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Category: Health

  • MIL-OSI Security: Papua New Guinea Resumes Radiotherapy, Starts Brachytherapy Services with IAEA Support

    Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

    Staff at Angau Memorial Hospital in Lae, Papua New Guinea, celebrate the installation of the new brachytherapy machine used to treat gynaecological and other cancers. (Photo: Angau Memorial Hospital)

    After nearly a decade of inactivity, Papua New Guinea’s only radiotherapy machine re-started operations six months ago with support from the IAEA, giving renewed hope to thousands of cancer patients in the country.  

    This month, radiation medicine services at Angau Memorial Hospital received a boost with the start of brachytherapy, a critical procedure in the treatment of cervical cancer.  

    “This milestone represents a significant advancement in our cervical cancer treatment capabilities, offering more precise and localized therapy options to improve patient outcomes,” said Athula Kumara, medical physics expert at Angau Memorial Hospital, the facility that received the IAEA support.  

    Located in the city of Lae, Papua New Guinea’s shipping hub in the north, Angau is the country’s second largest hospital, catering for 675 000 people in the Morobe Province and serving as a regional referral hospital for 1.9 million residents. 

    The improved service is important as cancer remains a major public health issue in the country, with a burden of over 12 000 new cases and more than 7000 deaths every year, according to 2022 IARC figures. Breast, cervix uteri, as well as lip and oral cancers are the most frequent among women.  

    Brachytherapy is a form of internal radiotherapy in which sealed radioactive sources are placed inside or near a tumour, delivering high doses of radiation directly to the cancer while sparing surrounding healthy tissues. The procedure is a key component of radiation treatment for gynaecological cancers, but it can also be used to treat prostate, breast, soft tissue sarcomas, some head and neck tumours, and skin cancers.  

    The brachytherapy equipment was installed in late 2024 at Angau and started services this month. The first patient, a woman with cervical cancer, underwent external beam radiotherapy last year and is now receiving brachytherapy treatment as a boost.  

    The installation of the brachytherapy machine follows previous IAEA assistance in re-establishing radiotherapy at Angau. Services were discontinued in 2016, severely limiting options for cancer patients in the country. Many were referred abroad, but few could afford it. “Some travelled to Manila for treatment, but these cases were rare due to the high cost of travel and treatment,” Kumara said.   

    In 2023, an imPACT review carried out by the IAEA in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) recommended to urgently reestablish radiotherapy services in the country.  

    Through its technical cooperation and human health programmes, the IAEA supported the hospital in replacing the radiotherapy machine’s radioactive source and provided advice on the acquisition of the new brachytherapy unit. Radiotherapy started again in mid-August 2024, and Angau has since been treating around 50 patients per month on average, with hundreds more registered for treatment. “Treatment has been very successful, and we have seen many patients recover significantly after undergoing therapy,” Kumara added. 

    A key pre-requisite for the upgrade in radiation medicine has been  training medical physicists. “These highly specialized health professionals ensure optimal equipment performance and maintain high-quality, safe treatment procedures,” said Daniel Berger, medical physicist in the IAEA’s Division of Human Health who led recent technical missions to build local capacity in the country. “Their expertise enables precise dosimetry, planning and dose delivery while ensuring equipment and clinical processes meet international standards for effective patient care,” he explained.   

    Medical physicists also provide technical guidance for infrastructure improvements, collaborating closely with regulatory authorities to licence and deploy nuclear and radiation medicine equipment. “Their work ensures that radiotherapy services can meet the growing demand for cancer care, ultimately helping to improve patient outcomes and advance healthcare standards,” Berger added.    

    Radiotherapy is one of the main pillars of cancer treatment, along with surgery and chemotherapy. In 2022, the IAEA launched the Rays of Hope initiative to support countries in increasing access to this life-saving treatment. Since becoming a Member State in 2012, Papua New Guinea has received IAEA support to strengthen radiation safety, including for the management of radiation sources for medical use, and to build the required capacity to expand cancer diagnosis and treatment.  

    While progress has been made in advancing cancer care, Kumara highlights that early diagnosis and treatment provision remain a challenge. “Patients arrive at very late stages of their cancer, often with extensive masses. By the time they seek treatment, the cancer has already spread, making it more difficult to achieve optimal outcomes,” he said. “One of our key goals moving forward is to increase awareness, particularly in remote areas where access to healthcare is limited.”  

    Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women globally, with around 660 000 new cases in 2022. About 94 per cent of the 350 000 deaths caused by cervical cancer in the same year occurred in low- and middle-income countries, driven by inequalities in access to vaccination against the human papillomavirus (HPV), responsible for 95 per cent of all cervical cancers, as well as screening and treatment services.  

    In many countries, January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, supporting efforts to promote HPV vaccination for prevention and early diagnosis and treatment of precancers, which greatly improve prospects for cure.   

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Gene pools are getting dangerously shallow for many species. We found 5 ways to help

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn Shaw, Research Fellow in Conservation Genomics, University of Canberra

    A golden bandicoot (_Isoodon auratus_) Colleen Sims/Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, CC BY-SA

    Before species go extinct, their populations often shrink and become isolated. Healthy populations tend to have a large gene pool with many genetic variants circulating. But the path to extinction erodes genetic diversity, because a species’ gene pool shrinks as the population declines. Losing genetic diversity limits the ability of populations to adapt to threats such as disease and climate change.

    So, what is the state of genetic diversity in animals, plants, fungi and algae worldwide? And how could focusing on this crucial level of biodiversity help build resilience in the face of global change? We explore these questions in our new study, published today in Nature.

    Our team of 57 scientists from 20 countries trawled through more than 80,000 scientific articles across three decades to summarise evidence of genetic change in populations in 141 countries.

    Alarmingly, we found genetic diversity is being lost globally across many species, especially birds and mammals. This loss was most severe in studies reporting changes in habitat, new diseases, natural disasters, and human activities such as hunting or logging.

    But there’s hope. Our study suggests conservation strategies can help maintain or even increase genetic diversity.

    Isolated populations of the endangered Scandinavian arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) have become inbred.
    Jonatan Pie, Unsplash

    What is genetic diversity and why does it matter?

    At the core of every cell lies a copy of the instruction manual for living things. This is the genetic code, made up of DNA molecules. But its sequence varies enormously, separating a moth from a tree from a bacterium. Even within a species, we see distinct genetic differences between individuals. These genetic differences contribute to differences in their traits, which is why we get individuals who are taller or shorter, faster or slower, bolder or more cautious.

    This genetic diversity stems from mutations. Often, these mutations are not helpful. But at times, they can enable populations to adapt to change.

    For example, golden kelp (Ecklonia radiata) likes colder water. But in a population, some individuals will have mutations suited for warm water. When a devastating marine heatwave hit the West Australian coast in 2011, individuals with warm-water mutations were more likely to survive and reproduce. This genetic diversity enabled the kelp population to adapt to the warmer conditions.

    This is why genetic diversity is so important – it gives species more resilience in a rapidly changing world. This priority has been recognised in Australia’s Strategy for Nature, and in goals and targets discussed at the United Nations biodiversity summit COP16.

    How can we safeguard or restore genetic diversity for threatened species?

    To answer this question, we used a technique called meta-analysis to look for patterns. From more than 80,000 published articles, we identified 882 studies which measured changes in genetic diversity over time. These studies came from right around the globe and across the entire “tree of life”.

    They show there are many ways to conserve genetic diversity. Here are five promising strategies to help keep species resilient.

    Scientists from 20 countries came together to read thousands of papers and collect data on genetic diversity during in-person and online workshops.
    Robyn Shaw

    Action 1: Adding individuals

    Adding individuals to an existing population is known as supplementation. Our research found supplementation was the only action linked to a significant increase in genetic diversity, especially in birds.

    Supplementation can help reduce the harmful effects of inbreeding, which is common in small, isolated populations. For example, conservationists working to safeguard New Zealand’s South Island robins (Petroica australis) moved female birds between isolated islands. The offspring of parents from different islands had stronger immune systems, higher survival rates, and improved reproductive health compared to their inbred counterparts.

    Supplementation is key for boosting genetic diversity, improving population health and building resilience.

    Action 2: Population control

    Doing the opposite – removing individuals – can actually improve outcomes for the population as a whole in some circumstances, by, for instance, reducing competition.

    But genetic diversity results varied a lot in studies using population control. So how can this strategy be used effectively?

    In one case, conservationists in the United States used population control of coaster brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) in a hatchery to prevent any single family from breeding too much. This meant multiple genetic lineages were maintained, increasing genetic diversity.

    Action 3: Restoration

    Ecosystem restoration can include planting trees, rehabilitating wetlands or restoring natural patterns of fire and water. We found genetic diversity was often maintained over time when ecological restoration was used.

    Restoration efforts, alongside supplementation, are important to the survival of the greater prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus cupido), which had lost much habitat. Researchers report restoring and expanding suitable habitat is proving crucial to sustain genetic diversity and achieving long-term recovery.

    Found in the US and Canada, greater prairie-chickens are known for their courtship dance.
    Danita Delimont/Shutterstock

    Action 4: Control of other species

    Feral, pest or overabundant species can outcompete, eat, or graze on species under threat. Controlling these species was linked to maintenance of genetic diversity in the studies we analysed overall.

    For example, control of red fox numbers helped the Arctic fox(Vulpes lagopu) recover in Sweden. The technique reduced competition over resources such as food while new foxes from Norway were added to the wild population. Inbreeding was reduced, and survival improved.

    Action 5: Conservation introductions and reintroductions

    Establishing new populations at new sites is known as a conservation introduction, while a reintroduction means restoring populations where they previously existed.

    We found mixed results for genetic diversity when these actions were reported. So, what factors contribute to success?

    In Western Australia, a large number of golden bandicoots (Isoodon auratus) from a robust island population were reintroduced to three sites. After six generations, genetic diversity at these sites remained similar to the original source population. Success came from careful planning to ensure the new populations had a large gene pool to start from.

    Overall, our study revealed many cases of genetic diversity loss. But we also found evidence that conservation action – especially supplementation – can improve the genetic health of a species.

    Researchers, conservation managers and volunteers helped grow seedlings and establish new populations of the critically endangered feather-leaved banksia near Albany in Western Australia.
    David Coates

    What can you do?

    Supporting genetic diversity can be done at home.

    If you have a garden, you can plant native species to support habitat connectivity.

    Growing heirloom vegetables and rare fruit trees, or breeding heritage chooks can maintain genetic diversity in our food system.

    Join community or botanic garden groups, or work with conservation groups to improve habitat or bolster numbers of threatened species.

    While enjoying nature, avoid accidentally moving plants, seeds, or soil to new areas to reduce the spread of pests and diseases.

    These small actions add up, helping to safeguard biodiversity at all levels – including genetic diversity.

    Robyn Shaw was supported during the study by funding from the Australian Research Council. The project workshop was sponsored by the European Cooperation in Science and Technology Action ‘Genomic Biodiversity Knowledge for Resilient Ecosystems’. She is a member of the Coalition for Conservation Genetics and the IUCN Conservation Genetics Specialist Group.

    Catherine Grueber’s research into the conservation genetics of threatened species receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the University of Sydney (Robinson Fellowship). She is a member of the Coalition for Conservation Genetics, and the IUCN Conservation Genetics Specialist Group.

    Katherine Farquharson was supported during the study by funding from the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science. She is affiliated with Koala Conservation Australia.

    – ref. Gene pools are getting dangerously shallow for many species. We found 5 ways to help – https://theconversation.com/gene-pools-are-getting-dangerously-shallow-for-many-species-we-found-5-ways-to-help-242708

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Women don’t have a ‘surge’ in fertility before menopause – but surprise pregnancies can happen, even after 45

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Karin Hammarberg, Adjunct Senior Research Fellow, Global and Women’s Health, School of Public Health & Preventive Medicine, Monash University

    IKO-studio/Shutterstock

    Every now and then we see media reports about celebrities in their mid 40s having surprise pregnancies. Or you might hear stories like these from friends or relatives, or see them on TV.

    Menopause signals the end of a woman’s reproductive years and happens naturally between age 45 and 55 (the average is 51). After 12 months with no periods, a woman is considered postmenopausal.

    While the chance of pregnancy is very low in the years leading up to menopause – the so called menopausal transition or perimenopause – the chance is not zero.

    So, what do we know about the chance of conceiving naturally after age 45? And what are the risks?

    Is there a spike in fertility before menopause?

    The hormonal changes that accompany perimenopause cause changes to the menstrual cycle pattern, and some have suggested there can be a “surge” in fertility at perimenopause. But there’s no evidence this exists.

    In the years leading up to menopause, a woman’s periods often become irregular, and she might have some of the common symptoms of menopause such as hot flushes and night sweats.

    This might lead women to think they have hit menopause and can’t get pregnant anymore. But while pregnancy in a woman in her mid 40s is significantly less likely compared to a woman in her 20s or 30s, it’s still possible.

    The stats for natural pregnancies after age 45

    Although women in their mid- to late 40s sometimes have “miracle babies”, the chance of pregnancy is minimal in the five to ten years leading up to menopause.

    The monthly chance of pregnancy in a woman aged 30 is about 20%. By age 40 it’s less than 5% and by age 45 the chance is negligible.

    We don’t know exactly how many women become pregnant in their mid to late 40s, as many pregnancies at this age miscarry. The risk of miscarriage increases from 10% in women in their 20s to more than 50% in women aged 45 years or older. Also, for personal or medical reasons some pregnancies are terminated.

    According to a review of demographic data on age when women had their final birth across several countries, the median age was 38.6 years. But the range of ages reported for last birth in the reviewed studies showed a small proportion of women give birth after age 45.

    Having had many children before seems to increase the odds of giving birth after age 45. A study of 209 women in Israel who had conceived spontaneously and given birth after age 45 found 81% had already had six or more deliveries and almost half had had 11 or more previous deliveries.

    Conceiving naturally at age 45 plus is not unheard of.
    pixelheadphoto digitalskillet/Shutterstock

    There’s no reliable data on how common births after age 45 are in Australia. The most recent report on births in Australia show that about 5% of babies are born to women aged 40 years or older.

    However, most of those were likely born to women aged between 40 and 45. Also, the data includes women who conceive with assisted reproductive technologies, including with the use of donor eggs. For women in their 40s, using eggs donated by a younger woman significantly increases their chance of having a baby with IVF.

    What to be aware of if you experience a late unexpected pregnancy

    A surprise pregnancy late in life often comes as a shock and deciding what to do can be difficult.

    Depending on their personal circumstances, some women decide to terminate the pregnancy. Contrary to the stereotype that abortions are most common among very young women, women aged 40–44 are more likely to have an abortion than women aged 15–19.

    This may in part be explained by the fact older women are up to ten times more likely to have a fetus with chromosomal abnormalities.

    There are some extra risks involved in pregnancy when the mother is older. More than half of pregnancies in women aged 45 and older end in miscarriage and some are terminated if prenatal testing shows the fetus has the wrong number of chromosomes.

    This is because at that age, most eggs have chromosomal abnormalities. For example, the risk of having a pregnancy affected by Down syndrome is one in 86 at age 40 compared to one in 1,250 at age 20.

    There are some added risks associated with pregnancy when the mother is older.
    Natalia Deriabina/Shutterstock

    Apart from the increased risk of chromosomal abnormalities, advanced maternal age also increases the risk of stillbirth, fetal growth restriction (when the unborn baby doesn’t grow properly), preterm birth, pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes and caesarean section.

    However, it’s important to remember that since the overall risk of all these things is small, even with an increase, the risk is still small and most babies born to older mothers are born healthy.

    Multiple births are also more common in older women than in younger women. This is because older women are more likely to release more than one egg if and when they ovulate.

    A study of all births in England and Wales found women aged 45 and over were the most likely to have a multiple birth.

    The risks of babies being born prematurely and having health complications are higher in twin than singleton pregnancies, and the risks are highest in women of advanced maternal age.

    What if you want to become pregnant in your 40s?

    If you’re keen to avoid pregnancy during perimenopause, it’s recommended you use contraception.

    But if you want to get pregnant in your 40s, there are some things you can do to boost your chance of conceiving and having a healthy baby.

    These include preparing for pregnancy by seeing a GP for a preconception health check, taking folic acid and iodine supplements, not smoking, limiting alcohol consumption, maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly and having a nutritious diet.

    If you get good news, talking to a doctor about what to expect and how to best manage a pregnancy in your 40s can help you be prepared and will allow you to get personalised advice based on your health and circumstances.

    Karin Hammarberg 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. Women don’t have a ‘surge’ in fertility before menopause – but surprise pregnancies can happen, even after 45 – https://theconversation.com/women-dont-have-a-surge-in-fertility-before-menopause-but-surprise-pregnancies-can-happen-even-after-45-247454

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Statement from Health and Wellness Minister

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Earlier this afternoon, there was a serious incident at the Halifax Infirmary emergency department. The threat has been contained, and police are on-site.

    Staff are also on-site to support patients and staff who witnessed this upsetting incident.

    I can’t provide details of an ongoing investigation, but I want everyone involved to know that I am thinking of them at this difficult time. I also want to reassure our healthcare and support staff at the Infirmary and across the province that we will continue working with our healthcare and union partners to make workplaces as safe as possible.

    I want to commend the staff for their quick response in an incredibly difficult situation. I will be in close touch with Nova Scotia Health for updates as they become available.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Highlights – SANT Committee constituted – Committee on Public Health

    Source: European Parliament

    The first standing committee of the European Parliament on Public Health was constituted as fully-fledged Committee on 29 January 2025.

    Adam Jarubas (EPP, PL) was elected as the inaugural Chair of the European Parliament newly established Committee on Public Health. MEPs also elected Tilly Metz (Greens/EFA, LU) as the Committee’s First Vice-Chair, with Ms Stine BOSSE (RENEW, DK), Ms Romana JERKOVIĆ (S&D, HR) and Mr Emmanouil FRAGKOS (ECR, EL) chosen to serve as Second-, Third- and Fourth Vice-Chairs respectively.

    Together with Mr Jarubas, they form the new committee’s decision-making bureau.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: CAQM Sub-Committee on GRAP invokes Stage-III of the GRAP in the entire NCR with immediate effect in an effort to prevent further deterioration of air quality in the region

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 29 JAN 2025 9:06PM by PIB Delhi

    Today, Delhi’s average Air Quality Index (AQI) has been on an increasing trend since morning and breached the 350 mark as the AQI for the day clocked 365 today as per the Daily AQI Bulletin provided by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). In wake of deteriorating air quality of Delhi, the Sub-Committee on the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) of the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas called on a meeting today to review the air quality scenario and forecasts for meteorological conditions and air quality index made available by IMD/IITM.

    Noting an increasing trend in AQI levels of Delhi, the CAQM Sub-Committee on GRAP in its today’s meeting observed as under:

    • The AQI of Delhi which was recorded as 276 on 28.01.2025, exhibited a sharp increasing trend and has been recorded 365 at 4:00 PM on 29.01.2025 owing to variable direction/calm winds, smoggy situation, low mixing height & ventilation coefficient for dispersion of pollutants. The forecast from IMD/ IITM suggests similar situations to persist in coming days.

    Keeping in view the prevailing trend of air quality, and in an effort to prevent further deterioration of air quality in the region, the Sub-Committee today has taken the call to invoke all actions as envisaged under Stage-III of the extant schedule of GRAP, with immediate effect, in the entire NCR. This is in addition to the actions under Stages I & II of the extant schedule of GRAP already in-force in NCR. Various agencies responsible for implementing measures under GRAP including Pollution Control Boards (PCBs) of NCR and DPCC have also been addressed to ensure strict implementation of actions under Stage-III of the extant schedule of GRAP in addition to actions under Stages I & II of GRAP during this period.

    A 9-point action plan as per Stage-III of the extant schedule of GRAP is applicable with immediate effect in the entire NCR. This 9-point action plan includes steps to be implemented/ ensured by different agencies including Pollution Control Boards of NCR and DPCC. These steps are:

    1. Construction & Demolition activities:

    (i) Enforce strict restrictions on the following categories of dust generating/ air pollution causing C&D activities in the entire NCR:

    • Earthwork for excavation and filling including boring & drilling works.
    • Piling works.
    • All demolition works.
    • Laying of sewer line, water line, drainage and electric cabling etc. by open trench system.
    • Brick / masonry works.
    • Operation of RMC batching plant.
    • Major welding and gas-cutting operations. Minor welding activities for MEP works (Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing) to be, however, permitted. 
    • Painting, polishing and varnishing works etc.
    • Cement, Plaster / other coatings, except for minor indoor repairs/ maintenance.
    • Cutting / grinding and fixing of tiles, stones and other flooring materials, except for minor indoor repairs/ maintenance.
    • Road construction activities and major repairs.
    • Transfer, loading / unloading of dust generating materials like cement, fly-ash, bricks, sand, murram, pebbles, crushed stone etc. anywhere within / outside the project sites.
    • Movement of vehicles carrying construction materials on unpaved roads.
    • Any transportation of demolition waste.

     

    (ii) All construction related activities, other than those listed under 1(i) above, which are relatively less polluting / less dust generating shall be permitted to be continued in the NCR, subject to strict compliance of the C&D Waste Management Rules, dust prevention/ control norms including compliance with the directions of the Commission issued from time to time.

    (iii) All C&D related activities, including those under 1(i) above, shall be continued to be permitted only for the following categories of projects, however subject to strict compliance of the C&D Waste Management Rules, dust prevention/ control norms including compliance with the directions of the Commission issued from time to time:

    1. Projects for Railway services and stations
    2. Projects for Metro Rail Services and stations
    3. Airports and Inter State Bus Terminals
    4. National security/ defence related activities/ projects of national importance
    5. Hospitals/ health care facilities
    6. Linear public projects such as highways, roads, flyovers, over bridges, power transmission/ distribution, pipelines, tele-communication services etc.
    7. Sanitation projects like sewage treatment plants and water supply projects etc.
    8. Ancillary activities, specific to and supplementing the above project categories.

     

    1. Close down operations of stone crushers in the entire NCR.
    2. Close down all mining and associated activities in the entire NCR.
    3. NCR State Govts. / GNCTD to impose strict restrictions on plying of BS III petrol and BS IV diesel LMVs (4 wheelers) in Delhi and in the districts of Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Gautam Budh Nagar.

     

    Note: Persons with Disabilities shall be permitted to ply BS – III Petrol / BS – IV Diesel LMVs, provided that these are specifically adopted for them and are run only for their personal use.

    1. GNCTD to impose strict restrictions on plying of Delhi – registered Diesel operated Medium Goods Vehicles (MGVs) to BS-IV standards or below, in Delhi, except those vehicles carrying essential commodities / providing essential services.
    2. GNCTD to not permit BS-IV and below diesel operated LCVs (goods carriers) registered outside Delhi, to enter Delhi, except those carrying essential commodities / providing essential services.
    3.  

    (i) State Govts. in the NCR and the GNCTD to mandatorily conduct classes in schools for children up to class V in a “Hybrid” mode i.e., both in physical and online mode (wherever online mode is feasible) in the territorial jurisdiction of the NCT of Delhi and in the districts of Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddh Nagar.

     

    (ii) The NCR State Governments may also consider conducting classes for students up to Class V in a “Hybrid” mode as above in other areas in NCR.

     

    Note: The option to exercise the online mode of education, wherever available, shall vest with the students and their guardians.

     

    1.  

    (i) GNCTD and NCR State Governments to stagger timings for public offices and municipal bodies in the National Capital Territory of Delhi and the districts of Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddh Nagar.

     

    (ii) State Governments may take a decision to stagger timings for public offices and municipal bodies in other areas of NCR.

     

    1. Central Government may take a decision on staggering of timings of Central Government offices in Delhi–NCR.

     

    Further, CAQM urges the citizens of NCR to cooperate in implementing GRAP and follow the steps mentioned in the Citizen Charter under GRAP. In addition to steps under Citizen Charter of Stages I & II, citizens are advised to:

    • Walk or use cycles for small distances.
    • Choose a cleaner commute. Share a ride to work or use public transport.
    • People, whose positions allow working from home, may work from home.
    • Do not use coal and wood for heating purpose.
    • Individual house owners may also provide electric heaters to security/ other staff employed by them to avoid open burning of bio-mass/ wood/ MSW.
    • Combine errands and reduce trips.

     

    Complete details of the extant schedule of GRAP are available on the Commission’s website and can be accessed via https://caqm.nic.in

    *****

    VM/GS

    (Release ID: 2097469) Visitor Counter : 59

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya Chairs National Conference with Labour Ministers and Secretaries of States & UTs in New Delhi

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya Chairs National Conference with Labour Ministers and Secretaries of States & UTs in New Delhi

    Union Minister Launches Occupational Shortage Index (OSI) and State and Union Territory Microsites under e-Shram

    All 36 States/UTs Expected to Complete Pre-publication of Harmonized Draft Rules in line with Labour Codes by 31st March 2025

    Discussions on Day 1 focused on Labour Reforms, ESIC Medical Facilities and Healthcare Infrastructure Reforms, Initiatives including the National Career Service (NCS) portal and the Model Career Centres (MCC)

    Posted On: 29 JAN 2025 8:16PM by PIB Delhi

    The two-day National level meeting with Labour Ministers and Secretaries of States & UTs, held in New Delhi, under the Chairmanship of Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister for Labour & Employment and Youth Affairs & Sports, commenced today. Sushri Shobha Karandlaje, Hon’ble Minister of State for Ministry of Labour and Employment, along with Hon’ble Labour Ministers from various States/UTs, were present during the meetings. Ms Sumita Dawra, Secretary, set the context for the deliberations.

    Delivering his inaugural address, Dr. Mandaviya emphasized on the need for undertaking labour reforms, which are crucial for realizing the vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047. He underscored that a fine balance between workers’ welfare and industrial growth must remain at the core of all policy decisions. He urged all States and UTs to participate in knowledge-sharing on reforms undertaken by them, in the spirit of cooperative federalism, and their inputs will be transformed into a comprehensive action plan to take forward the employment and labour reform agenda in India.

    Spread over two days (29th & 30th January 2025), these meetings are focusing on laying the groundwork for Labour Reforms, Social Security for Organized and Unorganized Workers including Gig and Platform Workers and expanding ESIC medical and healthcare services. There is equal focus on interventions for matching demand and supply in the labour market, promoting employment generation and employability through National Career Service (NCS) Portal and Model Career Centres (MCC), etc.

    Attended by Labour Ministers and senior officials from States/UTs, these meetings provide a platform for showcasing the reforms undertaken by States in line with the labour codes and promote cross learnings and knowledge sharing.

    During day one, discussions were focused on (i) Labour Reforms; (ii) ESIC medical facilities and healthcare infrastructure reforms; and (iii) Initiatives including the National Career Service (NCS) portal and the Model Career Centres (MCC).

    Labour Reforms

    Several States have undertaken reforms in line with labour codes under the existing Acts. These reforms are aimed at promoting greater ease of doing business, reduction in compliance burden, decriminalisation, promoting women participation in the workforce, and other employment and labour related interventions, leading to a friendlier ecosystem of labour regulations. Such interventions promote both employment generation and labour welfare, leading us on the path of Viksit Bharat by 2047.

    It was noted that over eighteen States/UTs have already implemented majority of the reforms and more than 32 States/UTs have pre-published the draft rules under the four Labour Codes, while the remaining States/UTs have made satisfactory progress, during the year. All 36 States/UTs expected to complete pre-publication of harmonized draft rules in line with the labour codes, by 31st March 2025.

    ESIC Medical Facilities and Healthcare Infrastructure Reforms

    Focussed discussions on (i) convergence of ESIC with PM-ABJAY; (ii) utilization of State Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and Community Health Centres (CHCs) for Primary/Secondary Medical Care; (iii) formation of State ESI Society; (iv) implementation of Dhanwantari Module in ESIS hospitals/ dispensaries and (v) designating Medical Colleges and Charity Hospitals as ESIC hospitals, was also one of the key highlights of the day.

    Leveraging the existing healthcare infrastructure including PM-ABJAY hospitals, PHCs / CHCs with upgradation of necessary medical facilities was emphasized to provide comprehensive benefits, especially in the underserved areas.

    Promoting Employability and Employment Generation

    On day one, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister for Labour & Employment and Youth Affairs & Sports launched two significant initiatives – Occupational Shortage Index (OSI) and State and Union Territory Microsites under the e-Shram initiative. The OSI is a landmark initiative aimed at matching labour market demand and supply and enhancing employment outcomes across India. The eShram microsites would facilitate two-way integration and provide a one-stop-solution to unorganized workers for seamless access of social security and welfare, employment opportunities, skilling programmes, etc.

    During the session, States’ role in promoting the usage of National Career Service (NCS) portal and Model Career Centre (MCC) facilities was presented. States were urged to complete digitization of employment portals and integration with NCS on priority so that job seekers can widely gain from the one-stop solution for career-related services and physical hubs for career counseling and employment facilitation.

    Several useful insights and suggestions were shared by participants during day one. The Ministry in collaboration with States/UTs is compiling a comprehensive action plan to implement reforms in a focused manner.

    The day concluded with vibrant cultural programme showcasing the rich cultural heritage of India.

    *****

    Himanshu Pathak

    (Release ID: 2097446) Visitor Counter : 22

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: A Heartbeat of Tradition: UConn Nursing Provides Stethoscopes to Sophomore Students

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    On the first day of each spring semester, sophomores like first-generation student Flormarie Lopez ’27 (NUR), are gifted a stethoscope before entering their junior year when clinical rotations begin.  

    NURS 3120 Health Assessment taught by Michele Cole, DNP, MSN, RN, CPN, and Yashika Sharma, Ph.D., RN, teaches students how to take and interpret vital signs, exercise sound clinical judgment, and how to approach patients – skills that they will use every day as a practicing nurse.   

    Through an endowed scholarship by UConn Nursing alum Margaret E. “Peggy” Sczesny ’69 (NUR), ’79 MS, these gifted stethoscopes are a fundamental tool that enhances confidence and symbolizes professionalism. It can help aid in diagnosis and assessment and serves as a constant companion.  

    I cherish this gift as a UConn student nurse – David Gorski ’26 (NUR)

    “I cherish this gift as a UConn student nurse,” says David Gorski ’26 (NUR). “I use my stethoscope every day in clinical. It’s very important to me to know how to use it and what to look for as we transition from students to health care practitioners.”  

    In addition to providing stethoscopes for sophomores, the Traditions Fund (as part of this scholarship) also finances nursing pins for all undergraduate and accelerated Certificate of Entry into Nursing (CEIN/BS) students at graduation.

    “The fact that donors provided this gift to nursing students is both touching and encouraging because getting a stethoscope is the first step towards feeling prepared for new endeavors in the clinical setting,” says associate clinical professor Marianne (Mimi) Snyder, Ph.D., MSN, RN.  

    Lopez says, “As a first-gen student, it’s so honoring to be able to show this to my mom and my family in Guatemala, being the first in my family to do something like this.” 

    Thanks to this generous gift, generations of UConn Nursing students will carry a reminder of their educational roots with them for years to come. 

    To contribute to the UConn School of Nursing please visit: https://nursing.uconn.edu/info-for/donors/  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Crapo Statement at HHS Secretary Nomination Hearing

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo
    Washington, D.C.—U.S. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) delivered the following remarks at a hearing to consider the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
    As prepared for delivery:
    “Thank you to my colleagues and to Mr. Kennedy for being here today.  Congratulations on your nomination.
    “Throughout this process, Mr. Kennedy, you have been accessible to members and staff on both sides of the aisle and have demonstrated a strong commitment to fulfilling the responsibilities of this role.
    “The Department of Health and Human Services oversees our nation’s largest health care programs, providing coverage for nearly two in every five Americans.
    “Improving Medicare, Medicaid and CHIP, among other initiatives, presents challenges, especially in the face of a rapidly aging population, stubbornly high costs and persistent barriers to access.
    “However, this also provides us an opportunity to deliver bold, transformative solutions.
    “As a Committee, we share a commitment to advancing commonsense, bipartisan policies that improve the delivery of health care in this country.
    “This Committee has worked to realign incentives in the prescription drug supply chain, enhance access in rural communities, expand the availability of telehealth and improve the broken clinician payment structure.
    “Across these and other issues, I look forward to working with the Administration to continue pursuing meaningful reforms that serve the American people more effectively and efficiently. 
    “Too often, patients encounter a health care system that is a disjointed, dysfunctional maze.  Complex and bureaucratic chutes and ladders have become the norm. 
    “Meanwhile, even as health care spending climbs, outcomes across a range of conditions continue to decline. 
    “Mr. Kennedy, if confirmed, you will have the opportunity to chart a new and better course for the federal approach to tackling both the drivers and the consequences of our ailing health care system.
    “Your commitment to combatting chronic conditions that drive health care costs will be critical to our success.
    “Prioritizing disease prevention and addressing the factors that fuel conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, metabolic disease, Alzheimer’s disease, COPD and cancer will save lives, reduce costs and build a healthier, stronger country.
    “Private-sector breakthroughs, from groundbreaking cancer medications to curative gene therapies, offer hope.  But misguided government initiatives and market volatility risk eroding American leadership in lifesaving R&D. 
    “Your advocacy for health care transparency has the potential to empower consumers across the country, promoting competition to enhance quality while cutting excessive spending, both for patients and for taxpayers.  
    “Today’s hearing will provide a forum to hear more about your vision, particularly for the federal programs under this Committee’s jurisdiction.
    “Mr. Kennedy, you represent a voice for an inspiring coalition of Americans who are deeply committed to improving the health and well-being of our nation.
    “Regardless of political party, everyone in this room shares a common recognition that our current system has fallen short—as well as a common desire to make our country healthier. 
    “I look forward to today’s conversation, as well as to your testimony, Mr. Kennedy.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Is no amount of alcohol safe? Understanding risks and public health guidelines

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Scott Lear, Professor of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University

    While it may be true that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption, are alarmist statements a good motivator for health messaging, or is there danger to using them? (Shutterstock)

    The United States surgeon general recently called for a warning of cancer risk on alcohol labels. And I agree. But the discourse that has come out in the media, by health professionals and health influencers, has been alarmist and a disservice to informing the public on the real cancer risks associated with alcohol.

    I’m a professor in Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University and I study how behaviours relate to the disease. I also write a blog on the role health behaviours play in your health.

    Alcohol and cancer risk

    The surgeon general’s comments follow reports from the World Health Organization and Canada’s Guidance on Alcohol and Health, both of which state there is no safe amount of alcohol you can consume.

    This has been repeated by health professionals, those in public health and on social media, where health influencers have described alcohol as a toxin.

    But are these alarmist statements a good motivator for health messaging, or is there danger to using them?

    Statistically, your risk for cancer goes up from the very first sip of alcohol. That doesn’t mean you will get cancer from drinking alcohol, it just means your chances increase. And as you drink more alcohol, your chances further increase. It’s like betting in roulette: the more numbers you bet on, the more likely you are to win. Or in this case, lose.

    Out of 800 women, one drink per week will result in two additional women getting breast cancer.
    (Shutterstock)

    However, what’s lost in this messaging is how much this risk is. Based on Canada’s Guidance on Alcohol and Health, having one drink per week increases a women’s risk for breast cancer by 1.8 per cent. Approximately one in eight women will develop breast cancer in their life. Therefore, out of 800 women, one drink per week will result in two additional women getting breast cancer. Having one drink per day increases the risk seven-fold. These are real people who might otherwise not get breast cancer if they abstained from alcohol.

    While saying no amount of alcohol is safe is true, this can apply to a lot of common activities. In Canada, there are approximately 300 pedestrian deaths per year. Each day, on average, five Canadians die in motor vehicle accidents.

    While these numbers are much lower than the number of people who die from cancer each year, it would also be accurate to say there is no amount of walking or driving that is safe. Despite this, people will continue to cross the street and people will continue to drive. But this illustrates the challenge in informing the public about risks and changing behaviour.

    Fear in public health messaging

    The use of fear in public health messaging should only be used if there’s an effective solution. In the case of alcohol, there is: abstinence.
    (Shutterstock)

    The use of fear in public health has a long history. But measuring the effect of these campaigns is hard. Graphic images are used on tobacco products to scare people away from smoking. Carefully controlled studies indicate they increase health awareness but may have limited effect on smoking. However, similar graphic images on bottles of sugar-sweetened beverages in controlled studies has been shown to reduce consumption.

    During the COVID-19 pandemic, fear was at the forefront of public health efforts to control the spread of SARS-CoV-2. Indeed, the use of fear in public health messaging seemed to be quite an effective tool in ensuring behavioural compliance in pandemic measures. Community interviews of parents showed fear was at the root of both getting their children vaccinated (fear of the disease) or not (fear of the vaccination).

    The use of fear in public health messaging should only be used if there’s an effective solution. In the case of alcohol, there is: abstinence. But the use of fear should also be commensurate with the risk, otherwise it risks having people tune out.

    This may be particularly problematic when previous guidelines stated beneficial effects of moderate drinking and current guidelines on alcohol state one to two drinks per day is acceptable. Instead, the public may be best served by communicating the risk in terms the public understands, such as how many more people will get cancer from drinking.

    Alcohol should have a warning label on it

    Alcohol consumption in Canada is on the decline. In 2022, alcohol consumption decreased by 1.2 per cent compared to 2021. And in 2023, 54 per cent of Canadians reported having no alcohol over the previous week, with younger Canadians drinking less than their older counterparts. These trends are similar in the United States.

    More than 40 countries have a warning label on alcohol (although far fewer mention cancer), but Canada and many European countries are not included. They should be. Alcohol is a highly addictive substance that can destroy the lives of those addicted to it and those around them. It impairs judgment and accounts for dozens of deaths per year from drinking and driving.

    Pregnant women drinking alcohol also increase their risk of their child having fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. Alcohol is also a drug you can overdose from.

    Warning labels on alcohol are a good step to reduce health risks, as long as they are clear and informative.

    Scott Lear receives funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and Hamilton Health Sciences, and has received funding from the Heart and Stroke Foundation, Novo Nordisk, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

    – ref. Is no amount of alcohol safe? Understanding risks and public health guidelines – https://theconversation.com/is-no-amount-of-alcohol-safe-understanding-risks-and-public-health-guidelines-247883

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Shaheen Named Ranking Member of Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen
    (Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced she will serve as Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies (Ag-FDA). This Subcommittee oversees funding for the majority of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) as well as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
    “I’m honored to serve in this new role and committed to building on my work to address the high cost of living that so many Granite Staters are experiencing,” said Senator Shaheen. “I look forward to finding new and creative opportunities to improve support for New Hampshire’s rural communities, including by investing in rural housing and water infrastructure, championing our small businesses and small and diversified farmers, continuing my bipartisan efforts to tackle the skyrocketing cost of prescription drugs, such as those to treat Type 1 diabetes, as well as funding federal nutrition programs that help Granite Staters put food on the table.”
    Shaheen has served on the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee since 2012, and formerly chaired the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Subcommittee. She will also serve as a member of the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies, Defense, Homeland Security, Labor, Health and Human Services and Education and Related Agencies and State, Foreign Operations and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittees.
    Shaheen has long fought to support farmers in New Hampshire, including by successfully helping to secure disaster supplemental funding for farmers impacted by crop losses in 2023. Shaheen also has a strong record of working to improve crop insurance policies to support farmers in New Hampshire and leads legislation to reform the federal government’s crop insurance program. Senator Shaheen has supported more than 230 New Hampshire small businesses who have received over $25 million to lower energy bills and cut costs through USDA’s Rural Energy for America Program. She has consistently fought for increased funding and improved support for rural development programs, including rural water programs.
    Shaheen also spearheads efforts to combat rising drug prices and make essential medications more affordable, including leading legislation to lower the cost of prescription drugs and bring generic drugs to market faster. Last Congress, Shaheen introduced bipartisan legislation, the Ensuring Timely Access to Generics Act, that would work to increase competition from generic drugs through better oversight of FDA’s citizen petition process. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee passed this bill unanimously. As co-chair of the bipartisan U.S. Senate Diabetes Caucus, Shaheen has also consistently worked with FDA on access to diabetes technology and cures for type 1 diabetes. Senator Shaheen’s bipartisan INSULIN Act also includes proposals to expedite FDA approval of biosimilar drugs, which are proven to increase competition and lower drug costs.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Waterford Woman Sentenced to 2 Years in Prison for Stealing from Addiction and Mental Health Services Nonprofit

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MICHELE DEVINE, 51, of Waterford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 24 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for embezzling from the Southeastern Regional Action Council on Substance Abuse, Inc. (“SERAC”), where she was employed as its executive director.  Judge Underhill also ordered Devine to pay a $2,000 fine and perform 300 hours of community service while on supervised release.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, SERAC, headquartered in Norwich, is a 501(c)(3) organization that serves 41 towns in southeastern and northeastern Connecticut with substance abuse, problem gambling, and mental health related services.  SERAC is primarily funded through hundreds of thousands of dollars in state and federal grants from the State of Connecticut’s Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

    Devine was the executive director of SERAC until July 2022.  Beginning in approximately 2008, Devine spent thousands of dollars on purchases that did not relate SERAC but instead were personal expenses for Devine and her family, including thousands of dollars spent on home appliances; travel; timeshare fees at a Connecticut resort; stays at the Canyon Ranch in the Berkshires, Massachusetts; and private school donations.

    Judge Underhill ordered Devine to pay $397,064.93 in restitution.

    Devine was arrested on August 3, 2023.  On October 21, 2024, she pleaded guilty to wire fraud.

    Devine, who is released on a $25,000 bond, is required to report to prison on March 12.

    This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, with the assistance of the New London State’s Attorney’s Office and the State of Connecticut Office of the Attorney General.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ray Miller.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Labrador Announces Settlement in Medicaid Fraud Case

    Source: US State of Idaho

    [BOISE] – Attorney General Raúl Labrador announced a $219,321.25 settlement in a Medicaid fraud investigation into Precision Diagnostics for allegedly false claims between January 2013 and December 2022, submitted to the Idaho Medicaid Program.  Claims for medically unnecessary drug analysis tests were allegedly submitted by doctors that received free drug-testing supplies from Precision Diagnostics in exchange for laboratory testing referrals in violation of state and federal anti-kickback laws.  This state settlement was part of a larger nationwide investigation into Precision Diagnostics and a settlement totaling $27 million dollars.
    “It is essential that all agents and actors of Medicaid are held to the highest standard of scrutiny when conducting business with taxpayer dollars,” said Attorney General Labrador.  “This settlement returns funds back into the program designed to provide health services to Idahoans, not to fraudulently line the pockets of contractors and providers.”
    The case was investigated by the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare’s Medicaid Division.  Precision Diagnostics has already submitted the first of five annual restitution payments and Idaho’s share of $69,220.28 will be returned to the Medicaid Division.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Capito to Chair Labor, HHS, Education Appropriations Subcommittee

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) today announced that she will serve as the chairman of the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee, which oversees funding across a large range of programs within the U.S. Departments of Labor, Education, Health and Human Services (HHS), and other independent agencies. Senator Capito previously served as ranking member of the subcommittee during the 118th Congress.
    “I’m honored to continue my efforts—now as chairman—on the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee to represent the needs of West Virginians. In this impactful role, I will strive to ensure the funding we provide is used in the most efficient and effective manner and that critical oversight is provided.
    “Additionally, I look forward to working with committee leadership and members in this new role to support many priorities that are important to my state of West Virginia, such as Alzheimer’s research, efforts to end childhood cancer, fighting the addiction crisis, the wellbeing of our miners, and supporting the education and research missions of our schools and universities. Regardless of the scope or challenges, I will approach this opportunity with the objective of ensuring the voices and priorities of West Virginia are heard and understood. I appreciate the support of Chairman Collins in this role and I am excited to work together in our Republican Congress to advance the goals of the Trump administration,” Chairman Capito said.
    In addition to her chairman role, Senator Capito will continue serving on the following Appropriations Subcommittees: Defense; Homeland Security; Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies; Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies; and Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies.
    In addition to the Appropriations Committee, Senator Capito will continue serving on the Committee on Environment and Public Works as chairman; the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation; and the Committee on Rules and Administration.
    This is the fourth Appropriations Subcommittee Senator Capito has been a chairman of as a member of the committee during her time in the Senate. She previously chaired the Homeland Security, Financial Service and General Government, and Legislative Branch subcommittees.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Scott, Cassidy, Lead Colleagues in Reintroducing Bill to Expand School Choice, Educational Opportunity

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for South Carolina Tim Scott
    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Tim Scott (R-S.C.), co-chair of the Congressional School Choice Caucus and member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.), chair of the Senate HELP Committee, led 16 Republican colleagues in introducing the Educational Choice for Children Act (ECCA), bicameral legislation to expand education freedom and opportunity for students. Specifically, it provides a charitable donation incentive for individuals and businesses to fund scholarship awards for students to cover expenses related to K-12 public and private education.
    “When you give parents a choice, you give kids a better chance at achieving their dreams,” said Senator Scott. “By empowering families with more education resources and freedom, this bill will unlock opportunities that have been out of reach for students across America who deserve every chance to succeed and a schooling system that fosters their potential.”
    “Parents want to see their child succeed. Giving them the ability to make decisions over their child’s education puts that child’s needs first,” said Dr. Cassidy. “More freedom empowers parents and allows American children to thrive in school.”
    The Educational Choice for Children Act:
    Provides $10 billion in annual tax credits to be made available to taxpayers. Allotment of these credits to individuals would be administered by the Treasury Department.
    Sets a base amount for each state and then distributes the credits on a first-come, first-serve basis.
    Uses a limited government approach with respect to federalism, thus avoiding mandates on states, localities, and school districts.
    Includes provisions that govern Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGOs), as SGOs are given the ability to determine the individual amount of scholarship awards.
    An estimated two million students in any elementary or secondary education setting, including homeschool, are eligible to receive a scholarship. Eligible use of scholarships awards includes tuition, fees, book supplies, and equipment for the enrollment or attendance at an elementary or secondary school.
    Senators Scott and Cassidy were joined by U.S. Senators Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), John Thune (R-S.D.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), John Kennedy (R-La.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Jim Justice (R-W.Va.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), and Todd Young (R-Ind.) in introducing the bill. 
    The Educational Choice for Children Act has received the endorsement from former U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos; former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education Dr. Mick Zais; former U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr; Louisiana State Superintendent of Education Dr. Cade Brumley; LA Kids Matter; Louisiana Family Forum; Louisiana State University Board of Supervisors; ACE Scholarships Louisiana Founder Eddie Rispone; ACE Scholarships; Invest in Education Coalition; ACSI Children’s Education Fund; America First Policy Institute; American Association of Christian Schools; American Federation for Children (AFC); American Principles Project; Americans for Tax Reform; Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI); Black Mothers Forum; U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB); Catholic Education Partners; CatholicVote; Center for Education Reform; Children’s Scholarship Fund; Club for Growth; Coalition for Jewish Values; Agudath Israel of America; Orthodox Union Advocacy; Republican Jewish Coalition; Concerned Women for America; Council for American Private Education (CAPE); Defense of Freedom Institute (DFI); Family Policy Alliance; Foundation for Excellence in Education (ExcelinEd); Freedom Foundation; Heartland Institute; Heritage Action for America; Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA); Independent Women’s Forum; Mountain States Policy Center; Parental Rights Foundation; Parents Defending Education Action; Partners in Mission; Project 21; Protect the First; 60Plus Association; Former Virginia & Florida Secretary of Education Gerard Robinson; and several other conservative leaders.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Over 3,000 Westminster residents supported to live healthier lives in 2024 through the Healthy Communities Fund | Westminster City Council

    Source: City of Westminster

    The Healthy Communities Fund (HCF) is a three-year initiative established in January 2024 to support organisations in the VCS to deliver culturally competent targeted health interventions in Westminster’s most deprived areas. 

    • Since its launch in January 2024, the Healthy Communities Fund has reached over 3,000 participants across Westminster with an average of 126 activities delivered per week. 
    •  The £5 million fund aims to support Voluntary and community sector (VCS) organisations to deliver culturally competent health interventions to prevent health conditions worsening or developing in the first place.  
    • Fund recipients ‘Middle Eastern Women’s Society’ helped participants to lose weight healthily, improve blood pressure and lower blood sugar levels through targeted health interventions.  

    The £5 million fund is part of the council’s wider prevention agenda and is a direct result of collaboration with residents and VCS partners. Fund recipients receive training commissioned by the council’s Public Health team to embed health promotion and health interventions by trusted organisations who know their communities well. While the fund aims to increase the capacity of these organisations, the training aims to provide sustainability so that fund recipients can continue to support community members for a long time.  

    In the last year the fund has helped to reach over 3,000 regular participants through an average of 126 activities per week.  

    Thanks to the incredible progress made by organisations funded by the HCF, the council has seen tangible health outcomes including weight loss, improved blood pressure and increased screening and vaccination uptake. 

    Fund recipients, Middle Eastern Women’s Society (MEWSO), delivered interventions with the support of the HCF aimed at improving physical health through healthy cooking classes, walking groups, and establishing peer support networks. As with all recipients, MEWSO’s interventions were delivered in response to identified health needs to ensure that they are targeted and relevant to the community they intend to reach.  

    Identified needs included support for residents with physical disabilities, translating traditional dishes into healthier recipes and difficulties with keeping physically active outside of fitness classes. With MEWSO’s support participants are being equipped with tools and knowledge to look after their health – the offer has become so popular that it now operates with a waiting list.  

    Aman Zanoon, the project manager at MEWSO said:

    Since we launched our healthy cooking classes on Church Street, the response has been overwhelmingly positive. The sessions became so popular that we now have a waiting list of women keen to join. To manage this, we rotate participants weekly, with 12 women in each class, ensuring fairness and access for everyone.

    One of the highlights of the project has been our recipe book, which till now contain 31 Middle Eastern dishes, presented in both traditional and healthier versions. Beyond the cooking, these classes have Inspired broader changes in our participants’ lives. Many women have formed walking groups, shared progress and more healthy snacks and recipes in a WhatsApp group.

    For example, Mayada, one of our participants, has lost 4kg over six months and has stabilised her blood pressure, while Najwa has reported a 2kg loss. Many others have shared similar successes, demonstrating that this initiative is more than just about cooking—it’s about life-changing improvements.

    Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, Public Health and Voluntary Sector, Cllr Nafsika Butler-Thalassis said: 

    It’s amazing to see the progress that the Healthy Communities Fund has made in just one year. 

    We set up this fund in the council to increase the capacity of local grassroot community organisations because we know that they are best placed to serve the community, and we want to support them to increase their impact.

    To address health inequalities, it is essential to engage communities in activities they find interesting and enjoyable  which have wider benefits, touching not only on healthy eating and physical activity but also on mental health and reducing isolation.

    Further training will be rolled out in 2025 to ensure trusted organisations can continue to deliver commissioned services in the future, focusing on mental health, diabetes and hypertension.

    The Healthy Communities Fund provide free activities designed to meet the needs of the local community. It is part of our #2035 initiative to promote healthy living in the borough.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why we should all try to eat like people in rural Papua New Guinea – new study

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jens Walter, Professor at the School of Microbiology, University College Cork

    Tanya Keisha/Shutterstock

    Western diets – high in processed foods and low in fibre – are associated with obesity, diabetes and heart disease. These diets don’t only harm our bodies, they also harm our gut microbiomes, the complex community of bacteria, fungi and viruses found in our intestinal tract that are important for our health.

    Scientists, including my colleagues and me, are actively searching for ways to create healthy microbiomes to prevent chronic diseases. And my search has taken me to Papua New Guinea.

    I have long been fascinated by this country, with its remote valleys almost untouched by the modern world until 1930, more than 800 languages, an ancient system of sustenance agriculture and entire communities living a non-industrialised lifestyle. This fascination kicked off a thrilling nine-year research project involving researchers from eight countries, which led to a paper published in the scientific journal Cell.

    In previous research, my team studied the gut microbiomes of rural Papua New Guineans. We discovered microbiomes that are more diverse than their westernised counterparts, enriched in bacteria that thrive on dietary fibre, and with lower levels of inflammation-causing bacteria that are typically found in people who eat highly processed foods.

    This information provided hints on how to perhaps redress the damage caused to our gut microbiomes.

    The traditional diet in rural Papua New Guinea is rich in unprocessed plant-based foods that are full of fibre but low in sugar and calories, something I was able to see for myself on a field trip to Papua New Guinea. Determined to create something everyone could use to benefit their health, our team took what we saw in Papua New Guinea and other non-industrialised societies to create a new diet we call the NiMe (non-industrialised microbiome restore) diet.

    What sets NiMe apart from other diets is that it is dominated by vegetables (such as leafy greens) and legumes (such as beans) and fruit. It only contains one small serving of animal protein per day (salmon, chicken or pork), and it avoids highly processed foods.

    Dairy, beef and wheat were excluded from the human trial because they are not part of the traditional diet in rural Papua New Guinea. The other characteristic distinction of the diet is a substantial dietary fibre content. In our trial, we went for around 45g of fibre a day, which exceeds the recommendations in dietary guidelines.

    One of my PhD students got creative in the kitchen designing recipes that would appeal to a person used to typical western dishes. These meals allowed us to develop a meal plan that could be tested in a strictly controlled study in healthy Canadian adults.

    Remarkable results

    We saw remarkable results including weight loss (although participants didn’t change their regular calorie intake), a drop in bad cholesterol by 17%, decreased blood sugar by 6%, and a 14% reduction in a marker for inflammation and heart disease called C-reactive protein. These benefits were directly linked to improvements in the participants’ gut microbiome, specifically, microbiome features damaged by industrialisation.

    On a western diet low in dietary fibre, the gut microbiome degrades the mucus layer in the gut, which leads to inflammation. The NiMe diet prevented this process, which was linked to a reduction in inflammation.

    The diet also increased beneficial bacterial metabolites (byproducts) in the gut, such as short-chain fatty acids, and in the blood, such as indole-3-propionic acid – a metabolite that has been shown to protect against type 2 diabetes and nerve damage.

    Research also shows that low dietary fibre leads to gut microbes ramping up protein fermentation, which generates harmful byproducts that may contribute to colon cancer.

    In fact, there is a worrying trend of increased colon cancer in younger people, which may be caused by recent trends towards high-protein diets or supplements. The NiMe diet increased carbohydrate fermentation at the expense of protein fermentation, and it reduced bacterial molecules in the participants’ blood that are linked to cancer.

    The findings from our research show that a dietary intervention targeted towards restoring the gut microbiome can improve health and reduce disease risk. The NiMe diet offers a practical roadmap to achieve this, by providing recipes that were used in our study. It allows anyone interested in healthy eating to improve their diet to feed their human cells and their microbiome.

    Jens Walter has received honoraria and/or paid consultancy from PrecisionBiotics/Novonesis A/S. NiMe is a trademark of Anissa M. Armet and Jens Walter.

    The research described in this article was supported by the Weston Family Microbiome Initiative, PrecisionBiotics Group Ltd., the “Hundred Talents Program” Research Start-up Fund of Zhejiang University, Alberta Innovates Postgraduate Fellowship, Izaak Walton Killam Memorial Scholarship, the Alberta Innovates Graduate Student Scholarship, the Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarship, the Walter H. Johns Graduate Fellowship, the University of Alberta Doctoral Recruitment Scholarship, the Campus Alberta Innovates Program, the Canada Research Chairs Program, the Science Foundation Ireland Centre grant to APC microbiome Ireland (APC/SFI/12/RC/2273_P2) and a Science Foundation Ireland Professorship (19/RP/6853).

    I would like to thank the people of Papua New Guinea whose way of life has been an inspriation for the development of the NiMe diet, and the participants of the human trial. I am deeply indepted to all the collaborators and the scientific institutions that have contributed to the research (please see author list and affiliations on publication). I would like to thank Prof. Andrew Greenhill (Federation University, Australia) and Prof William Pomat (Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research) for hosting me in Papua New Guina in 2019. I would further like to thank Jessica Stanisich and Tina Darb from the APC Microbiome Ireland for their help with this article.

    – ref. Why we should all try to eat like people in rural Papua New Guinea – new study – https://theconversation.com/why-we-should-all-try-to-eat-like-people-in-rural-papua-new-guinea-new-study-248064

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Early support to help you avoid a crisis in life

    Source: City of Coventry

    Find out how city agencies can help with health, care and other services by calling in between 9.30am and 12.30pm at the Council House on Tuesday 4 February.

    Professionals, community representatives and the public are being encouraged to call in at an event to highlight how agencies like the Alzheimer’s Society, Carer’s Trust and Voiceability can help when you or a friend or family member face challenges in their life.

    The Council along with Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership Trust, Panahghar, Healthy Lifestyles, Coventry Haven Women’s Aid, Alzheimer’s Society, Change Grow Live, Blue Sky Centre, Voiceability, and the Carers Trust will all be joining together at a drop-in session at the Council House on Tuesday 4 February.

    Coventry Adult Safeguarding Board are co-ordinating the event to help raise awareness of the way the range of partners organisations work in providing early support to avoid a difficult situation turning into a crisis.

    All these organisations are here to help and could support your needs!

    We are hosting the event to enable members of the public/communities to link in with key organisations that are often approached for help, support and advice.

    Among the organisations represented will be the Carer’s Trust. The Trust campaigns for unpaid carers and recognises the broad range of caring responsibilities that people of all ages have. For example, it can arrange a carer’s assessment and help you get the support and respite that you may need from your caring role.

    Come along and talk about any concerns, support or questions you might have! We’d love to meet you.

    Find out more about the event.

    Wednesday, 29th January 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The scale of England’s special educational needs crisis

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jonathan Glazzard, Rosalind Hollis Professor of Education for Social Justice, University of Hull

    ESB Professional/Shutterstock

    A group of MPs has delivered a blistering verdict on the state special educational needs in England. In a new report, the public accounts committee call the system “unaffordable” and warn that the Department for Education (DfE) “risks a lost generation of children leaving school without receiving the help they need”.

    Special educational needs support is administered by local authorities, and they are struggling to cope.

    There has been a 140% increase in the number of children and young people with education, health and care (EHC) plans since 2015. EHC plans are reserved for those with complex needs.

    ECH plans are designed to ensure that children get the support they are entitled to to meet their special educational needs. This may include personal budgets, specialist educational provision, transport or support from specialist staff or teaching assistants.

    About 1.9 million children and young people have special educational needs and 576,000 have an EHC plan, which local authorities are required to fund. The rise in the number of children with EHC plans means that despite a rise in government funding, the amount given per plan has fallen.

    Most local authorities spend more than their allocated funding for pupils with high needs. This has resulted in financial deficits. Some local authorities are at risk of going bankrupt.

    Waiting times for special needs assessments to be carried out are lengthy, and in 2023, only half of children received an EHC plan within the 20-week target time. Parents often appeal when a local authority decides not to offer a child an EHC plan, and most of these appeals are upheld.

    Understanding demand

    The increase in the number of children with special educational needs in England is seen in other countries. One reason for the increase in numbers is that more people are seeking a diagnosis. In some cases, changing diagnostic criteria has also led to an increase in diagnoses.

    The Public Accounts Committee report makes several recommendations. These include the need to improve decision-making at local authority level, and understand more about why demand for special educational needs support is increasing. It recommends improving teacher training and continuing professional development, and improving earlier identification of special educational needs.

    Improving decision making in local authorities is an important step in the right direction, but lack of funding to meet demand will mean that local authorities will still need to prioritise how resources are allocated. Improving knowledge about the underlying factors that result in special educational needs will enable the government to focus on systemic interventions that target the root causes of special educational needs and disabilities.

    Teachers already working in classrooms will benefit from professional development that helps them to meet the specific needs of the pupils that they are teaching. It is also important to acknowledge that teachers have many competing demands on them, as they balance the needs of some children against those of others.

    Adding more special educational needs and disabilities content to the teacher training and early career framework is a reasonable response, but this needs to be done with care. Evidence suggests that 35 hours of professional development is a reasonable time to have an effect. One-off professional development events are likely to have less effect.

    More professional development and training for teachers may help, if it is done carefully.
    Matej Kastelic/Shutterstock

    New intensive training and practice opportunities in initial teacher training courses have been introduced to help new teachers put theory into practice. Focusing one or more of these on special educational needs seems to be a reasonable suggestion.

    The government also intends to introduce an 18-month professional leadership qualification for schools’ special educational needs coordinators. However, this is replacing a previous qualification, which was taught at universities. This suggests a move to a less intellectually rigorous programme of professional development, which undermines the credibility of the new professional leadership qualification.

    In 2024 the DfE committed to investing £21 million to train 400 more educational psychologists. This builds on 200 trainees whose training has already been funded. However, given the current demand, this figure is far too small and will probably result in minimal impact.

    Building on existing support

    There is no specific reference in the Public Affairs Committee report to the existing, and important, role of the Education Mental Health Practitioner (EMHP).

    EMHPs are employed by the NHS and provide vital and timely in-school clinical support for children and young people. They carry out assessments of pupils’ needs and work in schools to support pupils’ mental health. They also help schools to develop a whole school approach to mental health.

    However, most schools do not have access to an EMHP. The government has stated that in 2023, just over a third of pupils had access to an EMHP and there are plans to increase this to 50% by April 2025. This is not enough.

    Extending this service to all pupils would ensure that all pupils can receive rapid mental health support in their school, thus reducing the likelihood of mental health problems becoming more serious.

    What is clear from reading this report is that the current system is broken and has reached crisis point. Additional government funding is needed, but is unlikely to ever be enough to meet the demand.

    Collaboration between schools, local authorities, government and education experts is vital in finding solutions so that young people get the support they desperately need.

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

    – ref. The scale of England’s special educational needs crisis – https://theconversation.com/the-scale-of-englands-special-educational-needs-crisis-247494

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How people with eating disorders are negatively affected by calories on menus

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Tom Jewell, Lecturer in Mental Health Nursing, King’s College London

    Frame Stock Footage/Shutterstock

    If you have recently been to a restaurant or cafe, you may have noticed calorie information displayed on the menu for each item. This is one example of so called “out-of-home” nutritional labels, referring to any food and drink bought outside the home which is not already prepackaged. Several countries have introduced these types of menu labels to reduce obesity levels.

    Spotting menu labels can lead to different reactions in different people. Some may not pay much attention, others may use the information to make a choice about their order.

    While there is recent evidence that such labels lead to small reductions in calories selected, concerns have been raised about the effect these labels have on people with eating disorders. We have recently reviewed all the available studies on how menu labels affect people with eating disorders and found evidence of mainly negative impacts.

    Eating disorders are serious psychiatric conditions. Common symptoms include restricting food intake and being preoccupied with thoughts about weight. It is these symptoms that people are concerned about when thinking about menu labels.

    In our review of the existing evidence, we found that people with eating disorders said they felt as if they were being ordered to cut down on what they eat and that the labels reinforced their beliefs about overeating. People with eating disorder symptoms said they were more likely to notice menu labels and change their behaviour based on seeing menu labels compared to people without these symptoms.

    People with eating disorders also said that their eyes are drawn to calorie information on menus. And this is supported by evidence from eye-tracking research.

    But food choices are not the only aspect of eating out. For many, going to a restaurant or cafe is a social experience. Something fun to do with friends or family. A way to celebrate a special occasion.

    But for people with eating disorders eating out can be difficult and distressing. Menu labels can complicate this further. Our review found that for some, menu labels trigger their eating disorder thoughts and lead to distress, although for others these labels can be freeing and reassuring.

    A common concern with anti-obesity policies such as menu labels is the focus on weight or calorie intake as a single indicator of health. Physical health is far more complex than can be measured by a single indicator.

    This simplification may make for easier messaging, but exposure to anti-obesity messaging focused on weight can amplify harmful stereotypes equating thinness with health. Such beliefs are not only risk factors for eating disorders, but also perpetuate the stigma surrounding weight.

    Obesity rates are rising globally. Governments and public health officials are continuously looking for solutions to this trend. However, it is important for these solutions to consider potential harms to people with eating disorders.

    Obesity and eating disorder prevention are not mutually exclusive. In reality, many things that would help prevent obesity are also helpful in preventing eating disorders. These include reducing weight stigma, improving body image, and increasing family meals.

    Menu labels represent a policy that involves giving people information and putting the onus onto them to change their behaviour. But this type of strategy can come with negative side-effects. For one person, encouraging them to eat fewer calories may be helpful, but for another it may be harmful.

    Other policies, such as advertising bans, that change behaviour by changing our environment might not have this problem. A recent study showed a marked difference in how people with eating disorders perceive these policies compared to menu labels.

    While over a quarter said that menu labels would make their symptoms much worse, only around 2% said the same thing about policies like advertising bans on unhealthy foods or banning “buy one get one free” deals for unhealthy food and drinks.

    Much of the discussion around this topic has focused broadly on “people with eating disorders”. But people with eating disorders are a diverse group.

    Some people may have symptoms primarily focused on restricting food, whilst others may have symptoms relating to binge eating. And these symptoms can be affected differently by menu labels. Most of the research to date has focused on those with restrictive symptoms, who primarily report negative effects.

    Our review found that very little research has included people with binge eating, and few of those studies included men with eating disorders. The most notable gap, however, was that no studies have yet been conducted with young people below the age of 18.

    Therefore, while we know that menu labels can cause harm to people with eating disorders, much more research is needed across the full spectrum of age, gender and types of eating disorders.

    Effective public health policies are vital in addressing society’s big challenges, like obesity. But effective policies need to balance benefits with harms.

    Tom Jewell receives funding from the NIHR Policy Research Programme, NIHR205226. The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care.

    Nora Trompeter receives funding from the NIHR Policy Research Programme, NIHR205226. The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care.

    – ref. How people with eating disorders are negatively affected by calories on menus – https://theconversation.com/how-people-with-eating-disorders-are-negatively-affected-by-calories-on-menus-226444

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI: StuffThatWorks Survey Reveals High Patient Interest in Participating in Clinical Trials

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Data from the largest patient-reported real-world data exploration underlines new opportunities for medical research to accelerate drug development

    Over 93 percent of more than 6,000 respondents are interested in learning about clinical trials relevant to their condition, but unexpected barriers delay participation

    GAASH, Israel, Jan. 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — StuffThatWorks, the largest, most up-to-date crowd-sourced patient-centric real-world data optimized for the medical and research community, today released the results of a new custom survey, Barriers in Clinical Trials, which shows that patients are primed to participate in clinical research1. The survey taps the reactions of over 6,000 patients with chronic conditions and reveals that an overwhelming majority of respondents consider clinical trials a path to accessing new medical treatments, with more than 93 percent interested in learning about trials that are relevant to their condition. 

    In addition, nearly 57 percent of respondents report that they are severely impacted by their medical condition, with nearly 43 percent believing they have exhausted all other treatment options, highlighting an urgent need for additional treatment pathways. The survey’s findings also reinforce the need for more proactive engagement and education; nearly 96 percent of respondents reported they received little or no information from providers about clinical trials in the last six months.

    “The survey data reveal a desire among patients to access clinical trials as viable treatment options, underscoring the need for medical professionals to actively consider clinical research for addressing their patients’ needs,” said Yael Elish, Founder and CEO of StuffThatWorks and a WAZE founding team member. “This unique patient perspective and experience collected in structured form along with other organized health information provides valuable insights and underlines a new way for clinicians and researchers to engage with patients to better inform the development of study protocols to benefit patients and advance the science of medicine.”

    The survey was conducted among patients with chronic conditions through StuffThatWorks, the world’s first large scale patient-generated Real World Data platform. StuffThatWorks empowers patients to transform their experiences and health information into structured organized Real World Data optimized for patient centric Real World Data research. Research organizations receive near real time comprehensive access to organized aggregated, de-identified data and corresponding patients. 

    With over 3 million members across 1,250+ conditions and 1.3 billion data points in the U.S. and globally, StuffThatWorks is the largest and most up-to-date patient-generated crowd-sourced Real World Data optimized for generation of unique patient journey insights. From rare to common chronic conditions, patient insights covering various topics, including symptoms, treatments, and disease burden, can be generated in real-time and broken down by racial and ethnic demographics, geography, lifestyle, symptoms, and more. In addition to real-time access to the data set, on-demand custom surveys like this current Barriers to Clinical Trial initiative can be fielded to gain real-world insights from patients.

    Patients on StuffThatWorks share anonymized health information at scale on an ongoing basis.  Instead of exhausting patients by re-asking mundane questions, our approach allows us to benefit from the already collected patient data and to conduct follow-up surveys for the missing information only.  In addition, customers benefit from built in powerful analysis and insight generation tools that cross all conditions. 

    “Until now, researching the experience of people living with chronic conditions in the real world meant interviewing individual patients or running one-off limited surveys, which are time-consuming, costly, and, more importantly, limited in their ability to represent the diversity of patient populations and to provide insight beyond the limited number of questions possible,” added Elish. “Patient crowdsourcing at scale can reveal unmatched insights on any patient-centric topic, in this case – the insights needed to address barriers to patient participation in clinical trials.”

    The custom survey Barriers in Clinical Trials included 6,004 respondents with an average age of 61. Patients who participated in the survey suffered from a wide range of chronic conditions, including COPD, fibromyalgia, peripheral neuropathy, tinnitus, osteoarthritis, COVID-19, multiple sclerosis, migraine, high blood pressure, and clinical depression. 

    The study also revealed that:

    • Most respondents (98 percent) perceive clinical trials as a path through which they can significantly benefit by being included in the development of new medical options
    • Nearly one-third (29 percent) shared that their primary motivation for participating in clinical trials is to help advance science
    • Almost one-quarter (23 percent) want to participate in clinical research because they have no other treatment options available
    • For nearly one-quarter (23 percent), their physician recommended their participation in a trial, but the obstacles to involvement are travel costs and lost wages the patient would shoulder
    • One fifth (19 percent) of respondents shared that having their medical treatment and/or receiving an honorarium would motivate them to participate in a study
    • In addition, 41 percent shared being in a stressful or challenging financial situation, and more than 31 percent said their financials impact decision-making
    • Only 13 percent had a doctor explain why a clinical trial could be helpful for their condition, and an overwhelming majority (nearly 96 percent) revealed they did not receive information from doctors about clinical trials in the last six months
    • Participants indicated they are flexible regarding the possible format of clinical trials and would participate in in-person, virtual, or hybrid settings.

    “The survey’s data show that patients are not simply willing; they are eager to participate in clinical trials, provided they are informed and supported throughout the process,” said Chantal Beaudry, Senior Partner, Health Communications and Patient Recruitment at FINN Partners. “This dataset provides unique, real-world perspectives invaluable to organizations seeking to engage patients more effectively and optimize their clinical trials.” FINN Partners is working with StuffThatWorks to ensure these data are shared broadly to encourage greater participation in clinical trials and accelerate the delivery of new indications and therapies to patients.

    Additional data from the survey is being analyzed to provide information regarding insights and barriers in specific patient populations. This comprehensive database of patient-reported outcomes is now available for custom research and real-time data analysis. These custom surveys are a new offering and can be enriched with past and future data from the comprehensive StuffThatWorks database.

    For more information regarding StuffThatWorks, please visit www.stuffthatworks.health.

    About StuffThatWorks

    Created by Waze founding team members, StuffThatWorks uses crowdsourcing and AI to transform shared patient experiences and data into the first organized large scale, multidimensional, longitudinal, real-world data set facilitating a neutral representation of diverse populations and treatments, insights generation and direct engagement with patients throughout their journey.

    StuffThatWorks is the home to 3M members across 1,250 condition communities that have so far shared 1.3B data points. Already the largest organized Patient Level Real World Data platform, StuffThatWorks is differentiated by its powerful data collection, structuring and organization infrastructure. The unique, proprietary data set and unique AI and powerful Chat GPT like capabilities enable the efficient generation of insights for research, market access and drug development. 

    1. Data on file

    Contact:
    Glenn Silver, Media Relations
    FINN Partners
    +1 973 818 8198

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/49b9fbd5-e984-4f2e-ba4e-22217f2c5ee6

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Advisory At Pasir Ris Beach On Swimming And Primary Contact Sports Is Lifted

    Source: Asia Pacific Region 2 – Singapore

    Water quality at Pasir Ris Beach has improved and is now safe for primary contact activities. Swimming and other primary contact activities continue to be discouraged at Sembawang Park Beach.

    Singapore, 24 January 2025 – Six out of seven recreational beaches have been graded “Good” in the latest beach grading exercise and are suitable for all water activities. This includes Pasir Ris Beach, which was graded “Fair” in Feb 2024. Sembawang Park Beach, continues to be graded “Fair” even though its water quality has improved from last year.

    Advisory on swimming and primary contact sports

    2               The recreational beaches are graded based on World Health Organization (WHO) recreational water quality guidelines. The grading takes into account the incidences of elevated Enterococcus (EC) bacteria count in the beach water samples [1] which increases the risk of gastrointestinal infection when the water is ingested.

    3               With the latest beach grading results, the advisory discouraging swimming and other primary contact activities [2] at Pasir Ris Beach is lifted. The advisory discouraging swimming and other primary contact activities will remain for Sembawang Park Beach. Non-primary contact water activities, such as sailing, kayaking and canoeing can continue as normal at Sembawang Beach.

    4               As there could be occasions when the EC level at beaches are elevated, we encourage beachgoers to refer to the weekly Beach Short-term Water Quality Information (BSWI) on the NEA website or the myENV app before engaging in water activities.

    Sources of Elevated EC Bacteria

    5               Findings suggest that the earlier elevated EC levels at Pasir Ris and Sembawang Beach might have originated from multiple sources, including bin centres, food establishments and construction sites, where improper hygiene practices such as pouring of water containing waste materials into the drains could have impacted the water quality in our waterways.

    6                Respective Government agencies have been working with stakeholders to ensure proper housekeeping and waste management measures to minimise EC in our waterways, for example by ensuring the proper discharge of wastewater and washing water into sewers within the premises. Agencies have stepped up inspections at these premises and will take enforcement actions against any errant practices. The next grading of Singapore’s recreational beaches will be in July 2025.

    —————————

    [1] Based on WHO recreational water quality guidelines, beaches with EC levels greater than 200 cfu/100ml for more than 5 per cent of the samples will be graded “Fair” or poorer.  

    [2] Primary contact activities refer to activities where a person’s whole body or face and trunk are frequently immersed and it is likely that some water will be swallowed. Primary contact activities include swimming, wakeboarding, windsurfing and water immersion training.

    ~~ End ~~

    For more information, please submit your enquiries electronically via the Online Feedback Form or myENV mobile application.

    ANNEX A

     2025 Beach Grading

    Beach Grade
    Changi Good
    East Coast Park Good
    Pasir Ris Good
    Punggol Good
    Seletar Island Good
    Sembawang Park Fair
    Sentosa Island Good

      

    ANNEX B

     Beach Advisory Installed at Sembawang Park [3] Beach

     

     

    [3] Sembawang Park beach stretches from Sembawang Park fishing pier to mouth of Simpang Kiri river.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Update on the Water Quality Safety Programme and PFAS developments29 January 2025 ​​The Government of Jersey remains committed to keeping Islanders informed about the ongoing Water Quality and Safety Programme and recent updates on PFAS. Minutes of the Last Public Meeting The minutes… Read more

    Source: Channel Islands – Jersey

    29 January 2025

    ​​
    The Government of Jersey remains committed to keeping Islanders informed about the ongoing Water Quality and Safety Programme and recent updates on PFAS. 

    Minutes of the Last Public Meeting 

    The minutes from the most recent public meeting have now been uploaded to our website. This meeting included a presentation on Report Two – Assessment of Evidence of PFAS on Health and provided updates on the formation of the Water Quality and Safety Programme. Islanders can access the minutes here. 

    Question and Answer Document 

    Following discussions at the meeting and correspondence received, we have compiled a detailed Question and Answer document addressing key queries. This document is now available here. 

    Next public meeting 

    We are pleased to confirm that the next public meeting: 

    When: Tuesday 11 February 2025 

    Where: Les Ormes at 6 PM. 

    The session will focus on the public scoping of Report Four – PFAS in the Environment, offering an opportunity for Islanders to contribute to shaping the final scope of the report.

    We encourage all interested parties to attend and participate.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: AI world premiere helps to bang drum on air quality

    Source: City of Liverpool

    Liverpool has turned its famous musical talent to AI for a world premiere influenced by….air pollution!

    Liverpool City Council, the University of Liverpool and The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra have combined to create a piece of AI-written music to promote clean air policies in cities.

    Dr Jonny Higham from the University of Liverpool, in partnership with Liverpool City Council, has led the development of one of the UK’s largest city-wide air quality monitoring networks.

    This pioneering work has generated a unique dataset, transformed into a musical composition using cutting-edge AI technology.

    In a celebration of innovation and creativity, the Liverpool Philharmonic String Quartet has brought this data to life in an incredible performance, merging science and art in a truly unique way.

    The strong collaborations developed were showcased for Clean Air Night in a live performance of the piece by students from the University of Liverpool’s Music Department at the waterfront, where the buildings were lit up in blue to mark the occasion.

    Across the city region, air quality varies significantly throughout the year, with multiple breaches of the stringent 5 µg/m³ daily average recommended by the WHO, as is common in large urban areas. The musical composition is crafted to reflect this.

    The instruments come together harmoniously in some sections and transition to atonality to symbolise periods of increased pollution. The piece contains 365 notes, each representing a single day of 2024, capturing the region’s air quality journey over the year.

    The strong collaboration across the city was showcased in the Clean Air Night celebration, creating a powerful conversation piece that highlights Liverpool’s united efforts to lead the way in air quality research.

    The City of Liverpool is positioning itself as a leader in urban environmental action. 

    Liverpool City Council is committed to creating a cleaner, healthier, more sustainable city through a range of initiatives.

    This includes implementing 65 School Streets to reduce traffic near schools, supported by camera enforcement, and transitioning the Council’s vehicle fleet from diesel to electric, boosting both air quality and progress toward net-zero emissions.

    A comprehensive Clean Air Plan is also underway, outlining clear actions to reduce roadside nitrogen dioxide levels.

    Furthermore, the Council’s Active Travel Plan will enhance walking and cycling infrastructure across the city, with new routes, improved wayfinding, and additional bike parking, ensuring residents benefit from safer and more sustainable travel options.

    And residents across Liverpool will benefit from the Council’s Active Travel plan, which will support the introduction of more walking and cycling routes, wayfinding and an increase of parking for bikes.

    The full video of the performance can be watched here.

    Councillor Liam Robinson, Leader of Liverpool City Council, said: “The creation of music from air quality data is a really creative way of highlighting where we are in our plans to improve air quality throughout Liverpool.

    “The impact on residents’ health, particularly children, is important to remember. That’s why I’m proud of the work we are already doing as a council to reduce the pollutants in our atmosphere. These are projects that will benefit everyone in the city and ensure we have a city that is healthy and thriving.”

    Prof Ian Sinha, Consultant Respiratory Paediatrician at Alder Hey Hospital, said: “Air quality is the factor which affects children the most. In fact, the poorest children the hardest hit. So they will suffer the effects of the pollution that they breathe in as children – potentially for the rest of their life.”

    Dr Jonny Higham, from the University of Liverpool, said: “For the last five or six years I’ve been working to build an air quality network in collaboration with Liverpool City Council and Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.

    “Across the whole of the city so we’ve now got 55 air quality sensors and we analyse the air quality across the whole of the city.

    “Clean Air Night is to get us thinking a little bit about what we can do to reduce our pollution. Music that we’ve created from our data by converting it using artificial intelligence has been performed live and also we’ve had the Philharmonic string quartet perform it too.

    “It’s been brilliant project helping to communicate the importance of air quality.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Cabinet approves direct employment for Public Health leadership 29 January 2025 Cabinet approves direct employment for Public Health leadership

    Source: Aisle of Wight

    The Isle of Wight Council’s Cabinet has decided to recruit a new director of Public Health to lead the Island’s public health service.

    The decision was made earlier this month when the future of public health leadership was considered.

    The current partnership with Hampshire County Council will not be renewed at the end of August, prompting the need for a new leadership structure for the Island.

    The Cabinet considered various options, including potential new partnership models, but ultimately decided that direct employment of a Director of Public Health would offer the greatest flexibility, stability and continued improvements.

    The council is now focused on finding a highly qualified candidate to fill this crucial, statutory role. The council is optimistic about attracting top talent due to the positive standing of its public health function.

    The new director will be supported by an increase in specialist skills to further enhance the existing public health team, ensuring robust leadership and continued improvements in service delivery.

    Councillor Debbie Andre, Cabinet member for Public Health, said: “With the Island in a stronger position in relation to our Public Health responsibilities, now is a sensible time to consider the future of our public health leadership.

    “We need to ensure that we continue to deliver high-quality outcomes for Island residents with minimal disruption to public health services.

    “This decision underscores the council’s commitment to maintaining high standards in public health services and addressing the specific needs of the Isle of Wight community.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Greenfield Man Sentenced to 15 Months’ Imprisonment for Paying Health Care Kickbacks

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

    Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that, on January 24, 2025, Mohammed Kazim Ali was sentenced to 15 months’ incarceration for paying healthcare kickbacks in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute.  Ali was also ordered to pay over $2.2 million in restitution to Medicaid and Medicare as well as a $75,000 fine.

    Ali and his co-defendant, Justin Hanson, owned a Milwaukee-area clinical laboratory called Noah Associates.  According to court records, beginning in 2017, Ali and Hanson engaged in a three-year-long scheme to pay kickbacks to the owner of a Milwaukee substance use treatment clinic in exchange for referrals of Medicaid and Medicare patients for urine drug testing performed by Noah Associates.  Ali and Hanson paid over $400,000 in kickbacks to procure the tests.  The tests, however, were not ordered by any physician and were not medically necessary for the treatment of patients.  After one physician learned that his credentials were being used without his authorization to order the tests, the physician told Ali to stop.  Ali nonetheless continued to have Noah Associates accept and bill the government for tests falsely ordered under that physician’s credentials for months.  As a result of the scheme, Medicaid and Medicare paid Noah Associates over $2.2 million for the unnecessary tests.  Ali personally received over $800,000 from Noah Associates during the scheme.

    At sentencing, United States District Judge J.P. Stadtmueller emphasized the seriousness of Ali’s crime, including Ali’s manipulation and breach of trust of the Medicaid and Medicare programs to receive millions of dollars that were not truly earned.  Judge Stadtmueller further noted that Ali knew that his conduct was criminal yet still engaged in a long-running, creative fraud scheme—a decision that Judge Stadtmueller criticized as “beyond belief.”

    In addition to his sentence, Ali will also be excluded from participation in the Medicaid and Medicare programs and has shut down Noah Associates.  His co-defendant, Hanson, has also pleaded guilty for paying healthcare kickbacks and will be sentenced on March 21, 2025.

    “Paying kickbacks for patient referrals is illegal because, as this case demonstrates, kickbacks result in Medicaid and Medicare paying for unnecessary services,” said United States Attorney Haanstad.  “Rather than bill the government for tests that patients actually needed, Ali abused the Medicaid and Medicare programs for ill-gotten gains.  The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to prevent frauds against Medicaid and Medicare.”

    “This sentence demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to investigating individuals like Mr. Ali who erode the public’s trust in our healthcare systems,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael Hensle of the FBI Milwaukee Field Office. “The FBI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure that those responsible for healthcare fraud are exposed and brought to justice. The safety and well-being of Wisconsin residents remains our highest priority.”

    “Individuals and medical providers who accept kickbacks in exchange for the referral of patients covered under a Federal health care program place personal profit ahead of patient care, which can ultimately lead to the delivery of costly, medically unnecessary services,” said Mario M. Pinto, of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Chicago Region.  “Our agency is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to bring those who violate laws intended to protect patients, and our Federal health care programs, to justice.”

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Office of the Inspector General, Department of Health and Human Services investigated the case.  Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Carter and Julie Stewart handled the prosecution.   

    # # #

    For further information contact:

    Public Information Officer

    Kenneth.Gales@usdoj.gov

    (414) 297-1700

    Follow us on Twitter  

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Gallabox raises $3.5M to fuel its mission to democratize AI-driven conversational commerce for SMBs

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    San Diego, Jan. 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Traditional customer communication channels are breaking down, with businesses losing millions in potential revenue through ineffective email, SMS and phone outreach. Gallabox, founded by veterans from India’s leading services marketplace, announced $3.5 million in funding to transform how businesses leverage WhatsApp for marketing and sales.

    The seed round was led by FUSE, with participation from existing investors Prime Venture Partners and Neon Fund. This latest round brings the total raised by Gallabox to $5 million since its inception in 2021.

    Karthik Jagannathan, CEO and co-founder of Gallabox.

    Businesses worldwide, especially in regions where WhatsApp dominates communication, are eager to integrate this high-ROI channel into their growth strategies. While large enterprises could afford to build custom WhatsApp automation solutions to nurture conversations and convert them to closed deals, small and mid-sized  businesses were left managing conversations manually, leading to significant revenue leakages and lost opportunities.

    Unlike traditional communication tools that offer fragmented solutions, Gallabox provides an end-to-end platform for WhatsApp automation. The platform’s no-code approach enables businesses to create AI chatbots for lead qualification, deploy drip marketing campaigns, and manage team collaboration through shared inboxes. From broadcast messaging and automated appointment booking to personalized service recommendations, Gallabox helps businesses automate every stage of their customer interaction funnel.

    Gallabox enables businesses to use WhatsApp for a wide range of purposes

    Founded by Karthik Jagannathan, Yogesh Narayanan, and Yathin Panchanathan, Gallabox emerged from their firsthand experience of working with thousands of SMBs struggling with customer communication and scaling growth—despite investing heavily in lead-generating resources, which have largely been manual. 

    “The shift to B2C messaging is undeniable, but most businesses lack the tools to capitalize on it,” said Karthik Jagannathan, CEO and co-founder of Gallabox. “Typically, SMBs spend enormous amounts of time and effort in building pipelines, which are often disjointed and not scalable. Our platform enables any business, regardless of their technical expertise or budget, to deploy sophisticated AI agents on WhatsApp, helping them convert every conversation into a business opportunity… within minutes.”

    The company’s trajectory validates its approach. Starting in Chennai, India’s unofficial SaaS capital, Gallabox acquired its first 100 customers outside their network within 100 days of launch. So far, the platform has served over 10,000 businesses across 45 countries, with strong traction in service-oriented sectors including education, healthcare/wellness, real estate, and travel. 

    Through Gallabox, businesses can offer a chatbot to support their customers.

    “The world is standardizing on WhatsApp as the modern communication and engagement platform. Gallabox enables companies to meet their customers exactly where they are — with a holistic marketing, sales, and commerce suite on top of WhatsApp. Thrilled to partner with Karthik, Yogesh, Yathindhar, and the entire Gallabox team as they shape the future of business-to-customer communication,” said Kellan Carter, Founding Partner at FUSE. 

    The company has established dedicated teams in the Middle East, Latin America and the US to support its rapid international expansion in markets where WhatsApp is the dominant channel for business communication.

    “Karthik, Yogesh, and Yathin have proven to be an exceptional team throughout the two years we have worked together. Their relentless focus on execution and great product made it an easy decision for us to double down on our commitment,” said Sanjay Swamy, Managing Partner, Prime Venture Partners. “Gallabox’s outstanding product allows SMBs to effortlessly create and deploy AI agents and workflows that automate customer engagement, enabling business owners to concentrate on their core operations.”

    The platform’s impact is evident across sectors. Educational institutions use Gallabox to automate their entire admission process, healthcare providers streamline appointment management, and real estate agencies automate property inquiries and viewing schedules. The platform’s AI agents handle routine interactions while enabling human teams to focus on high-value conversations.

    Looking ahead, Gallabox is evolving beyond pure WhatsApp automation to become a comprehensive AI Sales and Marketing agent platform for SMBs on multiple messaging channels. The company is developing advanced capabilities that will enable businesses to train AI agents through natural language instructions, handling complex tasks from lead qualification to prospect engagement to service delivery.

    Gallabox plans to use the funding to strengthen its product capabilities and expand its geographic footprint. The company’s vision is to redefine how businesses engage with customers, making enterprise-grade AI automation accessible to companies of all sizes.

    Ends

    Media images can be found here.
      
    About Gallabox
    Gallabox is a no-code conversational platform on a mission to democratize AI for small and medium-sized businesses worldwide. With offices in California, Dubai, and India, Gallabox is transforming the sales and marketing playbooks of thousands of companies, helping them achieve faster growth than ever before. 

    About FUSE
    FUSE is an early-stage software focused venture capital firm, currently investing out of their second fund of $255M.

    About Prime Venture Partners
    Prime Venture Partners is one of India’s leading early-stage venture capital firms (primevp.in) based in Bangalore, led by Sanjay Swamy, Shripati Acharya, and Amit Somani. Founded in 2012 with the goal of bringing Silicon Valley-style professionalism to venture investing and building world-class companies from India, PrimeVP is often the first institutional investor in category-defining tech startups. Its major investments span sectors including FinTech, Enterprise SaaS, Consumer Internet, EdTech, Healthcare, Logistics, IoT, and EVs, among others.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Naval Health Clinic Patuxent River Opens Acute Care Clinic Hours

    Source: United States Navy (Medical)

    Naval Health Clinic Patuxent River (NHCPR) opened an acute care clinic to align with the Defense Health Agency’s new model of care and meeting patients “where they are”.

    The “Sick Call for All” clinic offers acute care for all Tricare Prime beneficiaries and is open from 7:40 a.m. through noon on Mondays and Fridays. The acute care clinic opened January 10, 2025, and has experienced significant early success.

    The decision to consider the acute care clinic walk-in model was driven by high patient demand and the clinic’s limited capacity to handle weekend emergency room (ER) and urgent care (UC) visit follow-ups for patients.

    Chief Medical Officer for NHCPR U.S. Navy Cdr. Steven Elek explained, “The clinic hours effectively addressed a critical gap in acute care services. On Mondays and Fridays our facility consistently demonstrated the highest volume of patients making these days crucial for accessibility. By operating on Mondays and Fridays, the goal is to mitigate the impact of weekend ER and UC visits, improve patient satisfaction by offering timely access to care, and optimize resource allocation.”

    The acute care clinic was organized by Director of Health Services, U.S. Navy Cdr. Erica Arnold; U.S. Navy Lt. Moises Calero; and Allan McDaniel.

    The addition of “Sick Call for All” has not only increased patient traffic but has resulted in significant upticks in laboratory, radiology and pharmacy services. The care team established a direct communication link from the clinic staff to pharmacy staff to expedite pharmacy requests.

    “It has been a good experience. It is fast paced, efficient and we have received very positive feedback from the patients regarding manageable wait times and timely care,” said Hospitalman Daniel Ibarra.

    Patient feedback is encouraged through the Interactive Customer Evaluation (ICE) web-based program which allows patients to quickly and easily provide important feedback to the clinic. NHCPR will incorporate patient and staff feedback along with utilization to identify areas for improvement and possible expansion.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Definitive Healthcare named a 2025 Best Places to Work in Boston by Built In

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    FRAMINGHAM, Mass., Jan. 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Definitive Healthcare (Nasdaq: DH), an industry leader in healthcare commercial intelligence, today announced that it has been named one of Built In’s 100 Best Places to Work in Boston, MA for 2025. The annual awards program includes companies of all sizes, from startups to large enterprises, and honors both remote-first employers as well as companies in large tech markets across the U.S.

    “We are honored to once again be recognized as a best place to work,” said Kevin Coop, Chief Executive Officer at Definitive Healthcare. “People join Definitive Healthcare to make an impact in healthcare and the culture we have reflects that shared sense of purpose. Our employees’ expertise and dedication are the driving force behind our success. Employees are empowered to come to work as they are, and we have a culture of innovation where everyone’s input is valued and helps shape our progress.”

    Built In determines the winners of Best Places to Work using company data about compensation and benefits. To reflect the benefits that candidates are searching for more frequently on Built In, the program also weighs criteria like remote and flexible work opportunities, programs for DEI, and other people-first cultural offerings. 

    Definitive Healthcare is committed to the growth and success of its employees, offering a range of opportunities for development, including continuous learning, leadership development, educational support, and advancement opportunities. With benefits like unlimited PTO, hybrid work options, and half-day Summer Fridays for all U.S. employees, Definitive Healthcare promotes a flexible work environment that supports a balance between professional and personal life.

    “Being recognized as a Best Place to Work is a testament to these companies’ commitment to building a workplace where individuals and innovation thrive,” says Built In CEO and Founder, Maria Christopoulos Katris. “At Built In, we understand that great companies are powered by great teams, and this achievement showcases their dedication to fostering a culture of growth, inclusivity, and excellence.”

    More information about Definitive Healthcare’s culture and career opportunities can be found at https://www.definitivehc.com/about/life-at-definitive-healthcare.

    About Built In

    Built In is the “always on” recruiting platform that reaches the tech professionals that other leading recruiting platforms don’t. Designed to help companies hire expert tech talent, Built In continuously drives brand awareness with content. Monthly, millions of the industry’s most in-demand global tech professionals visit our site to stay ahead of tech trends and news, learn skills to accelerate their careers, find the right job opportunities and get hired. Thousands of companies, from fast-growing startups to the largest enterprises rely on Built In. By putting their stories in front of our uniquely engaged audience, we help them hire otherwise hard-to-reach technical and expert talent. www.builtin.com

    About Built In’s Best Places to Work

    Built In’s annual Best Places to Work program honors companies with the best total rewards packages across the U.S. and in the following tech hubs: Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Colorado, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington DC. Best Places to Work is distinct because its algorithm selects tech companies that build their offerings specifically around what tech professionals value in a workplace. https://employers.builtin.com/best-places-to-work/

    About Definitive Healthcare

    At Definitive Healthcare, our mission is to transform data, analytics, and expertise into healthcare commercial intelligence. We help clients uncover the right markets, opportunities, and people, so they can shape tomorrow’s healthcare industry. Our SaaS products and solutions create new paths to commercial success in the healthcare market, so companies can identify where to go next. Learn more at definitivehc.com.

    Media Contacts:
    Bethany Swackhamer
    bswackhamer@definitivehc.com

    Investor Relations Contact:
    Brian Denyeau
    ICR for Definitive Healthcare
    brian.denyeau@icrinc.com
    646-277-1251

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt

    Source: The White House

    1:06 P.M. EST

         MS. LEAVITT:  Good afternoon, everybody. 

    Q    Good afternoon.

    MS. LEAVITT:  How are we?  Good to see all of you.  It’s an honor to be here with all of you.  A lot of familiar faces in the room, a lot of new faces.

    And President Trump is back, and the golden age of America has most definitely begun. 

    The Senate has already confirmed five of President Trump’s exceptional Cabinet nominees: Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.  It is imperative that the Senate continues to confirm the remainder of the president’s well-qualified nominees as quickly as possible.

    As you have seen during the past week, President Trump is hard at work fulfilling the promises that he made to the American people on the campaign trail.  Since taking the oath of office, President Trump has taken more than 300 executive actions; secured nearly $1 trillion in U.S. investments; deported illegal alien rapists, gang members, and suspected terrorists from our homeland; and restored common sense to the federal government.

    I want to take a moment to go through some of these extraordinary actions. 

    On day one, President Trump declared a national emergency at our southern border to end the four-year-long invasion of illegal aliens under the previous administration.  Additionally, President Trump signed an executive order to end catch and release and finish construction of his effective border wall.  By using every lever of his federal power, President Trump has sent a loud and clear message to the entire world: America will no longer tolerate illegal immigration. 

    And this president expects that every nation on this planet will cooperate with the repatriation of their citizens, as proven by this weekend, when President Trump swiftly directed his team to issue harsh and effective sanctions and tariffs on the Colombian government upon hearing they were denied a U.S. military aircraft full of their own citizens who were deported by this administration.  Within hours, the Colombian government agreed to all of President Trump’s demands, proving America is once again respected on the world stage.

    So, to foreign nationals who are thinking about trying to illegally enter the United States, think again.  Under this president, you will be detained, and you will be deported. 

         Every day, Americans are safer because of the violent criminals that President Trump’s administration is removing from our communities.

    On January 23rd, ICE New York arrested a Turkish national for entry without inspection who is a known or suspected terrorist.  On January 23rd, ICE San Francisco arrested a citizen of Mexico unlawfully present in the United States who has been convicted of continuous sexual abuse of a child aged 14 years or younger.  ICE Saint Paul has arrested a citizen of Honduras who was convicted of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor.  ICE Buffalo arrested a citizen of Ecuador who has been convicted of rape. 

    ICE Boston arrested a citizen of the Dominican Republic who has a criminal conviction for second-degree murder.  This criminal was convicted of murder for beating his pregnant wife to death in front of her five-year-old son. 

         And ICE Saint Paul also arrested a citizen of Mexico who was convicted of possessing pornographic material of a minor on a work computer.

    These are the heinous individuals that this administration is removing from American communities every single day.  And to the brave state and local law enforcement officers, CBP, and ICE agents who are helping in the facilitation of this deportation operation, President Trump has your back and he is grateful for your hard work.

    On the economic front, President Trump took immediate action to lower costs for families who are suffering from four long years of the Biden administration’s destructive and inflationary policies.  President Trump ordered the heads of all executive departments and agencies to help deliver emergency price relief to the American people, untangle our economy from Biden’s regulatory constraints, and end the reckless war on American energy.

    President Trump also signed sweeping executive orders to end the weaponization of government and restore common sense to the federal bureaucracy.  He directed all federal agencies to terminate illegal diversity, equity, and inclusion programs to help return America to a merit-based society.

    President Trump also signed an executive order declaring it is now the policy of the federal government that there are only two sexes: male and female.  Sanity has been restored.

    Before I take your questions, I would like to point out to — all of you once again have access to the most transparent and accessible president in American history.  There has never been a president who communicates with the American people and the American press corps as openly and authentically as the 45th and now 47th president of the United States. 

    This past week, President Trump has held multiple news conferences, gaggled on Air Force One multiple times, and sat down for a two-part interview on Fox News, which aired last week.  As Politico summed it up best, “Trump is everywhere again,” and that’s because President Trump has a great story to tell about the legendary American revival that is well underway.

    And in keeping with this revolutionary media approach that President Trump deployed during the campaign, the Trump White House will speak to all media outlets and personalities, not just the legacy media who are seated in this room, because apporting — according to recent polling from Gallup, Americans’ trust in mass media has fallen to a record low.  Millions of Americans, especially young people, have turned from traditional television outlets and newspapers to consume their news from podcasts, blogs, social media, and other independent outlets.

    It’s essential to our team that we share President Trump’s message everywhere and adapt this White House to the new media landscape in 2025.  To do this, I am excited to announce the following changes will be made to this historic James S. Brady Briefing Room, where Mr. Brady’s legacy will endure.

    This White House believes strongly in the First Amendment, so it’s why our team will work diligently to restore the press passes of the 440 journalists whose passes were wrongly revoked by the previous administration. 

    We’re also opening up this briefing room to new media voices who produce news-related content and whose outlet is not already represented by one of the seats in this room.  We welcome independent journalists, podcasters, social media influencers, and content creators to apply for credentials to cover this White House.  And you can apply now on our new website, WhiteHouse.gov/NewMedia. 

    Starting today, this seat in the front of the room, which is usually occupied by the press secretary staff, will be called the “new media” seat.  My team will review the applications and give credentials to new media applicants who meet our criteria and pass United States Secret Service requirements to enter the White House complex.

    So, in light of these announcements, our first questions for today’s briefing will go to these new media members whose outlets, despite being some of the most viewed news websites in the country, have not been given seats in this room. 

    And before I turn to questions, I do have news directly from the president of the United States that was just shared with me in the Oval Office from President Trump directly — an update on the New Jersey drones: After research and study, the drones that were flying over New Jersey in large numbers were authorized to be flown by the FAA for research and various other reasons. 

    Many of these drones were also hobbyists — recreational and private individuals that enjoy flying drones.  In meanti- — in the — in time, it got worse, due to curiosity.  This was not the enemy.  A — a statement from the president of the United States to start this briefing with some news.

    And with that, I will turn it over to questions, and we will begin with our new media members: Mike Allen from Axios, Matt Boyle from Breitbart. 

         Mike, why don’t you go ahead.

    Q    Thank you very much.  Karoline, does the president see anything fishy about DeepSeek, either its origins or its cost?  And could China’s ability to make these models quicker, cheaper affect our thinking about expanding generation data centers, chip manufacturing?

    MS. LEAVITT:  Sure.  The president was asked about DeepSeek last night on Air Force One when he gaggled for, I think, the third or fourth time throughout the weekend with members of the traveling press corps.  The president said that he believes that this is a wake-up call to the American AI industry.  The last administration sat on their hands and allowed China to rapidly develop this AI program.

    And so, President Trump believes in restoring American AI dominance, and that’s why he took very strong executive action this past week to sign executive orders to roll back some of the onerous regulations on the AI industry.  And President Trump has also proudly appointed the first AI and crypto czar at this White House, David Sacks, whom I spoke with yesterday — very knowledgeable on this subject.  And his team is here working every single day to ensure American AI dominance.

    As for the national security implications, I spoke with NSC this morning.  They are looking into what those may be, and when I have an update, I will share it with you, Mike.

    Q    And, Karoline, you say “restore” U.S. dominance.  Is there fear that the U.S. either is falling or has fallen behind?  And how would the president make sure the U.S. stays ahead?

    MS. LEAVITT:  No.  The president is confident that we will restore American dominance in AI. 

    Matt.

    Q    Yeah.  So, Karoline, first off, thank you to you and President Trump for actually giving voices to new media outlets that represent millions and millions of Americans.  The thing I would add — the — I’ve got a two-part question for you.  The first is just: Can you expand upon what steps the White House is going to take to bring more voices, not less — which is what our founder, Andrew Breitbart, believed in — into this room, where they rightly belong?

    MS. LEAVITT:  Yeah, absolutely.  And as I said in my opening statement, Matt, it is a priority of this White House to honor the First Amendment.  And it is a fact that Americans are consuming their news media from various different platforms, especially young people.  And as the youngest press secretary in history, thanks to President Trump, I take great pride in opening up this room to new media voices to share the president’s message with as many Americans as possible.

    In doing so, number one, we will ensure that outlets like yours — Axios and Breitbart, which are widely respected and viewed outlets — have an actual seat in this room every day.  We also, again, encourage anybody in this country — whether you are a TikTok content creator, a blogger, a podcaster — if you are producing legitimate news content, no matter the medium, you will be allowed to apply for press credentials to this White House. 

    And as I said earlier, our new media website is WhiteHouse.gov/NewMedia, and so we encourage people to apply.  Again, as long as you are creating news-related content of the day and you’re a legitimate independent journalist, you’re welcome to cover this White House. 

    Q    And secondly, Karoline, you sa- — you laid out several of the actions that President Trump has taken.  Obviously, it’s a stark contrast to the previous administration and a breakneck speed from President Trump.  Can we expect that pace to continue as the hun- — the — you know, the first 100 days moves along here and beyond that?

    MS. LEAVITT:  Absolutely.  There is no doubt President Trump has always been the hardest working man in politics.  I think that’s been proven over the past week.  This president has, again, signed more than 300 executive orders.  He’s taken historic action. 

    I gaggled aboard Air Force One to mark the first 100 days of this administration — 4:00 p.m. last Friday — first 100 hours, rather.  And this president did more in the first 100 hours than the previous president did in the first 100 days. 

    So, President Trump, I think you can all expect to — for him to continue to work at this breakneck speed.  So, I hope you’re all ready to work very hard.  I know that we are.

    Zeke Miller.

    Q    Thanks, Karoline.  A question that we’ve asked your predecessors of both parties in this job.  When you’re up here in this briefing room speaking to the American public, do you view yourself and your role as speaking on — advocating on behalf of the president, or providing the unvarnished truth that is, you know, not to lie, not to obfuscate to the American people?

    MS. LEAVITT:  I commit to telling the truth from this podium every single day.  I commit to speaking on behalf of the president of the United States.  That is my job. 

    And I will say it’s very easy to speak truth from this podium when you have a president who is implementing policies that are wildly popular with the American people, and that’s exactly what this administration is doing.  It’s correcting the lies and the wrongs of the past four years, many of the lies that have been told to your faces in this very briefing room.  I will not do that.

    But since you brought up truth, Zeke, I would like to point out, while I vow to provide the truth from this podium, we ask that all of you in this room hold yourselves to that same standard.  We know for a fact there have been lies that have been pushed by many legacy media outlets in this country about this president, about his family, and we will not accept that.  We will call you out when we feel that your reporting is wrong or there is misinformation about this White House. 

    So, yes, I will hold myself to the truth, and I expect everyone in this room to do the same. 

    Q    And, Karoline, just on a substantive question.  Yesterday, the White House Office of Management and Budget directed an across-the-board freeze with — with some exceptions for individual assistance.  We understand just federal grants.

    MS. LEAVITT:  Right.

    Q    It’s caused a lot of confusion around the country among Head Start providers, among providers — from services to homeless veterans, provid- — you know, Medicaid providers, states saying they’re having trouble accessing the portal.  Could you put — help us clear up some confusion —

    MS. LEAVITT:  Yes.

    Q    — give some certainty to folks?  And then also, is that uncertainty — how does that uncertainty service the president’s voters?

    MS. LEAVITT:  Well, I think there’s only uncertainty in this room amongst the media.  There’s no uncertainty in this building. 

    So, let me provide the certainty and the clarity that all of you need.  This is not a blanket pause on federal assistance in grant programs from the Trump administration.  Individual assistance, that includes — I’m not naming everything that’s included, but just to give you a few examples — Social Security benefits, Medicare benefits, food stamps, welfare benefits — assistance that is going directly to individuals will not be impacted by this pause. 

    And I want to make that very clear to any Americans who are watching at home who may be a little bit confused about some of the media reporting: This administration — if you are receiving individual assistance from the federal government, you will still continue to receive that. 

    However, it is the responsibility of this president and this administration to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars.  That is something that President Trump campaigned on.  That’s why he has launched DOGE, the Department of Government Efficiency, who is working alongside OMB.  And that’s why OMB sent out this memo last night, because the president signed an executive order directing OMB to do just this.  And the reason for this is to ensure that every penny that is going out the door is not conflicting with the executive orders and actions that this president has taken. 

    So, what does this pause mean?  It means no more funding for illegal DEI programs.  It means no more funding for the Green New Scam that has ta- — cost American taxpayers tens of billions of dollars.  It means no more funding for transgenderism and wokeness across our federal bureaucracy and agencies.  No more funding for Green New Deal social engineering policies.  Again, people who are receiving individual asintan- — assistance, you will continue to receive that.

    And President Trump is looking out for you by issuing this pause because he is being good steward of your taxpayer dollars.

    Q    Thanks, Karoline. 

    MS. LEAVITT:  Sure.

    Q    How long is this pause going to last?  And how is the Trump administration recommending that organizations that rely on federal funding make payroll, pay their rent in the meantime?

    MS. LEAVITT:  It is a temporary pause, and the Office of Management and Budget is reviewing the federal funding that has been going out the door, again, not for individual assistance, but for all of these other programs that I mentioned.

    I also spoke with the incoming director of OMB this morning, and he told me to tell all of you that the line to his office is open for other federal government agencies across the board, and if they feel that programs are necessary and in line with the president’s agenda, then the Office of Management and Budget will review those policies. 

    I think this is a very responsible measure.  Again, the past four years, we’ve seen the Biden administration spend money like drunken sailors.  It’s a big reason we’ve had an inflation crisis in this country, and it’s incumbent upon this administration to make sure, again, that every penny is being accounted for honestly.

    Q    Why impose this pause with so little notice?  Why not give organizations more time to plan for the fact that they are about to lose, in some cases, really crucial federal funding —

    MS. LEAVITT:  There was —

    Q    — at least for a — for a period of time?

    MS. LEAVITT:  There was notice.  It was the executive order that the president signed. 

    There’s also a freeze on hiring, as you know; a regulatory freeze; and there’s also a freeze on foreign aid.  And this is a — again, incredibly important to ensure that this administration is taking into consideration how hard the American people are working.  And their tax dollars actually matter to this administration. 

    You know, just during this pause, DOGE and OMB have actually found that there was $37 million that was about to go out the door to the World Health Organization, which is an organization, as you all know, that President Trump, with the swipe of his pen in that executive order, is — no longer wants the United States to be a part of.  So, that wouldn’t be in line with the president’s agenda. 

    DOGE and OMB also found that there was about to be 50 million taxpayer dollars that went out the door to fund condoms in Gaza.  That is a preposterous waste of taxpayer money. 

    So, that’s what this pause is focused on: being good stewards of tax dollars. 

    Q    And so, this doesn’t affect —

    MS. LEAVITT:  Jennifer.

    Q    — Meals on Wheels or Head Start or disaster aid?

    MS. LEAVITT:  Again, it does not affect individual assistance that’s going to Americans.

    Q    To follow up on Nancy, do you think there will be a list of who is affected and how much money is affected?  How — how will these contractors and organizations know if they are actually being — having their funding frozen?

    And then, secondly, if you’re willing, can you just clarify, is the end goal of this to essentially challenge Congress or to — to prove that the president can withhold federal funding?  Is — in other words, is this an attempt to pick a fight to prove that he can do this?

    MS. LEAVITT:  No, absolutely not.  As it says right here in the memo, which I have — and I’d encourage all of you to read it — it says, “The American people elected President Trump to be the president of the United States and gave him a mandate to increase the impact of every federal dollar.”  “This memo requires federal agencies to identify and review all Federal financial assistance programs and supporting activities consistent with the president’s policies and requirements.” 

    The American people gave President Trump an overwhelming mandate on November 5th, and he’s just trying to ensure that the tax money going out the door in this very bankrupt city actually aligns with the will and the priorities of the American people. 

    (Cross-talk.)

    Brian Glenn.

    Q    Yes.  Welcome. 

    MS. LEAVITT:  Thank you.

    Q    You look great.  You’re doing a great job. 

    MS. LEAVITT:  Thank you.

    Q    You talked about transparency.  And some of us in this room know how just transparent President Trump has been the last five or six years; I think you’ll do the same. 

    My question is, do you think this latest incident with the president of Colombia is indicative of the global, powerful respect they have for President Trump moving forward not only to engage in — in economic diplomacy with these countries but also world peace?

    MS. LEAVITT:  Absolutely.  I’ll echo the answer that the president gave on Air Force One last night when he was asked a very similar question by one of your colleagues in the media: This signifies peace through strength is back, and this president will not tolerate illegal immigration into America’s interior. 

    And he expects every nation on this planet, again, to cooperate with the repatriation of their citizens who illegally entered into our country and broke America’s laws.  Won’t be tolerated. 

    And as you saw, the Colombian government quickly folded and agreed to all of President Trump’s demands.  Flights are underway once again.

    (Cross-talk.)

    Diana.

    Q    Two questions on deportations, if I may.  President Trump had said on the campaign trail that he would deport pro-Hamas students who are here on visas, and on his first day in office, he signed an executive order that said, quote, “The U.S. must ensure that admitted aliens and aliens otherwise already present in the U.S. do not bear hostile attitudes toward its citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles.”  So, should we take this executive order as Trump saying he would be open to de- — deporting those students who are here on visas, but, you know, hold pro-Hamas sympathies?

    MS. LEAVITT:  The president is open to deporting individuals who have broken our nation’s immigrations laws.  So, if they are here illegally, then certainly he is open to deporting them, and that’s what this administration is hard at work at doing. 

    We receive data from DHS and from ICE every single day.  From what we hear on the ground, ICE agents are feeling incredibly empowered right now because they actually have a leader in this building who is supporting them in doing their jobs that they were hired to do, which is to detain, arrest, and deport illegal criminals who have invaded our nation’s borders over the past four years.  That’s what the president is committed to seeing. 

    Q    One more. 

    MS. LEAVITT:  Peter.
        
         Q    Just following up on that, Karoline —

    Q    Karoline, if I could ask you very quickly, just following up on the question on immigration.  First, President Trump, during the course of the campaign in 2024, said the following about illegal im- — immigration.  He said, “They’re going back home where they belong, and we start with the criminals.  There are many, many criminals.”  NBC News has learned that ICE arrested 1,179 undocumented immigrants on Sunday, but nearly half of them — 566 of the migrants — appear to have no prior criminal record besides entering the country illegally. 

    MS. LEAVITT:  (Laughs.)

    Q    Is the president still focused exclusiv- — which is a civil crime, not a — not a — it’s not criminal —

    MS. LEAVITT:  It’s a federal crime. 

    Q    It’s a fed- — so, I’m asking though, he said he was going to focus on those violent offenders first.  So, is violent offenders no longer the predicate for these people to be deported?

    MS. LEAVITT:  The president has said countless times on the campaign trail — I’ve been with him at the rallies; I know you’ve been there covering them too, Peter — that he is focused on launching the largest mass deportation operation in American history of illegal criminals. 

    And if you are an individual, a foreign national, who illegally enters the United States of America, you are, by definition, a criminal.  And so, therefore —

    Q    So, to be clear, it’s not exclusively —

    MS. LEAVITT:  — you are subject deportation. 

    Q    I apologize for interrupting.  So, to be clear, it’s not — violent criminals do not receive precedence in terms of the deportations taking place?

    MS. LEAVITT:  The president has also said — two things can be true at the same time.  We want to deport illegal criminals, illegal immigrants from this country.  But the president has said that, of course, the illegal dr- — criminal drug dealers, the rapists, the murderers, the individuals who have committed heinous acts on the interior of our country and who have terrorized law-abiding American citizens, absolutely, those should be the priority of ICE.  But that doesn’t mean that the other illegal criminals who entered our nation’s borders are off the table. 

    Q    Understood.  Then let me ask you a separate question about the confusion that still exists across the country right now as it relates to the — the freeze — or the pause, as it’s described.  President Trump, of course, ran — one of the key policy items was that he was going to lower prices, lower the cost of everything from groceries, as he often said.  But in many of the cases, it would seem that some of these moves could raise prices for real Americans on everything from low-income heating — that program; childcare programs.  Will nothing that the president is doing here, in terms of the freeze in these programs, raise prices on ordinary Americans?

    MS. LEAVITT:  What particular actions are you referring to that would —

    Q    I’m referring to LHEAP right now.  That’s the low-income heating program, for example.  We can talk about — there’s no clarity, so I could refer to a lot of them.  We don’t know what they are specifically.  Can you tell us that LHEAP — that LIHEAP is not one of those affected?

    MS. LEAVITT:  So, you’re asking a hypoc- — -thetical based on programs that you can’t even identify?

    Q    No, I just identified — I —

    MS. LEAVITT:  What I can tell you is that the —

    Q    Well, just to be — just to be clear, since you guys haven’t identified, let’s do it together, just for Americans at home.  Medicaid, is that affected?

    MS. LEAVITT:  I gave you a list of examples — Social Security, Medicare, welfare benefits —

    Q    Medicaid too, correct?

    MS. LEAVITT:  — food stamps — that will not be impacted by this federal pause.  I can get you the full list after this briefing from the Office of Management and Budget.

    But I do want to address the cost cutting, because that’s certainly very important, and — and cutting the cost of living in this country.  President Trump has taken historic action over the past week to do that.  He actually signed a memorandum to deliver emergency price relief for American families, which took a number of actions.  I can walk you through those. 

    He also repealed many onerous Biden administration regulations.  We know, over the past four years, American households has been essentially taxed $55,000 in regulations from the previous administration.  President Trump, with the swipe of his pen, rescinded those, which will ultimately put more money back in the pockets of the American people.  So, deregulation is a big deal. 

    And then, when it comes to energy, I mean, the president signed an executive order to declare a national energy emergency here at home, which is going to make America energy dominant.  We know that energy is one of the number-one drivers of inflation, and so that’s why the president wants to increase our energy supply: to bring down costs for Americans.  The Trump energy boom is incoming, and Americans can expect that.

    Q    Please share that memo.  Thank you.

    MS. LEAVITT:  I will.

    (Cross-talk.)

    Q    Karoline, I think — some of the confusion, I think, may be here with this pause on federal funding.  You’ve made it clear you’re not stopping funds that go directly to individuals, but there certainly are lots of organizations that receive funding and then may pass along a benefit — Meals on Wheels, for one.  They provide meals for over 2.2 million seniors. 

    What is the president’s message to Americans out there, many of whom supported him and voted for him, who are concerned that this is going to impact them directly, even if, as you said, the funding isn’t coming directly to their wallet?

    MS. LEAVITT:  I have now been asked and answered this question four times.  To individuals at home who receive direct assistance from the federal government, you will not be impacted by this federal freeze.  In fact, OMB just sent out a memo to Capitol Hill with Q and A to — to clarify some of the questions and the answers that all of you are a- — are asking me right now. 

    Again, direct assistance will not be impacted.  I’ve been asked and answered about this OMB memo.  There’s many other topics of the day. 

    Jacqui Heinrich. 

    Q    But on indirect assistance, Karoline —

    Q    Thank you, Karoline.

    Q    — if it’s going to another organization and then trickling down?

    MS. LEAVITT:  Direct assistance that is in the hands of the American people will not be impacted. 

    Again, as I said to Peter, we will continue to provide that list as it comes to fruition.  But OMB right now is focused on analyzing the federal government’s spending, which is exactly what the American people elected President Trump to do. 

    (Cross-talk.)

    Q    Thank you, Karoline.

    Q    And one question on immigration, Karoline.  On immigration. 

    Q    Thank you, Karo- —

    Q    Of the 3,500 arrests ICE has made so far since President Trump came back into office, can you just tell us the numbers?  How many have a criminal record versus those who are just in the country illegally.

    MS. LEAVITT:  All of them, because they illegally broke our nation’s laws, and, therefore, they are criminals, as far as this administration goes.  I know the last administration didn’t see it that way, so it’s a big culture shift in our nation to view someone who breaks our immigration laws as a criminal.  But that’s exactly what they are. 

    Jacqui.

    (Cross-talk.)

    Q    Karoline, on tariffs.

    Q    But you made a point of going with the worst first. 

    Q    On tariffs.

    Q    They all have a criminal record?

    Q    And welcome to the briefing room.

    MS. LEAVITT:  If they broke our nation’s laws, yes, they are a criminal. 

    Yes.

    Q    Thank you.  On stripping security details for figures like John Bolton, Pompeo, Brian Hook.  Senator Tom Cotton said that he’s seen the intelligence and the threat from Iran is real for anyone who played a role in the Soleimani strike.  He voiced concern it wouldn’t just impact those individuals but potentially their family, innocent bystanders, friends — anyone who is near them when they’re out in public.  Is the president open to reconsidering his decision?

    MS. LEAVITT:  The president was asked and answered this yesterday, and he was firm in his decision, despite some of the comments that you had referenced.  And he’s made it very clear that he does not believe American taxpayers should fund security details for individuals who have served in the government for the rest of their lives.  And there’s nothing stopping these individuals that you mentioned from obtaining private security. 

    That’s where the president stands on it.  I have no updates on that. 

    Q    Is there any concern that this decision might jeopardize the administration’s ability to hire the best advisers for these kinds of positions in the future?

    MS. LEAVITT:  No.  In fact, I’ve talked to the Presidential Personnel Office who has told me directly that there is such an influx of resumes for this administration that it’s incredibly overwhelming.  There is no lack of talent for the Trump administration. 

    Reagan Ree- —

    Q    And would he — would he take any responsibility —

    Q    Thanks, Karoline.

    Q    — if anything happened to these people?  Would he feel at all that his decision was a factor in that?

    MS. LEAVITT:  The president was asked and answered this yesterday.  I’d defer you to his comments.

    Q    Thanks, Karoline.

    Q    Karoline —

    MS. LEAVITT:  Reagan, since you’re in the back row, I hear y- — the back row hasn’t gotten much attention in the last four years —

    Q    Yes, thank you.

    MS. LEAVITT:  — so I’m happy to answer your question. 

    Q    And I can project.  (Laughter.)

    Does the president intend to permanently cut off funding to NGOs that are bringing illegal foreign nationals to the country, such as Catholic Charities?

         MS. LEAVITT:  I am actually quite certain that the president signed an executive order that did just that, and I can point you to that.

         Q    One more, Karoline.

    MS. LEAVITT:  Yeah.

    Q    President Trump issued an executive order on increased vetting for refugees in visa applications. 

    MS. LEAVITT:  That’s right.

    Q    Part of that order was considering an outright ban for countries that have deficient screening processes.  Has the president considered yet which countries might fall into this category?  Are countries like Afghanistan or Syria under consideration for a full ban?

    MS. LEAVITT:  Yeah.  So, the president signed an executive order to streamline the vetting for visa applicants and for illegal immigrants in this country who are coming, of course, from other nations. 

    It also directed the secretary of State to review the process and make sure that other countries around the world are being completely transparent with our nation and the individuals that they are sending here.  And so, the secretary of State has been directed to report back to the president.  I haven’t seen that report yet.  We’ve only been here for a few days.

    (Cross-talk.)

    Q    Karoline, two questions for you.  One on the freeze in federal funding.  Who advised the president on the legality of telling government agencies that they don’t have to spend money that was already appropriated by Congress?

    MS. LEAVITT:  Well, as the OMB memo states, this is certainly within the confines of the law. 

    So, White House Counsel’s Office believes that this is within the pe- — president’s power to do it, and therefore, he’s doing it.

    Q    Okay.  So, they disagree with lawmakers who say that they don’t have the power to — to freeze this funding?

    MS. LEAVITT:  Again, I would point you to the language in the memo that clearly states this is within the law.

    Q    And on what happened on Friday night.  The — the administration fired several inspectors general without giving Congress the 30-day legally required notification that they were being fired.  I think only two were left at DO- — DHS and the DOJ.  And then, yesterday, we saw several prosecutors — I believe 12 — fired from the Justice Department who worked on the investigations into the president.  As you know, they are career prosecutors; therefore, they are afforded civil service protections.  How is the administration deciding which laws to follow and which ones to ignore?

    MS. LEAVITT:  So, it is the belief of this White House and the White House Counsel’s Office that the president was within his exe- — executive authority to do that.  He is the executive of the executive branch, and, therefore, he has the power to fire anyone within the executive branch that he wishes to. 

    There’s also a case that went before the Supreme Court in 2020: Scaila [Seila] Law LLC, v. the Customs — the [Consumer Financial Protection] Bureau Protection.  I would advise you to look at that case, and that’s the legality that this White House has rested on. 

    Q    So, you’re confident that if they bring lawsuits against you — those prosecutors who were fired — that — that they will succeed?

    MS. LEAVITT:  We will win in court, yes.

    Q    And did he personally direct this, given they worked on the classified documents investigation and the election interference investigation?

    MS. LEAVITT:  This was a memo that went out by the Presidential Personnel Office, and the president is the leader of this White House.  So, yes.

    Q    So, it did come from him?

    MS. LEAVITT:  Yes, it came from this White House.

    (Cross-talk.)

    Q    Karoline.

    MS. LEAVITT:  Sir.

    Q    Thank you.  Congrats on your first day behind the podium.

    MS. LEAVITT:  Thank you.

    Q    President Trump ended funding for UNRWA and also designated the Houthis a foreign terrorist organization.

    MS. LEAVITT:  That’s right.

    Q    Both were decisions that the previous administration had reversed.  So, here’s my question: Will there be an investigation into who gave the previous administration this terrible advice?

    MS. LEAVITT:  Well, that’s a very good point.  I haven’t heard discussions about such an ins- — investigation, but it wouldn’t be a bad idea, considering that the Houthis cer- — certainly are terrorists.  They have launched attacks on U.S. naval ships across this world, and so I think it was a very wise move by this administration to redesignate them as a terrorist group, because they are.  And I think it was a foolish decision by the previous administration to do so. 

    As for an investigation, I’m not sure about that, but it’s not a bad idea.

    (Cross-talk.)

    Josh.

    Q    Thank you for the question.  I appreciate it.  Can you give us an update on the president’s plan for his tariff agenda?  He spoke a lot about this yesterday, and there’s a couple of dates coming up that —

    MS. LEAVITT:  Sure.

    Q    — he’s spoken to.  Number one, February 1st.  He’s alluded to both the potential for tariffs for Canada and Mexico but also China to take effect on those days.  Where is — what’s he thinking about that?

    MS. LEAVITT:  Yeah.

    Q    Should those countries expect that on the 1st?

    MS. LEAVITT:  Again, he was asked and answered this question this past weekend when he took a lot of questions from the press, and he said that the February 1st date for Canada and Mexico still holds.

    Q    And what about the China 10 percent tariff that he also had mused about last Tuesday going into effect on the same date?

    MS. LEAVITT:  Yeah, the president has said that he is very much still considering that for February 1st.

    Q    And then, separately, yesterday, he talked also about sectoral tariffs on, for instance, pharmaceuticals, as well as semiconductor computer chips.  He talked about steel, aluminum, and copper.  What’s the timeline on those?  Is that a similar sort of “coming days” thing or —

    MS. LEAVITT:  Yeah, so when the president talked about that in his speech yesterday, that actually wasn’t a new announcement.  That was within a presidential memorandum that he signed in one of the first days here in the White House on his America First trade agenda.  So, there’s more details on those tariffs in there.

    As far as a date, I don’t have a specific date to read out to you, but the president is committed to implementing tariffs effectively, just like he did in his first term.

    Q    And then — and then, finally, he also was asked on the plane when he gaggled about the potential for a universal tariff.  He was asked maybe about two and a half percent.

    MS. LEAVITT:  Yeah.

    Q    There was a report about that.  He said he wanted “much bigger than that.”  Should we understand that these tariffs would add up?  You know, in other words, you might have country-specific tariffs like Canada, Mexico, China.  You might have sectoral tariffs, like on pharmaceuticals, as well as a potential universal tariff on top of that.  Do these stack on one or the other, or would one sort of take precedence over another?

    MS. LEAVITT:  All I can point you to is what the president has said on this front: the February 1st date for Canada and Mexico and also the China tariff that he has discussed.

    He rejected the 2.5 percent tariff.  He said that was a little bit too low.  He wants it to be higher. 

    I’ll leave it to him to make any decisions on that front.

    Q    Do you have any comment on what the —

    (Cross-talk.)

    Q    — what the Mexicans and Canadians —

    MS. LEAVITT:  Phil.

    Q    — have done so far?  Do you have any comment on whether that has met the bar of what he wants to see on fentanyl?  Thank you.

    MS. LEAVITT:   I — I won’t get ahead of the president, again, on advocating to foreign nations on what they should or shouldn’t do to get away from these tariffs.  The president has made it very clear, again, that he expects every nation around this world to cooperate with the repatriation of their citizens.  And the president has also put out specific statements in terms of Canada and Mexico when it comes to what he expects in terms of border security.

    We have seen a historic level of cooperation from Mexico.  But, again, as far as I’m still tracking — and that was last night talking to the president directly — February 1st is still on the books.

    Q    Thank you.

    MS. LEAVITT:  Phil.

    Q    Thank you, Karoline.  Quick programming note, and then a question on taxes.

    MS. LEAVITT:  A programming note.

    Q    Well, in terms of programming, should —

    MS. LEAVITT:  That sounds fun. 

    Q    — we expect to see you here every day?  How frequently will these —

    Q    That’s a good question.

    Q    — press briefings be?

    MS. LEAVITT:  It is a good question, April.

    So, look, the president, as you know, is incredibly accessible.  First day here, he wanted all of you in the Oval Office.  You got a 60-minute press conference with the leader of the free world — while he was simultaneously signing executive orders, I may add.  That’s pretty impressive.  I don’t think the previous office holder would be able to pull such a thing off. 

    So, look, the president is the best spokesperson that this White House has, and I can assure you that you will be hearing from both him and me as much as possible.

    Q    And then a question about tax cuts.  You know, the president has promised to extend the tax cuts from the previous term.  I’m curious, you know, does the president support corresponding spending cuts, as some Republicans have called for in Congress?  And will the new Treasury secretary be leading those negotiations with the Hill, as Mnuchin did during the first administration?

    MS. LEAVITT:  The president is committed to both tax cuts and spending cuts.

    And he has a great team negotiating on his behalf, but there’s no better negotiator than Donald Trump, and I’m sure he’ll be involved in this reconciliation process as it moves forward.

    (Cross-talk.)

    Q    Karoline, in the announcement that you made last night on the Iron Dome, it said the president had directed that the United States will build this Iron Dome.

    MS. LEAVITT:  Yeah.

    Q    When you read into the executive order, it seemed short of that.  It asked for a series of studies —

    MS. LEAVITT:  Yeah.

    Q    — and reports back on — can you tell us whether the president has directed this and, if he is this concerned on this issue, why the suspensions that we saw listed by OMB included so many different nuclear programs, nonproliferation programs, programs to blend down nuclear weapons, and s- — and so forth?

    MS. LEAVITT:  First of all, when it comes to the Iron Dome, the executive order directed the implementation of the — of an Iron Dome.  It also, as you said, kind of directed research and studies to see if — or — or how the United States can go about doing this, particularly the Department of Defense.

    When it comes to the other question that you asked about those specific programs, again, I would say, this is not a — a ban; this is a temporary pause and a freeze to ensure that all of the money going out from Washington, D.C., is in align with the president’s agenda.

    And as the Office of Management and Budget has updates on what will be kick-started, once again, I will provide those to you. 

    Q    Can you clarify for a sec what you were saying before on Medicaid?  It wasn’t clear to me whether you were saying that no Medicaid would be cut off.  Obviously, a lot of this goes to states before it goes to individuals and so forth.  So, are you guaranteeing here that no individual now on Medicaid would see a cutoff because of the pause?

    MS. LEAVITT:  I’ll check back on that and get back to you. 

    Jon.

    Q    Thanks a lot, Karoline.  As you know, in the first week that the president was in office, signed an executive order as it relates to birthright citizenship — trying to eliminate that.  Now, 22 state attorney generals have said that this is unconstitutional.  A federal judge has just agreed with their argument.  What’s the administration’s argument for doing away with birthright citizenship?

    MS. LEAVITT:  The folks that you mentioned have a right to have that legal opinion, but it is in disagreement with the legal opinion of this administration. 

    This administration believes that birthright citizenship is unconstitutional, and that is why President Trump signed that executive order.  Illegal immigrants who come to this country and have a child are not subject to the laws of this jurisdiction.  That’s the opinion of this administration. 

    We have already appealed the rul- — the lawsuit that was filed against this administration, and we are prepared to fight this all the way to the Supreme Court if we have to, because President Trump believes that this is a necessary step to secure our nation’s borders and protect our homeland. 

    Monica.

    Q    And then on foreign policy — on foreign policy, Karoline —

    Q    Thank you, Karoline.  It’s great to see you, and you’re doing a great —

    Q    — on foreign policy, if I may.  The president’s commitment to the NATO defense Alliance, is it as strong as the prior administration?  Is it the same as when he served as president in his first term in office?

    MS. LEAVITT:  As long as NATO pays their fair share.

    And President Trump has called on NATO Allies to increase their defense spending to 5 percent.  You actually saw the head of NATO at Davos last week on Bloomberg Television saying that President Trump is right and if Europe wants to keep itself safe, they should increase their defense spending. 

    I would just add that there was no greater ally to our European allies than President Trump in his first term.  The world, for all nations in Europe, and, of course, here at home was much safer because of Presidents Tru- — Trump’s peace through strength diplomatic approach. 

    Monica.

    Q    Karoline —

    Q    Thank you.  Thank you, Karoline.  And it’s great to finally be called on as well in the briefing room.  I appreciate that. 

    MS. LEAVITT:  You’re welcome. 

    Q    Of course, we know President Trump just got back from North Carolina and California meeting with victims of natural disasters.  There’s the two-year anniversary of the East Palestine, Ohio, toxic train derailment.  Does the president have any plans to go visit the victims of that toxic spill or just visit in general?

    MS. LEAVITT:  Not — no plans that I can read out for you here.  If that changes, I will certainly keep you posted. 

    What I can tell you is that President Trump still talks about his visit to East Palestine, Ohio.  That was one of the turning points, I would say, in the previous election campaign, where Americans were reminded that President Trump is a man of the people.  And he, as a candidate, visited that town that was just derailed by the train derailment — no pun intended — and he offered support and hope, just like I saw the president do this past week. 

    It was a purposeful decision by this president, on his first domestic trip, to go to North Carolina and to California to visit with Americans who were impacted by Hurricane Helene and also by the deadly fires — a red state and a blue state, both of which feel forgotten by the previous administration and the federal government.  That has now — that has now ended under President Trump. 

    He will continue to put Americans first, whether they’re in East Palestine, in Pacific Palisades, or in North Carolina.

    (Cross-talk.)

    Sure.

    Q    Thank you, Karoline.  On California, could you please clarify what the military did with the water last night, as referenced in the president’s Truth Social post?

    MS. LEAVITT:  The water has been turned back on in California, and this comes just days after President Trump visited Pacific Palisades and, as you all saw, applied tremendous pressure on state and local officials in Pacific Palisades, including Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, to turn on the water and to direct that water to places in the south and in the middle of the state that have been incredibly dry, which has led to the expansion — the rapid expansion of these fires.

    Q    So, could you clarify what the military’s role was, where the water came from, and how it got there?

    MS. LEAVITT:  Again, the Army Corps of Engineers has been on the ground in California to respond to the devastation from these wildfires.  And I would point out that just days after President Trump visited the devastation from these fires, the water was turned on.  That is because of the pressure campaign he put on state and local officials there, who clearly lack all common sense. 

    And I will never forget being at that round table with the president last week and hearing the frustration in the voices of Pacific Palisades residents who feel as though their government has just gone insane.  Before President Trump showed up on the scene, Karen Bass was telling private property owners that they would have to wait 18 months to access their private property.

    So, this administration, the president and his team that’s on the ground in California — Ric Grenell, who he has designated to oversee this great crisis — ha- — will continue to put pressure on Karen Bass and state and local officials to allow residents to access their properties. 

    This is a huge part of it.  These residents want to take part in their own clearing out of their properties.  They should be able to do that.  It’s the United States of America.  What happened to our freedom?  Clearly, it’s gone in California, but not anymore under President Trump.

    Q    Karoline —

    MS. LEAVITT:  April.

    Q    Karoline, welcome to the briefing room.

    MS. LEAVITT:  Thank you.

    Q    Several questions.  One on the pause.  Will minority-serving institutions, preferably colleges and universities, have those monies held back temporarily at this moment?

    MS. LEAVITT:  Again, I have not seen the entire list, because this memo was just sent out.  So, I will provide you all with updates as we receive them.  Okay?

    Q    Karoline —

    Q    And secondly — als- —

    Q    Karoline.

    Q    Also, secondly, when it comes to immigration, there is this southern border focus.  What happens to those who have overstayed their visas?  That is part of the broken immigration system.  In 2023, there was a report by the Biden administration, the Homeland Security Department, that said overstays of visas were three times more than usual.  Will there be a focus on the overstays for visas as well?

    MS. LEAVITT:  If an individual is overstaying their visa, they are therefore an illegal immigrant residing in this country, and they are subject to deportation.  

    Q    And also, lastly —

    MS. LEAVITT:  Yes.

    Q    Lastly, as we’re dealing with anti-DEI, anti-woke efforts, we understand this administration could — is thinking about celebrating Black History Month.  Have you got any word on that?  Anything that you can offer to us?

    MS. LEAVITT:  As far as I know, this White House certainly still intends to celebrate, and we will continue to celebrate American history and the contributions that all Americans, regardless of race, religion, or creed, have made to our great country.  And America is back.

    Christian Datoc.

    Q    Thanks, Karoline.  Just real quick.  You mentioned the inflation executive order the president signed, but egg prices have skyrocketed since President Trump took office.  So, what specifically is he doing to lower those costs for Americans?

    MS. LEAVITT:  Really glad you brought this up, because there is a lot of reporting out there that is putting the onus on this White House for the increased cost of eggs.  I would like to point out to each and every one of you that, in 2024, when Joe Biden was in the Oval Office — or upstairs in the residence sleeping; I’m not so sure — egg prices increased 65 percent in this country.  We also have seen the cost of everything, not just eggs — bacon, groceries, gasoline — have increased because of the inflationary policies of the last administration.

    As far as the egg shortage, what’s also contributing to that is that the Biden administration and the Department of Agriculture directed the mass killing of more than 100 million chickens, which has led to a lack of chicken supply in this country, therefore a lack of egg supply, which is leading to the shortage.

    So, I will leave you with this point.  This is an example of why it’s so incredibly important that the Senate moves swiftly to confirm all of President Trump’s nominees, including his nominee for the United States Department of Agriculture, Brooke Rollins, who is already speaking with Kevin Hassett, who is leading the economic team here at the White House, on how we can address the egg shortage in this country.

    As for cots, I laid out — costs — I laid out the plethora of ways that President Trump has addressed saving costs for the American people over the past week.  He looks forward to continuing to doing that —

    Q    Karoline, what —

    MS. LEAVITT:  — in the days ahead.

    (Cross-talk.)

    Thank you, guys, so much.  I’ll see you soon.

    END                1:52 P.M. EST

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