Courts were providing compensation for moral harm caused by obstetric violence and failed sterilisation procedures requested by women.

    Chile was promoting the inclusion of women in science, technology, engineering and maths careers and there had been an increase in women taking up these careers.  The State party had passed a law that promoted the inclusion of women in the mining sector.

    The State had a new procedure for assessing international adoptions and was supporting investigations into the kidnapping of children.  One individual who had been kidnapped had been identified and reunited with their family. The State party was working to establish a genetic database to help reunite families and victims.

    Chile had not received complaints related to the forced sterilisation of persons with disabilities.  It had recently adopted a law that required free, prior and informed consent for sterilisation procedures.  The State party had created a special body monitoring girls, boys and adolescents who were wards of the State.  Protection measures were implemented as a last resort.

    Questions by Committee Experts 

    A Committee Expert commended the State party’s commitment to female diplomacy and representation in all decision-making arena.  Would the State party implement quotas for 50 per cent representation of women at all levels of government?  The Expert welcomed the definition of “political violence” against women in the State’s legislation.  Was there a system for implementing this legislation?  What measures were in place to promote gender parity in the private sector? Was there a system to assess the environmental and gender impacts of foreign policies?

    Another Committee Expert welcomed efforts to address statelessness, including the implementation of the Statelessness Convention and the granting of Chilean nationality to all people born on Chilean territory.  Many children were born on migratory routes in Chile, increasing their risk of statelessness.  How was the State party working to register the births of migrant children?  Could it provide statistics in this regard?  How was the State party promoting access to refugee status determination procedures?

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said Chile’s feminist foreign policy included measures promoting the representation of women in the foreign service.  Around 24 per cent of Chile’s ambassadors were female, up from around 12 per cent in 2022.  The State was approaching gender parity in its diplomatic corps.  All Chile’s trade agreements had specific chapters on women. Chile had won a prize from the World Trade Organization for promoting gender equality through trade.

    There had been a rise in female participation in the Congress.  Quotas had been established for electoral lists.  Women were currently heading 13 different ministries, including ministries typically led by men.  Quotas were also being implemented in the regional elections that were currently underway.  A tool had been developed to support women wishing to run for election.  The Government had recognised political violence as a form of discrimination.  The Electoral Service was developing clear standards on this form of violence.

    Currently, all children born on migratory routes had access to Chilean nationality.  The State project on statelessness had allowed for the provision of nationality to around 100 children.  The law on immigration respected the best interests of the child. A draft law had been developed to provide nationality to children who did not have identity documents.  The State party worked to prevent refoulement of migrants.

    Questions by Committee Experts 

    A Committee Expert commended the educational reforms implemented by the State party.  What strategy did the State party have to prevent the dissemination of gender stereotypes in education?  What redress systems were in place for victims of discrimination within education? What monitoring was in place to ensure that the language policy empowered and did not stigmatise indigenous children?  What temporary special measures were in place to promote access to education for minority girls? 

    Had the State party developed disability-friendly learning environments and promoted inclusive education?  What was the rate of return for girls who left the education system early?  How did the State party’s science, technology, engineering and maths education programme address structural barriers to women accessing careers in this field?  The reproductive health education programme started in the second education cycle and was not compulsory.  Would the State party make the programme compulsory, continuing and age appropriate?

    Another Committee Expert commended the State party’s gender parity initiative, the law to reduce the maximum weekly working hours, and the law to implement International Labour Organization Convention 190.  The gender pay gap persisted in the State party.  What measures would the State party take to address the gap, particularly in higher paying positions?  The labour participation rate for women was 48.1 per cent in 2021.  What measures were in place to increase the rate and eliminate horizontal and vertical discrimination against women in the workplace? How was the State party promoting women’s participation in the digital economy, and the employment of marginalised women?  How were self-employed women and domestic workers supported to access State benefits? What efforts had been made to promote the equal sharing of household responsibilities between men and women? Could data on this be provided?

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said Chile had developed a draft bill on schooling that addressed discrimination within the educational community.  The bill was currently being assessed by Congress.  National days on non-sexist education had been held; over 450,000 children and parents had participated.  The admission system for higher education had been amended to support women’s access.  Textbooks had been updated to remove gender stereotypes.  The Government was also working to discourage violence in educational settings.  There were seven possible programmes for sex education, and schools could choose which programme they provided.  The State party planned to develop a bill that would improve the quality of sex education.  Educational institutions were being provided with guidance to implement inclusive education for children with disabilities.

    Between 2022 and 2024, women’s wages had increased by six per cent, and employment rates for women had returned to pre-pandemic levels.  The gender wage gap had decreased from 25 per cent in 2022 to 23 per cent in 2023. Most trade unions had greater participation of women than men.  Regulations had been implemented that allowed for shorter working hours for workers with children.  The number of days that parents could have off when their children were sick had been increased from 15 to 30.  Chile’s legislation established the joint responsibility of parents in caring for their children.  A programme had been developed to provide care for children in rural areas during holiday periods to allow their mothers to continue working.  This programme was now being expanded.

    Questions by Committee Experts 

    A Committee Expert said learners with auditory disabilities had complained that digital education portals were not accessible for them.  Had the State addressed this issue?  Each of the seven possible sexual health education programmes needed to be compliant with the Convention.  How many educational institutions had been fined for discrimination against girls?

    Another Committee Expert commended the State party’s initiative to decriminalise abortion on all grounds. The Committee was concerned by the high rates of teenage pregnancy and sexual abuse of teenage girls.  What was being done to prevent early pregnancies, sexual abuse of girls, and delays in processing of abortion requests?  Around 42 per cent of obstetric practitioners were conscientious objectors to abortion.  In rural areas, there were no alternatives if local doctors were conscientious objectors.  How was the State party addressing this?  Many women had experienced obstetric violence.  What support was the State party providing to ensure access to reparation for such violence?

    One Committee Expert commended the State’s pension and labour law reform.  Women’s unpaid working hours exceeded those of men by a large margin. Almost half of households were headed by women, many of which were impoverished.  There was a pay gap regarding pension payments for retirees. How was the State party preventing the widening of the gender wage gap and working to reduce the representation of women in the informal sector?  How would the State party correct the gender inequalities in the pension system and compensate women for unpaid care work?  Over 40 per cent of companies did not have women on their boards; how was this being addressed?

    What measures were in place to promote women and girls’ access to cultural and sporting activities, and to address discrimination against women in sports?

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said Chile had seen a downward trend in teenage pregnancies since 2016, influenced by the free distribution of contraception.  To prevent the underground use of misoprostol, the State party was developing legislation that decriminalised abortion.  Under 10 per cent of health providers had conscientious objectors to abortions.  The State party supported the referral of persons seeking abortions to alternative abortion providers in cases of conscientious objection.  Conscientious objectors were required to provide abortions if there was a risk to the life of the mother.  Chile had amended legislation to require healthcare institutions to provide patients with information on their abortion rights in various languages.  Around 70 per cent of girls under 14 who requested abortions did so on the grounds of rape.  An early referrals programme had been developed to speed up their access to abortions.  Most family court cases concerning abortions for minors who had been raped were decided within two days.

    Coverage of the pension system had reached 80 per cent, increasing greatly in recent years.  The State party was implementing reforms to close the gender pension gap.  It had drafted a law towards this aim that was currently in its second reading.  A national survey was being carried out that assessed the distribution of domestic work responsibilities.  It would inform future support policies.

    Questions by Committee Experts 

    A Committee Expert asked if the State party had considered mechanisms to prevent backstreet abortions.  What support did the State provide to girls who underwent abortions?

    Another Committee Expert asked if girls aged 16 and over could access abortions in cases of rape.

    One Committee Expert asked about measures to support women entrepreneurs’ access to loans and credit.

    A Committee Expert asked about steps that had been taken to develop an action plan on rural women and girls that addressed their access to services and land.  Chile was the only country in Latin America that did not recognise indigenous peoples in its Constitution.  Would the State party establish a ministry of indigenous affairs, as the Committee had previously recommended? What measures were in place to guarantee the right to tenure and ownership of land for indigenous women? Women of African descent were not visible in the State party due to a lack of data. Not all women of African descent were recognised by the State party in its legislation; how would this be addressed?

    Another Committee Expert commended reforms that raised the minimum age of marriage to 18 without exception.  De facto early unions were still being carried out in Chile.  What measures were in place to identify such unions and to support their dissolution, particularly in rural areas?  How was the State party promoting access to adoption for same-sex couples?  What was the status of efforts to amend the marital regime and to educate the population in this regard?  How effectively were temporary protective measures implemented to protect women and children in cases of family violence?

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said Chile planned to collect more data on people of African descent through its 2025 census. The Ministry of Women and Equity had implemented measures to support access to land tenure for indigenous peoples. There had yet to be progress on the draft law establishing a ministry of indigenous affairs; the Government would devote further efforts toward this aim.

    A national roundtable had been set up to support rural and indigenous women.  The roundtable had developed a programme to support access to water for these women.  There was also a programme supporting the development of rural and indigenous women as leaders.

    Amendments to the adoption law had been discussed for over 10 years.  The Government was working to establish a law that allowed for the adoption of children by same-sex couples.  Custody of children was not granted to violent parents.  Recent legislative reform defined children who experienced domestic violence as victims.  The State party was working to reform the marital property regime to increase women’s access to property in cases of divorce.

    Questions by Committee Experts 

    A Committee Expert said extractive industry activities had affected access to water in rural areas.  Would the State party strengthen environmental regulations to ensure that agribusiness activities did not negatively affect rural and indigenous women?  What steps had been taken to hold persons responsible for human rights violations occurring in the context of the 2019 protests?

    Another Committee Expert noted that a case had been brought before the Supreme Court in 2021 by two women regarding the shutting down of a power plant in Huasco.  What measures were in place to protect women in Huasco from pollution from power plants?

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said a plan was being developed to gradually close power plants in Huasco and to provide reparations to persons who had been affected by pollution from these plants.  A draft bill had been put forward to address the loss of rural ecosystems caused by the activities of extractive industries.  A climate change adaption plan was also in place.

    Around 50 complaints had been brought against civil servants related to their actions in response to the 2019 protests, some of which had led to prosecutions.  Five of these cases involved female victims. 

    Concluding Remarks

    ANTONIA ORELLANA GUARELLO, Minister of Women and Gender Equity of Chile and head of the delegation, said the dialogue had been constructive.  The Committee’s inputs had been and would continue to be vital for the State party.  Chile was committed to implementing the rights of women in all their diversity. The State party had made progress but acknowledged that gaps remained.  The Committee’s recommendations would help the State party to move forward.  Chile would work to collect disaggregated data on women, achieve gender parity at all levels, increase access to abortion, promote the rights of older women and reform the pension system, and improve the situation of women deprived of liberty.

    ANA PELÁEZ NARVÁEZ, Committee Chair, said that the dialogue had helped the Committee to better understand the situation of women and girls in Chile.  It would develop recommendations based on the dialogue to strengthen the implementation of the Convention for the benefit of all women and girls in Chile.

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  • MIL-OSI USA: $1.5 Million Awarded at Watts on the Moon Finals 

    Source: NASA

    Great Lakes Science Center, home of the visitor center for NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, hosted the final phase of NASA’s Watts on the Moon Challenge on Sept. 20. NASA astronaut Stephen Bowen attended to help acknowledge the top winners.  
    NASA awarded a total of $1.5 million to two U.S. teams for their novel technology solutions addressing energy distribution, management, and storage as part of the challenge. The innovations from this challenge aim to support NASA’s Artemis missions, which will establish a long-term human presence on the Moon. 
    This two-phase competition challenged U.S. innovators to develop breakthrough technologies that could enable long-duration Moon missions to advance the nation’s lunar exploration goals. 
    The winning teams are: 

    First Prize ($1 million): Team H.E.L.P.S. (High Efficiency Long-Range Power Solution) from University of California, Santa Barbara , won the grand prize for their hardware solution, which featured the lowest mass and highest efficiency of all competitors.  

    Second prize ($500,000): Orbital Mining Corporation, a space technology startup in Golden, Colorado, earned the second prize for its hardware solution that also successfully completed the 48-hour test with high performance. 

    Four teams were invited to refine their hardware and deliver full system prototypes in the  final stage of the competition, and three finalist teams completed their technology solutions for demonstration and assessment at NASA Glenn.  

    NASA Glenn’s Mary Wadel, director of Technology Integration and Partnerships, recognized the work involved to bring this challenge to its conclusion. Rob Button, deputy chief of Glenn’s Power Division and his team of experts, formulated and executed the challenge and oversaw testing. 
    The technologies were the first power transmission and energy storage prototypes to be tested by NASA in a vacuum chamber mimicking the freezing temperature and absence of pressure found at the permanently shadowed regions of the Lunar South Pole.  
    The Watts on the Moon Challenge is a NASA Centennial Challenge led by NASA Glenn. As the agency’s lead center for power systems technologies, NASA Glenn has been involved in the Watts on the Moon Challenge from its inception.  

    MIL OSI USA News –