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Category: Health

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reps. Titus, Omar Introduce Evidence-Based Drug Policy Act

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Dina Titus (1st District of Nevada)

    Congresswoman Dina Titus and Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, Democratic Co-Chairs of the Cannabis Caucus, today introduced the Evidence-Based Drug Policy Act of 2025.

    Under current law, the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) is prohibited from spending on or sponsoring any research related to the medical or recreational use of a Schedule 1 substance. Additionally, the Director of the ONDCP must oppose any attempt to legalize a substance that is listed under Schedule 1 and has not been approved for a medical purpose by the Food and Drug Administration.

    The Evidence-Based Drug Policy Act removes these restrictions, allowing the executive branch’s drug policy advisor to take actions reflecting the current use of cannabis in the United States. This outdated prohibition is not based on science or reality. Removing this restriction would allow the ONDCP to conduct essential public policy analyses on states’ adult-use and medicinal cannabis programs and sponsor medical research on the benefits of cannabis. A 2024 National Academies study entitled, “Cannabis Policy Impacts Public Health and Health Equity”, specifically recommended Congress remove these restrictions so that ONDCP can support research on the impacts of changes in cannabis policy.

    “The Office of National Drug Control Policy and its Director should be free to sponsor research or speak about substances like cannabis based on evidence and research,” said Congresswoman Titus. “Statutory restrictions on what can be studied and a mandate to oppose any attempts to reschedule substances like cannabis make no sense. It’s time to update the law to reflect the current use of cannabis in the United States and its medical benefits. The federal government needs to catch up to the states.”

    “Our nation’s drug policies have been shaped by stigma. The American people overwhelmingly support cannabis reform, and yet the federal government continues to tie the hands of its own experts,” said Congresswoman Ilhan Omar. “The Evidence-Based Drug Policy Act is about bringing our laws into the 21st century, ensuring that the Office of National Drug Control Policy can do its job guided by facts, not outdated ideology. We need drug policy to follow the science and reflect the reality on the ground in states across the country.”

    The Evidence-Based Drug Policy Act of 2025 is supported by the Drug Policy Alliance, the Nevada Cannabis Association, the National Cannabis Industry Association, the UNLV Cannabis Policy Institute, NORML, the Marijuana Policy Project, the Law Enforcement Action Partnership, the Parabola Center for Law and Policy, Doctors for Drug Policy Reform, the US Cannabis Roundtable, Cannabis Regulators of Color, Students for Sensible Drug Policy, the Minority Cannabis Business Association, and the Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association.

    “The Drug Policy Alliance is proud to support the Evidence-Based Drug Policy Reform Act because it removes unnecessary barriers to ensure that the Office of National Drug Control Policy is empowered to develop drug policy based on evidence, not outdated political mandates,” said Cat Packer, Director of Drug Markets & Legal Regulation, Drug Policy Alliance. “To advance policies that support public health, promote fairness, and meet the needs of the American people, ONDCP must be free to study the full range of public policy approaches—including the impacts of cannabis policy changes such as legalization and regulation.”

    “The Evidence-Based Drug Policy Act of 2025 is a smart, surgical fix to promote much needed cannabis research. By targeting one deeply flawed provision that blocks scientific research and prevents us from understanding the public health impacts of cannabis legalization, this bill allows the government to study what’s already happening in dozens of states,” said Riana Durrett, Director, UNLV Cannabis Policy Institute. “Representative Titus is championing rational, responsible, and long overdue access to research. This is a commendable effort to prevent our nation from continuing to fall behind other countries that are forging ahead and surpassing the United States in cannabis research.”

    “We are proud to endorse this bill that would encourage the federal government to study the impacts of cannabis legalization. Despite the fact that over two-thirds of Americans live in jurisdictions that allow the medical use of cannabis and 24 states have legalized adult-use cannabis, the federal government has maintained restrictions on research aimed at understanding the impacts of these policy changes since their inception,” said Lauren Daly, Marijuana Policy Project Interim Executive Director. “With state-legal cannabis becoming increasingly accessible across the nation, it is imperative for the federal government to enable and support comprehensive research into cannabis legalization, ensuring that future policies are informed by sound evidence.”

    “Mandating that a federal agency charged with supporting public health and safety must ignore scientific research and oppose evidence-based policies that have been embraced by dozens of states is simply bad law, and out of step with where the vast majority of Americans stand on cannabis issues,” said Morgan Fox, Political Director for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML). “The ONDCP should have the liberty to look at all the available information and explore policy solutions free from outdated political restrictions. We commend the sponsors for introducing this long overdue legislation and urge Congress to approve it without delay.”

    “On behalf of the Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP), I write in strong support of the Evidence-Based Drug Policy Act,” said Lt. Diana Goldstein (Ret.), Law Enforcement Action Partnership Executive Director. “This legislation would give the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) the freedom to consider funding research on Schedule I drugs and the ability to endorse any proposals to change the status of Schedule I drugs. As law enforcement professionals, we believe this act is essential for public health and safety.”

    “The Cannabis Regulators of Color Coalition supports the Evidence-Based Drug Policy Reform Act because it affirms what communities and cannabis regulators across the country already know: federal drug policy must be guided by evidence, not ideology,” said Dasheeda Dawson, Board Chair, Cannabis Regulators of Color. “For more than a decade, tribal, state, and local governments have taken meaningful steps to repair the harms of criminalization and promote public health and safety through cannabis legalization and regulation. Empowering the Office of National Drug Control Policy to study these reforms is critical to developing federal policies that truly reflect the needs of everyday Americans—especially communities of color disproportionately impacted by prohibition.”

    “We strongly support the Evidence-Based Drug Policy Act to ensure researchers have the ability to conduct rigorous research on medical cannabis and cannabis legalization,” said Charlie Bacthell, Acting Chairman, US Cannabis Roundtable. “The Department of Health and Human Services determined in 2023 that cannabis has low abuse potential and accepted medical use, and 80% of states allow some form of legal cannabis. Our nation’s research guidelines should reflect this reality.”

    “The Minority Cannabis Business Association Board of Directors supports the Evidence-Based Drug Policy Act of 2025 introduced by Congresswoman Titus and Representative Omar. For too long, antiquated prohibitions have prevented critical research into cannabis, hampering our understanding of potential benefits and impacts,” said Frederika Easley, President, Minority Cannabis Business Association. “By removing these statutory barriers to research funding, this bill represents a crucial step toward creating evidence-based policies that can help address the ongoing harms of the War on Drugs, which have disproportionately affected communities of color. Science, not stigma, should guide our nation’s drug policies, and we applaud this legislation for embracing this principle. We urge Congress to pass this common-sense measure to allow research that will inform more equitable and effective approaches to cannabis regulation.”

    “SSDP is proud to stand in support of the Evidence-Based Drug Policy Act of 2025 and commends Rep. Titus for her much-needed leadership on this issue. The science is clear and Americans on both sides of the aisle agree: marijuana does not belong on Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act,” said Kat Muri, Executive Director, Students for Sensible Drug Policy. “By eliminating the ONDCP’s current legal requirement to oppose any efforts towards legalizing a Schedule I substance, this bill removes one of the biggest obstacles to legalizing cannabis at the federal level, and it does it in a very straightforward and clear way. It’s high time the U.S. replaces the disastrous and detrimental War on Drugs with policies rooted in evidence, compassion, and human rights—policies that make sense—and the Evidence-Based Drug Policy Act is an important step in that direction.”

    “The Evidence-based Drug Policy Act of 2025 would pave the way for much-needed studies into cannabis, and we firmly believe those studies will show what Indigenous communities have always known—that plant-based medicine is a natural, beneficial way to treat ailments that is far superior to opioids and pharmaceuticals,” said Rob Pero (Bad River), founder of the Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association. “The criminalization of cannabis is doing more harm to our communities than good, and it’s time to take an evidence-based approach to correcting cannabis policy at the federal level.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Outlining Turmoil Created in First 100 Days Under Trump

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Kathy Hochul today outlined the turmoil created under President Trump’s first 100 days in office, warning that his administration’s retaliatory policies, deep federal cuts and unilateral tariffs are poised to negatively impact New York’s economy, the environment and hard working families. Last week, New York State joined a multi-state lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of President Trump’s global tariffs. According to independent estimates, Trump’s tariffs will cost the State’s economy more than $7 billion, result in more than 280,000 jobs lost and hit New York families with an average cost increase of $6,400. New York has also led the fight to protect federal funding from cuts and disruptions that are impacting more than $1.3 billion in federal funding for New York and has successfully challenged in court the Trump Administration’s global funding freeze, as well as cuts to the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other critical federal agencies.

    “The first 100 days of the Trump Administration have been rife with chaos and uncertainty, from on-again, off-again tariffs to cuts to vital programs, New Yorkers are paying the price,” Governor Hochul said. “President Trump promised relief from inflation and his policies are making life harder, chaotic and more expensive for working class New Yorkers while slashing the very services they rely on.”

    Implications for New Yorkers during President Trump’s First 100 Days Include:

    • More than $1.3 billion in cuts to funding for State programs so far with more expected, in addition to the funding cuts to local governments, universities and other organizations delivering critical services to New Yorkers
    • Massive fluctuation in the stock market from ever changing tariff policies has shrunk 401(k)s and 529 college savings plans, and is expected to increase cost of living for New Yorkers by thousands of dollars
    • Manufacturers and small businesses are reeling from severe cost hikes on some products due to tariffs, leading them to leave shipments in customs or cancel orders
    • Canadian and European travel to New York has dropped and hotel stays and trips in regions such as the North Country and Western New York have been cancelled
    • The pause of construction of Empire Wind, which will have a profound impact on jobs and energy production
    • Cutting millions in funding that allows school districts and food banks to buy produce from local farmers who rely on their purchases
    • Three Social Security Administration offices closed in New York
    • Eliminated every person in the office that manages a program helping over 1 million New Yorkers pay their heating and cooling bills
    • Cuts to the NIH paused the critical research of a New York Scientist on Alzheimer’s treatments
    • Cut over $300 million in infrastructure funding for New York communities, threatening our public safety
    • Cutting the majority of federal AmeriCorps funding in New York, which supports approximately 1,500 AmeriCorps members working for non-profits and in low-income communities across the State

    PUBLIC SAFETY AND IMMIGRATION

    The Trump administration has revoked more than $325 million in vital resiliency funding from the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program and put $56 million more at risk, which will impact several critical infrastructure and community resilience projects in New York State.

    Additionally, DOGE is planning to cut up to 84 percent of staff from their Office of Community Planning and Development, which helps pay to rebuild homes and other recovery efforts after the country’s worst disasters such as Superstorm Sandy and Tropical Storms Lee and Irene.

    The Albany National Weather Service (NWS) Office was forced to suspend weather balloon launches due to staff shortages and budget constraints. This has impacted the ability of the NWS to provide twice-daily balloon launches, impacting the accuracy of weather forecasts.

    After Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained a Sackets Harbor mom and her children, Governor Hochul took action, engaging with the White House, Border Czar Tom Homan and local officials in an effort to bring the family back home. After 11 days in detention, the family was returned to Sackets Harbor.

    ECONOMY AND TOURISM

    The stock market has been unstable due to President Trump’s on-again, off-again tariff policy. This has caused retirees’ 401(k)s and students’ 529 savings plans to shrink. Additionally, consumer confidence plunged, to 50.8 percent in April from 71.7 percent in January. The dollar has weakened, falling to a three month low in April.

    The Governor has heard from small and mid-sized businesses across the State who are worried about rising costs and their future. A recent survey from the National Small Business Association found that the majority of small businesses are concerned about tariffs and one in three are very concerned. Examples include North Country manufacturer Alcoa, which took an estimated $20 million hit on imports from Canada, and North Country Golf Club which is facing declines in businesses due to the decline in tourism from Canada. In the Southern Tier, the Cortland Standard, which was in business for more than a century, has closed its doors, citing the expected 25 percent tariffs on paper as part of the decision.

    The Trump administration is cancelling the successful Manufacturers Extension Partnership (MEP) in several states. In New York, NY MEP centers generated $1.25 billion in economic impact, supported the creation or retention of nearly 6,300 jobs and served over 700 companies during the 2023 calendar year. This decision has raised widespread concern across the entire national network of MEP Centers, prompting fears about whether these initial cancellations are the first step in a broader effort to dismantle the program and eliminate federal funding for all 51 centers.

    Due to the tariff trade war with Canada, New York’s number one trade partner, and the rhetoric that Canada could be the “51st state,” impacts are widespread. Visitors from Canada are avoiding the U.S. and New York State. Overall, total bridge crossings between Eastern Ontario and New York State for March are down 23,000 compared to 2024, and at the lowest level since 2022. Additionally, Niagara River bridges traffic for February is down 14 percent and Thousand Islands Bridge crossings are down 19 percent.

    A survey of local businesses in the North Country found that 66 percent have already experienced a slight to significant decrease in Canadian bookings for 2025, and that 26 percent have already adjusted staffing levels in response to the decline.

    TRANSPORTATION

    President Trump’s Department of Transportation vowed to kill congestion pricing from day one of his administration, despite clear evidence that the program is working. The MTA reported that in March, traffic is down 13 percent, travel times have improved in key corridors within the Central Business District and it has increased revenue for the MTA that will result in improvements in the system.

    IMPACTS ON HARD WORKING FAMILIES

    President Trump has reduced the federal workforce by more than 120,000 people nationwide according to data compiled from CNN. In New York more than 1,200 federal workers have been forced to file for unemployment.

    The Trump administration has pledged to cancel the successful and free Direct File tax filing program. This program has already begun to make an impact in its first full year, with many New Yorkers saving nearly $300 per household in tax prep fees that could instead go toward groceries, gas, child care or rent.

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture slashed hundreds of millions of dollars in funding that helped schools buy food from local farms. The program sought to bring local produce to schools and child care facilities, giving schools the opportunities to purchase fresh foods and use smaller producers rather than rely on large corporations.

    The Trump Administration announced that half of all food shipments through The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) would be canceled, resulting in a $500 million reduction in funding for food banks across the country. New York State could see a loss of around 16 million pounds of USDA foods in 2025 due to the TEFAP funding cuts, according to Feeding New York State.

    SSA field offices are closing, wait times for deserving seniors are increasing and sensitive and private personal data is in danger of being insecure.

    ENERGY

    The Trump Administration stopped construction on Empire Wind, putting thousands of construction jobs at risk and threatening to dismantle a project that when complete, will generate enough electricity to power about 500,000 homes in New York State.

    Funding has been suspended for the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Funds. The NEVI program — passed as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law — provides funding directly to states for installing public electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, which, if implemented, will lower fuel costs for families, reduce U.S. dependence on fossil fuels and create construction jobs nationwide.

    President Trump has also threatened to roll back the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and repeal its tax credits. NYSERDA estimates a full repeal of the clean energy incentives could result in more than $20 billion in increased project costs and could cause significant project attrition.

    HOUSING

    At the direction of President Trump and DOGE, HUD staff has been decimated, imperiling the core functions of the agency that serve our communities, manage federally funded housing programs and assist housing development at a time of national crisis for housing. Funding has also been cut for organizations that fight housing discrimination across the country, while rolling back federal protections to Affirmatively Further Fair Housing.

    HUD has further announced it was ending four years early the Emergency Housing Voucher Program, a successful federal program to combat homelessness for more than 9,500 households across the State. The federal administration imperiling this funding will force these families, at last stably housed, back onto the street.

    The $1 billion Green and Resilient Retrofit Program that helps preserve affordable housing is being paused, threatening projects that keep tens of thousands of units livable for low-income Americans.

    HEALTH CARE

    The actions of the current administration threaten the health and safety of New Yorkers. New York State remains steadfast in its commitment to safeguarding the health and well-being of all New Yorkers and promoting health equity.

    President Trump has endorsed the House’s budget resolution which includes over $1 trillion in cuts to critical safety net programs like Medicaid and SNAP. Nearly 7 million qualifying New Yorkers are covered under Medicaid, including 2.5 million children, and 636,000 New Yorkers with disabilities. 2.9 million New Yorkers rely on SNAP for healthy food, including over 800,000 children.

    The Trump administration’s National Institute of Health (NIH) has cut grant funding to SUNY used to conduct research to cure diseases, keep our nation safe and grow our economy. The NIH’s sudden budget cuts will cost SUNY research an estimated $79 million on current grants, including more than $21 million over just the next five months that will immediately imperil the work of SUNY’s dedicated researchers by decimating the equipment, staff and services they rely on.

    The Trump Administration picked a top health official who has questioned the safety of vaccines and the use of fluoride in drinking water and claimed that autism was preventable. These views go against proven science and could lead to more diseases by making people doubt public health advice.

    The Administration has taken back important public health funding. This includes money for tracking disease, supporting vaccinations and helping vulnerable communities hit hardest by the pandemic. Without this funding, local health services must cut staff and scale back programs, especially in areas that need the most help.

    Hundreds of federal health workers have lost jobs, making it harder for both the federal government and states like New York to respond to health threats and deliver services like maternal care and disease control.

    New executive orders have removed federal support for diversity, equity and inclusion programs, harming efforts to ensure fair health care for women, LGBTQ+ people and communities of color. These actions affirm that the needs of these communities no longer matter to the federal government.

    In addition, with massive arbitrary cuts to federal agencies, the future of federal programs to help combat substance use disorder, heating and cooling assistance for low-income New Yorkers, and early childhood investment programs like Head Start remain in jeopardy.

    New York State remains committed to ensuring all New Yorkers have access to affordable, quality health care. Accordingly, the State rejects thinly veiled attacks on anyone who may not comport with the Trump Administration’s limited views of who is a person.

    EDUCATION

    President Trump vowed to eliminate the Department of Education, a crucial part of the federal government that supports kids, teachers and administrators right here in New York State. New York receives $5.5 billion annually from the Department of Education. Approximately $3.2 billion is routed through the State Budget and $2.3 billion is sent directly to local entities, primarily colleges and universities. This crucial funding supports Pell Grants for college students, money for kids with disabilities, programs that are supporting kids’ mental health, crucial research at our public higher education institutions and much more

    ENVIRONMENT & AGRICULTURE

    The Trump administration has taken aim through Executive Order at dismantling New York State’s strong environmental protections.

    Additionally, funding for the Local Food Purchasing Assistance Program has been slashed. While the Biden administration had indicated that $24 million would be available under the LFPA program (New York Food for New York Families), the Trump administration (USDA) has reversed and this next round of funding will no longer be available.

    More recently, New York State’s $60 million award for the New York Connects: Climate Smart Farms and Forests Program, which funds climate smart agriculture and forestry practices, was cancelled by USDA.

    USDA staff that assist farmers with implementing conservation programs, loans and other resources for their farms, have been laid off.

    Over 80 percent of agrochemical imports and 70 percent of farm machinery imports come from countries facing tariffs of 10 percent or more. Tariffs may slow down or halt on-farm expansion and modernization due to projected increases in equipment costs, with much of the stainless steel coming from abroad.

    Trade issues are having a compounding effect for dairy farmers — input costs are going up and the milk price relies on export markets. Tariffs and threats of trade disputes result in lost markets and lower milk prices. For example, the budget for a building project went from $85,000 to $106,000, due to tariffs on steel and aluminum, one farm had a $2,200 fee added to their bill for grain because it came from a Canadian feed mill and another farm is anticipating their bottom line to be 7-10 percent lower this year due to lower milk prices and tariffs on inputs, including feed, energy and building supplies.

    The ability of West Coast apple producers to export their product will play a key role in the price and demand for New York apples. If West Coast producers are not able to expand overseas markets, they will continue to flood East Coast markets and displace New York State fresh apples where they can undercut prices.

    Tariffs placed on equipment, largely coming from Canada, would increase producers’ costs of maple syrup production significantly and negatively impact profitability in the maple industry.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Liverpool launches landmark 2040 plan to create “framework for a better future”

    Source: City of Liverpool

    A detailed, data-led report looking at how to create a better future for Liverpool’s half a million residents over the next 15 years has been published.

    The Liverpool 2040 Plan, which has been published online, sets out a step-by-step framework to foster greater collaborations across dozens of key organisations to make Liverpool the UK’s leading city of opportunity – for all.

    This strategic vision, documented in a 37-page publication, has been launched with a commitment from city leaders “to work closer together than ever before” on a series of common issues and to influence and guide public sector reform on key areas such as education, employment, housing and health.

    Set out as “a framework for a better future”, the wide-ranging plan has been developed by the Liverpool Strategic Partnership, whose membership has been increased to include more than 20 organisations. Collectively the LSP has a combined workforce of more than 60,000 people and an annual spend of £10bn a year.

    The overall aim of the Liverpool 2040 Plan is to offer greater opportunities to the city’s residents, of all ages and backgrounds, in a united effort to make it a better city to live, learn, work and play in.

    The Liverpool 2040 plan also sets out how city partners will collaborate to improve life-long educational standards whilst addressing deep rooted socio-economic and health inequalities, as well as global challenges such as climate change.

    Work is already on some fronts, with Liverpool last week being awarded Marmot City status for its work in tackling health inequalities and has been appointed the world’s first UN Accelerator City for its work on reduce the carbon footprint in the entertainment industry.

    However, Liverpool, whose population is set to grow by 10% over the coming decade, is a city where a third of residents are classed as economically inactive and where one in five have a disability. And at a neighbourhood level, life expectancy can vary by up to 14 years for residents living just four miles apart.

    Such challenges, set against unprecedented pressures on public finances, has led city leaders to come together in a renewed effort to identify and align common priorities. This approach is underpinned by a commitment to analyse and share intelligence to inform and strengthen joint-working to identify and maximise opportunities presented by new government policies.

    The 2040 timeline also aligns with other key data-rich programmes as identified in the State of Health in the City: Liverpool 2040 report and the city region goal to achieve New Zero status also by 2040.

    This shared ambition is set around eight key priorities, each to be measured against five specific outcomes, with a clear intent to provide a long-term vision for the type of city the next generation should be inheriting.

    The eight pillars of the 2040 plan are:

    1. The Next Generation – key aim: For Liverpool to be UNICEF Child Friendly City.
    2. Healthy Lives – key aim: To improve life expectancy and reduce health inequalities in poorest communities.
    3. A Fair Transition to Net Zero – key aim: For Liverpool to be a zero-waste city.
    4. Safe, Cohesive and Clean Communities – key aim: To improve safety at neighbourhood level.
    5. Quality Homes – key aim: To work at eliminating homelessness and rough sleeping.
    6. Inclusive Economic Growth – key aim: To develop city-wide innovation and skills strategy.
    7. An Exciting and Distinctive City – key aim: For Liverpool to build on top 5 UK visitor city destination status.
    8. Vibrant Public Services – key aim: To be a leading innovator based on data-led evidence.

    The LSP, overseen by a board of chief executives, chaired by the chief executive of Liverpool City Council, has also been refreshed in response to the Strategic Futures Panel’s recommendations around strengthening the city’s approach to public service reform.

    The LSP has also been devised to enable Liverpool to speak with one voice to national government and its departments. It also provides a shared platform for the city to take advantage of any new government opportunities.

    The Liverpool 2040 Plan has also identified a priority focus on public service reform, with an emphasis on what makes sense for local areas to meet the needs of local people.  This will build on key initiatives including Liverpool City Council’s new neighbourhood model, the Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC), the Complex Lives project, the North Liverpool Public Service Reform Prototype, and the development of an Office of Public Service Innovation.

    The Liverpool 2040 plan, which has been endorsed by Liverpool City Council’s cabinet, replaces the former City Plan that was published in 2020.

    This previous city plan was in need of a refresh to reflect on the lessons and consequences of Covid-19 pandemic, the commissioner-led intervention to improve Council performance, as well as recent socio-political issues like a new UK government, last summer’s civil unrest. It also needed to respond to wider issues like the global energy crisis caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine as well as the rise of AI and understanding and identifying the challenges and opportunities it presents.

    Member of the Liverpool Strategic Partnership are:

    • Liverpool City Council
    • University of Liverpool
    • Liverpool John Moores University
    • Liverpool Hope University
    • Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine
    • City of Liverpool College
    • Liverpool Chamber of Commerce
    • Liverpool Charity and Voluntary Service
    • Torus
    • The Riverside Group
    • Onward Homes
    • Merseyside Police
    • Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service
    • HMPS – Liverpool Prison
    • Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust
    • NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Health and Care Partnership
    • Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
    • Alder Hey Children’s Hospital Trust
    • Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital
    • Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust
    • Department for Work and Pensions, North West

    Councillor Liam Robinson, Leader of Liverpool City Council, said: “The Liverpool 2040 Plan sets out the beginning of a 15-year journey to shape Liverpool as the UK’s leading city of opportunity – for all.

    “The Liverpool 2040 Plan sets out a clear vision of how to be a better city and sets the foundations to guide the changes needed well into the rest of the 21st century.

    “it’s clear our major organisations need to work much harder and smarter together. For Liverpool to be a better city, we need to do better on a lot of levels – and I’m heartened by the desire and commitment in so many of our partner organisations to do that.

    “This is the city that delivered both the best-ever European Capital of Culture and Eurovision. Through a potent mix of imagination, inspiration and collaboration we saw mass participation on an unprecedented scale, delivering remarkable results with huge economic benefits. Under the biggest spotlight and phenomenal pressure, Liverpool performs. And excels. Like few cities can.

    “But on another level, too many of our residents are not living their best life. Opportunity is not knocking in the way it should in the world of education and employment. The health and wealth for a lot of our residents is below the national average. Much of our housing is poor quality, so many of our children are not benefitting from the best possible start in life. That is unacceptable. That needs to change.

    “This Liverpool 2040 plan provides the best possible platform for us to start that journey, informed by data every step of the way to ensure we all make the right decisions to ensure we create an environment that nurtures and fosters talent and opportunity.

    “We need to fully address the fundamental issues we face – in education, employment, health, housing, transport and employment – and its eight guiding priorities will shape how we respond to the challenges and maximise the opportunities over these next 15 years.

    “I’m deeply encouraged by how many partners right across the public, private and voluntary sector have signed up to a vision of offering greater opportunities than ever before to our residents. We all have a role to play in making Liverpool the best place to grow up, grow a family, and grow a business – where no-one is left behind.

    “Rest assured myself, my cabinet and this Council will work tirelessly with the Metro Mayor and the city region combined authority to make our case to the UK Government where and when it is needed. The Council cannot make these improvements alone. And not all the solutions are financial – reform and policy changes are just as vital to delivering the changes we need.

    “Lasting change takes time, which is why we have set a 15-year timeline for our vision. Despite this, we are determined that our residents will see immediate and incremental improvements in the here and now, and I am deeply optimistic about the progress we can make together on an ongoing basis.”

    Andrew Lewis, Chair of the Liverpool Strategic Partnership and Chief Executive of Liverpool City Council said: “Public services across the country, and particularly here in Liverpool, are facing unprecedented challenges, including rising demand for services, limited public funding and increasing complexity of needs. 

    “These challenges cannot be met by any one organisation acting alone. So it’s vital to have a strong strategic partnership across Liverpool.  Together we represent the full range of public services for our city, committing to work together on a shared strategy for Liverpool 2040, prioritising our investments, sharing data and evidence, and transforming services together.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Harlingen couple guilty in multimillion-dollar Medicare fraud scheme

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BROWNSVILLE, Texas – The operators of a durable medical equipment (DME) company have pleaded guilty to defrauding Medicare, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    Jeremiah Yzaguirre, 46, and his wife, Maria Luisa Yzaguirre, 45, both of Harlingen, operated a business called Southwest Medical Homepatient. The business was enrolled in the Medicare program as a provider of DME and services. It claimed to provide parts and repairs for power wheelchairs among other services.

    As part of their pleas, the couple admitted they received millions of dollars for parts and repairs that were never performed or provided. They both acknowledged billing Medicare approximately $736,072 for parts and repairs for one specific beneficiary, falsely claiming to have replaced expensive parts hundreds of times.

    They also admitted to using the proceeds from the fraud to purchase cryptocurrency, a vehicle, electronics, miscellaneous collectibles and purses.

    Medicare was billed approximately $14 million for power wheelchairs, parts and repairs for just 37 Medicare beneficiaries between 2019 and 2023 as a result of their scheme.

    “Medicare fraud is ultimately fraud against the taxpayer,” said Ganjei. “The Southern District of Texas will aggressively prosecute those who steal from their fellow citizens by defrauding public services.”

    U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. will impose sentencing Aug. 4. At that time, the Yzaguirres face up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. Both were permitted to remain on bond pending sentencing.

    The FBI, Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General (OIG), Texas Health and Human Services – OIG, Texas Attorney General – Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and Texas Department of Insurance conducted the investigation.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Swartz and Ana Cano are prosecuting the case. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth, Durbin, Colleagues Blast Trump Administration’s Attacks on Head Start, Demand RFK JR. Immediately Release Funding and Reverse Firings

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth
    April 29, 2025
    42 lawmakers write to RFK Jr. demanding answers on Trump admin’s actions undermining Head Start as Trump reportedly plans to eliminate the program
    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, joined U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) in sending a letter to Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. calling out the Trump administration’s direct attacks on Head Start, reminding him of his legal obligation to administer the program and demanding the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) immediately release Head Start funding and reverse the mass firing of Head Start staff and gutting of the offices that help ensure high-quality services are available for thousands of children and families across the country. 
    “We write to express our strong opposition to the actions you have taken to directly attack and undermine the federal Head Start program. Since day one, this Administration has taken unacceptable actions to withhold and delay funding, fire Head Start staff, and gut high-quality services for children. Already this year, this Administration has withheld almost $1 billion in federal grant funding from Head Start programs, a 37 percent decrease compared to the amount of funding awarded during the same period last year,” write the lawmakers. “It is abundantly clear that these actions are part of a broader effort to ultimately eliminate the program altogether, as the Administration reportedly plans to do in its fiscal year 2026 budget proposal.”
    The lawmakers detail how the program plays an instrumental role in supporting kids and families across the country, writing: “Head Start provides early childhood education and comprehensive health and social services to nearly 800,000 young children every year in communities across this country, and employs about 250,000 dedicated staff. Head Start is a critical source of child care for working families, particularly in rural and Tribal communities, where Head Start programs are often the only option for high-quality child care services. Head Start programs ensure children receive appropriate health and dental care, nutrition support, and referrals to other critical services for parents, such as job training, adult education, nutrition services, and housing support.”
    “You even acknowledged the value of Head Start following a recent visit to a Virginia Head Start center,” the lawmakers write, contrasting that statement of support with the Trump Administration’s actions. “However, as a result of your actions to withhold and delay funding and undermine the administration of this vital program, Head Start centers are in serious jeopardy and have already had their day to day operations impacted. Programs are increasingly worried that they will not be able to make payroll, pay rent, and remain open to serve the hundreds of thousands of children and families who depend on their services in communities across the nation.”
    “Since the very start of this Administration, Head Start programs have been under attack,” the lawmakers write, detailing office closures and funds that were frozen for Head Start grants across the country. “At one point, the National Head Start Association reported 37 programs serving nearly 15,000 children across the country could not access their federal funding. Head Start programs operate with thin margins and on short-term budgets from HHS, and without any communication from the Administration about the status of funding, programs were forced to temporarily close or to lay off staff.”
    The lawmakers underscore how the gutting of Head Start offices and the firing of staff who keep the federal program running puts the entire program in jeopardy: “On April 1st, you abruptly closed five of the ten regional offices that help local grantees administer Head Start programs in 22 states. This left hundreds of programs without dedicated points of contact to address mission critical issues like approving grant renewals and modifications, investigating child health and safety incidents, and providing training and technical assistance to ensure high-quality services for children. While some grantees were assigned a new program specialist, we understand many have not been receiving responses to their inquiries. This is on top of the estimated 97 Office of Head Start central office staff that were terminated due to their probationary status and the recent reduction in force. You promised ‘radical transparency’ as Secretary, yet it is unclear how these actions will improve Head Start programs, and you and your staff refuse to respond to basic inquiries and requests for information.”
    Importantly, the lawmakers note that without funding that has so far not gone out the door, many more programs could be forced to close.
    “Head Start grantees are still waiting on payments and grant renewals from the Office of Head Start, including programs whose grants end on April 30th, 2025. These notices should have gone out by now, yet we are concerned to hear programs report they have received little to no correspondence regarding their grant renewals,” the lawmakers continue to detail how local Head Start programs are receiving no notice for the path forward for grant funding. “Additionally, because we started fiscal year 2025 under a short-term continuing resolution, as is usual, some grantees have only received partial funding for the first few months of the year. But with a full year funding bill in place, these grantees should have received full funding by now, yet some are reporting that they have not received the full amount of their grants and will run out of funds this month or next. On Wednesday, April 16th, the delays in Head Start funding led to the closure of Head Start centers serving more than 400 children in Sunnyside, Washington.”
    “The Administration has a legal and moral obligation to disburse Head Start funds to programs and to uphold the program’s promise to provide high-quality early education services to low income children and families across this country,” the lawmakers write. “There is no justifiable reason for the delay in funding we have seen over the last two months, and you have refused to offer any kind of explanation.”
    The lawmakers conclude by warning that eliminating the program would be devastating, demanding answers on the administration’s actions and demanding the reversal of them: “[W]e urge you to immediately reinstate fired staff across all Offices of Head Start, and cease all actions to delay the awarding and disbursement of funding to Head Start programs across this country.”
    This letter follows up Duckworth and Durbin’s letter to Secretary Kennedy demanding answers about the closure of five regional Head Start offices across the country, including the Region 5 office in Chicago.  Despite a deadline to respond by April 22, HHS has yet to reply to the Senators’ questions.
    In addition to Durbin, Duckworth, Murray, Sanders, and Baldwin, the letter was signed by 37 colleagues, including U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Peter Welch (D-VT), Gary Peters (D-MI), Michael F. Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Tina Smith (D-MN), John Fetterman (D-PA), Christopher A. Coons (D-DE), Christopher S. Murphy (D-CT), Jeffrey A. Merkley (D-OR), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tim Kaine (D-MN), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Edward Markey (D-MA), Angus King (I-ME), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD) and Mark R. Warner (D-VA). 
    Full text of the letter is available HERE and below:
    April 24, 2025
    Dear Secretary Kennedy:
    We write to express our strong opposition to the actions you have taken to directly attack and undermine the federal Head Start program. Since day one, this Administration has taken unacceptable actions to withhold and delay funding, fire Head Start staff, and gut high-quality services for children. Already this year, this Administration has withheld almost $1 billion in federal grant funding from Head Start programs, a 37 percent decrease compared to the amount of funding awarded during the same period last year. It is abundantly clear that these actions are part of a broader effort to ultimately eliminate the program altogether, as the Administration reportedly plans to do in its fiscal year 2026 budget proposal.
    Head Start provides early childhood education and comprehensive health and social services to nearly 800,000 young children every year in communities across this country, and employs about 250,000 dedicated staff. Head Start is a critical source of child care for working families, particularly in rural and Tribal communities, where Head Start programs are often the only option for high-quality child care services. Head Start programs ensure children receive appropriate health and dental care, nutrition support, and referrals to other critical services for parents, such as job training, adult education, nutrition services, and housing support.
    You even acknowledged the value of Head Start following a recent visit to a Virginia Head Start center, where you said, “I had a very inspiring tour. I saw a devoted staff and a lot of happy children. They are getting the kind of education and socialization they need, and they are also getting a couple of meals a day.”
    However, as a result of your actions to withhold and delay funding and undermine the administration of this vital program, Head Start centers are in serious jeopardy and have already had their day to day operations impacted. Programs are increasingly worried that they will not be able to make payroll, pay rent, and remain open to serve the hundreds of thousands of children and families who depend on their services in communities across the nation.
    Since the very start of this Administration, Head Start programs have been under attack. On January 27th, 2025, the Office of Management and Budget issued a memo (M-25-13) that suddenly froze the disbursement of grant funding for federal programs and services government-wide, including Head Start. Despite the Administration’s clarification that Head Start programs would not be the target of the funding freeze, many Head Start programs across the country were unable to draw down their grant funds through the Payment Management System (PMS) for weeks. At one point, the National Head Start Association reported 37 programs serving nearly 15,000 children across the country could not access their federal funding. Head Start programs operate with thin margins and on short-term budgets from HHS, and without any communication from the Administration about the status of funding, programs were forced to temporarily close or to lay off staff. In Wisconsin, the National Centers for Learning Excellence, which serves more than 200 children and their families, shut down for a week and laid off staff due to the funding freeze.
    On April 1st, you abruptly closed five of the ten regional offices that help local grantees administer Head Start programs in 22 states. This left hundreds of programs without dedicated points of contact to address mission critical issues like approving grant renewals and modifications, investigating child health and safety incidents, and providing training and technical assistance to ensure high-quality services for children. While some grantees were assigned a new program specialist, we understand many have not been receiving responses to their inquiries. This is on top of the estimated 97 Office of Head Start central office staff that were terminated due to their probationary status and the recent reduction in force. You promised “radical transparency” as Secretary, yet it is unclear how these actions will improve Head Start programs, and you and your staff refuse to respond to basic inquiries and requests for information.
    On March 14th, 2025, the Office of Head Start (OHS) notified all Head Start programs that “the use of federal funding for any training and technical assistance or other program expenditures that promote or take part in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives” will not be approved and that any questions should be directed to regional offices. Programs have not received any guidance for what would be considered “DEI” but this policy is potentially in direct conflict with statutory and regulatory program requirements, such as providing culturally and linguistically appropriate instructional services for English learners. Many programs cannot direct questions to regional staff, as half of regional offices were abruptly closed, and as unprecedented actions are being taken to delay and withhold funding, Head Start programs have been intentionally left with little to no guidance.
    Head Start programs are now arbitrarily required to provide justifications for each draw down of funds that is necessary to operate their programs, despite already receiving a federal grant award for these purposes. As of April 14th, Head Start programs have reportedly received correspondence from an email address “defendthespend@hhs.gov” requiring programs to submit a “specific description of why the funds are necessary and why they are aligned to the award” before programs can have funding disbursed. It has been reported that political appointees must sign off on every draw down of funds. This creates an illusion of improving oversight but only serves to add unnecessary red tape by requiring the manual sign off on hundreds of thousands of individual actions annually across the Department based on two to three sentence justifications. Already some grantees have reported delays in receiving funds, and have reported that furloughs or closures are imminent if funds are not released. For an administration that purports to value local autonomy and efficiency in federally funded programs, your actions have achieved the exact opposite.
    Finally, Head Start grantees are still waiting on payments and grant renewals from the Office of Head Start, including programs whose grants end on April 30th, 2025. These notices should have gone out by now, yet we are concerned to hear programs report they have received little to no correspondence regarding their grant renewals. Additionally, because we started fiscal year 2025 under a short-term continuing resolution, as is usual, some grantees have only received partial funding for the first few months of the year. But with a full year funding bill in place, these grantees should have received full funding by now, yet some are reporting that they have not received the full amount of their grants and will run out of funds this month or next. On Wednesday, April 16th, the delays in Head Start funding led to the closure of Head Start centers serving more than 400 children in Sunnyside, Washington.
    The Administration has a legal and moral obligation to disburse Head Start funds to programs and to uphold the program’s promise to provide high-quality early education services to low income children and families across this country. The fiscal year 2025 appropriations act provided $12.3 billion for Head Start, the same as the fiscal year 2024 level. The Head Start Act includes an explicit formula for how appropriated funds should be allocated. There is no justifiable reason for the delay in funding we have seen over the last two months, and you have refused to offer any kind of explanation. However, this week leaked fiscal year 2026 budget documents indicated the Office of Management and Budget was directing the Department, consistent with the Administration’s proposal to eliminate Head Start in fiscal year 2026, to “ensure to the extent allowable FY2025 funds are available to close out the program.” If this explains any of the delay in awarding fiscal year 2025 funding, we want to be clear, no funds were provided in fiscal year 2025 to “close out the program,” and it would be wholly unacceptable and likely illegal if the Department tries to carry out this directive.
    Finally, the leaked budget documents provided a justification, albeit brief, for eliminating Head Start in fiscal year 2026 that makes this Administration’s priorities clear and puts the Department’s actions over the last several months in context. The Administration argues that eliminating Head Start, “is consistent with the Administration’s goals of returning education to the States and increasing parental choice.” It is shocking to see an argument that eliminating a program that provides comprehensive early childhood care and education to 800,000 children and their families would increase parental choice. It is particularly concerning to see that argument in the context of the significant delay in awarding fiscal year 2025 appropriated funds and what that indicates about the intent behind the Department’s actions. We believe it is obvious that eliminating Head Start would be detrimental to hundreds of thousands of children and families. Similarly, we believe it is obvious that delaying funding like we have seen over the last two months, forcing Head Start programs to close, and leaving families to scramble to find quality, affordable alternatives puts the education and well-being of some of the most vulnerable young children in America at risk. In our view, that is unacceptable.
    Therefore, we urge you to immediately reinstate fired staff across all Offices of Head Start, and cease all actions to delay the awarding and disbursement of funding to Head Start programs across this country.
    Please provide us with a written response to the questions below no later than 10 days from receipt:
    1. Will you reinstate the staff who administer Head Start programs and reopen the closed regional offices responsible for overseeing Head Start programs in 22 states?
    a) When is HHS going to share information on the reorganization plan for the consolidation of the regional offices?
    b) Please provide the contact information for each program specialist designated to the 22 states who lost their regional office.
    c) Who is responsible for ensuring there are no delays or lapses in funding, nor any disruptions to Head Start program operations now that these states do not have a regional office?
    2. How many employees at the Offices of Head Start have been terminated, including the five regional offices and the central office?
    a) Which officials at HHS were involved in the staffing reduction decisions for OHS and what planning, if any, was undertaken prior to these reductions? Please describe the events that unfolded and name each office that was involved in the decision. Further, please name the official(s) who approved the staffing reductions.
    3. Can you confirm that the Administration will distribute all Head Start funds appropriated by Congress to Head Start programs in FY 25, as required by the Head Start Act?
    4. Please provide a list of all grantees with 5-year Head Start grant renewals that start between now and the end of the fiscal year: May 1st, June 1st, July 1st, August 1st, and September 1st.
    a) Will any funding be delayed for grantees that are due to receive their annual funding on May 1st or beyond?
    5. Why are funding awards delayed for grantees that received partial awards during the first continuing resolution for FY25?
    a) When can HHS guarantee that all funds will be awarded for partially funded Head Start programs?
    6. What is the “Tier 2” department for review that is delaying drawn down for Head Start programs in the Payment Management System?
    a) When should programs expect to receive their funds?
    b) Please provide all communication that went to Head Start grantees on the new review process.
    7. What guidance and clarifications have been provided to Head Start grantees on DEI expenditures?
    a) How is HHS evaluating Head Start programs’ expenditures and grant awards for DEI?
    b) What justifications are being used to prohibit DEI?
    Sincerely,
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: From diet to drugs: what really works for long-term weight loss

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Reiner Jumpertz-von Schwartzenberg, Professorship for Clinical Metabolism and Obesity Research, University Hospital and Medical Faculty, University of Tübingen

    voronaman/Shutterstock

    More than 2.5 billion adults worldwide are currently overweight or obese, according to estimates from the World Health Organization. This staggering number highlights a growing global health crisis. Obesity isn’t just about weight – it’s a powerful risk factor for a range of serious diseases, including type 2 diabetes, kidney disease, heart attacks, and strokes. As awareness grows, more people are asking a critical question: how can I lose weight and stay healthy in the long run?

    Obesity is a complex condition with many contributing factors. It’s not simply a result of eating too much or exercising too little. For many people, emotional and psychological stress plays a major role. Work-related pressure, financial concerns, family issues, or social anxiety can all lead to emotional eating. Others may develop obesity as a result of depression, which often disrupts both eating patterns and motivation for physical activity.

    In addition, modern lifestyles can make it easier than ever to gain weight. Many of us spend long hours sitting – at desks, in cars, or on the couch – and highly processed, calorie-dense foods are readily available and heavily marketed. This combination of behavioural, psychological, social and environmental factors creates a situation where weight gain becomes increasingly difficult to avoid and even harder to reverse.



    Read more:
    Beyond blame: The role of malfunctioning fat tissue in the disease of obesity

    Because obesity has many causes, it also requires a multifaceted solution. The most effective treatments follow a multimodal approach, where healthcare professionals – psychologists, nutritionists, and physicians – work together to support people on their weight loss journey. This team-based approach not only addresses diet and exercise but also tackles underlying emotional and mental health challenges.

    This strategy is especially effective for people with prediabetes, a condition where blood sugar levels are elevated but not yet in the diabetic range. Research has shown that lifestyle changes guided by a multidisciplinary team can significantly reduce the risk of developing full-blown diabetes

    While losing 5–7% of body weight is a good target for reducing health risks, recent research from our team in Tübingen, Germany, shows that combining weight loss with blood sugar control is even more effective. Data from a different study indicates that focusing on both aspects goes along with fewer complications from diabetes, such as kidney damage and issues affecting small blood vessels.

    Visceral fat

    Why is this combination so powerful? It turns out that people who manage to both lose weight and lower their blood sugar levels tend to reduce visceral fat – the type of fat stored around internal organs in the abdomen.



    Read more:
    Belly fat linked to higher risk of premature death, regardless of your weight

    Visceral fat is particularly dangerous because it triggers inflammation in the body, which in turn can reduce the effectiveness of insulin, the hormone that regulates blood sugar.

    Fortunately, certain lifestyle changes specifically help reduce visceral fat. For instance, regular physical activity – especially aerobic exercise – and diets rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (found in nuts, seeds, fish and plant oils) have been shown to be especially effective. Among various eating plans, the Mediterranean diet, which emphasises whole grains, healthy fats, vegetables and lean proteins, is particularly effective.

    Combining regular exercise with a Mediterranean-style diet is not only good for weight loss but also for long-term cardiovascular and metabolic health. However, maintaining these habits over time remains a challenge for many.

    Research shows that a significant portion of those who lose weight will regain it within a few years. As weight returns, so too do associated health risks like diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. This cycle of weight loss and regain can be frustrating and emotionally taxing, leading many to seek other options for more sustainable results.

    Medication and surgery

    In recent years, GLP-1 receptor agonists – a class of medications originally developed to treat diabetes – have shown promise in promoting weight loss. These drugs mimic the hormone GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1), which is released by the gut after eating. It helps regulate appetite by promoting feelings of fullness and also encourages the release of insulin, lowering blood sugar.

    However, GLP-1-based medications are increasingly used for cosmetic weight loss, raising ethical and safety concerns. While these drugs can be effective, their long-term impact on people without obesity is still poorly understood. Side effects can include nausea, vomiting and more serious issues, so their use should always be guided by a medical professional.

    One major limitation of GLP-1 medications is that the benefits typically wear off after stopping the medication, resulting in rapid weight regain. So, long-term or even permanent use may be required to maintain health benefits.

    For people with severe obesity, particularly those with serious health complications like type 2 diabetes or heart disease, bariatric surgery can be life-changing. Surgical procedures such as gastric bypass or sleeve gastrectomy reduce the size of the stomach and, in some cases, alter gut hormone signalling. The result is significant, sustained weight loss and a reduced risk of obesity-related diseases, including a significant reduction in the risk of heart disease and premature death. Bariatric surgery isn’t for everyone, but when appropriate, it remains one of the most effective interventions available.

    Researchers are now developing new medications that combine the effects of multiple gut hormones to enhance weight loss. Some of these drugs may achieve results comparable to bariatric surgery, but most are still being tested in clinical trials.

    Winning combination

    For people beginning their weight loss journey, a combination of physical activity and a healthy diet – such as the Mediterranean diet – is still the best place to start. These changes, if sustained, can lead to long-term improvements in weight, blood sugar and overall health.

    For those with elevated blood sugar, targeting visceral fat through combined lifestyle changes and blood sugar management is especially important. And for people who struggle with obesity and related health conditions, medical therapies and surgical options offer powerful tools to support lasting change.

    Ultimately, the key to lasting weight loss and improved health lies in understanding that there is no one-size-fits-all solution. It’s about finding the right combination of support, strategy and science that works for each person.

    Reiner Jumpertz-von Schwartzenberg works for the Institute for Diabetes Research and Metabolic Diseases of the Helmholtz Center Munich at the University of Tübignen, Germany . He receives funding from the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), the German Diabetes Society, the Helmholtz Association and the CMFI Cluster of Excellence in Tübingen. He is receiving funds from collaborating in clinical studies with Astra Zeneca, Lilly and Boehringer which all go to the University Clinic Tübingen.

    – ref. From diet to drugs: what really works for long-term weight loss – https://theconversation.com/from-diet-to-drugs-what-really-works-for-long-term-weight-loss-254551

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ciscomani, VA Secretary Collins Reiterate Support for Veterans during Tucson Visit

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

    “Our goal is to make sure veterans in Arizona and across the country get the best possible care we can provide”

    TUCSON, AZ – U.S. Congressman Juan Ciscomani and Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins reiterated their shared commitment to care for the men and women who’ve served our country in uniform.  

    During a tour of Southern Arizona VA Health Care System in Tucson, both the Congressman and the Secretary strongly pushed back on false claims that mission-critical positions within the VA will be cut, causing possible disruptions in the delivery of care and benefits. 

    “Don’t believe the lies,” Ciscomani said. “No one is talking about cutting positions for anyone that provides direct care or benefits to veterans. No one is talking about eliminating services. Our goal is to make sure veterans in Arizona and across the country get the best possible care we can provide.” 

    The Secretary spent the morning with Ciscomani in Tucson, meeting with the Congressman’s Veterans Advisory Council, touring the Tucson VA and discussing services to veterans with hospital leadership.   

    “One of the things that I spend 50 percent of my time on is basically fighting back against inuendo and rumor about what’s going on at the VA by those who think they know what’s going on at the VA,” Secretary Collins said. 

    Ciscomani, a member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, represents a district with nearly 80,000 veterans, one of the largest veteran populations of any Congressional district in the country. His Veterans Advisory Council includes community leaders like Sierra Vista Mayor Clea McCaa and Sahuarita Mayor Tom Murphy. 

    “It is my duty, and honor, to advocate on behalf of veterans to ensure their needs are prioritized by the federal government,” said Ciscomani. “I am incredibly grateful to Secretary Collins for his leadership, our shared commitment to veterans, and for taking the time to talk with those who served, tour VA facilities in Tucson, and counter false narratives about cuts to mission-critical employees, healthcare, and benefits. Secretary Collins is a fantastic partner. I look forward to continuing working together to modernize and improve the VA to deliver on our promise to our veterans.”  

    “Under President Trump’s leadership, VA is challenging the status quo to find new and better ways of serving America’s heroes,” said Secretary Collins. “As part of that effort, we’re visiting VA facilities in Tucson and across the nation to see what’s working and what needs improvement. We will reform the department to make it work better for America’s Veterans, families, caregivers and survivors, and we thank Rep. Ciscomani for his support.” 

    Veteran Advisory Council  

    Ciscomani hosted a meeting of his Veteran Advisory Council with Secretary Collins where they reiterated that there are no plans to reduce access to healthcare or cut benefits at the VA.  

    Tucson VA Medical Center Leadership 

    Ciscomani and Secretary Collins met with leadership at the Tucson VA Medical Center to discuss recruitment and retention initiatives and countered false claims that the VA was planning cuts to mission-critical positions within the agency. 

    Tour of the Tucson VA Medical Center 

    Ciscomani, Secretary Collins tour facilities in the Tucson VA Medical Center. 

    Background:

    • Last week, Ciscomani honored 31 veterans from across Arizona 6th Congressional District in his second annual Veterans Service Leadership Award Ceremony.  

    • Through casework, Ciscomani’s team has returned $3.65 million to veteran-constituents, including $1.25 million since January 2025.  

    • So far in the 119th, Ciscomani has introduced three pieces of veterans-focused legislation, with one of these bills passing the House of Representatives unanimously. 
      • The Prioritizing Veterans’ Survivor Act (H.R. 1228)  would move the Office of Survivors Assistance (OSA) back within the Office of the VA Secretary to ensure that families of fallen veterans are able to receive the benefits and support they deserve.  
        • This bill passed the House of Representatives unanimously on April 9, 2025.   
      • The Coordinating Care for Senior Veterans and Wounded Warriors Act (H.R. 668) would improve healthcare coordination and management for veterans over the age of 65 who qualify for benefits from both the VA and Medicare.  
      • The Veterans Education and Technical Skills (VETS) Opportunity Act (H.R. 1458) would expand veterans’ access to educational opportunities for high-demand skilled trade and vocational programs, whether they are in-person or partially online. 

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: What Trump’s first 100 days mean for America’s women

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Amy Tatum, Lecturer in Communication and Media, Bournemouth University

    At a rally in November 2024, Donald Trump told the women of America that whether they “like it or not, I’m going to protect them”. And in his first 100 days as president, Trump has taken his role in a direction that leans into the most traditional form of patriarchy – a protector who knows what is best for women despite their demands to the contrary.

    In his leadership of the Republican party and his administration – and, crucially, in the executive orders he has issued – Trump has often tried to suggest women are at the forefront of his agenda. But rather than protecting women’s interests, these orders are setting back their rights at an alarming rate.

    On his first day back in the White House, the government website offering reproductive health information was taken offline. Since then, the Department of Health and Human Services has removed all mention of abortion protection policies and the Department of Justice has dropped the Biden administration’s lawsuit against Idaho, over its near-total abortion ban.


    How is Donald Trump’s presidency shaping up after 100 days? Here’s what the experts think. If you like what you see, sign up to receive our weekly World Affairs Briefing newsletter.

    The Trump administration has also asked to join the oral arguments currently being heard by the US Supreme Court that seek to prevent Medicaid funding for medical services offered by Planned Parenthood in the state of South Carolina.

    Such changes underline Trump’s stance on reproductive rights and suggest potential support for further legislation or legal battles aimed at limiting women’s access to such services.

    A Gallup poll found that in 2024, 63% of women in the US considered themselves pro-choice. So the Trump administration’s stance not only shows it is not listening to women; it signals that the government wants to restrict women’s agency for making their own reproductive decisions. This reinforces the patriarchal role taken by Trump and his administration.

    Limiting women’s democratic rights

    On March 25, Trump issued an executive order on voting registration. This was followed, a week later, by the House of Representatives vote on what is known as the “Save Act” (the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act). This legislation is aimed at limiting voter fraud – but has largely been seen as a way to restrict people’s ability to register to vote.

    The act, if passed by the Senate, will change the documentation that is required from a driving licence to either a birth certificate or passport. This is likely to have a detrimental effect on many women’s access to registration.

    In the US, 84% of women who marry men change their surname to that of their husband, meaning their name does not match that on their birth certificate. And it is estimated that 146 million US citizens do not hold valid passports – so many women wishing to vote may not have identification that would give them eligibility under this act.

    The draft law does not, at present, set out how married women would be able to circumvent this. The legislation has been criticised by commentators for its lack of protection for women voters, and has been seen as a way to disenfranchise and remove the rights of many women – effectively removing them from public affairs by denying their democratic rights.

    Attacking transgender rights

    Trump’s mission to “protect women” has extended to a concerted attack on gender non-conforming people. In his first day in the Oval Office, Trump signed executive order 14168 entitled: “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.”

    The wording of the title of this executive order focuses on the defence of women through a biological lens. But what it really does is weaken legal protections for trans, intersex and non-binary people by removing recognition of such identities in federal government policy and institutions. It also has the potential to limit these groups’ access to healthcare, leisure spaces, identity documents and education.

    A week later, the president followed this up with an executive order restricting gender care for under-19s, meaning that insurance run by the federal government could not be used to cover treatments or gender transitions.

    The first 100 days of Trump’s second term have suggested an aggressive stance towards eroding the rights of women and gender non-conforming people that has been couched in the idea of “protecting women”. In fact, limiting access to reproductive healthcare, restricting the rights of trans, intersex and non-binary people, and potentially disenfranchising large numbers of women demonstrates a lack of protection and a diminishing of their voices.

    Trump is portraying himself as the ultimate patriarch – one who knows best, and who upholds the power and privilege of men like himself.

    Amy Tatum 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. What Trump’s first 100 days mean for America’s women – https://theconversation.com/what-trumps-first-100-days-mean-for-americas-women-255269

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Both novelty and familiarity affect memory – how to make use of this when preparing for exams

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Judith Schomaker, Assistant Professor, Department of Health, Medical and Neuropsychology, Leiden University

    gonzagon/Shutterstock

    When getting ready to take exams, it can sometimes feel as though there’s no way all the information you need to remember is going to fit in your brain. But there are ways to create the right conditions to make your studying as efficient as possible.

    My research into the science of memory shows that both novelty – new experiences – and familiarity can affect memory. You can use novelty to prime yourself for learning, and familiarity to organise your memory and retain knowledge.

    To start with, this might mean going for a walk in an unfamiliar part of your neighbourhood or looking at some art for the first time – in person or online – before you even start studying.

    In the lab, colleagues and I have observed that chances are higher that you will remember new information if you just visited an unfamiliar place.

    In a typical experimental set-up, participants came to the lab to familiarise themselves with a virtual environment on a PC or with a virtual reality headset. This consisted of a fantasy island with unexpected elements, such as streetlight-sized candy canes. We invited our research participants to come back on two other occasions. During these sessions, they explored the same – now familiar – virtual environment, and one they hadn’t seen before.

    After each round of virtual exploration, the experiment participants were presented with a series of words to try to commit to memory, which we then tested them on after a completely different “distractor” task that consisted of solving simple maths problems. Interestingly, the participants who had explored a new environment typically remembered more words than those who had explored a familiar one. This suggests that novelty may prepare the brain for learning.

    After you’ve prepared your brain with a foray into the unknown, it’s time to harness familiarity.

    Why the familiar is important

    Learning entirely new information is often very challenging. Students sometimes report reading several pages, but having no recollection of what they read.

    There may be several reasons for this, but a common one is that it is difficult to memorise something if it is very different from anything you have learned before.

    The brain likes to categorise and label information, and our memory is organised in semantic categories. For example, if I mention “swivel chair”, “computer”, and “filing cabinet”, the overarching term “office” may pop to mind.

    Memory associations like these are crucial during memory retrieval, as linked information can work as a memory cue. In memory research we sometimes refer to these interlinked concepts as “memory schema”.

    When you have to learn something new, your brain will try to categorise that novel information. If a link can be made with something you already know, this information can more easily be integrated into an existing memory schema.

    Based on research, we would predict that studying for a test is more effective if you already know something about the topic, as it allows you to put novel information in your existing memory schema, and allows you to retrieve that information more easily at a later point in time.

    For example, imagine eating a yellow kiwi for the first time. Your previous experience with green kiwis will allow you to recognise the fruit. The novel experience of eating this slightly sweeter kiwi is easy to integrate in your existing knowledge of kiwis, including what they look, feel and taste like.

    Making connections

    But studying for exams often means learning abstract concepts. The related memory schemas are underdeveloped for less concrete information, which makes new information hard to remember.

    In a biological psychology course I teach, students have to learn about the transfer of information between brain cells. One of the crucial aspects of this topic is the change in chemistry of the neuron, from when it is at rest to when it is firing, and the potassium and sodium chloride ions involved.

    Exam results showed that students found these processes hard to remember. One year, I decided to introduce a simple visual memory aid: an image of a banana with a container of table salt on top.

    Memory aid to help students remember ions involved in neural transmission.
    Judith Schomaker, CC BY-NC-ND

    Most students know that bananas are rich in potassium, while table salt is sodium chloride. This simple picture shows the situation of a neuron at rest: A lot of potassium on the inside, and a lot of sodium chloride on the outside of the cell. But when the neuron is firing, ion channels open, and due to laws of diffusion, potassium will flow out, and sodium chloride into the cell.

    After I introduced this memory aid, the performance of students on the exam question about this topic increased significantly. In fact, last year it was labelled as “too easy” by our exam monitoring tool, because so many students got it right. The image made integration of novel knowledge into an existing schema easier because it linked new, abstract information to well-known elements – the banana and the table salt.

    When preparing for an exam, then, it can be helpful to think about how the new information you are trying to memorise relates to things you already know, even if this information is not directly relevant for the exam. Knowing that bananas are high in potassium, for instance, is not a learning objective of a biological psychology course.

    And if you go for a walk somewhere new first, even better. Hopefully these tips will help you turn difficult exam material into lasting memories.

    Judith Schomaker receives funding from NWO, LUF and LLinC.

    – ref. Both novelty and familiarity affect memory – how to make use of this when preparing for exams – https://theconversation.com/both-novelty-and-familiarity-affect-memory-how-to-make-use-of-this-when-preparing-for-exams-254722

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: North Carolina’s Top Paramedic Teams to Compete in Annual Event Sunday, May 4

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: North Carolina’s Top Paramedic Teams to Compete in Annual Event Sunday, May 4

    North Carolina’s Top Paramedic Teams to Compete in Annual Event Sunday, May 4
    hejones1

    The 33rd annual North Carolina Paramedic Competition will take place Sunday, May 4, at the Joseph S. Koury Convention Center. Six groups from across the state will compete for the title of Top Paramedic Team during the annual NC Emergency Medical Services Expo.

    Last year’s champions, Harnett County EMS, will be defending their title against five regional champion teams: Cape Fear Valley Cumberland EMS, Mecklenburg EMS and Whiteville Rescue as well as two Surry County EMS crews. These teams each won their respective regional competitions held on March 14 in Brunswick, Catawba, Cumberland, Johnston and Surry counties. 

    The competition brings each team out of sequestration and into a ballroom – set up with bleachers full of their peers — to respond to a mock emergency event that is a closely guarded secret. It is part of the 50th annual NC Emergency Medical Services Expo, which runs from Friday, May 2, through Wednesday, May 7.

    Each paramedic group will face a scenario carefully designed by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Emergency Medical Services team, in collaboration with the competition’s medical advisor Dr. Bryan Kitch. The goal is to present a life-like situation, often with an unexpected twist, that may resemble what teams may encounter in a routine emergency response. The groups are challenged to complete a rapid but thorough assessment of the scenario and provide appropriate treatment of all involved patients within a set time limit.

    The competition serves as a training opportunity for competitors and the many paramedics, emergency medical technicians and medical directors who closely observe each team’s response to the scenario. Teams are graded on their professionalism, communication, patient rapport, conduct, attitude, appearance and clinical management. The judges panel includes emergency medical services professionals from South Carolina, all with extensive EMS backgrounds.

    The winning team is selected based on the panel’s scores and will be announced Tuesday, May 6, at the Emergency Medical Services Expo awards banquet. 

    What: 33rd annual North Carolina Paramedic Competition

    When: Sunday, May 4
                  Noon-4 p.m. (first team competes at 12:45 p.m.)

    Where: Joseph S. Koury Convention Center/Four Seasons Hotel
                    3121 W Gate City Blvd.
                    Greensboro, NC 27407

    Media: Credentialed media are welcome but requested to stay outside the scenario perimeter and refrain from flash photography during the competition. The audience is prohibited from taking photographs or video during the competition.

    Contact: Mick Stewart 919-410-1875  

    The annual paramedics’ championship competition is co-sponsored by NCDHHS, the NC College of Emergency Physicians and participating community colleges. Through the Office of Emergency Medical Services, NCDHHS works to foster emergency medical systems, trauma systems and credentialed EMS personnel to improve responses to emergencies and disasters. Learn more about the Office of Emergency Medical Services on their website.

    Apr 28, 2025

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Ernst Standing up for Taxpayers in Washington

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)
    WASHINGTON – In case you missed it, Senate DOGE Caucus Chair Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) has been leading the fight in Washington to end taxpayer-funded union time (TFUT), the insane practice of requiring taxpayers to foot the bill for federal employees engaging in union activity while on the clock, including lobbying Congress for higher pay, negotiating telework agreements, and securing other cushy perks.
    While data was not released under the Biden administration, the most recent report from 2019 showed federal employees spent 2,606,390 hours engaged in union activities while on the clock for the American people, costing taxpayers $160 million in just one year.
    To uncover the true cost of TFUT, Senator Ernst demanded in December 2024 that 24 federal agencies provide accurate and up to date data. Ernst’s efforts have already uncovered the jaw-dropping details of the true cost to taxpayers at three federal agencies.
    The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) revealed an 11% increase in costs since 2019, racking up more than $400,000 annually.
    NY POST | Nuclear agency had 11% increase in taxpayer-funded union time from five years ago, records show
    The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) similarly admitted that north of $400,000 was spent every year for union activity.
    NY POST | NASA spent over $400K taxpayer dollars on union time last year
    The real bombshell came from the Defense Health Agency (DHA), which oversees the TRICARE health benefits for servicemembers, who said its bureaucrats spent 87,000 hours on union activity costing taxpayers $3.3 million.
    NY POST | Workers at Defense Health Agency spent $3.3 million and 87,000 hours working on their own union benefits
    Because the data from these three agencies is just the tip of the iceberg, Senator Ernst sent a letter to the Trump administration requesting that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) resume tracking and publicly disclosing the total cost of TFUT across government to provide taxpayers with a true accounting. The Trump administration has agreed and will soon publish a government-wide report. Ernst also introduced the Taxpayer-Funded Union Time Transparency Act to require the annual public disclosure of the cost of TFUT to the American people.
    Transparency is an important step but Ernst has also introduced the Protecting Taxpayers’ Wallet Act to require federal unions to reimburse taxpayers for all costs involving TFUT to potentially save the American people more than a billion dollars over the next decade.
    Her bill will ensure that no more tax dollars are spent on bureaucrats securing cushy perks as was the case at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Ernst uncovered that the IRS’s union secured a cushy telework agreement allowing employees to come in just two days per two-week pay period. To rub salt in the wound, all of the negotiations were done on taxpayers’ dime.
    NY POST | IRS workers only had to show up to work once a week in person, before Trump took over
    Last week, Ernst sent a letter to Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner about how his department has been ground zero for TFUT abuse by bureaucrats. She detailed examples of bureaucrats launching real estate careers, going on beach vacations, and even sitting in jail cells all while allegedly on union time.
    THE DAILY CALLER | Joni Ernst Reveals More Examples Of HUD Bureaucrats Bilking Taxpayers
    Ernst’s efforts to fight for taxpayers have earned her sweeping praise.
    NY POST | Public-sector workers spent 87,000 hours screwing you — just at one agency, just in two years
    The New York Post Editorial Board wrote about Senator Ernst and called her, “A fierce advocate for the troops as well as a staunch fighter against fraud and waste as head of the Senate DOGE caucus.”
    The Public Labor Unions Accountability Committee, who advocates for holding public sector unions accountable, has applauded Ernst’s work and emphasized that American taxpayers deserve to know where their money is going.
    FOX NEWS | MARY KATHARINE HAM: Teachers union bosses put themselves first, teachers and students last
    Fox News contributor, OutKick columnist, and Senior Advisor to the Public Labor Unions Accountability Committee Mary Katharine Ham praised Ernst’s efforts and demanded that public sector unions be removed from politics. Ham also called out the true cost of public sector unions on the Ruthless podcast and the Guy Benson Show.
    WASHINGTON EXAMINER | No more union time on taxpayer dime
    The Washington Examiner Editorial board applauded Ernst’s Protecting Taxpayer’s Wallet Act in a piece calling for the end of union time on the taxpayers’ dime.
    Americans For Fair Treatment, an advocacy group for getting union spending out of politics, has also praised the Protecting Taxpayer’s Wallet Act and called for its swift passage to bring a little fiscal sanity to Washington.
    SEAN HANNITY | IR-MESS! IRS Workers Only Had to Show Up for Work One Day a Week Before Trump 2.0: Report
    Hannity called out the insanity of IRS bureaucrats only having to show up once a week after Senator Ernst unearthed the arrangement.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Health Department commemorates African Vaccination Week

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    The Department of Health has urged parents and caregivers to ensure their children are up-to-date with vaccinations, as South Africa joins the rest of the continent in commemorating African Vaccination Week.

    African Vaccination Week, observed from 23 to 30 April, aims to promote the life-saving benefits of immunisation. 

    This initiative seeks to protect people of all ages from vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles, mumps, rubella, polio and diphtheria, among others.

    According to the department, vaccination remains the most cost-effective public health intervention to save lives and the first line of defence against many diseases. 

    African Vaccination Week is celebrated alongside other World Health Organisation (WHO) regions during World Immunisation Week (WIW). 

    Its goal is to enhance advocacy for improved access to vaccination throughout the life course.

    According to WHO, immunisation prevents between 3.5 and 5 million deaths every year from diseases like diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, also known as whooping cough, influenza and measles. 

    “Globally in 2023, 14.5 million children were missing out on any vaccination, so-called zero-dose children. It is for this reason that the department is working with provinces and other stakeholders to address immunisation gaps and improve vaccination coverage in the country,” WHO said in a statement. 

    WATCH | Routine immunisation is an important part of ensuring children stay healthy and reduce the risk of contracting childhood diseases.​

    The Health Department announced that it will leverage the 2025 campaign to enhance vaccination and surveillance efforts aimed at addressing immunity gaps in districts with low vaccination rates. 

    These areas have been identified as having a significant number of under-vaccinated and unvaccinated children, often referred to as zero-dose children. 

    According to the department, this initiative is part of the broader goal of preventing outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases.

    “Although 80% of children in South Africa have received all their vaccinations by the age of one year, this means that one in five children has missed one or more doses and is therefore not fully protected from vaccine-preventable diseases.” 

    The department said all vaccines contained in the National Immunisation Schedule are provided free of charge at all primary healthcare facilities across the country. 

    Parents and caregivers are encouraged to check their child’s Road to Health booklet and take their child to a health facility for vaccination if the child is due for or has missed any doses.

    African Vaccination Week 2025 is commemorated under the theme: “Immunisation for All is Humanly Possible”.

    This theme aims to highlight the profound impact of vaccines on human health and their potential to achieve global health security.

    The department is expected to host a webinar on Tuesday, 29 April 2025, as part of African Vaccination Week activities to strengthen awareness of the importance of life course vaccines and provide a continuous update on the new developments around vaccines in South Africa. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Police Minister attends bail hearing of suspect in GBV case 

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    Tuesday, April 29, 2025

    Police Minister Senzo Mchunu is today attending the bail hearing of a suspect charged with assault with intent to commit grievous bodily harm (GBH) and attempted murder.

    This follows a harrowing case of gender-based violence in the Maswazini area, Richmond, KwaZulu-Natal.

    “On 16 April 2025, a woman was allegedly attacked by her ex-boyfriend while at home with her mother. The suspect reportedly assaulted the mother before proceeding to violently attack the young woman, allegedly gouging both of her eyes with a screwdriver. She is currently receiving treatment at the Harry Gwala District Hospital,” the Ministry of Police said ahead of Monday’s bail hearing.

    The accused was traced and arrested soon after the incident and is set to appear in the Richmond Magistrate Court.

    “The Minister is attending the court proceedings in support of the victim and her family. His attendance follows a personal visit to the family on Sunday where he extended his sympathies and reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to the fight against gender-based violence and Femicide (GBVF), a national priority,” the police said. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Memphis Woman Sentenced in Health Care Fraud Scheme and Schemes to Defraud COVID-19 Relief Program

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

    Memphis, TN – A federal judge has sentenced Nakita Cannady, 49, to 14 months in federal prison to be followed by two years of supervised release for healthcare fraud and making false statements in connection with loan applications for the Covid-19 Relief Program.  The final sentencing hearing was concluded on April 4, 2025, with the entry of an order by Senior United States District Judge John T. Fowlkes, Jr. directing the defendant to pay more than $500,000.00 dollars in restitution to the victims.  Joseph C. Murphy, Jr., Interim United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today.

    According to the original federal indictment in the healthcare fraud case, Cannady owned and operated What About Us In-Home Healthcare, a home healthcare services business that purported to provide custodial healthcare services 24-hours a day, 7 days a week to mostly elderly patients. From May 29, 2017 through December 23, 2019, Cannady fraudulently billed Cigna Insurance for 24 hours a day of home healthcare when she knew the patients had only received 8 or 12 hours a day of home healthcare. Cannady was ordered to make restitution to Cigna Insurance in the amount of $193,508.10.

    According to the second federal indictment, from June 17, 2020 through April 15, 2021, Cannady submitted six fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) applications for four purported businesses she controlled, specifically: What About Us Childcare, What About Us Foundation, What About Us Adult Daycare, and What About Us In-Home Healthcare. Cannady’s loan applications contained false information concerning the dates of operation, gross revenues, costs of goods sold, number of employees, and amount of payroll related to the businesses. Cannady was ordered to make restitution to the Small Business Administration in the amount of $346,882.13.   

    “Those who exploit health care programs for personal gain will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Nashville Field Office. “Health care fraud is a priority for the FBI, and we will continue to work with our partners to investigate those who prioritize greed over the well-being of others.”

    Interim United States Attorney Joseph C. Murphy, Jr. and Assistant United States Attorney Raney Irwin prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States. Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Cotten and former Assistant United States Attorneys Courtney Lewis and Murrell Foster also assisted in the prosecution of this case.  The FBI Nashville Field Office – Memphis Resident Agency and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation investigated this case.

    ###

    For more information, please contact the media relations team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: For the benefit of the capital: GUU will help the Management Center of the Moscow City Economy Complex

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –

    On April 28, at the invitation of the Director of the Management Center of the Moscow City Economy Complex (MCCMC) Evgeny Balashov, a working meeting was held between the Vice-Rector of the State University of Management Maria Karelina and the MCCMC team.

    The Center combines many years of experience in the field of municipal services with new developing areas of activity. The employees of the Central Control Center of the City Housing and Utilities Department work to promptly respond to the tasks related to monitoring the operation of housing and utilities facilities in Moscow. Analysts monitor the dynamics of processes, analyze the causes of incidents and make forecast estimates. The Center, as a single technological platform, unites all key sources of information, which facilitates the process of making strategic management decisions online.

    Colleagues from the Central Control Center of the KGH demonstrated the center’s business processes and introduced current and future tasks.

    The meeting resulted in the definition of the main vectors of interaction between the State University of Management and the Control Center. On the educational track, this is the organization of a basic department, the preparation and implementation of additional professional education and professional retraining programs. In the field of scientific research, the parties expressed mutual interest in joint research in the field of software modeling of various critical situations in the field of urban economy and their consequences.

    Taking into account the experience of the SMU scientists in the field of work on making management decisions under conditions of uncertainty (the head of the scientific school is Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor Alexey Terentyev), the cooperation promises to be productive and will allow obtaining practical results in the interests of the Moscow City Economy Complex.

    Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 04/29/2025

    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.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Georgia: EUAA publishes overview of the health landscape and accessibility to oncological and psychiatric care

    Source: European Asylum Support Office

    The Agency has just published two topical reports that provide an overview of the access to oncology and psychiatry in Georgia. These two reports complement another: Georgia: Provision of Healthcare, which outlines the organisation and structure of the healthcare system in Georgia. The reports come as EU+ countries received just over 15 000 asylum applications from Georgian citizens in 2024.

    The European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) has recently published three Medical Country of Origin Information (“MedCOI”) reports on the state of healthcare provision in Georgia. The reports cover the general situation of healthcare provision in the country and, separately, access to oncological and psychiatric care.

    These reports are the first to be published by the EUAA, following a recently developed and agreed MedCOI methodology, the first one to be published by any public body in the world. The new methodology establishes the guiding principles for MedCOI and includes guidance on how to research and draft the reports, as well as the different quality control mechanisms integrated into the production process.

    Provision of healthcare

    In its report Georgia: Provision of Healthcare, the EUAA provides updates on the organisation of the health system, the public and private healthcare sectors, the pharmaceutical sector, as well as an overview of health insurance schemes and healthcare expenditure.

    The report outlines key developments in Georgia’s healthcare system, highlighting major reforms since the shift from the Soviet system to a decentralised model. The MedCOI report serves as a resource for understanding the evolving landscape and addressing ongoing gaps in the delivery of healthcare services. The launch of the Universal Health Care Programme (UHCP) in 2013 expanded access, but high out-of-pocket costs persist due to the dominance of private facilities. While public insurance now better supports vulnerable groups, low-income households often face significant costs. 

    New topical reports on Oncology and Psychiatry in Georgia

    Separately, the Agency has also published two topical reports on the healthcare situation in Georgia as it relates to oncology and psychiatry.

    With cancer remaining a leading cause of mortality in Georgia; in its report on Oncology, the EUAA highlights both the significant progress and ongoing challenges in cancer care, with a particular focus on insurance and access to treatment and medication.

    Under the UHCP, national authorities have increased funding for oncological treatments, now fully covering chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery for all citizens, including those with private insurance. However, private insurance policies often exclude full oncological treatment, leaving many patients covering the costs of diagnostics and essential medications out-of-pocket. Despite State efforts to procure medications directly and support vulnerable groups, disparities persist, particularly in rural areas and among those needing services beyond annual public coverage limits.

    In its report on Psychiatry, the EUAA highlights both the progress and persistent challenges in Georgia’s mental healthcare system. Georgia has seen a rising prevalence of mental and behavioural disorders, especially among young adults, though underreporting remains an issue, due to the stigma often associated with mental health disorders.

    Mental healthcare services are mainly funded by public schemes, such as the state’s Mental Health Programme and the Drug Addiction Programme. Services are delivered through a mix of public and private providers, but access remains uneven across regions, and community-based care is underdeveloped. Despite increased funding in recent years, the system still falls short of international standards, and integrated care for dual diagnoses.

    Background

    The EUAA regularly publishes Medical Country-of-Origin Information reports, which aim to provide accurate and reliable up-to-date information on third countries to support EU+ national asylum and migration authorities involved in migration and international protection procedures. Medical Country of Origin information is used within international protection procedures or in the context of family reunification. Member States’ national authorities also make use of the information within migration and return procedures, to comply with their obligations under the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI: Inspira and Cequence Security Join Forces to Strengthen API Security and Bot Defense Worldwide

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN FRANCISCO, April 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Inspira Enterprise, Inc. (“Inspira”), a global cybersecurity services leader, today announced a strategic partnership with Cequence Security, a pioneer in API security and bot management. With this collaboration, Inspira and Cequence will help organizations globally defend against the full spectrum of API based threats, including automated threats, ranging from malicious bots to business logic abuse, while maintaining frictionless digital experiences. The cybersecurity landscape will be fortified by pairing Inspira’s end-to-end cybersecurity services across advisory, transformation, and operations, and a range of data analytics solutions, with Cequence’s innovative Unified API Protection (UAP) platform.

    APIs have become the backbone of modern digital transformation, powering everything from mobile apps to customer portals. But with that innovation comes risk. Security teams face significant challenges in protecting API applications, especially with their rapid deployment across multiple cloud environments. Unmanaged and unprotected APIs often expose critical vulnerabilities, while inconsistent security postures across the application landscape add further complexity and risk.

    Cequence Security’s UAP platform helps organizations gain visibility into their API traffic, ensure API compliance, test for security gaps, and stop automated threats such as credential stuffing, scraping, and fake account creation. While doing so, the Platform also ensures that it does not block good bots, alter development cycles, or disrupt the business or user experience.

    “Our customers are under pressure to secure their APIs, manage risk, and meet growing compliance demands across geographies,” said Geetanjali Sethi, President – Strategy and Growth at Inspira. “By partnering with Cequence, we’re expanding our portfolio to offer API security and bot protection as a fully managed service, combining cutting-edge technology with our global expertise and 24/7 operational support.”

    Cequence is proud to join Inspira’s trusted partner ecosystem, helping them bring outcome-driven API protection and bot mitigation to customers worldwide. Customers can now detect and stop sophisticated API attacks, enhance API governance and security testing, improve visibility and response time, secure APIs during open banking transitions, and meet stringent data sovereignty requirements.

    “This partnership is rooted in delivering real outcomes,” said Arun Gowda, VP of Business Development at Cequence Security. “With Cequence, customers already get a world-class platform to secure their APIs and defend against automated attacks. Now, paired with Inspira’s global reach and service capabilities, organizations can consume the platform as a managed service, enabling faster implementation, management, and threat monitoring.”

    As part of the partnership, Inspira is augmenting its cybersecurity portfolio with industry-leading API security and bot management capabilities, offering not only the Cequence Platform but also the managed security services wrapped around it. Inspira will provide expert deployment, advisory support, ongoing monitoring, and full lifecycle threat management to help customers adopt and operate the solution with ease. The joint offering delivers a full-stack approach to API protection and bot defense, backed by Inspira’s white-glove service model and global Cyber Fusion Centers.

    About Inspira Enterprise
    Inspira Enterprise is a global Cybersecurity, Data Analytics, and Artificial Intelligence services provider with a presence in North America, ASEAN, the Middle East, India, and Africa. It offers a wide range of services to a host of industries like Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI), Healthcare, Public Sector, Manufacturing, Information technology-enabled services (ITeS), eCommerce, and others. Inspira believes in delivering adaptive, intelligent, industry and customer-centric solutions for the resilient businesses of tomorrow. Inspira is also a NVIDIA partner specializing in the planning, design, implementation, and project management of solutions that include NVIDIA products and technologies to address customers’ business and technology needs.

    Over the years, Inspira has successfully designed and delivered complex transformational projects to over 250+ customers, including the Government, PSUs, BFSI, and Enterprise customers, with a team of over 1600 professionals. For more information, please visit https://inspiraenterprise.com/.

    About Cequence Security
    Cequence is a pioneer in API security and bot management, protecting the applications and APIs that organizations depend on from cyberattacks, business logic abuse, and fraud. Its Unified API Protection platform brings together discovery, compliance, and protection capabilities to deliver real-time defense against advanced threats. Requiring no code changes or app instrumentation, Cequence demonstrates value in minutes and scales to support the world’s largest private and public sector organizations—safeguarding more than 8 billion API interactions daily and over 3 billion user accounts. Learn more at www.cequence.ai.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: From shrinking bladders to severe stomach pain: survey reveals the painful realities of ketamine addiction

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Rebecca Harding, PhD Candidate, Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, UCL

    Ketamine’s rising popularity has created a paradox. While it’s hailed by some doctors as a breakthrough psychiatric treatment, it’s also driving a surge in addiction and harming people’s health. To better understand people’s experience of ketamine and how it might be best used in medical treatment, we surveyed hundreds of people who self-identify as struggling with ketamine addiction.

    Ketamine is gaining recognition as a promising, rapid-acting intervention for mental health conditions for many. Phase three clinical trials are now underway for its use with people with alcohol problems. A ketamine-based nasal spray, Spravato, has also been approved as a standalone therapy for treatment-resistant depression,

    But for others, particularly recreational users in their 20s, ketamine use can lead to more harm than healing.

    Once seen as a fringe party drug, ketamine – also known as “K” – has now entered the mainstream, gaining popularity as a nightlife narcotic and reports of widespread use in Hollywood. But with its rise have come warnings: several high-profile deaths, including actor Matthew Perry and drag artist The Vivienne, have sparked public concern.

    Medical ketamine is a regulated drug used in hospitals and clinics under professional supervision. Illegal ketamine, often used recreationally, is unregulated, may be contaminated and carries higher risks of overdose, addiction and health complications due to unknown purity and unsafe use.

    To better understand the experience of ketamine addiction and to help inform improved treatments, our research team at the University of Exeter and University College London surveyed 274 people with self-identified ketamine addiction from Europe, North America and Australia**. We believe the results offer the most in-depth data of its kind to date.

    While ketamine is chemically distinct from opioids, some users described its emotional and social toll as equally devastating. One participant described it as “the heroin of a generation”.

    This stark characterisation underscores the growing number of people seeking treatment – not only for addiction, but also for physical health complications that can follow heavy, prolonged use.

    Sixty percent of respondents reported bladder problems – a side effect well known among long-term ketamine users, but rarely discussed outside specialist circles. Many also described intense psychological symptoms such as cravings, low mood, anxiety and irritability.

    While these experiences probably reflect heavier users than the average recreational consumer, they highlight the serious harms experienced by those who become dependent.

    Alarming statistics

    Alarmingly, over a third of our respondents had never sought treatment. Among those who had, only 36% were satisfied with the care they received. One person noted: “I think they need to research drugs or options that fight K bladder, K kidneys and K stomach cramps. Ketamine can make your lifespan much shorter.”

    A recurring theme throughout the survey responses was frustration at the lack of awareness – among peers, educators, healthcare providers and even addiction specialists – about ketamine’s risks.

    “No one even understands what ketamine is or what it does,” said one participant. They added: “It shouldn’t be our job to explain the science. It should be taught. People need to be educated. There’s so much less information out there compared to drugs like cocaine.”

    Most participants had first encountered ketamine in recreational settings. Only four participants first encountered it through prescription, primarily in the United States, where at-home ketamine therapy is becoming more common. In contrast, the UK restricts ketamine use to clinical supervision.

    Crucially, the doses reported by participants were far higher than those used in medical settings. Rapid tolerance development and escalating use were common concerns.

    New treatment strategies

    To support those struggling with ketamine addiction, our findings point to the urgent need for new treatment strategies. These include pharmacological options to address physical complications like “K cramps” (severe abdominal pain often described as excruciating) and improved understanding of how ketamine causes bladder and kidney damage.

    Equally vital is improving education – both for the public and for healthcare professionals – about the risks of ketamine use and the realities of addiction. We hope our survey offers a platform for those with experience to be heard and for their voices to shape future research, clinical care and public health messaging.



    Read more:
    Ketamine: what you need to know about the UK’s growing drug problem

    This survey comes at a crucial time in ketamine’s evolving story. In response to rising recreational use and recent fatalities, the UK government is reportedly considering reclassifying ketamine as a Class A drug. However, when ketamine was reclassified from Class C to Class B in 2014, use among 16–24-year-olds increased by 231%, suggesting that harsher penalties do little to curb demand.

    Instead of relying on punitive measures, we must focus on expanding treatment access, reducing stigma and investing in prevention. Our study shows the urgent need for more research into what makes ketamine addictive, how to prevent its physical harms and, most importantly, how to help people recover and reclaim their lives.

    Celia Morgan receives funding from National Institute of Health Research (UK), Medical Research Council (UK), Economic and Social Research Council UK; Medical Research Foundation; Wellcome Trust; Awakn Life Sciences.

    Rebecca Harding 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. From shrinking bladders to severe stomach pain: survey reveals the painful realities of ketamine addiction – https://theconversation.com/from-shrinking-bladders-to-severe-stomach-pain-survey-reveals-the-painful-realities-of-ketamine-addiction-255197

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: RFK Jr. said many autistic people will never write a poem − even though there’s a rich history of neurodivergent poets and writers

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Bradley J. Irish, Associate Professor of English, Arizona State University

    Scholars today believe Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw was probably on the autism spectrum. Bettmann/Getty Images

    U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently declared autism a national “epidemic,” calling it a “preventable disease” that is growing at an “alarming rate.”

    He went on to cast autism as an “individual tragedy” that “destroys families,” while stating that many autistic people will “never pay taxes, they’ll never hold a job, they’ll never play baseball, they’ll never write a poem, they’ll never go out on a date.”

    The remarks drew widespread criticism from researchers, advocacy groups and autistic people. They objected to these scientifically unsound characterizations of autism, along with the broad strokes with which Kennedy described autistic people, who exist on a vast spectrum.

    As an autistic English professor who studies literature and neurodiversity, I was especially unnerved by Kennedy’s contention that many autistic people will never write poetry.

    It couldn’t be further from the truth.

    Working poets

    There’s a remarkable corpus of poetry written by autistic people, who have also written novels, plays and virtually any kind of literature imaginable. The Autism Books by Autistic Authors Project catalogs 133 collections of poetry authored by autistic individuals, which represents only a fraction of the work created by autistic poets throughout history.

    One of the most well-known contemporary autistic poets is David Miedzianik, who in 1986 also wrote one of the earliest autistic memoirs. He’s published his poetry in the books “I Hope Some Lass Will Want Me After Reading All This,” “Taking the Load Off My Mind: Autobiographical and Other Poems” and “Now All I’ve Got Left is Myself: Autobiographical Poems, 1993-1996.”

    Adam Wolfond is another celebrated autistic poet. Wolfond, who is nonspeaking, has released several books of poetry, including “In Way of Music Water Answers Toward Questions Other Than What Is Autism” in 2019, “The Wanting Way” in 2022 and “Open Book in Ways of Water” the following year. And Traci Neal is an autistic poet, advocate and spoken-word artist whose work has been featured in Newsweek and NPR’s Poetry Moment.

    Autistic poets write about many topics. But their work is particularly poignant when discussing how they fit into a world that often labels them broken, incomplete or something less than human.

    In writer and poet Tito Rajarshi Mukhopadhyay’s 2010 poem “Misfit,” the speaker of the poem notes that other people often ostracize him for his differences. But he doesn’t care: 

      My hands, as usual, were flapping
  The birds knew I was Autistic;
  They found no wrong with anything.

    Poets from the past

    Beyond living writers, readers and researchers have also explored the possibility that poets from the past may have had autistic characteristics, even before autism came to be formally theorized by clinicians in the mid-20th century.

    Of course, it’s important to exercise caution when categorizing people from the past, since they lived in worlds without those terms. At the same time, there have always been people whose minds and bodies worked in ways we’d now describe as autistic. So most literary scholars believe it is perfectly reasonable to discuss it as a possibility, as long as these historical figures aren’t given a formal, authoritative “diagnosis.”

    In 2010, for example, literary scholar Julie Brown suggested that renowned American poet Emily Dickinson had characteristics – such as sensory issues, social quirkiness and a savant’s command of language – that align with those of some individuals on the autism spectrum. More recent readers have agreed.

    In fact, many historical poets, novelists and playwrights have been tentatively associated with autism or other kinds of neurodivergence, such as William Wordsworth, Lewis Carroll, Hans Christian Andersen, George Bernard Shaw and Virginia Woolf.

    Unique voices, unique perspectives

    Of course, there are countless autistic people who write poetry who aren’t famous and haven’t published books. Neurodivergent poet and educator Chris Martin, who works with autistic people around the world, helps his students discover how to express themselves in poems.

    He describes this work in “May Tomorrow Be Awake: On Poetry, Autism, and Our Neurodiverse Future,” a book that’s part memoir of Martin’s own journey and part poetry anthology of his students’ poetry.

    Autistic poet and educator Chris Martin and autistic poet Adam Wolfond, who is nonspeaking, participate in a reading in 2023.

    Martin describes the “remarkable reciprocity poetry shares with autism or autistic minds or autistic ways of moving through the world.”

    “Time and again,” he adds, “I have watched my students … grasp the hand of poetry and begin dancing like they’ve been doing it their whole lives.”

    In fact, he argues that “poetry’s patterned structure uniquely serves neurodivergent thinking.” Because many autistic people seek patterns with a “combination of knack and urgency,” reading and writing poetry, which is anchored in patterns of words, images, sounds and forms, is particularly well suited for their way of thinking.

    In a recent interview with the magazine Mother Jones, autistic poet, educator and attorney Elizabeth R. McClellan said, “I know so many poets with various kinds of neurodivergence and that adds to the way that we see the world in our unique way, and that adds to our unique voice as poets.”

    In other words, autistic people are able to expand the possibilities of poetry itself.

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

    – ref. RFK Jr. said many autistic people will never write a poem − even though there’s a rich history of neurodivergent poets and writers – https://theconversation.com/rfk-jr-said-many-autistic-people-will-never-write-a-poem-even-though-theres-a-rich-history-of-neurodivergent-poets-and-writers-255367

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Whooping cough is making a comeback, but the vaccine provides powerful protection

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Annette Regan, Adjunct Associate Professor of Epidemiology, University of California, Los Angeles

    Infants can get vaccinated against whooping cough starting at 6 weeks of age. Hill Street Studios/Corbis via Getty Images

    Whooping cough, a bacterial infection that can be especially dangerous for babies and young children, is on the rise. Already in 2025 the U.S. has recorded 8,485 cases. That’s compared with 4,266 cases during the same period in 2024.

    Like measles, which is also spreading at unprecedented levels, whooping cough, more formally known as pertussis, can be prevented by a safe
    and effective vaccine. But with anti-vaccine sentiment increasing and cuts to immunization services, vaccination rates for whooping cough over the past two years have declined in children.

    The Conversation asked epidemiologist Annette Regan to explain why pertussis has become so prevalent and how families can protect themselves from the disease.

    What is pertussis and why is it dangerous?

    Pertussis is a vaccine-preventable disease caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. Researchers in France first identified the B. pertussis bacterium in 1906. The first recorded epidemic of pertussis is thought to have occurred in Paris in 1578.

    Infection can cause an acute respiratory illness characterized by severe and spasmodic coughing spells. The classic symptom of pertussis is a “whoop” sound caused by someone trying to breath during a bad cough. Severe complications of pertussis include slowed or stopped breathing, pneumonia and seizures. The disease is most severe in young babies, although severe cases and deaths can also occur in older children and adults.

    Some doctors call pertussis “the 100-day cough” because symptoms can linger for weeks or even months.

    The World Health Organization estimates that 24.1 million pertussis cases and 160,700 deaths occur worldwide in children under 5 each year. Pertussis is highly contagious. Upon exposure, 80% of people who have not been previously exposed to the bacterium or vaccinated against the disease will develop an infection.

    Fortunately, the disease is largely preventable with a safe and effective vaccine, which was first licensed in the U.S. in 1914.

    Whooping cough causes violent fits of coughing that can make it difficult to inhale.

    How do cases last year and this year compare with past years?

    During the COVID-19 pandemic between 2020 and 2022, pertussis cases were lower than usual. This may have been a result of limited social contact due to social distancing, masking, school closures and lockdown measures, which reduced the spread of disease overall.

    In the past two years, however, pertussis cases have surpassed figures from before the pandemic. In 2024, local and state public health agencies reported 35,435 pertussis cases to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – a rate five times higher than the 7,063 cases reported in 2023 and nearly double the 18,617 cases reported in 2019 prior to the pandemic.

    Between October 2024 and April 2025, at least four people in the U.S. have died of pertussis: two infants, one school-age child and one adult.

    Why are pertussis cases rising?

    Although vaccines have resulted in a dramatic decline in pertussis infections in the U.S., incidence of the disease has been rising since the 1990s, except for a brief dip during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Before the start of routine childhood vaccination for pertussis in 1947, its rates hovered between 100,000 and 200,000 cases per year. With vaccines, rates plunged under 50,000 annually by the late 1950s and under 10,000 per year in the late 1960s. They reached a low of 1,010 cases in 1976.

    Starting in the 1980s and 1990s, however, the U.S. and several other countries have been seeing a steady resurgence of pertussis cases, which have exceeded 10,000 cases in the U.S. every year from 2003 to 2019. They dropped again during the pandemic until last year’s resurgence.

    There is no single explanation for why cases have been rising recently, but several factors probably contribute. First, pertussis naturally occurs in cyclic epidemics, peaking every two to five years. It is possible that the U.S. is headed into one of these peaks after a period of low activity between 2020 and 2022. However, some scientists have noted that the increase in cases is larger than what would be expected during a usual peak.

    A public health worker processes blood samples during a whooping cough outbreak in Ohio in December 2010.
    National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

    Some scientists have noted that this apparent resurgence correlates with a change in the type of vaccine used in children. Until the 1990s, the pertussis vaccine contained whole, killed B. pertussis bacteria cells. Whole-cell vaccine can stimulate a long-lasting immune response, but it is also more likely to cause fever and other vaccine reactions in children.

    In the 1990s, national vaccine programs began to transition to a vaccine that contains purified components of the bacterial cell but not the whole cell. Some scientists now believe that although this partial-cell vaccine is less likely to cause high fevers in children, it provides protection for a shorter time. Immunity after whole-cell vaccination is thought to last 10-12 years compared with three to five years after the partial-cell vaccine. This means people may become susceptible to infection more quickly after vaccination.

    Vaccination rates are also not as high as they should be and have started falling in children since 2020. In the U.S., the percent of kindergartners who are up to date with recommended pertussis vaccines has declined from 95% during the 2019-20 school year to 92% in the 2023-24 school year. Even fewer adolescents receive a booster dose.

    How can people protect themselves and their families?

    Routine vaccination for children starting in infancy followed by booster doses in adolescents and adults can help keep immunity high.

    Public health experts recommend that children receive five doses of the pertussis vaccine. According to the recommendations, they should receive the first three doses at 2, 4 and 6 months of age, then two additional doses at 15 months and 4 years of age, with the aim of providing protection through early adolescence.

    Infants younger than 6 weeks are not old enough to get a pertussis vaccine but are at the greatest risk of severe illness from pertussis. Vaccination during pregnancy can offer protection from birth due to antibodies that pass from the mother to the developing fetus. Many countries, including the U.S., now recommend that women receive one dose of pertussis vaccine between the 27th and 36th week of every pregnancy to protect their babies.

    To maintain protection against pertussis after childhood, a booster dose of pertussis vaccine is recommended for adolescents at 11 to 12 years of age. The CDC recommends that all adults receive at least one booster dose.

    The pertussis vaccine’s protction wanes over time, so public health experts recommend a booster around age 11 or 12.
    SELF Magazine via flickr, CC BY

    Because immunity declines over time, people who are in contact with infants and other high-risk groups, such as caregivers, parents and grandparents, may benefit from additional booster doses. When feasible, the CDC also recommends a booster dose for adults 65 years and older.

    Vaccine safety studies over the past 80 years have proven the pertussis vaccine to be safe. Around 20% to 40% of vaccinated infants experience local reactions, such as pain, redness and swelling at the vaccination site, and 3% to 5% of vaccinated infants experience a low-grade fever. More severe reactions are much less common and occur in fewer than 1% of vaccinated infants.

    The vaccine is also highly effective: For the first year after receiving all five doses of the pertussis vaccine, 98% of children are protected from pertussis. Five years after the fifth dose, 65% of vaccinated children remain protected.

    Booster vaccination during adolescence protects 74% of teens against pertussis, and booster vaccination during pregnancy protects 91% to 94% of immunized babies against hospitalization due to pertussis.

    Families can talk to their regular health care providers about whether a pertussis vaccine is needed for their child, themselves or other family members.

    Annette Regan receives funding from the National Institutes of Health, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Global Vaccine Data Network.

    – ref. Whooping cough is making a comeback, but the vaccine provides powerful protection – https://theconversation.com/whooping-cough-is-making-a-comeback-but-the-vaccine-provides-powerful-protection-254647

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How Trump promotes a radical, unscientific theory about sex and gender in the name of opposing ‘gender ideology extremism’

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Ina Seethaler, Associate Professor and Director of Women’s and Gender Studies, Coastal Carolina University

    Sexual diversity has been documented in every species in the animal kingdom, including among humans. smartboy10/DigitalVision Vectors via Getty Images

    The Trump administration claims to be rooting out “gender ideology extremism” and “restoring biological truth” in the United States.

    In a January 2025 executive order, President Donald Trump decreed that there are only two genders – male and female – and that anyone who believes differently denies “the biological reality of sex.”

    Yet as a gender studies scholar, I know what the science really says about gender and sex.

    Most researchers in my field, as well as those in other disciplines such as sociology and biology, agree that biological sex is vastly more complicated than solely the two variants of male and female. Sexual diversity has been documented among all animals, including humans.

    Trump’s claim otherwise is itself a gender “ideology” – that is, a set of beliefs and values about gender.

    Sex and gender are not the same thing

    Experts in many disciplines have shown how gender is different from sex. Sex refers to bodily attributes such as genitals, hormones and chromosomes; gender is made up of the norms, roles, behaviors and expectations people are supposed to comply with based on the culture and society they live in.

    As such, gender is socially constructed – that is, defined by a community’s beliefs and rituals. In other words, gender does not follow biology. Instead, people have what’s called a “gender identity” – an internal sense of themselves as masculine, feminine or somewhere in-between.

    There are many ways in which gender and sex don’t necessarily line up.

    Among humans, a conservative estimate by the United Nations suggests that up to 1.7% of the world’s population are intersex, meaning their bodies vary from what has been labeled typical combinations of chromosomes, hormones and genitals.

    Intersex rights advocates have long pushed for medical treatment that reflects this fact, rather than common expectations of the human body. Recognition of gender and sex diversity can significantly reduce the stigma and trauma of being an intersex person.

    In the animal kingdom, female spotted hyenas have a penis. Male seahorses get pregnant.

    It took biologists a long time to figure out that some male animals do things that defy socially determined understandings of masculinity. But once they did, groundbreaking insights into the complexity of evolutionary processes have emerged.

    By labeling the concept of gender identity as an “ideology,” the Trump administration has reduced all people – but especially transgender and nonbinary people – to a belief system, ignoring their complex human identities.

    Don’t tell this dad he can’t give birth. A seahorse couple at the New England Acquarium’s 2009 Pregnant Male Seahorse exhibit.
    Matt Stone/MediaNewsGroup/Boston Herald via Getty Images

    What is gender ideology, really?

    Trump’s executive order on gender is itself based on a gender ideology called “biological determinism” – the belief that there are only two genders and that the sex assigned at birth permanently determines one’s role in society.

    This ideology dismisses research and data that document the complexity of human life. This can have serious social consequences.

    Because adherents of biological determinism see sex and gender as one and the same, they generally want to ban puberty blockers, hormone therapy and other gender-affirming health care for trans youth. These are important and sometimes lifesaving treatments; the Trump administration and other adherents of their ideology dismiss them as medical malpractice.

    The executive order also claims that enforcing a rigid male-female divide will keep women and girls safe because bathrooms and domestic violence shelters become dangerous for women when transgender people are allowed to use them.

    Research has consistently debunked this notion. Privacy and safety problems have not increased due to the legal recognition of transgender individuals. There is no evidence that cisgender women – that is, those assigned female at birth – should fear violence committed against them by transgender women.

    Biology is not destiny

    Much of my academic work has focused on how societies rooted in biological determinism tend to be patriarchal. They are designed by men for the benefit of men, and men hold most positions of authority.

    Patriarchal countries, including the U.S., tend to value masculinity over femininity. Political and religious leaders, the media and social norms suggest women are weaker than men, more emotional and better suited for care work. As a result, they portray women as less effective leaders than men.

    Historically, these societies have limited women’s sphere of influence to the household. That, in turn, prevented them from widespread access to, and success in, economic, religious and political leadership positions, just to name a few.

    U.S. feminists in the 1960s and 1970s protested the idea that a person’s body should dictate what they can and cannot do with their life. Back then, patriarchal beliefs restricted women’s participation in sports – they weren’t allowed to run marathons – and jobs, with fields such as practicing law and surgery essentially off-limits.

    Women in the U.S. also lacked full bodily autonomy for much of the 20th century. Access to contraception was limited, and terminating a pregnancy was illegal.

    By the 1980s, women had succeeded in convincing much of U.S. society that they had the same abilities and should enjoy the same rights as men. By the early 2000s, they had made great strides toward attaining equality in education, career choice and reproductive freedom, among others.

    Trans people began making similar progress in the 2010s.

    Moving backward

    As the Trump administration reverts to a simplistic interpretation of sex and gender, public debate on these basic social and political rights is reemerging.

    There is legislation at the state and federal level banning transgender women athletes from participating in sports, bills that would make it a crime to identify as transgender and challenges to women serving in combat roles in the U.S. military.

    Abortion, established as a constitutional right in 1973, had that constitutional protection reversed in 2022. Abortion is now outlawed in 12 states; others severely limit the ability to get the procedure.

    Trump signs the ‘No Men in Women’s Sports’ executive order barring transgender women from women’s sports on Feb. 5, 2025. It was his third order targeting transgender people.
    Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

    To enforce Trump’s “gender ideology” executive order, the Department of Veterans Affairs is phasing out gender-affirming health care. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention temporarily scrubbed data about women’s health that has been vital in raising public awareness and fueling ongoing research into aspects of women’s health, such as safe forms of contraception.

    The administration’s policies and ideas are ingrained in a gender ideology that predates the feminist movement of the mid-20th century.

    When asked in court during proceedings in lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of Trump’s executive order, lawyers representing the Trump administration have repeatedly failed to define what exactly the administration is referring to with the term “radical gender ideology.”

    One lawyer, when prompted by a judge, replied that he was “loathe to speculate” what the president means by the phrase.

    In my assessment, the administation’s inability to define “gender ideology” is a meaningful signal. The Trump administration is pursuing, in essence, its own gender ideology masked as anti-gender ideology.

    Ina Seethaler serves on the boards of the Palmetto State Abortion Fund and the Family Justice Center of Horry and Georgetown Counties.

    – ref. How Trump promotes a radical, unscientific theory about sex and gender in the name of opposing ‘gender ideology extremism’ – https://theconversation.com/how-trump-promotes-a-radical-unscientific-theory-about-sex-and-gender-in-the-name-of-opposing-gender-ideology-extremism-250552

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: From cats and dogs to penguins and llamas, treating animals with acupuncture has become mainstream in veterinary medicine

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Joe Smith, Assistant Professor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee

    Kevin, a King Charles spaniel, receives acupuncture treatment at a Washington, D.C. animal hospital. Alastair Pike/AFP via Getty Images

    A perentie lizard in Dallas, an African penguin in Boston and an Oberhasli goat in Chicago are just a few recent examples of animals at zoos and aquariums benefiting recently from acupuncture therapy. As acupuncture has gained wide use in human medicine in the U.S., it also has become increasingly common in veterinary practice, especially for pain management.

    The Conversation U.S. interviewed University of Tennessee Assistant Professor of Veterinary Medicine Joe Smith, a specialist in farm animal medicine and veterinary clinical pharmacology, about this trend. He describes acupuncture’s current uses for treating many species, from household dogs and cats to large animals like horses, cows and llamas:

    Is veterinary acupuncture modeled on the traditional Chinese version?

    There are two schools of thought about veterinary acupuncture. The original form of acupuncture, which has been practiced for thousands of years, follows principles of traditional Chinese medicine. It views the patient through a lens of five elements: wood, fire, earth, metal and water.

    Each element is associated with a different type of energy. Practitioners work to maintain balance between those energies, which they believe is essential for a healthy body to function.

    Another approach focuses on anatomical effects on the body. Practitioners place needles to achieve specific effects by stimulating muscles or nerves.

    Both versions of acupuncture can help veterinary patients. They use very small, flexible needles, about two-tenths of a millimeter wide – less than one-hundredth of an inch. The needles are placed at various parts of the body to elicit specific responses from connective tissues, muscles and nerves.

    The needles can be used by themselves, or with low levels of electrical current – a process called electroacupuncture. Both approaches are effective, but research suggests that benefits from electroacupunture last longer.

    Veterinary acupuncturists can treat nearly any animal, from a bear to a porcupine, a dog or a sea turtle.

    What does research show about using acupuncture on animals?

    Acupuncture and electroacupuncture both increase the body’s levels of compounds called endogenous opioids. These are pain-relieving substances that the body produces naturally. They work similarly to pharmaceutical opioids, such as fentanyl and morphine.

    Acupuncture increases these compounds so dramatically that the effect can be reversed with opioid antidotes, such as Narcan.

    Studies in small animal medicine show that using acupuncture can speed up healing from nerve injuries, such as spinal cord damage from herniated disks. This is a condition in which material from the disks in between the vertebra of the spinal cord is damaged, and puts pressure on the spinal cord and other parts of the nervous system.

    Herniated disks can be very painful for animals. A 2023 study found that when dogs with this condition were treated with acupuncture, nearly 80% recovered, compared with 60% of animals whose cases were managed conservatively without acupuncture. Acupuncture can also make other techniques, such as epidural nerve blocks, more effective when both methods are used together.

    Many vets are using acupuncture creatively for other purposes, such as increasing sick animals’ appetites, improving their digestion and accelerating healing from injuries.

    How does your veterinary medicine group use acupuncture?

    Our practice at the University of Tennessee has used acupuncture most extensively to help rehabilitate animals recovering from conditions like radial nerve paralysis and femoral nerve injury. We can use acupuncture to stimulate muscles or to provide pain relief, either by itself or combined with other therapies.

    In our Farm Animal Hospital, we regularly use acupuncture for recumbent or “down” animals. That’s a veterinary term for animals that have been unable to stand for extended periods of time.

    With acupuncture, and occasionally electroacupuncture, we can stimulate muscles and nerves that aren’t functioning normally. This help to prevent atrophy, or wasting and thinning of muscle mass.

    For every day that a large animal is down, its muscles atrophy and fluid builds up around injured limbs or joints. These effects can prolong their recovery, or even make it less likely that they will recover.

    By using acupuncture to stimulate atrophied muscles, veterinarians can start to reverse this process. We have used acupuncture extensively on large animals, including cattle, horses, llamas, alpacas, sheep, goats, pigs and even camels.

    One example is goats that have spinal cord injuries caused by parasite migration – a condition called cerebrospinal nematodiasis, or “meningeal worm.” Worm larvae that normally are parasites of white tail deer infect goats through the animals’ digestive tracts, then migrate to the spinal cord and nervous system. They get lost and die there, causing inflammation that can do significant damage.

    We use acupuncture and electroacupuncture to stimulate the goats’ large and accessory spinal nerves and the muscles in the animals’ legs and backs. This gives the goats more muscle function when the inflammation clears, and we believe it helps reduce their pain.

    We’ve also had good results with acupuncture treatment for llamas and alpacas, which are widely used in Tennessee’s Smokey Mountains to carry tourists’ gear up- and downhill. As large animals like these age, they can develop osteoarthritis, a degenerative joint disease that’s incredibly painful and debilitating for them. Acupuncture and electroacupuncture can help keep them moving.

    Our equine services mainly use acupuncture for rehabilitation, helping horses recover from injuries.

    One advantage of acupuncture and electroacupuncture in large animals is that they don’t have many adverse effects. Drugs can have side effects such as nausea and diarrhea, and may cause potentially serious complications. An acupuncture needle placed by a trained veterinarian has few to no adverse effects when it’s done correctly.

    A crow and an opossum at the Nashville Zoo receive acupuncture treatment for mobility issues.

    Can pet owners be confident if their vet recommends acupuncture?

    If there is a nerve or muscle involved, there is probably a veterinary treatment option using acupuncture or electroacupuncture. New studies regularly add to our understanding of the neurology and biochemistry that underlie these therapies.

    Although we’re still learning, if your vet recommends acupuncture for an aging dog or cat – especially for chronic pain – you can be confident that it’s not a fringe treatment. As long as the person treating your pet is a licensed veterinarian, and is certified by a professional organization like Curacore, Chi University or the American Academy of Veterinary Acupuncture, acupuncture should make your pet more comfortable and improve its quality of life.

    Joe Smith has attended attended Curacore Inc’s Medical Acupuncture for Veterinarians course.

    – ref. From cats and dogs to penguins and llamas, treating animals with acupuncture has become mainstream in veterinary medicine – https://theconversation.com/from-cats-and-dogs-to-penguins-and-llamas-treating-animals-with-acupuncture-has-become-mainstream-in-veterinary-medicine-226451

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI: Global Artificial Intelligence Influence on Diabetic Retinopathy Market Expected to See Significant Growth

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PALM BEACH, Fla., April 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FN Media Group News Commentary – According to reports from industry insiders the Global AI in Diabetic Retinopathy market is projected to continue to grow at a substantial rate for years to come. According to Metastat, Global AI in Diabetic Retinopathy Market is witnessing unprecedented growth, reshaping the landscape of diagnostic and therapeutic interventions for this prevalent and sight-threatening complication of diabetes. As technology continues to advance, artificial intelligence (AI) is emerging as a transformative force in healthcare, particularly in the domain of diabetic retinopathy (DR), where early detection and timely intervention are critical. The report said “AI applications in diabetic retinopathy are gaining momentum due to their ability to augment traditional diagnostic methods. Image analysis, a cornerstone in the detection of retinal abnormalities, has witnessed a paradigm shift with the incorporation of AI algorithms. These algorithms, trained on vast datasets of retinal images, demonstrate remarkable accuracy in identifying subtle changes indicative of diabetic retinopathy. Consequently, they empower healthcare professionals with more efficient and precise tools for early diagnosis. One of the notable contributions of AI in diabetic retinopathy lies in its potential to address the challenge of limited access to ophthalmic expertise, especially in resource-constrained regions. Automated screening processes, driven by AI, enable remote and quick assessment of retinal images, offering a scalable solution to bridge the gap in healthcare accessibility. This democratization of expertise has the potential to revolutionize the way diabetic retinopathy is diagnosed and managed globally.” According to a report issued by Grand View Research: “the global diabetic retinopathy market size was estimated at USD $9.48 Billion in 2024 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.4% from 2025 to 2030. One of the main factors expected to fuel market expansion is the growing incidence of diabetes in older individuals and the rising prevalence of blindness caused by diabetes. The introduction of novel diagnostic technologies and treatments and the increased awareness are driving the market expansion.”   Active healthcare/tech companies active in the markets include: Avant Technologies Inc. (OTCQB: AVAI), Recursion (NASDAQ: RXRX), Tempus AI, Inc. (NASDAQ: TEM), Predictive Oncology Inc. (NASDAQ: POAI), ADMA Biologics, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADMA).

    The Metastat report continued: “Moreover, AI is not confined to diagnosis alone; it extends its influence on the realm of personalized treatment strategies. Tailoring interventions based on individual patient profiles; AI algorithms enhance the efficacy of therapeutic approaches. This marks a significant departure from conventional one-size-fits-all methodologies, allowing for more precise and targeted treatment plans. The continuous evolution of AI models also holds promise for prognostic applications in diabetic retinopathy. Predictive analytics, driven by machine learning algorithms, analyzes diverse patient data to forecast the progression of the disease. This foresight equips healthcare providers with valuable information to strategize long-term management plans, optimizing outcomes for patients with diabetic retinopathy.”

    Avant Technologies, Inc. (OTCQB: AVAI) and Ainnova Request Pre-Submission Meeting with US FDA for VisionAI Platform Technology – Avant Technologies, Inc. (“Avant” or the “Company”), and its JV partner, Ainnova Tech, Inc., (Ainnova), a leading healthcare technology company focused on revolutionizing early disease detection using artificial intelligence (AI), today announced that The Center for Devices and Radiological Health of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has received the company’s submission package requesting a pre-submission meeting with the FDA for its VisionAI platform technology and is now under review.

    Ainnova is requesting a pre-submission meeting with the FDA’s review team to discuss any questions and/or concerns about its proposed formal submission, including seeking advice to finalize the protocol and obtain agency guidance for a clinical trial of its VisionAI platform in the early detection of diabetic retinopathy. A pre-submission meeting allows companies to clarify regulatory requirements, get feedback on their plans, and potentially avoid delays or issues during the formal review process.

    The clinical studies will aim to support an FDA 510(k) submission to obtain clearance from the regulatory agency to market its technology in the U.S.

    Ai-nova Acquisition Corp. (AAC), the company formed by the partnership between Avant and Ainnova to advance and commercialize Ainnova’s technology portfolio, including its VisionAI platform and its versatile retinal cameras, has worldwide licensing rights for this portfolio. The licensing rights include the U.S., where the FDA regulates drug and medical device development, so the success of Ainnova’s interactions with the FDA are paramount to marketing the technology portfolio in the United States.

    Vinicio Vargas, Chief Executive Officer at Ainnova and a member of AAC’s Board of Directors, said, “This milestone reflects our two-tiered strategy, rapid deployment in low-regulation markets where VisionAI operates as a screening tool, and simultaneous progress toward FDA clearance for the U.S. market. Entering the U.S. will unlock significant commercial potential, and early engagement with regulators ensures we do so with speed, credibility, and a validated product.”

    For medical device applicants like Ainnova, the FDA’s pre-submission program is useful to determine a clear regulatory pathway for the successful launch of the device, including the number of patients and the number of clinics that will be needed to generate the necessary clinical data for the FDA to make an informed decision on Ainnova’s VisionAI platform. For Avant, the pre-submission meeting will help define a precise budget for the strategic partnership’s entire FDA process.   CONTINUED… Read this and more news for Avant Technologies at:   https://www.financialnewsmedia.com/news-avai/

    In other developments and happenings in the markets recently include:

    Recursion (NASDAQ: RXRX) recently announced it will present preliminary data during the 2025 Digestive Disease Week (DDW) meeting from its ongoing Phase 1b/2 clinical trial, TUPELO, which is evaluating the safety and preliminary activity of REC-4881 for the treatment of familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). The data will be presented as a late-breaking oral presentation during the Research Forum session on Hereditary GI cancer syndromes on Sunday, May 4, 2025 in San Diego.

    “We are pleased that DDW has recognized the importance of our data in addressing the unmet needs of the FAP patient population, where no FDA-approved therapies currently exist,” said Najat Khan, PhD, Chief R&D Officer and Chief Commercial Officer at Recursion. “MEK 1/2 inhibition for the potential treatment of FAP was identified through our AI-powered Recursion OS platform, which analyzed cellular models of APC gene loss to uncover a potential first-in-disease treatment. We look forward to sharing our preliminary findings in our upcoming DDW presentation in May.”

    Tempus AI, Inc. (NASDAQ: TEM), a technology company leading the adoption of AI to advance precision medicine and patient care, recently announced Tempus Loop, a new oncology-focused platform for target discovery and validation. Loop is Tempus’ proprietary approach to novel target identification that integrates real-world patient data (RWD) with human-derived biological models and CRISPR-screens, all leveraging AI to rapidly uncover insights for pre-clinical therapeutic development.

    One of the biggest industry challenges has been translating promising preclinical experiments into treatments that can benefit patients. Conventional approaches in target discovery and validation rely on cell lines or animal models, which may not be reliable representations of human tumors. Loop’s approach is uniquely powerful because it leverages Tempus’ rich RWD to identify patient subpopulations with similar clinical, pathologic, and molecular patterns, followed by use of systems biological approaches to help reveal novel target genes and multimodal signatures. These signatures allow Tempus to seamlessly map patient subcohorts to relevant patient-derived organoids (PDOs), which the company has been expanding for years. By ensuring continuity between RWD and PDOs, Tempus can validate targets using high-throughput functional screens in models that more closely reflect patient attributes. This seamless integration—RWD to PDO and back—can help to enable rapid hypothesis generation and testing in the most relevant disease models, accelerating target discovery and validation.

    Predictive Oncology Inc. (NASDAQ: POAI), a leader in AI-driven drug discovery, recently announced that it has made significant progress along the continuum of biomarker discovery, drug discovery and drug repurposing. These latest developments build upon Predictive’s ongoing initiative to combine its in-house biomarker identification platform with its AI screening capabilities.   Identifying new indications using active machine learning and a biobank of patient derived dissociated tumor cells (DTCs) represents a novel and commercially sustainable approach to repurposing abandoned oncology drugs.

    “This efficient screening approach on a small, curated cohort of abandoned drugs identified three compounds that warrant further exploration in tumor indications that have never been examined in this way,” said Dr. Arlette Uihlein, SVP of Translational Medicine and Drug Discovery and Medical Director at Predictive Oncology. “The work that we have done successfully demonstrates our ability to utilize our active machine learning and biobank of tumor samples to capture patient response heterogeneity in less than 12 weeks.”

    ADMA Biologics, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADMA) (“ADMA” or the “Company”) recently announced U.S. FDA approval of its innovative yield enhancement production process. This innovative process has demonstrated an ability to increase production yields by approximately 20% from the same starting plasma volume.

    “This approval represents a pivotal milestone for ADMA, unlocking the opportunity for meaningful acceleration in our revenue and earnings trajectory beginning in late 2025 and accelerating further into 2026 and beyond,” said Adam Grossman, President and Chief Executive Officer of ADMA. “As the first U.S. producer of plasma-derived products to achieve regulatory approval for its innovative yield enhancement production process, ADMA continues to demonstrate its leadership in modernizing and advancing plasma fractionation through agile, forward-thinking scientific development and execution. We commend our team for driving this novel process from concept to approval with speed and capital efficiency, and we thank the FDA for its thorough and timely review as well as the Agency’s commitment to expanding immune globulin access for immunocompromised patients. Looking ahead, we are excited to continue to advance our internal R&D platform—further optimizing production capabilities and progressing novel pipeline programs, most notably SG-001, our pre-clinical, investigative hyperimmune globulin targeting S. pneumonia, which exemplify our commitment to product and process innovation.”

    About FN Media Group:

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    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Locus Technologies Releases the First Fully Integrated Software Suite for Water Quality, Water Compliance, and Water Sustainability Programs

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., April 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Locus Technologies, the sustainability and Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) compliance software leader, announced the release of Locus Water, the first end-to-end, AI-ready software that has been future-proofed for the water utility industry. The suite is uniquely built upon state-of-the-art multitenant cloud, metadata-driven software-as-a-service (SaaS) architecture, empowering water and wastewater utilities to adapt to shifting priorities and address current demands without redundant data entry, compatibility issues, or technical gaps.

    “Utilities have struggled with fragmented, outdated, or single-purpose systems for too long,” said Neno Duplan, founder and CEO of Locus Technologies. “That’s why Locus Water is a game-changer for water pros trying to keep up with everything from DMRs, CCRs, PFAS and compliance to cyber security and customer outreach. We’re unifying the entire water lifecycle – from source to discharge and from metrics to quality.”

    Locus Water is comprised of eight optional and unified software apps: Drinking Water Compliance, Backflow Prevention, Industrial Pretreatment, Water Metrics, Stormwater Inspections, Test Equipment Management, Watershed Maintenance, and Customer Complaints to help water professionals efficiently leverage the data generated by diverse water initiatives for tracking, tasking, and reporting. Additional purpose-built apps are slated for release after the completion of ongoing beta tests with several water districts. As part of the software release, Locus also announced an incentive program to help water utilities quickly migrate to the new technology.

    “Water is the world’s most precious resource, and it warrants technology that rises to that level of significance,” said Duplan. “Locus Water enables true digital transformation and raises the bar for the entire industry.”

    All applications in the Locus Water collection support data capture from mobile, IoT devices, and API connectors, and they share a common user interface, a workflow engine, a reporting dashboard, GIS, Single Sign-On (SSO) and enterprise-grade security, and configuration tools for power users to adjust the software. The configurable nature of the metadata-driven architecture positions Locus clients to quickly respond to regulatory changes, emerging contaminants, and EHS compliance and ESG/CSRD requirements from the same interface.

    To learn more about Locus Water and its water quality and analytical software that has been used by municipal water districts across the U.S. for more than a decade, please visit http://www.locustec.com.

    About Locus Technologies
    Locus Technologies, the global environmental, social, governance (ESG), sustainability, and EHS compliance software leader, empowers companies of every size and industry to be credible with ESG reporting. From 1997, Locus pioneered enterprise software-as-a-service (SaaS) for EHS compliance, water management, and ESG credible reporting. Locus apps and software solutions improve business performance by strengthening risk management and EHS for organizations across industries and government agencies. Organizations ranging from medium-sized businesses to Fortune 500 enterprises, such as Sempra, Corteva, Chevron, DuPont, Chemours, San Jose Water Company, The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Port of Seattle, and Los Alamos National Laboratory, have selected Locus. Locus is headquartered in Mountain View, California. For further information regarding Locus and its commitment to excellence in SaaS solutions, please visit http://www.locustec.com or email info@locustec.com.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Catch the Replay: 10 U.S. Public Schools. 1 Impactful STEM Competition. 3 National Winners.

    Source: Samsung

    Relive the excitement as Samsung Electronics America hosted the final round of its 15th annual Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition on April 28, 2025 at Samsung DC in the heart of our nation’s capital. Ten National Finalist teams—each already awarded a $50,000 prize package of Samsung technology and classroom supplies—took the stage to pitch their groundbreaking STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) solutions to community challenges. But only three emerged as National Winners, each securing a $100,000 prize package for their schools—part of more than $2 million in prizes up for grabs.
    Revisit the big moments —watch the livestream replay right here:
    National Finalists Pitch Event: Monday, April 28, 2025 |9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. ET
    National Winners Reveal Event: Monday, April 28, 2025 | 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. ET

    National Finalists Pitch Event
    Celebrating its 15th year, Samsung Solve for Tomorrow empowers public school students in grades 6-12 to apply STEM skills to tackle real-world problems and drive positive change in their communities. Representing the very best from this year’s competition, the 10 student teams—hailing from middle and high schools in Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Nevada, and Wyoming—presented their groundbreaking STEM solutions at a live morning pitch event on April 28. These Gen Z and Gen Alpha student innovators have created game-changing solutions to tackle challenges such as healthcare access, accessibility in sports, gaming, and music, climate-driven heat disparities, youth mental health, and more—demonstrating the power of STEM to drive real-world impact.
    Their projects, developed using cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), 3D modeling and printing, the Internet of Things (IoT), and robotics, were evaluated by a panel of esteemed judges, including Charlotte Dungan, Chief Learning Officer at the Mark Cuban Foundation; Enobong Etteh, YouTube Creator; Hope King, Macro Talk News Founder and Axios Contributor; Rameen Rana, Investor at Samsung NEXT; and Renzo Villavicencio, Vice President of Process Innovation & Procurement at Samsung Electronics America. Kicking off the event, Alix Guerrier, CEO of DonorsChoose—the leading education nonprofit for teachers and a long-time Solve for Tomorrow partner—delivered the opening remarks.

    National Winners Reveal Event
    Evening festivities kicked off with an inspiring keynote from Gitanjali Rao, a 19-year-old MIT sophomore, innovator, author, and changemaker. Named TIME’s Kid of the Year and a UNICEF Youth Advocate, Gitanjali has been recognized globally for her groundbreaking work in STEM taking on issues ranging from contaminated drinking water to opioid addiction and cyberbullying. With accolades like Forbes 30 Under 30, America’s Top Young Scientist, Stephen Hawking Medal Junior for Science Communications, and the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award, she embodies the next generation of problem-solvers harnessing technology for good.
    Following the keynote, the “AI for Good: Empowering the Next Generation of Problem-Solvers” panel explored how AI can drive positive impact while addressing key challenges like bias, energy consumption, and ethical responsibility. Moderated by Allison Stransky, CMO of Samsung Electronics America, the panel featured Charlotte Dungan from the Mark Cuban Foundation, Paul Kim, Vice President of Corporate Strategy at Samsung Electronics America, and Jordan Harrod, AI Strategist and Ph.D. Candidate in Medical Engineering and Medical Physics at the Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology program.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Briefing on healthcare charges held

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    The Health Bureau, together with the Hospital Authority, today held the first District Council (DC) briefing on reforms to public healthcare fees and charges, explaining these to more than 200 DC members and local people.

    Secretary for Health Prof Lo Chung-mau said the reforms will enhance healthcare protection for “poor, acute, serious, critical patients”, rationalise subsidy levels for public hospital services, and reduce wastage and abuse, while enhancing the overall sustainability of the public healthcare system.

    He added: “Through this briefing, we hope to elaborate details of the reform to DC members, and leverage the role of DCs as a bridge to help members of the public better understand that the reform is pursued for their benefits.”

    The authority’s Deputising Chief Executive Dr Simon Tang highlighted three key measures aimed at strengthening healthcare protection, namely enhancing the medical fee waiver mechanism, introducing an annual cap of $10,000 for public healthcare fees and charges, and optimising the application and subsidisation of innovative drugs and medical devices.

    Since the announcement of the reforms, the bureau and authority have been working to explain them to the Legislative Council, members of the public, and stakeholders across various sectors.

    A means test calculator has been launched on the authority’s website and on its mobile app, “HA Go”, allowing users to input information on their household income and assets to view a preliminary assessment of their eligibility for the enhanced medical fee waiver and the Samaritan Fund.

    The new fees and charges will take effect on January 1 next year. The bureau and the authority will organise another DC briefing next week.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 2025 Commencement Speakers and Honorary Degree Recipients

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    From business success to the National Science Foundation, from policymaking in Hartford to the world’s most popular YouTube sneaker channel, from the Chairman of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation to the President of the Rwanda Academy of Sciences, the honored guests of UConn’s commencement ceremonies bring a wealth of experience, insight, and wisdom to share with this year’s graduates. Speakers at the ceremonies, which begin on Saturday, May 10, include:

    College of Engineering (Saturday, May 10, 9 a.m. at Gampel Pavilion): Mark P. Sarkisian ’83

    Mark Sarkisian is a partner in the San Francisco office of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP. He is a licensed professional engineer and structural engineer in 31 states. In 2021, Sarkisian was elected to the National Academy of Engineering, and is a member of the University of Connecticut Academy of Distinguished Engineers. He received his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from UConn in 1983, and his master’s degree in structural engineering from Lehigh University. Sarkisian’s career focuses on developing innovative structural engineering solutions for over 100 major building projects around the world, including the Jin Mao Tower in China and the Al Hamra Fidrous Tower in Kuwait, both over 1,300 feet[1]tall. Sarkisian holds 10 U.S. patents and five international patents. Sarkisian has authored over 150 technical papers related to the design of building structures, and in 2012 completed his first book, “Designing Tall Buildings – Structure as Architecture.” He teaches integrated studio design courses focused on collaborative design opportunities at the University of California, Berkeley; California College of the Arts; Stanford University; California Polytechnic State University; Northeastern University; North Carolina State University; and the Pratt Institute.

    School of Nursing (Saturday, May 10, 9 a.m. at Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts): Joan Y. Reede

    Dr. Joan Y. Reede was appointed as Harvard Medical School’s (HMS) first Dean for Diversity and Community Partnership in January of 2002, and has been responsible for the development and management of a comprehensive program that has provided leadership, guidance, and support to promote the increased recruitment, retention, and advancement of diverse faculty, particularly individuals from groups underrepresented in medicine. This charge includes oversight of all diversity activities at HMS as they relate to faculty, trainees, students, and staff. Reede is a graduate of Brown University and Mount Sinai School of Medicine. She completed a pediatric residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, and a fellowship in child psychiatry at Boston Children’s Hospital. She holds an MPH and an MS in Health Policy Management from Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, and an MBA from Boston University. Reede created and developed more than 20 programs at HMS that aim to address pathway and leadership issues for minorities and women who are interested in careers in medicine, academic and scientific research, and the health care professions. At a national level, Reede’s advice and expertise is highly sought after among several committees and councils, such as being appointed to the Health and Human Services Advisory Committee on Minority Health and serving on the Board of Governors for the Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center. She also has many affiliations, including the Task Force for the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students, CTSA Women in CTR Interest Group of the NIH, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science STEM Education Review Committee.

    School of Business (Saturday, May 10, 1:30 p.m. at Gampel Pavilion): Richard Eldh ‘81

    Rich Eldh was born in the village of Ardsley, New York, and moved homes five times between the ages of 5 and 15. He attended Staples High School in Westport, graduating as a three-sport athlete and an all-state football player. After high school, he enrolled at the University of Connecticut. In what would have been his junior year, 1978–1979, he took a leave of absence to travel abroad, living in Kempten, Germany, in Bavaria. There, he worked at Dixie Union, a manufacturing company, as a computer programmer, where he developed new automation software for the finance department. This experience in Germany highlighted the significant impact computing technology would have on business. Motivated by this realization, he decided to pursue a career in the computer industry. Upon returning to the University of Connecticut for his final two years, he majored in finance at the School of Business and graduated in 1981 with a degree in Finance. He first joined a manufacturing firm implementing automation software, then moved to Four Phase Systems, a Motorola company, selling data entry systems. Later, he joined Hewlett-Packard, specializing in manufacturing systems and automation. It was at HP that he met his wife; they married and started a family. After working for two very large corporations, Rich joined a startup called Gartner Group in Stamford. He was the 100th employee, and in ten years, the company grew from $9 million in revenue to just under $1 billion with 4,500 employees. Today, Gartner boasts a market cap of $38 billion with 21,000 employees. These early career highlights led Rich to co-found Sirius Decisions, which became a leader in high-performance go-to[1]market research and benchmarking. Headquartered in Wilton, Sirius Decisions grew to 400 employees with private equity backing and offices worldwide. The company was eventually monetized for approximately $300 million through a sale to a public company in Boston. Throughout his career, he has had the honor of working with associates and clients across more than 50 countries. Alongside his career, Rich and his wife Joyce raised two daughters and a son. They have each found success in the medical field, the fashion world, and the blockchain and crypto industry, respectively.

    School of Social Work (Saturday, May 10, 1:30 p.m. at Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts): Maggie Mitchell Salem

    Maggie Mitchell Salem joined IRIS as Executive Director in January 2024. Throughout her nearly 30-year career, Maggie has managed diverse teams focused on civic education, intercultural dialogue, social and political rights, and forced displacement. She arrived in Connecticut following three years leading the National Democratic Institute’s democratic governance program in Tunisia. Given the exponential increase in the number of refugees, humanitarian parolees, and other immigrants that IRIS assists, Maggie has focused on organizational structure, systems, and policies that create a strong foundation for the organization’s continued growth. Her previous experience at Global Refuge (formerly Lutheran Immigration & Refugee Services) and Fugees Academy have underscored the importance of collaborative, communicative leadership and management. For more than a decade, she was the founding executive director of Qatar Foundation International and expanded Arabic language and culture education to public K-12 schools across the U.S., UK, and Germany. As the Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa at the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), she expanded or created new programs in Jordan, Iran, and Iraq. Maggie started up and led the Middle East Institute’s Communications Department from 2001-2004. She also served as a U.S. Foreign Service Officer in Mumbai and Tel Aviv, and as staff on the Executive Secretariat of Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. Maggie was a Fulbright Scholar in Syria while studying for her Masters in Contemporary Arab Studies at Georgetown University. She received a bachelor’s degree in political science and psychology from Johns Hopkins University. She has two sons and two daughters. She lives with her six dogs and two cats in East Haddam.

    Bachelor of General Studies (Saturday, May 10, 2 p.m. at Student Union Theater): Daniel Mercier ‘95

    Daniel Mercier graduated from the Bachelor of General Studies program in 1995 with a focus in Visual Communications. After serving as a Graphics Specialist for a few years, Mercier returned to UConn in 1998 as a Media Producer. In 2001, he transitioned to the role of Instructional Developer in the Instructional Design and Development Department. After completing a Master of Arts in Educational Technology in 2003, Mercier became Manager of Instructional Design and Development and ultimately served as Assistant Director and Director of the Institute of Teaching and Learning. In 2015, he took on the role of Director, Instructional Design, in the Center for Pedagogical Innovation at Wesleyan University. In 2017, Mercier returned to UConn as the Director of Academic Affairs at the Avery Point Campus of the University of Connecticut. Throughout his 30-plus-year career, Mercier has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the development of instructional tools, to help faculty utilize technologies to reach our students. In his work, he has supported faculty, staff and students across the higher education landscape. His commitment to the University of Connecticut spans nearly 25 years. In his current position, he recruits faculty, oversees academic advising and other academic support programs, and develops partnerships between the Avery Point campus and other academic entities within and outside UConn. These partnerships include the support of students in the Bachelor of General Studies Program.

    College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources (Saturday, May 10, 6 p.m. at Gampel Pavilion): Rodney Butler ’99 (BUS)

    Rodney A. Butler is the Chairman of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation (MPTN) since January 2010. Butler’s service on Tribal Council began in 2004, and after one year, he was appointed Tribal Council Treasurer; a position he held through 2009. During his tenure, Butler chaired the Tribe’s Finance, Housing, and Judicial Committees, the MPTN Utility Authority, and served as an Interim CEO for Foxwoods Resort Casino. Butler earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Finance from the University of Connecticut where he played Defensive Back for the UConn Huskies football team. Prior to Tribal Council, Butler worked in the finance department at Foxwoods Resort Casino. He later became Chairman of the Tribal Business Advisory Board; an executive body responsible for overseeing the Tribe’s non-gaming businesses and commercial properties. Butler was actively involved in multiple resort expansions at Foxwoods, as well as community development initiatives on the Reservation, the establishment of the Mashantucket (Western) Pequot Tribe Endowment Trust, and the legalization of Sports Betting and iGaming in the state of Connecticut. He was also a participant in Harvard Business School’s program “Leading People and Investing to Build Sustainable Communities.” He is a regular speaker on national panels related to Native American issues. Butler presently serves on the Board of Directors for Mashantucket Pequot Interactive and is on the board of Foxwoods El San Juan Casino. He also serves as the President of Native American Finance Officers Association (NAFOA), as Alternate Vice President for the National Congress of American Indians, and on the boards for the United South and Eastern Tribes, Indian Gaming Association, American Gaming Association, the Mystic Aquarium, and the United Way of Southeastern Connecticut. He is the 2019 recipient of the Citizen of the Year award from the Eastern Connecticut Chamber of Commerce, and the National Indian Gaming Association’s John Kieffer Sovereignty Award. In 2018, he received the St. Edmund’s Medal of Honor Award from the Enders Island Retreat Center. In 2017, Butler was appointed “Tribal Leader of the Year” by the NAFOA. As Chairman, Butler’s primary focus is to ensure long-term stability for the Tribe’s citizens, government, and business enterprises.

    School of Fine Arts (Saturday, May 10, 6 p.m. at Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts): Jacob G. Padrón

    Jacob G. Padrón is the Artistic Director of Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven. He is also the Founder and Artistic Director of The Sol Project, a national theater initiative that works in partnership with leading theater companies to amplify the voices of Latino playwrights in New York City and beyond. Padrón has held senior-level artistic positions at theater companies across the country. He was the Senior Line Producer at The Public Theater where he worked on new plays, new musicals, Shakespeare in the Park, and Public Works. He was formerly the Producer at Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago where he supported the artistic programming in the Garage – Steppenwolf’s dedicated space for new work, new artists, and new audiences. From 2008 to 2011, he was an Associate Producer at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival where he was instrumental in producing all shows in the 11-play repertory. Under the guidance of his late mentor Diane Rodriguez, he served as the producer of Suzan-Lori Parks’ “365 Days/365 Plays” for Center Theatre Group, a collaboration that included over 50 theater companies to launch Festival 365 in Los Angeles. He is a co-founder of the Artist Anti-Racism Coalition, a grassroots movement committed to dismantling structural racism within the Off-Broadway community. Jacob is a graduate of Loyola Marymount University (B.A.) and David Geffen School of Drama (M.F.A.). His first artistic home was El Teatro Campesino located in San Juan Bautista, California.

     

    College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Ceremony I (Sunday, May 11, 9 a.m. at Gampel Pavilion): Maureen Ahern ‘85

    Maureen Ahern is an Executive Leadership Coach on her third career whose journey began in the same classrooms as today’s graduates. A proud Husky who earned both a Bachelors and a Masters, Maureen’s connection to UConn runs deep. For over 10 years, she returned to UConn Stamford each week as an Adjunct Professor, teaching Interpersonal Communications and Public Speaking after her corporate day job in New York, driven by her belief that becoming a great communicator gives you the power and confidence to take meaningful action to shape your future. Maureen started as a Sales Executive at The Associated Press and quickly rose to lead the Satellite Networks division before transitioning to Standard and Poor’s Comstock. At S&P she led many different departments as Director of Operations, VP of US Sales and Managing Director for Asian and South American markets, building successful international relationships while traveling the world. She was part of the management team that sold Comstock to IDC and then pivoted from corporate into the digital world, as Partner and COO of momAgenda, where she helped build a thriving e-commerce company. Drawing on her teaching background, leadership experience and desire to coach and mentor others, Maureen completed her leadership coaching certification at Georgetown University’s Transformational Leadership Institute. Today as Founder of Ahern Leadership Coaching and Consulting, Maureen partners with C-suite executives and emerging leaders across industries, facilitating leadership development through one-on-one coaching, team coaching, and specialized training and leadership development workshops. Her coaching philosophy – described by clients as “tough but loving”-centers on her belief that leaders aren’t born, they are made and that everyone has leadership capacity waiting to be unlocked through awareness, action and courage. Maureen was a mentor with the Freshman Founders Program at the Werth Institute at UConn Stamford, in addition to her volunteer work with CT NEXT and Startup Westport as a business mentor. She is also an angel investor with Tidal River Fund whose goal is to fund underrepresented founders. When not working with her clients whom she loves and adores, Maureen enjoys yoga, beach walks, and time with her three adult children (Patrick, Brendan and Caeleigh). She shares life in Cos Cob with her husband Mike Santini (fellow UConn grad) and their black lab, Nino.

    Neag School of Education (Sunday, May 11, 9 a.m. at Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts): Suzanne M. Wilson

    Suzanne M. Wilson is the Neag Endowed Professor of Teacher Education at the University of Connecticut’s Neag School of Education, where she also serves as a professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. Her undergraduate degree is in history and American studies from Brown University; she also has an M.S. in statistics and a Ph.D. in psychological studies in education from Stanford University. She was a University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Teacher Education at Michigan State University, where she served on the faculty for 26 years. Wilson also served as the first director of the Teacher Assessment Project, which developed prototype assessments for the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Wilson is a committed teacher, having taught undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral classes in educational policy, teacher learning, and research methods. She has directed 36 dissertations and served as a committee member for another 45. Wilson serves on multiple editorial and advisory boards. She was elected to the National Academy of Education in 2013 and to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2022. Wilson has written on teacher knowledge, qualitative methods, curriculum reform, educational policy, and teacher preparation and professional development. She has published in Science, American Educator, American Educational Research Journal, Educational Researcher, Review of Educational Research, Elementary School Journal, Teaching and Teacher Education, Journal of Teacher Education, Phi Delta Kappa, and Teaching Education. She is the author of “California Dreaming: Reforming Mathematics Education” (Yale, 2003) and editor of Lee Shulman’s collection of essays, “Wisdom of Practice: Essays on Teaching, Learning, and Learning to Teach” (Jossey-Bass, 2004). She is currently working on a collection of essays entitled, “Why Teach?”

    College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Ceremony II (Sunday, May 11, 1:30 p.m. at Gampel Pavilion): Joe La Puma ‘05

    Joe La Puma serves as SVP of Content Strategy at Complex NTWRK and hosts Complex’s Sneaker Shopping, the world’s No. 1 sneaker show, which has garnered over 1 billion views on YouTube. He has been at the forefront of sneaker and street culture at Complex for the past 15 years. La Puma started his journalism career writing for The Daily Campus and was voted “Rookie of the Year” by fellow staffers. After graduating from UConn in 2005 with a degree in Journalism, he returned to Bay Shore to manage The Finish Line—where he previously worked in high school—while contributing articles to both local and global publications like Newsday and Hypebeast.com. In 2006, La Puma landed an internship at Complex magazine, a pop culture publication specializing in convergence culture through hip-hop, sneakers, and fashion. La Puma has written more cover stories (21) than any other writer in Complex history, including profiles on Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, and Kid Cudi. La Puma is also a published author of the book “Complex Presents: Sneaker of the Year: The Best Since ’85.” In his current SVP role, La Puma has led Complex to over 200% growth in audience and engagement. In 2014, Complex debuted the YouTube show Sneaker Shopping, a series that La Puma created and hosts to this day. Over the past decade of Sneaker Shopping, La Puma has interviewed icons like Eminem, Whoopi Goldberg, Kevin Hart, Mark Wahlberg, Billie Eilish, Cristiano Ronaldo, David Beckham, and conducted one of the only lifestyle interviews with former Vice President Kamala Harris during the 2020 election cycle. The show has filmed episodes across the U.S., as well as abroad in China, England, Spain, and Japan. With his extensive editorial work on footwear and over 300 episodes of Sneaker Shopping, La Puma is regarded as one of the foremost sneaker experts in the world. La Puma is a three-time Webby Award winner and has been featured on Good Morning America, and The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon. In 2024, La Puma was inducted into the Bay Shore High School Hall of Fame, a group that includes only 79 members since the school opened in 1893. La Puma currently lives in Brooklyn, and takes half-days at work when he can during UConn Basketball March Madness runs.

    School of Pharmacy – Doctor of Pharmacy (Sunday, May 11, 1:30 p.m. at Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts): JoAnn Trejo

    JoAnn Trejo, Ph.D., MBA is professor of pharmacology and senior assistant Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences Faculty Affairs at the University of California (UC) San Diego. She completed her undergraduate degree at UC Davis, earned her Ph.D. and MBA at UC San Diego and completed postdoctoral training at UC San Francisco. Trejo is a basic science researcher with expertise in cell signaling in the context of vascular inflammation and cancer. Her research has been published in more than 100 peer-reviewed articles and she is a recipient of a NIH R35 Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award (MIRA) and the American Heart Association Established Investigator Award. Trejo is an outstanding educator, mentor and a leader actively engaged in initiatives aimed at enhancing excellence in science and pharmacology. She is the director of five NIH-supported training programs including the UC San Diego IRACDA Postdoctoral Scholars Program, FIRST Program and three early career faculty development programs. Trejo served as an elected member of the leadership Council for the ASCB and the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and is a current member of the scientific advisory boards for Septerna and Versiti. She has also served on multiple NIH Study Sections, the NCI Board of Scientific Counselors for Basic Sciences, and Blavatnik, HHMI and Chan Zuckerberg foundation review panels. Trejo is a current member of the NIGMS Advisory Council. She is the Associate Editor for Molecular Biology of the Cell and is an editorial board member for Proceedings National Academy of Sciences Nexus, Journal of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology. Trejo is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine, American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) Fellow and 100 Inspiring Hispanic / Latinx Scientists and was recently elected honorary fellow of the British Pharmacological Society.

    College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Ceremony III (Sunday, May 11, 5:30 p.m., Gampel Pavilion): Joe La Puma ‘05

    School of Pharmacy – Bachelor of Science (Sunday, May 11, 6 p.m., Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts): Joe Honcz ‘98

    Joe Honcz is a distinguished expert in managed care and market access, boasting a robust 25-year career that spans significant sectors of the health care industry. Early in his career, he played a pivotal role in leading teams for the launch of Medicare Part D, followed by instrumental involvement in the implementation of the Affordable Care Act while at Anthem BCBS and Aetna. Since 2020, Joe has leveraged his profound understanding of managed care to deliver strategic market access insights, empowering over 20 biotech and pharmaceutical clients to effectively navigate complex market dynamics. His contributions have been crucial in the successful launch of innovative products in both traditional and rare/orphan disease categories. As a “pharmacy futurist,” he continues to drive innovation and shape market access strategies at Petauri Health, supporting the emerging pharmaceutical and health tech industries. His exceptional ability to anticipate industry trends has consistently provided clients with strategic advantages, enabling them to stay ahead of competitors with foresight and precision. Beyond his professional endeavors, Joe is actively involved at Yale Ventures as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence and at the University of Connecticut Technology Commercialization Services in the same capacity. He has also served as an Adjunct Professor at the University of St. Joseph School of Pharmacy and is on the Board of Directors for the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) and Avery’s Little Army, whose mission is to honor the legacy of Avery Marie Lafferty, an exceptionally brave cancer rebel, and all patients like her. Joe’s extensive background is complemented by diverse roles at Pfizer, Walgreens, Humana, PrecisionAQ, and CVS. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy and a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing from the University of Connecticut, underscoring his deep roots and commitment to the field. In addition to being a Board member, he is also an AMCP diplomat to the UConn School of Pharmacy, where he fulfills his passion for mentoring and coaching.

    The Graduate School – Masters Ceremony (Monday, May 12, 9 a.m. at Gampel Pavilion): Manasse Mbonye ’95 Ph.D.

    Manasse Mbonye is a Founding Fellow of the Rwanda Academy of Sciences (RAS) and its current President. He is also the Group Leader and Professor, Rwanda Astrophysics Space and Climate Sciences Research Group (RASCSRG) at the University of Rwanda and a member of the national Science Advisory Group (SAG). By Training, Mbonye is a theoretical Astrophysicist and Cosmologist. He completed his Ph.D. from the University of Connecticut in 1995. Mbonye has taught Physics at various institutions including UConn, the University of Michigan, and RIT. He has also worked at NASA (Goddard Space Flight Center). In 2012, Mbonye returned to Africa. Since then, his appointments have included, Provost (later) Ag Rector (National University of Rwanda), the first Principal (University of Rwanda, College of Science and Technology), and Executive Secretary (Rwanda’s National Council for Science and Technology, (NCST)). During Mbonye’s tenure, NCST instituted a major review of Rwanda’s Science, Technology, Research and Innovation (STRI) policy. Further, the National Research and Innovation Agenda (NRIA) was constructed, along with its implementation enabler, the National Research and Innovation Fund (NRIF) framework. Rwanda launched the NRIF in June 2018. Mbonye has served on the East African Science and Technology Commission (EASTCO) Board of Directors as its Rapporteur (2017-2018). He has also been Chairman of the Rwanda Energy Group (REG) (2015-2018), Rwanda’s sole electric energy production source and utility company. Prof. Mbonye continues to do research and supervise students, at the University of Rwanda.

     

    UConn Health (Monday, May 12, 1 p.m. at Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts): Manisha Juthani

    Dr. Manisha Juthani, is the Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH). Juthani is the first Indian American to serve as a commissioner in the State of Connecticut. She served as professor of medicine at Yale School of Medicine through September 2024 and currently serves as an adjunct professor of medicine. She served as Director of the Infectious Diseases Fellowship Program from 2012 to 2021. Juthani received her B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania and M.D. from Cornell University Medical College, completed Internal Medicine residency training at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell campus, and served as chief resident at Memorial-Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. She came to Connecticut in 2002 as an Infectious Diseases fellow at Yale School of Medicine. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Juthani was a leader in the COVID response at Yale which led to her appointment as Commissioner of CT DPH in 2021. In the early days of the pandemic, she was a voice to help educate the public in both local and national media outlets, a role she was able to expand in her role as Commissioner. Upon joining CT DPH, she helped guide Connecticut out of the pandemic and worked to revitalize areas of public health, such as gun violence, maternal health, opioid use, and sexually transmitted diseases, that were exacerbated during the pandemic. As she continues in her role as DPH Commissioner, Juthani has shifted her core vision to “Preserve and Protect Core Public Health Principles and Services.” As Connecticut is presented with new public health challenges, she remains committed to preserving public health achievements made over the years, including improvements in regulatory oversight in health care, drinking water, and environmental health which includes food safety. It is more important than ever to highlight the importance of vaccines, control of infectious diseases, road safety, and healthier mothers and babies. Clear, accurate communication about public health risks is vital to her mission. She continues to advocate for health as a human right which is the core vision of CT DPH. Juthani is on the Board of Directors of UConn Health.

    The Graduate School – Doctoral Ceremony (Monday, May 12, 6 p.m. at Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts): Sethuraman Panchanathan

    Sethuraman “Panch” Panchanathan is a computer scientist and engineer who served as the 15th director of the United States National Science Foundation (NSF) from 2020 until 2025. Panchanathan was nominated to by the president in 2019 and unanimously confirmed by the Senate on June 18, 2020. NSF is a $9.06 billion independent federal agency, and the only government agency charged with advancing all fields of scientific discovery, technological innovation and science, technology, engineering and mathematics education.

    Panchanathan previously served as the executive vice president of the Arizona State University (ASU) Knowledge Enterprise, where he was also chief research and innovation officer. He was also the founder and director of the Center for Cognitive Ubiquitous Computing at ASU. Under his leadership, the university increased research performance fivefold, earning recognition as the fastest growing and most innovative research university in the U.S.

    Prior to joining NSF, Panchanathan was appointed by the president to serve on the National Science Board, where he was a chair of the Committee on Strategy and a member of the External Engagement and National Science and Engineering Policy committees. Additionally, he was chair of the Council on Research of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities and co-chair of the Extreme Innovation Taskforce of the Global Federation of Competitiveness Councils. Arizona’s governor appointed Panchanathan as senior advisor for science and technology in 2018. He was the editor-in-chief of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) MultiMedia magazine and editor and associate editor of several international journals.

    For his scientific contributions, Panchanathan has received numerous awards, including honorary doctorates from prestigious universities, distinguished alumni awards, the Governor’s Innovator of the Year for Academia Award, the Washington Academy of Sciences Distinguished Career Award and the IEEE-USA Public Service Award.

    Panchanathan is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, where he also served as vice president for strategic initiatives. He is also a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Canadian Academy of Engineering, the Association for Computing Machinery, IEEE and the Society of Optical Engineering.

    School of Law (Sunday, May 18, 10:30 a.m. at UConn School of Law): Mayor Arunan Arulampalam

    The son of Sri Lankan refugees, Arunan Arulampalam was born in Zimbabwe and made a home and a family in Hartford after graduate school. Prior to being elected mayor of Hartford in November 2023, he served as CEO of the Hartford Land Bank, where he developed a first-in-the-nation program to train Hartford residents to become local developers and tackle blight in their city. Arulampalam served in Governor Ned Lamont’s administration as Deputy Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection. Before that, he was a lawyer at the downtown firm Updike, Kelly & Spellacy, P.C. Arulampalam also served on the Board of the Hartford Public Library, the House of Bread, and on the Hartford Redevelopment Authority. He earned his BA in International Studies from Emory University and his JD from Quinnipiac University School of Law.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warn parents against unethical baby milk advertising in South Africa

    Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:

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    The World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) are today launching a “Babies Before Bottom Lines” manifesto to warn parents in South Africa against false and unethical baby milk advertising. The manifesto was posted online today to call out “predatory and pervasive practices” and has been backed and shared by prominent parenting influencers around the country. 

    WHO and UNICEF are jointly calling the attention of parents and caregivers to the WHO International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes and its related information sources. The code provides guidelines on stricter regulation of marketing of breastmilk substitutes, to curb harmful effects on babies’ short- and long-term health. 

    WHO’s Country Representative in South Africa, Shenaaz El-Halabi, says: “False, incomplete, misleading health and nutrition claims by formula companies should stop now. The WHO calls on formula milk companies to stop presenting incomplete scientific evidence and inferring unsupported health outcomes.”

    WHO and UNICEF are specifically calling on local regulators to update Regulations Relating to Foodstuffs for Infants and Young Children (aka R991) to include other advertising techniques and digital marketing practices that have become prevalent in the past few years since the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes of 1981 and local Regulation R991 of 2012 were drafted. Some popular social media platforms, whose algorithms can target specific consumers with specific messages at specific times, were still in their infancy or did not yet exist in 2012. Of particular concern is that parents are often targeted with information that blurs the lines between nutritional facts and promotional pseudo-science and emotional manipulation when they are at their most vulnerable.    

    The pseudo-scientific health claims made by formula companies discourage mothers from breastfeeding, which should always be a first choice as breastmilk is the most complete and healthiest milk for babies. In addition, widespread evidence exists that women have internalised doubts about the quality and quantity of their breastmilk, mirroring the themes and messaging of formula milk marketing campaigns.     

    In line with their multi-country study on the impacts of marketing breastmilk substitutes, WHO and UNICEF warn that “inappropriate promotion of breastmilk substitutes negatively impacts breastfeeding practices, and that advertisers are promoting a false choice between formula feeding and breastfeeding, without offering informed choice to parents about the real differences between breastmilk and various brands of formula”.

    UNICEF South Africa Representative, Christine Muhigana, notes that: “Government and civil society partners are to be commended for their efforts to address this concerning issue. It is evident that formula milk companies continue to actively target health professionals to convince them to prescribe formula. This Manifesto is part of a broader effort to address these unfair practices so that mothers and caregivers are fully aware of unethical marketing practices.”

    Cross promotion, also known as “brand extension” which is a marketing practice whereby one product is used to advertise another product by using similar branding, packaging and labelling (including but not limited to similar colours, design, font types, mascots and logos) has become a common practice by the bay formula companies.

    “All families need to be supported with evidence-based information so that they can make the most appropriate and informed decision for feeding their babies. Those choices, however, should never be exploited for corporate profits. We are finding again and again, all around the world, that unethical corporate influence is imposed on caregivers through false advertising. Companies use digital marketing algorithms that exploit parents when they are most vulnerable. They capitalize on parents’ doubts and questions. For instance, we see advertisers directing fake science at caregivers in the middle of the night, when they or their babies are struggling, to falsely convince them that bottle-fed babies sleep better than breastfed babies. This is wrong and needs to stop,” says Dr Laurence Grummer-Strawn, who leads WHO‘s work on infant and young child feeding.

    WHO and UNICEF have uncovered systematic and unethical marketing strategies by the US $55 billion infant formula industry, finding it uses the “infant formula industry uses pervasive, personalised and powerful methods to target parents when they are at their most vulnerable in the early days of their new babies life, and manipulate scientific claims to promote their products whilst undermining parents’ confidence”.

    Aqeelah Harron, an online content creator who owns the popular Fashion Breed social media platform, is supporting the campaign. “I’m a mom to a toddler and my child’s health matters to me more than anything. I think it’s wrong that powerful formula companies with big platforms are preying on parents to manipulate us into falling for fake science. Babies and new parents are vulnerable and should never be exploited. We need to prioritise comprehensive feeding education for all caregivers, free from the influence of profit-driven marketing.” Several other online influencers are also backing the campaign.

    WHO and UNICEF invite the public to join them in calling for an end to the aggressive marketing of formula milk, and to share their call to action: “Choose babies before bottom lines.” 

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Health Organization (WHO) – South Africa.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: City council set to bring in new services to reduce smoking backed by nearly £4 million funding

    Source: City of Stoke-on-Trent

    Published: Tuesday, 29th April 2025

    Stoke-on-Trent City Council is looking to invest almost £4 million of Government and public health grant funding in smoking cessation services to help people quit and live healthier and longer lives.

    The money will be used as part of a five-year programme to create a generation free from smoking.

    National Government will be contributing funding in addition to funding provided by the Public Health Grant. This is a fund that is issued to every council each year to specifically fund activities to improve public health in the local area.

    The city already helps more than 700 people a year stop smoking – with quit rates above both the national and regional average.  Despite that progress, an estimated 26,385 people in Stoke-on-Trent – or 13% of the adult population – still smoke.

    The city is aiming to meet an ambitious government target to reduce smoking rates to just 5% of the population by 2030.

    In 2024/25, the city council has already used funding to:

    • Create new roles to support an expansion of stop smoking offers to support more people to quit
    • Offer free Allen Carr’s Easyway quit-smoking seminars – available in Stoke-on-Trent for the first time.
    • Expand pharmacy support, giving more people expert advice in their neighbourhoods
    • Work within communities to give people tailored support to quit smoking or vaping
    • Work with councils across the West Midlands to share resources and cut smoking rates across the region.
    • Conducting work to better understand how people want to be supported

    The Stoke-on-Trent Tobacco Alliance brings together partners from a range of services across the city who have been key in developing this work and actions within the city to further support the reduction of smoking rates in our city.

    Councillor Lynn Watkins, cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said: ““I am pleased with this proposal, as the support offered should have a positive outcome to reduce health inequalities and improve the quality of life for many residents.

    “Smoking affects so many, and as we work towards having cleaner air to breathe, a smoke free environment means many more children will grow up with good health, and fewer children will have to watch their parent’s health decline due to preventable diseases.

    “With this funding, we can expand the current offer to support more people in their journey towards stopping smoking and reduce risk for them and their friends and families.”

    In Stoke-on-Trent, smoking rates are higher than the national average and a leading cause of deaths in the city. Quitting smoking can help to prevent this, with those who have quit smoking for 10 years having half the risk of dying from lung cancer compared to those who are still smoking.

    We want to encourage people not to start smoking as well as supporting those who do smoke to quit – if you don’t smoke, don’t start and if you’ve never smoked, don’t start vaping.

    Use of a vape along with support from a stop smoking service is the most effective way to stop smoking.  Support to quit smoking is currently available to many of those who live, work or have a GP in Stoke-on-Trent, to see how we can help you, please visit: www.stoke.gov.uk/smokefree  

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese vice-premier calls on SCO members to enhance cooperation in health sector

    Source: People’s Republic of China Ministry of Health

    XI’AN — Chinese Vice-Premier Liu Guozhong on Monday called on the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) to enhance cooperation in the health sector.

    He made the remarks during his address at the opening ceremony of the eighth SCO Health Ministers’ Meeting in Xi’an, Northwest China’s Shaanxi province.

    Noting that the health sector is an important area for SCO cooperation, Liu, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said the vision of building an SCO community of health, put forward by the Chinese head of state, has offered important guidelines for member states to deepen practical cooperation in the field.

    Fruitful results have been achieved in jointly safeguarding public health security, deepening exchanges on disease prevention and control technologies, advancing medical science and technology cooperation, and promoting the preservation, innovation and development of traditional medicine, according to Liu.

    He emphasized that relevant parties should focus on practical cooperation to jointly promote the development of the health sector and drive progress in medical science and technology through openness and innovation. He added that strengthening people-to-people exchanges and upholding multilateralism are also essential.

    World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus delivered a video address while SCO Secretary-General Nurlan Yermekbayev gave a speech at the opening ceremony.

    Liu met with key international representatives ahead of the opening ceremony. 

    MIL OSI China News –