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  • MIL-OSI: Nokia and Centranet trial brings 50G PON speeds to tribal nation in rural Oklahoma

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Press Release
    Nokia and Centranet trial brings 50G PON speeds to tribal nation in rural Oklahoma

    • Demonstration of Nokia 50G PON solution enables Centranet to become the first company to connect a pilot subscriber in a tribal nation to a 50Gbps fiber connection.
    • Live commercial trial of Nokia Lightspan MF platform provides Centranet with the foundation needed to provide equitable, high-speed internet access to all.
    • Nokia is the only vendor supporting all next-generation PON technology options, allowing operators to choose the right strategy for their needs and business cases.

    8 October 2024
    Stillwater, Oklahoma – Nokia today announced that Centranet, a leading electrical cooperative, has become the first company to demonstrate a 50Gbps fiber internet connection for a tribal nation in Oklahoma. The live commercial trial, using Nokia’s Lightspan fiber solution, allowed Centranet to connect a pilot member of the Sac and Fox nation to one of the fastest residential internet speeds available globally. This marks a significant milestone for the company and its ability to close the digital divide for rural and Indigenous communities.

    The groundbreaking connection was unveiled at the Future of Rural Broadband Showcase, underscoring the company’s commitment to delivering world-class broadband technology to historically underserved regions. This is the first live commercial trial of 50G PON technology in a tribal nation, demonstrating how Nokia’s fiber access platform can be used to provide future-proof broadband access to communities of all sizes and densities.

    Using Nokia’s Lightspan MF fiber solution, Centranet can provide current subscribers with multi-gigabit speeds today, along with future 50G PON services needed for online education, telehealth, and digital services essential in the modern era. The trial with Nokia demonstrates Centranet’s commitment to ensuring equitable access to reliable, high-speed internet for all.

    Mark Klimek, Vice President, North American Business Center at Nokia said: “Our fiber platform supports a full range of PON technologies, allowing them to be mixed and matched on the same platform to deliver ultra-fast, reliable internet services over a single fiber. This is critical for those who want to future-proof their fiber network and gain the flexibility to address evolving network demands. By partnering with Centranet, we are ensuring that every community, especially those who have been underserved for far too long, can access the opportunities that cutting-edge technology provides, now and for generations to come.”

    Randle Carter, Principal Chief, Sac and Fox Nation, said: “We pursued this grant to enhance the availability and the viability for our tribal members to access fiber optic opportunities, not just now, but in the future.”

    Mark Prather, President of Fiber and Technology, said: “”At Centranet, we are deeply committed to investing in the future the communities we serve. Centranet has deployed 3,300 miles of fiber in north-central Oklahoma in the past three years. Bringing high-speed broadband to the Sac and Fox Nation, as well as other tribes and underserved areas has been a priority for us. This project is about more than just technology—it’s about ensuring that everyone in our community has the tools and opportunities they need to thrive in today’s digital world.”

    Resources and additional information
    Webpage: Nokia Lightspan MF
    Webpage: Nokia Altiplano Access Controller
    Webpage: Accelerating to gigabit with fiber
    Webpage: Fiber for Everything

    About Nokia
    At Nokia, we create technology that helps the world act together.

    As a B2B technology innovation leader, we are pioneering networks that sense, think and act by leveraging our work across mobile, fixed and cloud networks. In addition, we create value with intellectual property and long-term research, led by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs.

    Service providers, enterprises and partners worldwide trust Nokia to deliver secure, reliable and sustainable networks today – and work with us to create the digital services and applications of the future.

    About Centranet
    Established in 2020, Centranet provides fiber to the home internet access to more than 10,000 rural households in north central Oklahoma. A subsidiary of Central Rural Electric Cooperative, Centranet is dedicated to connecting rural Oklahomans with the speed of light.

    For more information, visit centranetfiber.com.

    Media inquiries
    Nokia Press Office
    Email: Press.Services@nokia.com

    Follow us on social media
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    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Department of Homeland Security Recognizes 350 Employees at Secretary’s Award Ceremony in Washington D.C.

    Source: US Department of Homeland Security

    WASHINGTON – On October 7, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) held an awards ceremony hosted at DHS headquarters located at St. Elizabeths campus in Southeast Washington, D.C. where 350 employees received a Secretary’s Award in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the Department’s mission.

    “Every single day, with great determination, integrity, and skill, the 268,000 men and women of the Department of Homeland Security ensure the safety and security of the American people,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “Thanks to these extraordinary public servants, our shores, harbors, skies, cyberspace, and borders are protected; fentanyl and other deadly drugs are prevented from entering our country; communities are able to recover and rebuild after a natural disaster; the scourges of human trafficking, forced labor, and online exploitation are mitigated; and so much more. The individuals we recognize today with our Department’s highest honor, the Secretary’s Award, reflect the very best of DHS – and in their selfless dedication to mission, the very best of public service.”

    The DHS Secretary’s Awards are an annual program that recognizes the extraordinary individual and collective achievements of the workforce. The 350 awardees recognized in today’s ceremony represent the Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL), the Office of the General Counsel (OGC), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

    “In recognizing these outstanding DHS personnel with a Secretary’s Award, we recognize all our talented personnel; the achievements of one are not possible without the contributions of others,” added Secretary Mayorkas. “We also express our appreciation to their families and loved ones; when one serves, the family serves too.”

    This year’s award recipients developed and issued policy and procedures associated with a whole-scale transition to a new pay system for TSA; launched a series of coordinated and collaborative initiatives, operations and investigations targeting Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs) and national security threats operating and transiting through the Darien Gap region; arrested over 8,000 human smugglers, produced over 5,000 intelligence reports, and seized over $38M USD in real property; ensured over 2,300 vital alerts and warnings were provided to owners and operators of critical infrastructure to protect against cyberattacks; among many other achievements.

    This year, DHS is holding nine Secretary’s Awards ceremonies across the country, honoring over 1,700 employees, the most annual awardees ever.

    Last year, Secretary Mayorkas unveiled 12 priorities for the Department, including a commitment to champion the workforce and transform the employee experience. DHS has the third largest workforce of any federal department, behind the Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs. The Department is home to more than 92,000 sworn law enforcement officers, the greatest number of law enforcement officers of any department in the federal government. DHS has committed to increasing the representation of women in law enforcement or related occupations at DHS to 30% by 2030. Over 54,000 veterans, or nearly 21% of the workforce, continue serving their country by working at DHS.

    DHS operational components interact more frequently on a daily basis with the American public than any other federal department, from travelers moving through air, land, and sea ports of entry, to businesses importing goods into the country, to immigrants applying for services. To learn more about the impact DHS makes every day, visit: DHS.gov/TodayDHSWill.

    Last year, DHS improved the efficiency of processing noncitizens at the Southwest Border, deployed across the country to respond to natural disasters, investigated cybercrimes, created a new streamlined process for adjudicating asylum applications, safely and securely resettled nearly 90,000 evacuated Afghans in the United States, provided resources for organizations to enhance their cybersecurity resilience, established a process for Ukrainian nationals seeking refuge, secured the 2022 midterm elections, and demonstrated heroism by acting quickly and courageously to save lives in harrowing circumstances.

    For the full list of awardees, visit 2024 Secretary’s Awards | Homeland Security (dhs.gov).  

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: EIA expects average U.S. heating costs this winter to be consistent with last winter

    Source: US Energy Information Administration

    U.S. ENERGY INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION
    WASHINGTON DC 20585

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    October 8, 2024

    The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) expects most U.S. households, on average, will pay about the same to heat their homes as they did last winter. A notable exception is that EIA expects Midwestern homes heated by natural gas will pay about 11% more on average for heat than last winter.

    In its 2024 Winter Fuels Outlook, EIA forecasts a colder winter, leading to more energy consumption for heat. With energy prices similar to or slightly lower than last winter, EIA expects spending for many households will be about the same as last winter.

    “There’s a lot of uncertainty about the weather over an entire season—not to mention uncertainty over commodity prices,” said EIA Administrator Joe DeCarolis.

    Comparing this winter’s forecast for the average U.S. household with last winter’s results, EIA expects a 1% increase in fuel bills for homes heated by natural gas, a 5% decrease for homes heated by heating oil, a 2% increase for homes heated by electricity, and a negligible change in costs for homes heated by propane. Because weather is a key source of uncertainty in the forecast, the report also includes a warmer and colder case to produce a range of possible expenditures by fuel type.

    The Winter Fuels Outlook is a supplement to EIA’s October Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO), and EIA will update it every month through February to reflect changes in commodity prices and temperatures. This year is the first year that EIA’s forecast distinguishes between primary heating fuels consumed for space heating and other end uses.

    EIA will host a webinar on Wednesday, October 9, at 11:00 a.m. ET to discuss its forecasts. The webinar is open to the public, but registration is required.

    Other highlights from the October STEO include:

    • Brent crude oil spot price: EIA expects the Brent crude oil spot price will average about $76 per barrel in the fourth quarter of 2024 and about $78 per barrel in 2025, both lower than EIA’s September forecast. EIA revised its forecasts because the September Brent spot price was lower than expected and because the agency expects demand for petroleum products will be lower than it previously forecast. The impact of military action in the Middle East is a key source of uncertainty in the crude oil price forecast.

      EIA’s revised forecast for crude oil prices also contributed to revisions in the agency’s price forecasts for distillate fuels, gasoline, and other petroleum products, which are reflected in the STEO table of notable revisions.

    • U.S. oil production: EIA expects U.S. crude oil production will average 13.5 million barrels per day in 2025, a record high. EIA had previously expected domestic crude oil production would average 13.7 million barrels per day next year but revised its production forecast lower largely due to its expectation of lower crude oil prices.
    • Electricity consumption: EIA expects 2% more U.S. electricity consumption this year than in 2023 and expects a further 2% growth in 2025. Summer temperatures in 2024 were warmer than last summer, especially in the upper Midwest and Northeast regions, which helped to push up U.S. electricity demand this year. Increased electricity consumption through 2025 is led by the industrial sector, as planned battery and semiconductor chip manufacturing comes online. In the commercial sector, electricity demand from data centers in some regions contributes to the forecast for greater electricity demand.

    The full October 2024 Short-Term Energy Outlook is available on the EIA website.

    The product described in this press release was prepared by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), the statistical and analytical agency within the U.S. Department of Energy. By law, EIA’s data, analysis, and forecasts are independent of approval by any other officer or employee of the U.S. government. The views in the product and this press release therefore should not be construed as representing those of the U.S. Department of Energy or other federal agencies.

    EIA Program Contact: Tim Hess, STEO@eia.gov
    EIA Press Contact: Chris Higginbotham, EIAMedia@eia.gov

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: WISeKey to Launch Enhanced WISePhone.CH 2025 Edition with Advanced Capabilities

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    WISeKey to Launch Enhanced WISePhone.CH 2025 Edition with Advanced Capabilities

    Launch Slated for Q2 2025

    Video PoC of WISePhone.CH is Available at https://lnkd.in/e97fwkuD

    Additional Information Available at http://www.WISePhone.CH

    Geneva, Switzerland – October 8, 2024: WISeKey International Holding Ltd (“WISeKey”, SIX: WIHN, NASDAQ: WKEY), a leader in cybersecurity, AI, Blockchain, and IoT operating as a holding company, today announced the upcoming launch of its enhanced WISePhone.CH 2025 Edition. Building upon its 2017 introduction, WISePhone.CH was the first secure blockchain phone aimed at providing enterprise-grade protection for digital communications. This new edition, slated for release in Q2 2025, promises significant advancements in security and performance.

    WISePhone.CH 2025 Edition will introduce a comprehensive suite of new features, designed to protect both individual and IoT device data using cutting-edge blockchain technology. As an all-in-one secure platform, it offers superior privacy and security for both personal and business use, emphasizing data protection through advanced encryption and secure storage.

    New Features and Enhanced Security

    The WISePhone.CH 2025 edition is designed to be an affordable, versatile tool that enhances mobility while ensuring the confidentiality of intellectual property and sensitive communications. With the ability to transform public networks and mobile devices into ultra-secure communication channels, it is an ideal solution for enterprises seeking to strengthen their cybersecurity posture.

    Powered by WISeKey’s proprietary security technology and operating on an optimized Android OS, WISePhone.CH supports secure communications via encrypted email and voice services, secure digital identity management, and cloud-based data protection. The integrated Personal Cybersecurity Hub offers complete control over application permissions, providing separate, secure environments for personal and business data.

    Pre-Loaded with WISeKey’s Suite of Secure Applications

    WISePhone.CH 2025 Edition will come pre-installed with WISeKey’s suite of security solutions, including WISeID and WISeTalk. These applications provide encrypted voice calls, conference calls, secure texting, and file transfer capabilities, ensuring end-to-end security. In a major development, WISePhone.CH will be the first smartphone to be powered by SEALCOIN, WISeKey’s proprietary cryptocurrency and blockchain platform, enabling users to engage in secure transactions on-the-go.

    Cutting-Edge Hardware and Cryptocurrency Integration

    The phone will feature an integrated crypto wallet and a Hardware Security Module (HSM), delivering an unmatched level of security for data storage and financial transactions. It will also support SuisseID Digital Identity, enabling qualified cloud-based digital signatures in compliance with Swiss government regulations and GDPR standards.

    Reinforced Protection through WISeID and WISeAccess

    The WISeID feature secures users’ digital assets and personal data in an encrypted enclave, backed by WISeKey’s secure Swiss cloud. The WISeAccess multi-factor authentication system further enhances security, ensuring that only authorized individuals can access the full suite of WISePhone.CH applications.

    WISeKey continues to push the boundaries of cybersecurity technology, ensuring that businesses and individuals worldwide remain safe from ever-evolving digital threats.

    About WISeKey 

    WISeKey International Holding Ltd (“WISeKey”, SIX: WIHN; Nasdaq: WKEY) is a Swiss-based computer infrastructure company specializing in cybersecurity, digital identity, blockchain, Internet of Things (IoT) solutions, and post-quantum semiconductors. As a computer infrastructure company, WISeKey provides secure platforms for data and device management across industries like finance, healthcare, and government. It leverages its Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) to ensure encrypted communications and authentication, while also focusing on next-generation security through post-quantum cryptography.

    WISeKey’s work with post-quantum semiconductors is aimed at future-proofing its security solutions against the threats posed by quantum computing. These advanced semiconductors support encryption that can withstand the computational power of quantum computers, ensuring the long-term security of connected devices and critical infrastructure. Combined with its expertise in blockchain and IoT, WISeKey’s post-quantum technologies provide a robust foundation for secure digital ecosystems at the hardware, software, and network levels.

    WISeKey operates as a holding company through several operational subsidiaries, each dedicated to specific aspects of its technology portfolio. The subsidiaries include (i) SEALSQ Corp (Nasdaq: LAES), which focuses on semiconductors, PKI, and post-quantum technology products, (ii) WISeKey SA which specializes in RoT and PKI solutions for secure authentication and identification in IoT, Blockchain, and AI, (iii) WISeSat AG which focuses on space technology for secure satellite communication, specifically for IoT applications, (iv) WISe.ART Corp which focuses on trusted blockchain NFTs and operates the WISe.ART marketplace for secure NFT transactions, and (v) SEALCOIN AG which focuses on decentralized physical internet with DePIN technology and house the development of the SEALCOIN platform.

    Disclaimer
    This communication expressly or implicitly contains certain forward-looking statements concerning WISeKey International Holding Ltd and its business. Such statements involve certain known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which could cause the actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements of WISeKey International Holding Ltd to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. WISeKey International Holding Ltd is providing this communication as of this date and does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements contained herein as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

    This press release does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities, and it does not constitute an offering prospectus within the meaning of the Swiss Financial Services Act (“FinSA”), the FinSa’s predecessor legislation or advertising within the meaning of the FinSA. Investors must rely on their own evaluation of WISeKey and its securities, including the merits and risks involved. Nothing contained herein is, or shall be relied on as, a promise or representation as to the future performance of WISeKey.

    Press and Investor Contacts

    WISeKey International Holding Ltd 
    Company Contact:  Carlos Moreira
    Chairman & CEO
    Tel: +41 22 594 3000
    info@wisekey.com    		 WISeKey Investor Relations (US) 
    The Equity Group Inc.
    Lena Cati
    Tel: +1 212 836-9611 / lcati@equityny.com
    Katie Murphy
    Tel: +1 212 836-9612 / kmurphy@equityny.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Lendmark Financial Services Expands Alabama Presence with Muscle Shoals Branch, Marking its 17th Location in the State

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MUSCLE SHOALS, Ala., Oct. 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Lendmark Financial Services (Lendmark), a leading provider of household credit and consumer loan solutions, continues to expand its Alabama footprint, opening a new branch in Muscle Shoals.

    The branch is located at 1901 Woodward Avenue and is expected to serve hundreds of customers in its first year. Tiffany Hurtarte, who serves as the branch manager, will be responsible for administration of all daily operations. These include building personal relationships with customers and integrating into the community to ensure area residents receive a superior level of individualized loan services that meet their unique financial needs.

    “Lendmark’s growth shows many consumers need additional financial service options to manage planned and unplanned life events without depleting their savings,” said Chad DeBoard, Vice President of Branch Operations at Lendmark. “Our team will bring our customer-first, relationship-based approach to Muscle Shoals, delivering personalized and convenient solutions that meet the respective financial needs of this community’s residents.”

    Lendmark also provides financing solutions for thousands of retailers and independent auto dealerships, allowing these businesses’ customers to obtain Lendmark financing. Local businesses that are interested in partnering with Lendmark to service this need should visit the branch or call 256-248-9585.

    Lendmark remains dedicated to giving back through its signature cause-related initiative, ‘Climb to Cure.’ The company has committed to raising $10 million by 2025 to mark its 10-year anniversary partnering with CURE Childhood Cancer. So far, Lendmark’s employees, partners and customers have raised $8.83 million to support CURE, an Atlanta-based nonprofit dedicated to funding targeted pediatric cancer research that is utilized nationwide.

    Lendmark customers can participate by donating $1 when closing their loan. Lendmark matches the donation.

    About Lendmark Financial Services
    Lendmark Financial Services (Lendmark) provides personal and household credit and loan solutions to consumers. Founded in 1996, Lendmark strives to be the lender, employer, and partner of choice by protecting household wealth, offering stability and helping consumers meet both planned and unplanned life events through affordable loan offerings. Today, Lendmark operates more than 515 branches in 22 states across the country, providing personalized services to customers and retail business partners with every transaction. Lendmark is headquartered in Lawrenceville, Ga. For more information, visit http://www.lendmarkfinancial.com.

    Media Contact
    Jeffrey Hamilton
    Senior Manager, Corporate Communications
    jhamilton@lendmarkfinancial.com
    678-625-3128

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/156ef33e-22af-42f3-805e-b379a8ff322a

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: FEMA is Still Here for Hurricane Francine Survivors

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: FEMA is Still Here for Hurricane Francine Survivors

    FEMA is Still Here for Hurricane Francine Survivors

    BATON ROUGE, La. – FEMA remains in Louisiana to assist survivors recovering from Hurricane Francine. 

    As of Oct. 7, more than 17,000 residents in Ascension, Assumption, Lafourche, Jefferson, St. Charles, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St. Mary and Terrebonne parishes have received more than $46 million in assistance since Hurricane Francine made landfall on Sept. 11, 2024. 

    This includes: 

    • More than $12.6 million for Serious Needs Assistance, a one-time payment of $750 per household. This payment would be in addition to any other assistance from FEMA. The money can be used for emergency supplies like water, food, first aid, breastfeeding supplies, infant formula, diapers, personal hygiene items, or fuel for transportation. It is available to eligible survivors who apply within the first 30 days after the disaster was declared.
    • More than $8.7 million for Displacement Assistance or money to help with housing needs if you cannot return to your home because of the disaster. The money can be used to stay in a hotel, with family and friends or other options.
    • More than $2.5 million for the Clean and Sanitize program which is up to $300 from FEMA and the State of Louisiana to help clean up houses damaged by Francine that remain habitable.

    Both Serious Needs Assistance and Displacement Assistance require an inspection to confirm eligibility before funds are provided to applicants.

    In the nine parishes designated for federal assistance, Disaster Recovery Centers are open to support survivors. FEMA employees are on-hand to answer questions and assist with applications. Representatives of the U.S. Small Business Administration, the State of Louisiana and nonprofit and nongovernmental partners are also on available to assist survivors as they navigate their recovery. 

    The centers are accessible to people with disabilities or access and functional needs and are equipped with assistive technology. If you need a reasonable accommodation or sign language interpreter, please call 833-285-7448 (press 2 for Spanish).

    DRCs are open at the following locations: 

    Ascension Parish

    Lemann Memorial Center

    1100 Clay St.

    Donaldsonville, LA 70346

    Assumption Parish

    Assumption High School, North Building

    4880 Hwy 308

    Napoleonville, LA 70390 

    Jefferson Parish

    Martin Luther King Community Resource Center

    1042 31st St

    Kenner, LA 70065

    Lafourche Parish

    Lafourche Parish Emergency Operations Center

    4876 Hwy. 1

    Raceland, LA 70394

    St. Charles Parish

    Alan Arterbury Building

    14564 River Road

    New Sarpy, LA 70078

    St. John the Baptist Parish

    Reserve Library

    1482 Hwy 44

    Reserve, LA 70084

    St. James Parish

    Convent Community Center

    5775 Hwy 44

    Convent, LA 70723

    St. Mary Parish

    Morgan City Municipal Auditorium
    728 Myrtle St.
    Morgan City, LA 70380

    Terrebonne Parish

    Terrebonne Parish Library

    151 Library Drive

    Houma, LA 70360

    The centers will operate from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday. No appointment is necessary. 

    You do not have to visit a center to apply for FEMA disaster assistance. The quickest way to apply is by going online at disasterassistance.gov/.

    Additional options when applying include:

    • Download the FEMA App for mobile devices. 
    • Call the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362 between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. Help is available in most languages. If you use a relay service, such as video relay (VRS), captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA your number for that service.
    • To view an accessible video about how to apply visit: Three Ways to Register for FEMA Disaster Assistance – YouTube.

    For the latest information visit fema.gov/disaster/4817. Follow FEMA Region 6 social media at X.com/FEMARegion6 or on Facebook at facebook.com/femaregion6.

    alexa.brown

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Government of Canada invests in Giatec® Scientific Inc. and its AI-driven concrete demonstration plant

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    News release

    This investment in Giatec Scientific Inc. will create an estimated 160 well-paying jobs and help reduce the Canadian carbon footprint for concrete

    October 8, 2024 – Ottawa, Ontario

    The federal government is committed to a carbon-neutral future and has set the ambitious target of achieving a net-zero economy by 2050 while creating good-paying jobs. As part of that commitment, we are supporting the transition to clean technology innovations that will help Canadian businesses reduce carbon emissions and lessen their impact on the environment.

    Today, the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, is pleased to announce a $17.5 million investment in Giatec Scientific Inc. This investment will support the company’s $65.8 million project to develop sensor technologies using artificial intelligence (AI) to optimize concrete mixtures, resulting in a reduced carbon footprint, while improving the quality of building materials used for Canadian infrastructure.

    With this investment, Giatec Scientific Inc. will develop a smart concrete demonstration plant, which will operate using its new SmartMix™ technological innovation, for companies and universities to advance innovation in the construction ecosystem. This plant will be based in Ottawa is estimated to create 160 good-paying jobs.

    Canada is a global leader in tackling climate change, and this announcement will not only help Giatec Scientific Inc. lower its own greenhouse gas emissions but also provide an opportunity for all industry stakeholders in Canada to do the same. 

    Quotes

    “Our government is committed to a net-zero future for Canada, and this project is precisely the investment we need. By leveraging technological innovation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improving building materials quality, we can drive efficiencies that lower construction costs, making projects more affordable and profitable for our construction industry. It is a win for our planet, our infrastructure and our industry.”
    – The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry

    “Securing the Strategic Innovation Fund funding is a significant step forward for Giatec as we embark on our three-year, $65.8 million research and development project to build the world’s first AI-enabled digital platform for the concrete industry. This groundbreaking platform will deliver tremendous value to various stakeholders across the industry, including cement, aggregate and admixture producers, ready-mix suppliers, construction companies and infrastructure owners. Our vision is to revolutionize the concrete industry and help build more sustainable, efficient and durable infrastructure, while positioning Canada as a global leader in clean, innovative technologies.”
    – Pouria Ghods, CEO and Co-founder of Giatec Scientific Inc.

    Quick facts

    • The Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF) provides major investments in innovative projects that will help grow Canada’s economy for the benefit of all Canadians. SIF covers all sectors of the economy and is available to for-profit and not-for-profit organizations, with the goal of supporting the Canadian innovation network.

    • Giatec Scientific Inc. was founded in 2011 with a mission to bring disruptive, knowledge-based and sustainable technologies to the concrete industry. Its products allow concrete producers, contractors and business owners to increase the profitability of their projects by improving efficiencies, while reducing the environmental impact of the concrete industry.

    • SmartMix™ platform is an innovation that will allow Giatec Scientific Inc. to design cost-optimized concrete mixes. The project will lead to the development, deployment and commercialization of sensory/software technologies that can be used to monitor concrete throughout its life cycle, from variabilities in raw material to in-transit properties to characteristics of the completed concrete over its lifetime.

    • The technology developed through this project will contribute to reducing the greenhouse gas emissions of concrete manufacturing by up to 20% by optimizing concrete mixtures to use less cement.

    • Through the Roadmap to Net-Zero Carbon Concrete by 2050, the Government of Canada, in partnership with the Canadian cement and concrete industry, has charted the course to a net-zero carbon cement and concrete industry by 2050, committing to reduce more than 15 megatonnes (Mt) of greenhouse gas emissions cumulatively by 2030, and more than 4 Mt annually thereafter.

    Associated links

    Contacts

    Audrey Milette
    Press Secretary
    Office of the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry
    audrey.milette@ised-isde.gc.ca

    Media Relations
    Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
    media@ised-isde.gc.ca

    Stay connected

    Find more services and information on the Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada website.

    Follow Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada on social media.
    X (Twitter): @ISED_CA | Facebook: Canadian Innovation | Instagram: @cdninnovation | LinkedIn: Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Debunking Helene Response Myths

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Chuck Edwards (NC-11)

    Dear Friend,

    Over the past 10 days, I have been proud of how our mountain communities have come together to help one another. We have seen a level of support that is unmatched by most any other disaster nationwide; but amidst all of the support, we have also seen an uptick in untrustworthy sources trying to spark chaos by sharing hoaxes, conspiracy theories, and hearsay about hurricane response efforts across our mountains.

    While it is true, the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s response to Hurricane Helene has had its shortfalls, I’m here to dispel the outrageous rumors that have been circulated online:

    1. Hurricane Helene was NOT geoengineered by the government to seize and access lithium deposits in Chimney Rock.
      1. Nobody can control the weather.
      2. Charles Konrad, director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Southeast Regional Climate Center, has confirmed that no one has the technology or ability to geoengineer a hurricane.
        1. Current geoengineering technology can serve as a large-scale intervention to mitigate the negative consequences of naturally occurring weather phenomena, but it cannot be used to create or manipulate hurricanes.
      3. Local officials have confirmed the government is NOT seizing Chimney Rock.
        1. There was no “special meeting” held in Chimney Rock between federal, state or local governments about seizing the town.
    2. Local officials are NOT abandoning search and rescue efforts to bulldoze over Chimney Rock.
      1. Chimney Rock is NOT being bulldozed over.
      2. Rutherford County emergency services personnel are going to extensive lengths to search for missing people, including in debris by using cadaver dogs to locate any remains of individuals trapped in the debris.
      3. Just as every other community in Western North Carolina, Chimney Rock officials are focused first and foremost on recovery efforts, followed by plans to rebuild in the future.
    3. FEMA is NOT stopping trucks or vehicles with donations, confiscating or seizing supplies, or otherwise turning away donations.
      1. FEMA does not conduct vehicle stops or handle road closures with armed guards – all road closures are managed by local law enforcement who are prioritizing getting resources to their fellow community members.
    4. FEMA has NOT diverted disaster response funding to the border or foreign aid.
      1. Disaster response efforts and individual assistance are funded through the Disaster Relief Fund, which is a dedicated fund for disaster efforts.
        1. FEMA’s non-disaster related presence at the border has always been of major concern to me, even before Hurricane Helene, and I will continue to condemn their deployment of personnel to the southern border, but we must separate the two issues.
    5. FEMA is NOT going to run out of money.
      1. FEMA officials have repeatedly affirmed that the agency has enough money for immediate response and recovery needs over the next few months.
        1. Secretary Mayorkas’ statement indicating otherwise was an irresponsible attempt to politicize a tragedy for personal gain.
      2. In the coming months, Western North Carolina is going to need more disaster relief funding than is currently available to assist with recovery efforts.
        1. I’m confident that supplemental disaster relief funding, which I am already involved in the process of creating, will be considered in the House once we return to session in mid-November.
    6. FEMA cannot seize your property or land.
      1. Applying for disaster assistance does not grant FEMA or the federal government authority or ownership of your property or land.
    7. The FAA is NOT restricting access to airspace for Helene rescue and recovery operations.
      1. Nobody seeking to fly resources into Western North Carolina will be prohibited from doing so by the FAA or North Carolina Emergency Management so long as they coordinate their efforts with NC Aviation.
        1. If you are looking to conduct an airdrop of resources but don’t know who to contact for approval, please reach out to my office and we will share that information with you.
    8. FEMA is NOT only providing $750 to disaster survivors to support their recovery.
      1. The initial $750 provided to disaster survivors is an immediate type of assistance called Serious Needs Assistance that may be made to individuals in need as soon as they apply for FEMA assistance.
        1. The $750 is an upfront, flexible payment to help cover essential items like food, water, baby formula and medication while FEMA assesses the applicant’s eligibility for additional funds.
        2. This award is just the first step of a longer process to provide financial assistance to disaster survivors in need of federal support.
      2. As an application moves through the review process, individuals are eligible to receive additional forms of assistance for other needs such as temporary housing, personal property and home repair costs, etc.

    I encourage you to remember that everything you see on Facebook, X, or any other social media platform is not always fact. Please make sure you are fact checking what you read online with a reputable source.

    With my warmest regards,


    Chuck Edwards
    Member of Congress

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wyoming Delegation Joins Colleagues Demanding Answers from DOJ on Illegal Aliens Registering to Vote

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Wyoming Congresswoman Harriet Hageman

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators John Barrasso and Cynthia Lummis as well as U.S. Representative Harriet Hageman (all R-Wyo.) recently joined Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), and a large congressional coalition in demanding answers from U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland of the Department of Justice (DOJ) on alarming recent reports of illegal aliens registering to vote in the United States.

    “We are deeply concerned by reports of non-citizens registering to vote and voting in federal elections,” the Members of Congress wrote. “As of today, there has been no response from you or your Department regarding the inquiry on July 12, 2024, seeking information on efforts undertaken by your Department to enforce laws prohibiting non-citizen voting. Given that the 2024 Presidential Election is in less than 34 days, your Department’s inaction and refusal to provide any information regarding its efforts to promote public trust and confidence in our elections is especially alarming.”

    “Clearly, there is a non-negligible amount of voter participation by non-citizens in federal elections, which is not only a serious threat to the integrity of our elections and the democratic process they represent, but also has the potential to reduce Americans’ trust and confidence in election results,” the Members of Congress continued.

    The letter was led by Senator Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) and Representative Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.-05). Co-signers of the letter include Senators John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), John Kennedy (R-La.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), along with Representatives Andy Harris (R-Md.-01), Clay Higgins (R-La.-03), Gary Palmer (R-Ala.-06), Matt Rosendale (R-Mont.-02), Ralph Norman (R-S.C.-05), Eli Crane (R-Ariz.-02), Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.-05), Aaron Bean (R-Fla.-04), Josh Brecheen (R-Okla.-02), Nancy Mace (R-S.C.-01), Bob Good (R-Va.-05), Eric Burlison (R-Mo.-07), Mike Ezell (R-Miss.-04), Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tenn.-03), Tom Tiffany (R-Wis.-07), Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.-03), Claudia Tenney (R-N.Y.-24), Michael Guest (R-Miss.-03), Diana Harshbarger (R-Tenn.-01), Ben Cline (R-Va.-06), Chip Roy (R-Texas-21), Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.-11), Mary Miller (R-Ill.-15), Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.-09), Lance Gooden (R-Texas-05), Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.-03), Harriet Hageman (R-Wyo.-01), Barry Moore (R-Ala.-02), Mike Collins (R-Ga.-10), Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.-02), Greg Lopez (R-Colo.-04), Keith Self (R-Texas-03), Brian Babin (R-Texas-36), August Pfluger (R-Texas-11), Alex Mooney (R-W.Va.-02), Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.-01), Randy Weber (R-Texas-14), Rich McCormick (R-Ga.-06), and Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.-01).

    A copy of the letter can be found here and below.

    Dear Attorney General Garland:

    We are deeply concerned by reports of non-citizens registering to vote and voting in federal elections. As of today, there has been no response from you or your Department regarding the inquiry on July 12, 2024, seeking information on efforts undertaken by your Department to enforce laws prohibiting non-citizen voting.  Given that the 2024 Presidential Election is in less than 34 days, your Department’s inaction and refusal to provide any information regarding its efforts to promote public trust and confidence in our elections is especially alarming.

    Since the initial letter, several more concerning reports have been released by state officials indicating that a large number of non-citizens appear on their voter rolls. For example, the Virginia Attorney General recently announced that 6,303 non-citizens were identified on and removed from Virginia’s voter rolls in 2022 and 2023. In another troubling report released in August, over 6,500 non-citizens registered to vote in Texas were identified and removed from voter rolls. Of the 6,500 non-citizens identified, 1,930 had a voter history.

    Clearly, there is a non-negligible amount of voter participation by non-citizens in federal elections, which is not only a serious threat to the integrity of our elections and the democratic process they represent, but also has the potential to reduce Americans’ trust and confidence in election results.

    Accordingly, we respectfully reiterate the July 12 request for information on your Department’s enforcement efforts.  The initial deadline for providing this information was July 26, 2024, so the response is now 9 weeks overdue.

    Please provide responses to the following no later than October 16, 2024:

    1. Please provide the number of aliens who have been charged, tried, or convicted under 18 U.S.C. § 611 since January 20, 2021, including the status of each case.
    1. Please provide the number of aliens who been charged, tried, or convicted under 52 U.S.C. § 20511 since January 20, 2021, including the status of each case.
    1. Please provide the number of aliens who have been prosecuted under 18 U.S.C. § 911 since 2021, including the status of each case.
    1. Please provide the number of referrals received from other government officials or the public in reference to the statutes cited in questions 1 through 3.
    1. How does the Department of Justice investigate allegations received of non-citizen voting or voter registration?
    1. What affirmative steps have the Department of Justice taken to detect, prevent, and deter illegal aliens and other non-citizens from registering and voting in federal elections?
    1. What affirmative steps have the Department taken to obtain relevant information from the Department of Homeland Security on aliens who have registered or voted in elections?
    1. What steps have been taken by U.S. Attorneys and the Public Integrity Section of the Criminal Division, which is responsible for prosecuting election crimes and assisting U.S. Attorneys in prosecuting election crimes, to obtain jury-related information that indicates aliens have unlawfully registered to vote?
    1. As the 2024 election nears, what steps will the Department take to detect, investigate, and prosecute non-citizens who violate 18 U.S.C.§ 911, 52 U.S.C. § 20511, or 18 U.S.C. § 611 by voting or registering to vote in the 2024 election?
    1. What steps have the Department taken to contact Virginia and Texas election officials to obtain information and the voter registration and voter history files on each of the aliens removed from the voter rolls who were unlawfully registered and voting in those states?

    Thank you for your attention to this matter and we look forward to your prompt reply.

    Sincerely,

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Secretary-General’s press encounter – on the situation in the Middle East

    Source: United Nations secretary general

    [opening remarks follow; full transcript will be available shortly]

    The nightmare in Gaza is now entering an atrocious, abominable second year.

    This has been a year of crises.  Humanitarian crisis.  Political crisis.  Diplomatic crisis.  And a moral crisis. 

    Over the last year — following the horrific terror attacks perpetrated by Hamas on 7 October — Gaza has become ground zero to a level of human suffering that is hard to fathom.

    More than 41,000 [Palestinians] have been reportedly killed, mostly women and children.  Thousands more are missing and believed to be trapped under the rubble.

    Virtually the entire population has been displaced – and no part of Gaza has been spared. 

    Journalists have been killed at a level unseen in any conflict in modern times. 

    And humanitarians – those who have dedicated their lives to helping others – are facing unprecedented, epic dangers. 

    A record number – including so many members of our UN family — have paid with their lives.

    The vast majority of those killed were part of the backbone of humanitarian relief operations in Gaza — UNRWA.

    In the midst of all the upheaval, UNRWA — more than ever — is indispensable.
    UNRWA — more than ever — is irreplaceable.

    That’s why I have written directly to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to express profound concern about draft legislation that could prevent UNRWA from continuing its essential work in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. 

    Such a measure would suffocate efforts to ease human suffering and tensions in Gaza, and indeed, the entire Occupied Palestinian Territory.

    It would be a catastrophe in what is already an unmitigated disaster. 

    Let’s be clear in practical terms what such a measure would mean.

    Operationally, the legislation would likely deal a terrible blow to the international humanitarian response in Gaza. 

    UNRWA’s activities are integral to that response.  It is not feasible to isolate one UN agency from the others.

    It would effectively end coordination to protect UN convoys, offices and shelters serving hundreds of thousands of people. 

    Without UNRWA, the delivery of food, shelter and health care to most of Gaza’s population would grind to a halt. 

    Without UNRWA, Gaza’s 660,000 children would lose the only entity that is able to re-start education, risking the fate of an entire generation. 

    And without UNRWA, many health, education and social services would also end in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

    If approved, such legislation would be diametrically opposed to the UN Charter and in violation of Israel’s obligations under international law. 

    National legislation cannot alter those obligations.  

    And politically, such legislation would be an enormous setback to sustainable peace efforts and to a two-state solution – fanning even more instability and insecurity. 

    This draft legislation comes as the situation in which Gaza is in a death spiral.

    The latest developments in the north are especially dire.

    We are witnessing a clear intensification of military operations by Israel.

    Residential areas have been attacked.  Hospitals ordered to evacuate.  And electricity cut off – with no fuel or commercial goods allowed in.

    Around 400,000 people are being pressed yet again to move south to an area that is overcrowded, polluted and lacking the basics for survival.

    Consider the situation for a family in the Jabalya refugee camp in the north. 

    They were ordered to leave their homes in October 2023. 

    Active operations subsided, and they returned. 

    They were once again ordered to evacuate in December 2023. 

    Active operations subsided, and they returned. 

    They were ordered again to evacuate in May 2024. 

    Active operations subsided, and they returned.

    And just this month, they were once again ordered to evacuate. 

    The conclusion is clear:  there is something fundamentally wrong in the way this war is being conducted. 

    Ordering civilians to evacuate does not keep them safe if they have no safe place to go and no shelter, food, medicine or water. 

    No place is safe in Gaza and no one is safe. 
     
    International law is unambiguous:  civilians everywhere must be respected and protected – and their essential needs must be met, including through humanitarian assistance.  All hostages must be released. 

    I strongly condemn all violations of International Humanitarian Law in Gaza.

    Meanwhile, southern Gaza is overwhelmed.

    Supplies are running low and Israeli authorities are only allowing a single, unsafe road for aid from the Kerem Shalom crossing, where humanitarians face active hostilities and violent, armed looting, fueled by desperation and the collapse of public order and safety.

    I have warned for months of the risks of the conflict spreading.

    The Middle East is a powder keg with many parties holding the match.

    The situation in the occupied West Bank is boiling over.

    Now, in Lebanon, attacks – including on civilians — are threatening the entire region.

    Over the last few days – exchanges of fire between Hizbullah and others in Lebanon and the Israel Defense Forces — have intensified across the Blue Line, in total disregard of Security Council resolutions 1701 and 1559.

    Large-scale Israeli strikes deep into Lebanon – including Beirut — have killed more than 2,000 people over the last year – and 1,500 in just the past two weeks alone. 

    The toll has already surpassed the 2006 war in Lebanon.

    Attacks by Hizbullah and others south of the Blue Line have killed at least 49 people over the last year. 

    Lebanese authorities report over one million people have been displaced in Lebanon – and 300,000 people have fled into Syria. 

    Over 60,000 people remain displaced from northern Israel.
      
    Recently, the IDF started incursions across the Blue Line. 

    We are on the verge of an all-out war in Lebanon – with already devastating consequences.  But there is still time to stop. 

    The sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries must be respected.

    Members of our own peacekeeping force in Lebanon — UNIFIL – continue to carry out their mandates to the extent possible.

    The mission relies on full compliance by all parties.  I want to again express my gratitude and admiration to our peacekeepers and Troop Contributing Countries. 

    The men and women of UNIFIL are serving in what is today the most challenging environment for peacekeepers anywhere. 
     
    All actors must ensure their safety and security.

    And we must do far more on the humanitarian front. 

    The US $426 million humanitarian aid appeal for Lebanon is only 12 per cent funded.

    I urge donors to step up. 
     
    Dear ladies and gentlemen of the media,

    The conflict in the Middle East is getting worse by the hour — and our warnings about the horrific impacts of escalation keep coming to pass. 

    Every air strike, every missile launch, every rocket fired, pushes peace further out of reach and makes the suffering even worse for the millions of civilians caught in the middle.

    That is why we cannot and will not give up on our calls for an immediate ceasefire both in Gaza and Lebanon, the immediate and unconditional release of hostages, and immediate lifesaving aid to all those who desperately need it.

    That is why we cannot and will not give up on our calls for irreversible action for a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine. 

    All people in the region deserve to live in peace.

    Thank you. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Five Arrested, Accused of Targeting Elderly Victims in Tech Support Scam

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

    ST. LOUIS – Five people have been arrested on an indictment that accuses them of stealing at least $8 million from elderly victims in at least ten states via a tech support scam involving gold bars.

    Dariona Lambert, 22, Zhamoniq Stevens, 23, Chintankumar Parekh, 51, Mehul Darji, 41, and Sital Singh, 42, were each charged in a October 4 superseding indictment with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Lambert, Stevens and Parekh were originally indicted on that charge in June.

    Singh surrendered Monday in Newark, in U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. Parekh and Darji were both arrested last week in the Eastern District of Michigan. Lambert and Stevens were arrested on the initial indictment and have pleaded not guilty.

    The indictment accuses the conspirators of contacting elderly victims via telephone calls and electronic messages, falsely claiming that the victims’ savings and retirement accounts had been compromised. They told their victims to transfer funds to the conspirators to keep their accounts secure, the indictment says. Sometimes, the transfers came via gold bars that had been bought by victims and then picked up by couriers working for the fraudsters, the indictment says. Couriers worked with a “handler,” who arranged transportation for the couriers and shipped the gold bars to others, the indictment says.

    An 82-year-old St. Louis woman was one of the victims, having been told by scammers pretending to be from a computer software support team that her financial accounts had been compromised, the indictment says. They said she needed to pay money to prevent her funds from being stolen, the indictment says. The scammers had the victim open new bank accounts, transfer her money into those accounts and wire money overseas, in addition to buying about $250,000 worth of gold bars, the indictment says. On May 1, 2024, Lambert flew from Gainesville, Florida to St. Louis, the indictment says. Parekh rented a car and drove Lambert to a parking lot near the victim’s home, it says. Lambert then took an Uber to the victim’s home to retrieve the gold bars, but was intercepted by law enforcement agents, the indictment says. Lambert sent a warning message via WhatsApp to her conspirators, saying “police,” it says.

    Lambert and Stevens were couriers, and were paid in cash, the indictment says. Parekh, Darji and Singh were handlers and travelled to victims’ residences in order to pick up gold bars, it says. Parekh worked as a handler in gold bar pickups from victims in Yuma and Scottsdale in Arizona; Placentia and La Jolla in California; Largo, Florida; Chapel Hill, N.C.; and Pittsburgh, Penn., the indictment says. Singh worked a handler in gold bar pickups from victims in Collierville, Tenn.; Universal City, Texas; and Greendale, Wisc., it says. Darji worked as a handler in gold bar pickups from the Scottsdale victims and received three separate FedEx packages containing gold bars obtained from the Largo victim, it says. Lambert worked as a courier in Scottsdale; Placentia; La Jolla; Largo; Universal City; Hanover, Mass.; and Erie, Penn., it says. Stevens worked as a courier in gold bar pickups from victims in Yuma; La Jolla; Collier; Largo; Greendale; Oxnard, Calif.; Long Island, N.Y.; and Cincinnati, Ohio, the indictment says.

    “This case is another example of the FBI being able to stop the scam before a victim gets robbed out of his or her life savings,” said Special Agent in Charge Ashley T. Johnson of the FBI St. Louis Division. “We’ve been successful in protecting victims when family members, friends or businesses become suspicious and immediately notify the FBI in time for us to intervene.”

    A motion seeking to have Parekh and Darji held in jail until trial says both are in the United States unlawfully, Parekh having overstayed his work visa and Darji having been removed from the country in 2014. When Parekh was alerted by Lambert that she had been apprehended by the police, he fled Missouri for Pittsburgh, Penn., it says.

    Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt.  Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    The wire fraud conspiracy charge carries a penalty of up to 30 years in prison, a $1 million fine or both prison and a fine.

    This case was investigated by the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations in Tampa, Florida. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gwen Carroll is prosecuting the case.

    If someone you know is a victim of a cyber scam, report it to the FBI. You can file the complaint online with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at http://www.ic3.gov or use 1-800-CALL-FBI.
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: New Orleans Man Sentenced for Violations of the Federal Controlled Substances and Gun Control Acts

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

    NEW ORLEANS, LA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that CYRUS ROLLINS (“ROLLINS”), age 41, of New Orleans, was sentenced om October 2, 2024 by U.S. District Judge Wendy B. Vitter after previously pleading guilty to possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C), and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i).  ROLLINS was sentenced to 97 months of imprisonment, three (3) years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $200 mandatory special assessment fee.

    According to court documents, in August 2023, ROLLINS was arrested by  New Orleans Police Department officers for distributing narcotics and carrying firearms in and around the Low Barrier Shelter, a homeless shelter in New Orleans.  ROLLINS was found in possession of four firearms, as well as methamphetamine, crack cocaine, and fentanyl.

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

    U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department in investigating this matter.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Greg Kennedy of the Violent Crimes Unit.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Randolph Man Pleads Guilty to Fraud Schemes Involving Sober Home Client, Mass Save Program, and Mortgage Fraud

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

    BOSTON – A Randolph man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to his involvement in numerous fraud schemes involving sober homes in the Greater Boston area, the Mass Save Program and mortgage fraud. 

    Nicholas Espinosa, 38, pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud conspiracy; one count of conspiracy to make false statements to a mortgage lending business (mortgage fraud conspiracy); 16 counts of wire fraud; six counts of unlawful monetary transactions (money laundering); and one count of making false statements to a mortgage lending business. U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for March 11, 2025. Espinosa was arrested and charged in March 2023 along with alleged co-conspirator Daniel Cleggett.

    According to the charging documents, Cleggett was the founder of the sober home business, A Vision From God LLC (AVFG), with locations in in Boston, Wakefield, Quincy and Weymouth under trade names including Brady’s Place, Lakeshore Retreat and Lambert House. Espinosa managed the day-to-day affairs of Cleggett’s business. 

    Espinosa, and allegedly Cleggett, along with a sober home client entered into a conspiracy to defraud a New York-based family trust that was paying for the client’s room and board at Brady’s Place in Quincy. Specifically, Espinosa, and allegedly Cleggett, overcharged the family trust for room and board by up to $12,500 per month by submitting false and fraudulent invoices to the family trust. Espinosa, and allegedly Cleggett, would then issue “refund” checks to the client in furtherance of the fraud scheme. 

    According to the charging documents, from approximately October 2019 to December 2021, Cleggett personally, and through straw purchasers including Espinosa, purchased the three residential properties in Weymouth and Boston to use as sober homes. Espinosa falsely represented that one of these properties was intended to be purchased as a primary residence for himself when, in reality, it was intended to be a sober home. 

    In addition to the sober home business, Cleggett operated numerous insulation contracting companies that participated in the Mass Save Program: Green Save Energy Corporation; Environmental Construction Objective Inc. (ECO); Green Giants, LLC; and Insulation Situation, LLC. Mass Save is a Massachusetts public/private partnership sponsored by gas and electric utility companies that funds energy conservation projects and improvements via energy efficiency funds charged to Massachusetts residents’ utility bills. 

    Specifically, Green Save and ECO received millions of dollars for residential insulation work from a lead vendor company under the Mass Save program. It is alleged that, from 2018 through mid-2021, Green Save and ECO fraudulently billed the vendor company for required permits that were not actually obtained. Green Save and ECO were ultimately terminated from participating in the company’s program in June 2021, and Cleggett was banned from participating in the Mass Save program. In response to this, Espinosa, and allegedly Cleggett and others, formed Green Giants as a new lead vendor with the same company under a straw owner. As a result, Espinosa, and allegedly Cleggett, obtained a total of $509,326 in payments from the company to Green Giants, despite a ban from participating in the Mass Save program.

    The charges of wire fraud and wire fraud conspiracy provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of making false statements to a mortgage lending business provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge of unlawful monetary transactions provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

    Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Kingston, Randolph and Quincy Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. Mulcahy and Dustin Chao of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit are prosecuting the case.

    The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Maui Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing Explosive Device and Powders

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

    HONOLULU – United States Attorney Clare E. Connors announced that Robert Francis Dumaran, 47, of Kahului, Maui, pleaded guilty in federal court yesterday to possessing explosive powders as a convicted felon and possessing an unregistered destructive device. Dumaran’s sentencing is set for February 2, 2025, before United States District Judge Jill A. Otake.

    According to court documents and information presented in court, Dumaran admitted he attempted to detonate a homemade firework at the intersection of Lono Avenue and Hina Avenue on Maui, Hawaii, during either the late evening of July 22, 2024, or the early morning of July 23, 2024. Dumaran’s homemade firework contained black powder (gunpowder) and flash powder. As a convicted felon, Dumaran was prohibited from possessing explosives. The Maui Police Department (“MPD”) discovered and rendered safe Dumaran’s homemade firework in the morning of July 23, as reported in a prior press release.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) later searched Dumaran’s residence and discovered an improvised hand grenade. Dumaran admitted he crafted and possessed that grenade for use as a defensive weapon capable of causing destruction and death.

    Dumaran is not charged in connection with improvised explosive devices recovered on August 7, 2024, in Kula, Maui or the August 8, 2024 explosion in Pukalani, Maui.

    The case was investigated by the FBI and MPD. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan D. Slack and Wayne A. Myers are prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: California Tax Preparer Sentenced for Preparing False Returns

    Source: United States Attorneys General 7

    A California man was sentenced yesterday to six years in prison for preparing false tax returns for clients.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, Salvador Gonzalez, of Corona, operated for more than a decade Grace’s Lighthouse Resource Center Inc., a return-preparation business.

    During that time, on thousands of returns he prepared for clients, Gonzalez consistently claimed false deductions like charitable donations and medical expenses, which reduced the amount of income taxes his clients paid. Gonzalez also directed his clients to create sham corporations and fraudulently deduct personal expenses — such as their mortgage, car and utility payments — as business expenses on the tax returns filed for these phony corporations. These fabricated losses flowed through to the clients’ individual income tax returns, thereby fraudulently reducing the amount of individual income taxes they paid.

    In total, Gonzalez caused a tax loss to the IRS of at least $28 million.

    In addition to his prison sentence, the court ordered Gonzalez to serve one year of supervised release and to pay $403,908 in restitution to the United States.

    Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada for the Central District of California made the announcement.

    IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.

    Trial Attorney Lauren K. Pope of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Eli A. Alcaraz for the Central District of California prosecuted the case.

    Consistent with the plea agreement, the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Tax Section filed a civil complaint against Gonzalez in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. The complaint seeks to permanently enjoin Gonzalez from preparing, assisting in, directing or supervising the preparation or filing of federal tax returns, amended tax returns or other related documents or forms for others. The civil complaint alleges that over a period of years, Gonzalez prepared tax returns that understate the federal income-tax liability of his customers using a scheme which has harmed the United States, the IRS, his customers and the public. Yesterday, Gonzalez consented to the entry of the civil judgment and permanent injunction.

    Taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant against unscrupulous tax preparers. The IRS has information on its website for choosing a tax return preparer and has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers. The IRS also offers tips to recognize tax scams and fraud.

    In the past decade, the Justice Department has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on this page. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: California Tax Preparer Sentenced for Preparing False Returns

    Source: US State of California

    A California man was sentenced yesterday to six years in prison for preparing false tax returns for clients.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, Salvador Gonzalez, of Corona, operated for more than a decade Grace’s Lighthouse Resource Center Inc., a return-preparation business.

    During that time, on thousands of returns he prepared for clients, Gonzalez consistently claimed false deductions like charitable donations and medical expenses, which reduced the amount of income taxes his clients paid. Gonzalez also directed his clients to create sham corporations and fraudulently deduct personal expenses — such as their mortgage, car and utility payments — as business expenses on the tax returns filed for these phony corporations. These fabricated losses flowed through to the clients’ individual income tax returns, thereby fraudulently reducing the amount of individual income taxes they paid.

    In total, Gonzalez caused a tax loss to the IRS of at least $28 million.

    In addition to his prison sentence, the court ordered Gonzalez to serve one year of supervised release and to pay $403,908 in restitution to the United States.

    Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada for the Central District of California made the announcement.

    IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.

    Trial Attorney Lauren K. Pope of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Eli A. Alcaraz for the Central District of California prosecuted the case.

    Consistent with the plea agreement, the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Tax Section filed a civil complaint against Gonzalez in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. The complaint seeks to permanently enjoin Gonzalez from preparing, assisting in, directing or supervising the preparation or filing of federal tax returns, amended tax returns or other related documents or forms for others. The civil complaint alleges that over a period of years, Gonzalez prepared tax returns that understate the federal income-tax liability of his customers using a scheme which has harmed the United States, the IRS, his customers and the public. Yesterday, Gonzalez consented to the entry of the civil judgment and permanent injunction.

    Taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant against unscrupulous tax preparers. The IRS has information on its website for choosing a tax return preparer and has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers. The IRS also offers tips to recognize tax scams and fraud.

    In the past decade, the Justice Department has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on this page. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Peters, Stabenow Introduce Legislation to Grant Federal Recognition to the Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Michigan Gary Peters

    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) introduced legislation that seeks to grant federal recognition to the Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians (GRB). In addition to granting federal recognition to the GRB, the Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians Restoration Act would make its members eligible for benefits and services provided by the federal government, including tuition, health care, and housing assistance. U.S. Representative Scholten (D-MI-03) has introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives. 

    The GRB is a native sovereign nation with agreements with the federal government dating back to 1795. The GRB originally included 19 bands of Ottawa people who lived along the Grand River and other waterways in southwest Michigan. Today, most of the GRB’s membership resides in Kent, Muskegon, and Oceana counties. 

    “For decades, the Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians has been working to gain federal Tribal recognition,” said Senator Peters. “This bill would finally give them the recognition they deserve, bringing federal resources to its members and protecting their Tribal lands for future generations.”  

    “The Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians have deep roots in Michigan going back generations,” said Senator Stabenow. “The tribe is recognized by the State of Michigan, but not by the Department of Interior.  This legislation would finally grant federal recognition to this tribe.”

    “On behalf of the Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians, I thank Sen. Peters and the delegation members who introduced and co-sponsored this bill. After decades of delays, this bill brings renewed hope that our Tribe will achieve federal recognition and our members will gain access to the resources they deserve, including critical funding for social services, education, housing, elder care, exercising our treaty rights and weighing in on federal legislation that impacts tribes. We are grateful to Sen. Peters for his leadership and dedication to justice for the Grand River Bands,” said Ron Yob, Chairman of the Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians.  

    This legislation is supported by community partners and local government leaders including the Lower Grand River Organization of Watersheds; the West Michigan Plumbers, Fitters and Service Trades; and other key stakeholders throughout Michigan. Rep. Scholten’s House companion legislation is supported by Reps. John Moolenaar (R-MI-02), Dan Kildee (D-MI-08), Jack Bergman (R-MI-01), Lisa McClain (R-MI-09), Tim Walberg (R-MI-05), Haley Stevens (D-MI-11), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI-07), and John James (R-MI-10).  

    Peters and Stabenow have previously led efforts to support Tribal communities across Michigan. In August, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee advanced legislation authored by Peters that would require the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) to accept requests from Tribal governments to receive Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) Declarations. Last year, the Senate unanimously passed legislation introduced by Peters and Stabenow to settle the longstanding land claims of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC) and clear the title of current landowners in the community. The bill authorizes federal funds through the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) that may be used by the KBIC for governmental services, economic development, natural resource protection, and land acquisition. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Pallone Announces Over $44 Million in Federal Funding to Replace Lead Pipes in New Jersey

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Frank Pallone (6th District of New Jersey)

    Washington, D.C. – Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06), Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, announced today that New Jersey will receive more than $44 million in federal funding from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to replace lead pipes. This funding, which Pallone secured through Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will help modernize aging water systems and tackle the critical issue of lead contamination in the state.

    Lead exposure, particularly for children, has been linked to developmental delays and cognitive issues. This new federal funding will prioritize the removal of hazardous lead service lines, supporting ongoing efforts to protect the health and safety of families in schools, homes, and communities throughout New Jersey.

    “As part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, I led the charge to include substantial investments in clean water infrastructure, like the funding being announced today,” said Pallone. “Safe drinking water is a basic human right, yet right now, millions of American families cannot trust the water coming out of their taps. This funding is a major win for New Jersey and a crucial step toward ensuring every community has access to clean, safe drinking water. We’re delivering real results to protect families and improve water quality across the state.”

    As part of this initiative, the EPA also announced today the new Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) rule, which requires water systems across the country to identify and replace all lead service lines within 10 years. Additionally, the EPA announced $2.6 billion in funding for drinking water infrastructure projects nationwide. The $44 million investment for New Jersey will strengthen the state’s ability to remove lead service lines, ensuring that communities statewide—especially those most affected by outdated infrastructure—can rely on safe, clean drinking water.

    For more information on the EPA’s Lead and Copper Rule Improvements and funding opportunities available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, visit www.epa.gov/lead-copper-rule.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: UNECE helps Moldova move towards more energy efficient building sector

    Source: United Nations Economic Commission for Europe

    The building sector is the largest consumer of energy in the Republic of Moldova, representing 53 per cent of final energy consumption in 2022, with public sector buildings accounting for less than one-fifth and residential buildings for the rest. The crucial aspect that influences energy efficiency is the aging building stock as 72 per cent of buildings were constructed between 1951 and 1990, and nowadays lack modern energy efficiency measures. 

    These statistics underscore the significant role that buildings play in energy demand, overshadowing other sectors such as transport (30 per cent) and industry (8 per cent), and highlight the urgency of addressing energy consumption in the building sector amid the energy crisis. 

    The International Forum on “Innovative Solutions for Scaling Up Energy Efficiency in Buildings” held in Chisinau on 3-4 October 2024, aimed at addressing this challenge by connecting the best technologies and practices for building new and retrofitting older assets, through innovative business models and identifying the needed investments for a more sustainable energy future in Moldova. 

    At the Forum, UNECE shared its extensive experience on the strategic vision and the necessary policy interventions to improve energy efficiency, which would involve:  

    • Comprehensive regulatory frameworks in place, encompassing energy efficiency standards, building codes, and market structures that facilitate the electrification of key sectors like heating and transportation. These frameworks create a solid foundation for transitioning to cleaner energy systems while promoting the widespread adoption of energy-efficient technologies. Buildings, as essential components of future energy systems, play a critical role by not only consuming energy but also helping to balance energy demand and supply through on-site generation and active participation in the electricity market. 

    • Guaranteeing access to modern energy-efficient technologies, with implementation strategies adapted to local conditions, such as the cost of capital, resource availability, and skill levels of the local workforce. This approach ensures that solutions are both economically feasible and effective in a longer term. 

    • Tackling the behavioural barriers to fully unlock the energy efficiency potential and ensure broader adoption of available solutions. This includes addressing habits, perceptions, and resistance to change that often hinder the adoption of new technologies and practices. 

    • Development of a national talent strategy, focusing on the training of future workers, enhancing the skills of the current workforce, and developing retention programmes. Such a strategy is vital as it ensures that a capable and knowledgeable labour force is available to support the transition to a more energy-efficient economy. 

    • Bridging the digital divide, as many modern energy-efficient technologies rely on digital tools and infrastructure not only for their proper functioning, but importantly for seizing the system-wide optimization potential. Without equitable access, certain population groups could fall behind. 

    UNECE continues to assist its member States in scaling up energy efficiency, which is crucial to meeting global sustainability goals, supporting environmental protection, social inclusion, and economic development. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Lankford Urges EPA to Rescind Costly Waste Management Rule Hurting Oklahoma Businesses

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Oklahoma James Lankford

    OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) sent a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan to express concern over a proposed rule regarding waste-to-energy (WTE) facilities.

    The EPA’s proposed rule would further tighten Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) standards for existing WTE facilities while simultaneously removing compliance exceptions, leading to dramatic and unnecessary increases in compliance costs across Oklahoma without significant benefit. The Senators urged the EPA to reexamine its proposal prior to issuing a final rule to ensure that new standards are set consistent with actual data provided.

    “Municipal waste combustors, waste-to-energy (WTE) facilities, are a vital waste management technology that communities and businesses in Oklahoma use to divert waste from landfills, recycle metal, and generate renewable energy. Communities and businesses in Oklahoma, and across the country have invested billions of dollars to ensure these facilities are meeting the already stringent environmental standards set by your agency and by states,” wrote the Senators.

    “The EPA should be mindful of the fact that imposing standards that WTE facilities will never meet is well beyond EPA’s statutory authority,” the Senators continued.

    The proposed rule refers to the Standards of Performance for New Stationary Sources and Emission Guidelines for Existing Sources: Large Municipal Waste Combustors, Voluntary Remand Response and 5 Year Review (89 FR 4243), which includes a re-evaluation of the MACT floor determinations issued on January 23rd, 2024.

    The Clean Air Act (CAA) Amendments of 1990 established the MACT standards to ensure that all facilities in an industry sector meet the same standards as the top 12 percent of performing facilities. The EPA set these attainable standards, known as ‘MACT floors,’ for WTE facilities twice, in 1995 and 2006.

    Read the full letter here or below. 

    Dear Administrator Regan,

    We write to express concern about the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed rule,

    Standards of Performance for New Stationary Sources and Emission Guidelines for Existing Sources: Large Municipal Waste Combustors, Voluntary Remand Response and 5-Year Review (89 FR 4243), which includes a re-evaluation of the Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) floor determinations issued on January 23, 2024.

    Municipal waste combustors, waste-to-energy (WTE) facilities, are a vital waste management technology that communities and businesses in Oklahoma use to divert waste from landfills, recycle metal, and generate renewable energy. Communities and businesses in Oklahoma, and across the country have invested billions of dollars to ensure these facilities are meeting the already stringent environmental standards set by your agency and by states. In January of 2023, the Tulsa Authority for the Recovery of Energy (TARE) and Covanta (now Reworld), a leader in the sustainable materials management industry, established a 15-year agreement with a 5-year renewable option for the continuance of waste-to-energy operations in the city of Tulsa. Consequently, the majority of Tulsan’s household trash is now taken to a facility to be combusted and used for energy as opposed to immediately landfilled.

    As you know, the Clean Air Act (CAA) Amendments of 1990 established the MACT standards to ensure that all facilities in an industry sector meet the same standards as the top 12% of performing facilities. The EPA set these attainable standards, known as ‘MACT floors’, for WTE facilities twice, in 1995 and 2006.

    Now, your agency is proposing to further tighten the MACT standards for existing WTE facilities, while simultaneously removing startup, shutdown, and malfunction compliance exceptions. We are concerned that the expected result of this proposed rule runs afoul of Sec. 112(d)(2) of the CAA. By imposing dramatically stricter requirements without compliance flexibility, the new standards are likely to impose hundreds of millions of dollars of increased compliance costs without significant benefit. The EPA should be mindful of the fact that imposing standards that WTE facilities will never meet is well beyond EPA’s statutory authority. Any final rule that contains these standards is certain to be litigated aggressively. The EPA is wholly aware that it can no longer rely upon the Chevron doctrine to defend overly burdensome regulations in court. Moving forward in this fashion will only waste the government resources to defend a final rule that cannot survive judicial scrutiny. Furthermore, expecting our local governments and businesses to achieve standards that are prohibitively expensive or are scientific outliers is unreasonable. If standards are unachievable, or too expensive to achieve, communities may have no choice but to close WTE facilities. This will result in increased landfilling, forgoing millions of dollars of investment in WTE technology and energy production, making it more difficult to maintain sustainable initiatives in Oklahoma and across the country.

    We urge the EPA to reexamine its proposal to ensure that the new standards are set consistent with the actual data provided during the comment period by the industry to the agency.

    Thank you for your attention to this important matter for Oklahoma. We look forward to your response and the opportunity to engage further on this critical issue.

    Sincerely, 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Physician Staffing Firm Expands to Wake County with 155 New Jobs and $7 Million Investment in Raleigh

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: Physician Staffing Firm Expands to Wake County with 155 New Jobs and $7 Million Investment in Raleigh

    Physician Staffing Firm Expands to Wake County with 155 New Jobs and $7 Million Investment in Raleigh
    mseets

    Today, Governor Roy Cooper announced Weatherby Healthcare, Inc. a medical staffing company, will add 155 jobs to Wake County. The company will invest more than $7.6 million to expand its operations in the City of Raleigh.

    “Weatherby has made a great decision to reinvest in North Carolina,” said Governor Cooper. “Wake County sits in the heart of our state and is the home of an international airport and a highly educated workforce, making it an ideal location for corporate businesses.”

    A subsidiary of CHG Healthcare, Weatherby has provided staffing solutions for physicians in rural communities for 45 years. The full-service staffing agency works with medical practices, hospitals, and healthcare facilities to coordinate and execute short-term contracts for healthcare professionals to cover for temporary absences for training, vacation, or medical leave. From housing and travel to licensing and credential requirements, Weatherby covers all aspects of physician placement to ensure complete, uninterrupted care for patients. Weatherby has become one of the largest physician staffing firms in the nation.

    “We’re thrilled to partner with the governor’s office on this project, which will not only give our current employees a vibrant, new, state-of-the-art workspace, but also allow us to continue to grow and bring more high-paying jobs to the great state of North Carolina,” said Michael Depaolis, Senior Vice President of Sales for Weatherby. “We pride ourselves on being a great place to work, and we’re excited to share our award-winning, people-centric culture with the state’s top talent.”

    “We are delighted to see another company expand its presence in our state,” said N.C. Commerce Secretary Machelle Baker Sanders. “From manufacturers to corporate headquarters, North Carolina continues to be a top choice for companies that want a low-cost to do business, great quality of life, and access to top tier talent as they continue to grow and expand.”

    Although salaries will vary by position and could create a potential payroll impact of more than $31.7 million each year for the region.

    Weatherby’s project in North Carolina will be facilitated, in part, by a Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG), which was approved by the state’s Economic Investment Committee earlier today. Over the course of the 12-year term of this grant, the project is estimated to grow the state’s economy by $433.5 million. Using a formula that takes into account the new tax revenues generated by the new jobs, the JDIG agreement authorizes the potential reimbursement to the company of up to $1,812,000, spread over 12 years. State payments only occur following performance verification by the departments of Commerce and Revenue that the company has met its incremental job creation and investment targets.

    The project’s projected return on investment of public dollars is 134 percent, meaning for every dollar of potential cost to the state, the state receives $2.34 in state revenue. JDIG projects result in positive net tax revenue to the state treasury, even after taking into consideration the grant’s reimbursement payments to a given company.

    Because Weatherby chose a site in Wake County, classified by the state’s economic tier system as Tier 3, the company’s JDIG agreement also calls for moving $604,000 into the state’s Industrial Development Fund – Utility Account. The Utility Account helps rural communities finance necessary infrastructure upgrades to attract future business. Even when new jobs are created in a Tier 3 county such as Wake, the new tax revenue generated through JDIG grants helps more economically challenged communities elsewhere in the state.

    “This project is an outstanding win for Wake County,” said N.C. Senator Lisa Grafstein. “We have an incredible and diverse talent base that is ready to help the company meet the needs of the demanding healthcare industry, and we look forward to welcoming Weatherby to our community.”

    “It gives us a great vote of confidence to know that the City of Raleigh was selected for Weatherby’s new home,” said N.C. Representative Tim Longest. “We appreciate the diligent work of our state and local partners that helped the company choose our strong economy for their next phase of growth.”  

    Partnering with the North Carolina Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina on this project were the North Carolina General Assembly, N.C. Commerce’s Division of Workforce Solutions, Wake County, the City of Raleigh, Capital Area Workforce Development, Raleigh Economic Development and Wake County Economic Development, programs of the Raleigh Chamber.

    ###

    Oct 8, 2024

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Parliament votes for action on Winter Fuel Payment

    Source: Scottish Government

    UK Government urged to reverse ‘damaging’ decision.

    The UK Government’s decision to introduce means testing for the Winter Fuel Payment must be reversed, according to MSPs.

    Following a debate as part of Challenge Poverty Week, the Scottish Parliament voted in favour of a motion that the UK Government reverse its decision to restrict entitlement to the benefit.

    First Minister John Swinney said that as a result of this damaging decision, Scottish Government analysis indicates roughly 900,000 Scottish pensioners will no longer be entitled to support with heating costs this winter.

    Commenting after the debate, the First Minister said:

    “More austerity is not the solution to the restrictive fiscal environment in which the UK Government, and governments across the globe, find themselves.

    “It is a mistake to think that action to tackle poverty for our most vulnerable citizens are costs to be mitigated. These measures are investments in our people, our communities and our nation’s future. I have urged the UK Government to deliver an Autumn Budget that recognises this reality.

    “Scotland’s Parliament has spoken, and I repeat my call for the UK Government to reverse its damaging decision to restrict entitlement to Winter Fuel Payments for pensioners.

    “The Scottish Government will continue to support households with their energy bills and tackle fuel poverty. However the UK Government must ensure their budget in October provides the necessary support to those who need it most.”

    Background

    The full text of the First Minister’s opening speech given to Parliament on Tuesday 8 October 2024.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Global: As an ethical hacker, I can’t believe the risks people routinely take when they access the internet in public

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Christopher Patrick Hawkins, Lecturer in Cyber Security and Computer Science, University of Staffordshire

    In the modern world we are all constantly connected, but this comes with risks. As most cybersecurity specialists will tell you, the biggest vulnerability in any system is the user – whether at home or work.

    The most common ways in which hackers break into systems are via attacks on users such as phishing, rather than by breaching technical infrastructure. As much as 94% of all malware is delivered via email, while phishing is the primary means of attack in 41% of all incidents. This risk is also increasing, with 75% of security experts reporting an overall rise in cyberattacks year on year in 2023.

    Many corporate IT teams have been spending heavily on training users to be more wary of such attacks. However, this has tended to focus on best practice in the workplace. In public areas, where people’s guards might be lowered, it’s quite a different story.

    I’ve recently seen several examples of this for myself. As a certified ethical hacker with years of experience in cybersecurity and contributing to cybercriminal investigations, I can’t tell you how easy it is for these kinds of situations to be exploited by bad actors.

    In the first incident, I was in a shop buying some household items. While I queued, staff were asking customers for email addresses to send them e-receipts for their items.

    This might sound innocent, and it’s surely better for the environment than paper receipts, but it could easily be exploited by a savvy hacker who might be listening. Combined with contextual information such as location, item and cost, they could craft a phishing email that would probably fool most people. It could be an invite to complete a feedback survey, for instance, or a discount code for their next visit to the same store.

    On another occasion I was at a live concert. While we waited for the show to begin, an individual in front of me was browsing his phone. From observing for just a short time, I ascertained his name, job, address, vehicle, phone number and even bank balance. Again, this could have been used by a hacker in a number of malicious ways, including posing as the individual to steal their identity or even coercing them to act against their employer, say by threatening to reveal sensitive information.

    We therefore all need to be mindful of the information that we are exposing to strangers when we are in public. Equally, we need to think about what devices we are using, and what we are connecting them to.

    Unsecured network risks

    While at the same concert, I saw numerous people connecting to the stadium wifi, which was totally unprotected and required no authentication. When you log in to an unsecured network, it exposes your device to risks such as evil twin attacks.

    Evil twin attacks involve the attacker creating a wifi hotspot, which can be set to any name they choose, such as “stadium wifi 2” or whatever. When an unprotected device connects to this network, the attacker can potentially steal the data they are transmitting.

    It can also be used for other nefarious purposes such as snooping on confidential networks, injecting malware into downloads or “man-in-the-middle” attacks in which the hacker poses as the other person in a communication, again usually to steal information.

    People can be exposed to similar threats on unsecured networks through another hacking ruse known as packet sniffing. This is where a hacker uses a program to monitor the data moving over the network and steal information.

    Connecting now …
    Alexander Supertramp

    You can avoid these risks by logging in from a virtual private network (VPN), not that I saw anyone doing that at the concert. More generally, people can protect themselves from identity theft by, for instance, having anti-phishing systems in their inboxes.

    However, the easiest defence of all is to be alert to the risks and take sensible precautions in public. By protecting your data and devices, no matter where you are, you can avoid becoming one of the victims.

    Christopher Patrick Hawkins 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. As an ethical hacker, I can’t believe the risks people routinely take when they access the internet in public – https://theconversation.com/as-an-ethical-hacker-i-cant-believe-the-risks-people-routinely-take-when-they-access-the-internet-in-public-240599

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Tackling the UK’s housing crisis means addressing one key problem: affordability

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Paul Anand, Professor of Economics, The Open University

    Jevanto Productions/Shutterstock

    The UK government has serious ambition when it comes to solving England’s housing crisis. Shortly after the 2024 general election, it pledged to build 1.5 million new homes over the next five years.

    It’s a big plan which could help improve the quality of life of millions of people. But is such an ambitious target plausible? Or has the government created a rod for its own back, and embarked on an economic mission that is doomed to failure?

    For, at the heart of this mission is a political desire to shape the direction of the economy. And to succeed, this desire needs to be matched with a clear understanding of the economic reality at the heart of the UK’s housing crisis – a reality that is all about affordability.

    To be successful, housing policies aimed at helping those on lower incomes need to address this head on. But the government’s emphasis so far has been on “zoning” (allowing houses to be built on land which was previously protected), or speeding up the planning process and tackling nimbyism. All of these factors are distractions from the main and simple point – that too many people simply cannot afford to buy, or even rent, a decent home.

    And while there has been some suggestion that a bigger proportion of new housing projects need to be affordable, details have been scant.

    Instead, most of the talk has been about “greybelt zones”, where planning permission will be granted more easily and quickly to create new opportunities for house building. But it is far from clear this will help to bring down – or even stabilise – the costs of housing.

    Obtaining planning permission is a small fraction of that total cost. And when these permissions are granted, the value of land rises. The landowner makes money, but the hopeful future house buyer or tenant gains nothing, other than the fact there are extra houses on the market.

    Imposing a requirement for higher proportions of affordable housing from building companies might be the single most effective thing the government can do. However, those companies may then increase their margins on the larger houses they plan to sell. And higher prices for bigger homes raises demand – and then prices – for smaller ones.

    If the government wants to tackle the affordability issue by increasing supply, it should note that just over half the costs of new housing are down to expensive construction. The use of modern pre-fabricated methods to help reduce those costs is still relatively low in the UK.

    Sweden uses this approach for over 80% of its new house building, and a faster switch (with government persuasion) to more affordable building methods in the UK could be beneficial.

    An expensive business.
    Clare Louise Jackson/Shutterstock

    More new towns have also been promised. They’re not a bad idea, but building them takes a very long time, so any contribution they make to the housing crisis will take years (decades even) to be seen.

    Local knowledge

    The government has already announced a series of house-building targets for local areas as part of its five-year plan. But this adds a further complication, in a classic example of regional planning being done from Westminster instead of locally. How do they know that these houses will be built where people actually want to live?

    For a good sense of where people do want to live, the government could immediately turn to housing associations – private, non-profit making organisations that already provide low-cost housing to millions. There might be some mileage in seeking to boost their stock by encouraging – and even underwriting – further borrowing by them.

    Typically, housing associations charge significantly lower rents as they are not focused on making a return for shareholders, and their long-term stability attracts lower borrowing costs. If the government’s promised increase in the UK’s housing stock leads to an expansion in the housing association sector, this could make a meaningful contribution to limiting the rents paid by those on lower incomes – and enhancing the potential for them to eventually buy a genuinely affordable home.

    But for many others, the biggest hurdle over the coming years will be mortgage rates. Even if interest rates come down gradually over the next five years, this is unlikely to make much difference to those who cannot afford a mortgage. And it won’t happen quickly enough to conjure up 1.5 million new homeowners in five years.

    It seems doubtful then, that the government will reach its target, however laudible. But if it is to stand a chance, it needs to be thoughtful in its economics. Merely setting targets and expressing frustration when they are not met – as they are unlikely to be – is not enough.

    Paul Anand owns shares in Taylor Wimpey, Persimmon, Barratt Development and Rathbones Global Opportunity Fund.
    He is a professor at the Open University and research associate at Oxford University.

    – ref. Tackling the UK’s housing crisis means addressing one key problem: affordability – https://theconversation.com/tackling-the-uks-housing-crisis-means-addressing-one-key-problem-affordability-239051

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Household heating expenditures expected to remain about the same or less than last winter

    Source: US Energy Information Administration

    In-brief analysis

    October 8, 2024

    Data source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Winter Fuels Outlook

    As we explain in our October 2024 Winter Fuels Outlook, we expect that most U.S. households are likely to spend about the same or less on energy than they did last winter, depending on a household’s main space heating fuel and the region where they live. We expect that lower prices this winter will be offset by colder temperatures, resulting in relatively little change in expenditures.

    Tomorrow, EIA Administrator Joe DeCarolis will present our Winter Fuels Outlook forecasts during a webinar, and a panel of EIA experts will answer questions from attendees. This event is open to the public, but you must register.

    Because weather is a significant source of uncertainty in our forecast, the Winter Fuels Outlook includes two side cases where all U.S. regions are either 10% colder or 10% warmer than the base forecast.

    The Winter Fuels Outlook explains our expectations for residential energy consumption, prices, and expenditures for the upcoming winter season as well as our analysis of market conditions for the four most common residential space heating fuels: natural gas, electricity, propane, and heating oil.

    Energy consumption and expenditures depend on the size and energy efficiency of individual homes, their heating equipment and operating conditions, and weather. Differences in the housing populations (such as geographic distribution and size) across fuels complicate direct comparisons. For these reasons, readers should not assume that switching to another fuel with lower average energy expenditures—as presented in this report—would necessarily result in less spending for their household.

    Winter Fuels Outlook webinar details
    Date: October 9
    Time: 11:00 a.m.–11:45 a.m. eastern time
    Venue: Microsoft Teams
    Registration: Open to the public, but registration is required

    Principal contributor: Owen Comstock

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: 4 foundational ways that AI is transforming government

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: 4 foundational ways that AI is transforming government

    Of the many ways you might measure the potential value of AI on governments, one statistic jumps out. According to Gartner®, 2027 spend on AI software by use case, digital government services, is projected to reach USD41.8 billion in 2027. That tops all other industry sectors, with banking coming in second at USD28.2 billion.1 This represents a significant shift in priorities, as governments recognize the potential of AI to enhance public sector efficiency, transparency, and citizen engagement.

    As Microsoft’s global government lead, I am inspired that so many agencies and organizations are not hedging their bets with AI, as was sometimes the case with prior waves (cloud computing and the rise of mobility come to mind). Instead, many governments are taking thoughtful early steps to explore AI and invest in early innovation.

    Microsoft for Government

    Achieve your mission with Microsoft.

    How AI is transforming government IT

    At Microsoft for Government, our job is to help governments make the most of their AI investments with best-in-class solutions that are tailored to their unique needs and brought to life through our global network of technology partners. Since the advent of generative AI in late 2022, we have worked closely with a wide array of agencies and organizations to develop targeted use cases designed to improve everything from citizen services to cybersecurity.

    This level of innovation is even more impressive considering the unique pressures facing governments. Leaders must deliver results within constrained budgets and limited resources, respond to shifts in societies and workforces, and protect some of the most heavily cyber-attacked data and systems in the world.

    Here’s a brief look at four essential areas where AI is helping to empower customers and reshape the impact of government around the world.

    1. Delivering personalized experiences

    Unproductive interactions with automated call centers and outdated websites are the bane of many constituents’ relationships with their government agencies. Well-intended at the core, too many of these services fail to connect with constituents, recognize their needs, and deliver useful information in a timely way.

    Generative AI is revolutionizing these resources with self-service portals and contact centers that provide modern, user-friendly digital experiences. The combination of natural language processing (which enables machines to understand and generate human language), and semantic search (which goes beyond simple keyword matching to comprehend the meaning of a query) makes it possible to readily create chatbots and agents that interact smoothly with people and reason over vast amounts of data to instantly provide solutions.

    An amazing example is a chatbot in India called Jugalbandi, built on Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service. Jugalbandi has bridged the nation’s vast linguistic divide by understanding spoken and typed questions, then responding in the user’s local language, all on widely used mobile devices. By covering 10 of India’s 22 official languages and 171 government programs (so far), it makes important information more accessible and reduces cost and friction for constituents and employees alike.

    2. Empowering the government workforce

    Ensuring that employees can focus on meaningful work is key to government success. In public service, many people are motivated by the opportunity to help others and solve important societal challenges. When subpar technology solutions create inefficiencies and cause unintended problems, productivity and morale suffer.

    Government workers, like employees everywhere, welcome services and solutions that reduce friction, keep them connected, and make them more productive. Solutions that use generative AI’s unique predictive analytics and forecasting capabilities can help employees improve their decision-making and overall efficiency.

    In the United Arab Emirates, the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) DWEA) built a new Business Requirement Document Generator using Microsoft Azure AI Services that enables employees to enter minimal information and easily generate important documents. Trained on 500 billion parameters, it proactively suggests required information and fills in gaps and other important information. What used to take one week can now be done in one day, including reviews. Complementing the solution, the Authority also boosted productivity by adopting Microsoft 365 Copilot, which is proving invaluable in helping employees to work faster and effectively, notably on research tasks.

    3. Modernizing government operations

    In many organizations and agencies, the journey to cloud computing has been hindered by important considerations unique to government, including cost, security, and a reliance on legacy systems which are often regarded as so critical that they can’t be modernized, despite being slow, complex, and vulnerable. As cloud and AI solutions become more mature and available, however, the barriers to modernization are dropping, while the price of inaction only rises.

    Generative AI’s code generation capabilities (which empower non-developers to readily create AI applications) make it possible to manage critical workloads in the cloud, while gaining new benefits in flexibility, scalability, and resilience across agencies. This can unlock critical data stuck in silos and drive better decision-making for officials who, for example, can make more informed decisions on proposed legislation. Likewise, for citizens, it can turn the process of obtaining a building permit into a productive interaction with a helpful virtual agent, rather than a gauntlet of arcane rules and regulatory snags.

    When Gamle Oslo realized that a district manager needed to log into 25 different systems to find relevant data for the city’s kindergarten services, they decided to build a unified data platform using Microsoft Fabric. The solution collects and analyzes all of the district’s data on housing, employment, health care, and public services, which had formerly been disconnected. Unified data with Fabric has improved many processes and opened the door to new benefits and insights, including setting the stage for new AI innovation.

    4. Securing data and protecting resources

    More than any other industry sector, governments are prime targets for cyberattacks. According to Microsoft’s Digital Defense Report for 2023, 53% of attacks worldwide focused on government organizations and critical infrastructure2. Over the last 18 months, public sector organizations have seen a 150% increase in cyberattacks3 due to the combination of escalating geo-political conflicts and increasing financial motivations.

    This dangerous threat landscape urgently requires governments to improve their ability to safeguard critical systems, enhance data protection, and maintain compliance with a host of regulations. Making the challenge even more difficult for governments is the growing demand for skilled cybersecurity staff. Worldwide, there is a shortage of 4 million cybersecurity professionals4, and the problem can be worse for governments, who often struggle to attract and retain talent.

    Cloud and AI technology can help level the cybersecurity playing field in a number of important ways. First, the Microsoft Cloud platform provides built-in security and resilience, reflecting our commitment to making security and compliance our top priority. Also, our comprehensive security offerings help an organization craft its own strategy using end-to-end products and tools. And finally, Microsoft Copilot for Security uses generative AI to empower security analysts to rapidly assess an organization’s security posture and create actionable insights and solutions at much greater speed than current approaches.

    When the Dominican Republic’s National Cybersecurity Center (CNCS) recognized increases in both frequency and sophistication of cyberattacks, they responded by modernizing the government’s information system and in national critical infrastructure. Their comprehensive approach included adopting a variety of Microsoft solutions to monitor, analyze, manage, and respond to cyber threat cases across the country. The benefits of modern cybersecurity were soon evident, as the event correlation system running on Microsoft Sentinel established relationships between indicators of compromise four times faster than earlier approaches.

    See AI in government for yourself

    Beyond these transformational benefits, the explosion of AI innovation in government is also advancing the move to modern cloud and data platforms, which is not only essential for enabling AI but also delivers broader benefits in efficiency, productivity, and security.

    The insights and examples shared here only just scratch the surface of what our customers are creating and learning. We’re discovering new and amazing things on a daily basis, and we invite you to become engaged.

    To see for yourself and learn more:

    • Attend the Microsoft AI Tour—a free, one-day event with experts, industry leaders, and peers to explore how AI can drive growth and create lasting value. Events are happening worldwide through March 2025.
    • Visit us at Smart City Expo World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, November 5–7, 2024. I will present on the topic of “Next-Gen Tech Leading the New Urban Era​,” and other Microsoft for Government sessions will be presented by Kathleen Mitford, Kirk Arthur, Jeremy Goldberg, Doug Priest, and Hannah Prior.
    • To discover how the city of Madrid is innovating to become a smarter, more sustainable city, download the new SmartCitiesWorld City Profile. And for a discussion of the new profile, including a new AI-driven virtual assistant, register for a SmartCitiesWorld webinar on October 22, 2024.

    Sources:

    1Gartner, Compare AI Software Spending in the Government Industry, 2023-2027, By Daniel Snyder, James Ingham, Inna Agamirzian, 27 March 2024. GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and is used herein with permission. All rights reserved.

    2Microsoft Digital Defense Report 2023

    3Statista, December 2023

    4ISC2 Cybersecurity Workforce Study, November, 2023

    Didier Ongena

    Global Government Lead, Microsoft

    Didier Ongena leads Microsoft’s Worldwide Public Sector Government team, focused on helping customers realize transformational impact through technology. He and his team help customers address global challenges such as sustainability, mobility, the energy crisis, healthcare, education, and more. They are eager to add value to government agencies worldwide.

    See more articles from this author

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Israeli forces are pushing people from north to south Gaza Palestine

    Source: Médecins Sans Frontières –

    • In northern Gaza, Palestine, Israeli evacuation orders and strikes are forcing people to flee south.
    • The bombing and evacuations of neighbourhoods in the north are making the area unliveable, with no supplies entering the area for a week.
    • We call on Israel to stop issuing evacuation orders and immediately allow in humanitarian aid.

    Israeli evacuation orders for parts of northern Gaza, Palestine, issued on 7 October, are pushing tens of thousands of people to immediately flee south as the area is targeted by airstrikes and a ground offensive. In this latest forced mass displacement, residents of Beit Hanoun, Jabalia and Beit Lahia have been urged to move south to the overcrowded, so-called humanitarian zone between Al-Mawasi and Deir Al-Balah, where one million people are already living in inhumane conditions. The zone also remains unsafe for civilians and aid workers, as Israeli forces continue to repeatedly strike the area.

    These forced mass evacuations of homes and bombing of neighbourhoods by the Israeli forces are turning the north of Gaza into an unliveable wasteland, effectively emptying out the whole north of the Strip of Palestinian life. To make matters worse, no humanitarian supplies have been allowed to enter the area since 1 October.

    Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) calls on the Israeli forces to halt evacuation orders, which are causing the forced displacement of people, and to ensure the protection of civilians. They must also allow desperately needed humanitarian supplies to enter the north as a matter of extreme urgency.

    “All of a sudden, I was told that we had to move from the north,” says Mahmoud, an MSF watchman, who left Jabalia at night to find refuge at the MSF guest house in Gaza City. “We left our home in despair, under bombs, missiles and artillery. It was very, very difficult. I would prefer to die than to be displaced to the south; my home is here, and I do not want to leave.”

    Israeli forces also called for the evacuation of the three main hospitals in northern Gaza, namely Indonesian, Kamal Adwan and Al-Awda hospitals. These are operating at minimal capacity and have a total of 317 patients still hospitalised, with around 80 people in intensive care and unable to move, according to the Ministry of Health. These three medical facilities, as well as those that remain partially functional across the Strip, must be protected at all costs.  

    The MSF clinic in Gaza City received 255 patients on Sunday and Monday alone, as options for people to access medical care shrink by the day. For some people, accessing the few existing health facilities is impossible; our teams have received reports of wounded people who have died as they were unable to seek medical care.

    Among those facing evacuation orders in the north are seven MSF staff who managed to find shelter in Gaza City. Five others remain blocked in Jabalia, where the Israeli forces are on the ground carrying out attacks.

    “The latest move to forcefully and violently push thousands of people from northern Gaza to the south is turning the north into a lifeless desert, while aggravating the situation in the south, where more than one million people have already been squeezed into a small portion of the Gaza Strip and live in deplorable conditions,” says Sarah Vuylsteke, MSF project coordinator in Gaza.

    “Access to water, healthcare, and safety is already almost non-existent, and the thought of more people fitting into this space is impossible to imagine,” says Vuylsteke. “People have been subjected to endless displacement and relentless bombing for the past 12 months. Enough is enough, this must stop now.”

    While the Israeli authorities have recently declared a minimal expansion of the so-called humanitarian zone, the area remains subject to evacuation orders and is unsafe due to regular Israeli bombardment. Many people living in the zone are suffering from skin diseases and respiratory infections because of the dire conditions. The situation is even more worrying with the approach of winter and the cold temperatures that people will be exposed to.

    Israeli forces must urgently halt evacuation orders in the north of Gaza. The relentless killing of people in Gaza must stop now, and an immediate and sustained ceasefire must be implemented.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warner & Kaine Announce Over $11.6 Million in Federal Funding to Protect Families from Lead Poisoning in Their Homes

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) announced $11,692,000 in federal funding to protect young children and their families from hazardous lead poisoning in their homes. The sale of lead-based paint is banned in the United States, but many older homes still have the old paint on walls, which can become dangerous as it peels and chips. Young children are most susceptible to lead poisoning and can face long-term developmental delays if exposed. This funding, courtesy of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Lead Hazard Reduction Grant Program, will be used to identify and control lead-based paint hazards in Virginia’s older housing units.
    “Lead poisoning can have negative long-term health impacts for those exposed,” the senators said. “This funding will help to protect children and families by identifying and mitigating the presence of dangerous lead-based paint.”
    This funding is broken down as follows:
    The Commonwealth of Virginia will receive $6,692,000 in funding to update older housing and improve community health. This funding will be distributed across Virginia;
    The City of Roanoke will receive $5,000,000 in funding to update older housing and improve community health.
    Warner and Kaine been vocal about the need for safe, affordable housing for Virginians. Earlier this year, the senators announced over $55 million in federal funding for improvements to affordable housing across the Commonwealth. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Pingree Applauds Biden-Harris Administration’s Final Rule to Replace Lead Pipes, Ensure Clean Drinking Water for Maine Schools and Homes

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (1st District of Maine)

    Maine First District Congresswoman Chellie Pingree today praised the Biden-Harris Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for their final rule requiring states to identify and replace lead pipes within 10 years—a provision Pingree has long pushed for. The Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) also require more rigorous testing of drinking water and a lower threshold requiring communities to take action to protect people from lead exposure in water. In addition, the final rule improves communication within communities so that families are better informed about the risk of lead in drinking water, the location of lead pipes, and plans for replacing them. 

    Alongside the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements, EPA is announcing $2.6 billion in newly available funding to improve drinking-water infrastructure, including $24.9 million in Maine. Made possible through the landmark Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the federal funding will flow through the Drinking Water State Revolving Funds (DWSRFs) and will support lead-pipe replacement and other inventory projects in Maine. Communities may also apply directly for an additional $35 million in competitive grant funding for reducing lead in drinking water.

    “I’m thrilled that the Biden Administration is delivering on its promise to improve our country’s drinking water and safeguard the American people from dangerous exposure to lead and other harmful contaminants,” Pingree said. “All Americans deserve access to clean, safe, reliable drinking water. Nearly 40 years after lead pipes were banned in the U.S., we’re finally taking the necessary steps to ensure that all outdated systems and pipes are replaced—including right here in Maine. This $24.9 million in funding will help communities across our state make much-needed needed investments to modernize their drinking-water infrastructure. Once again, the transformative Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is delivering real, tangible benefits to the people of Maine—and citizens across the country.” 

    “We’ve known for decades that lead exposure has serious long-term impacts for children’s health. And yet, millions of lead service lines are still delivering drinking water to homes,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “President Biden is putting an end to this generational public health problem. With the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements and historic investments in lead pipe replacement, the Biden-Harris Administration is fulfilling its commitment that no community, regardless of race, geography, or wealth, should have to worry about lead-contaminated water in their homes.” 

    The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides $50 billion to support upgrades to the nation’s drinking water and wastewater infrastructure. This includes $15 billion over five years dedicated to lead service line replacement and $11.7 billion of general Drinking Water State Revolving Funds that can also be used for lead service line replacement. 

    Pingree, who serves as Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Interior and Environment Subcommittee, which oversees the EPA, has long pushed for a strong final rule requiring drinking water systems across the country to identify and replace lead pipes. In September, she and her Congressional colleagues called on the White House Office of Management and Budget to expedite its review of the Biden Administration’s proposed Lead and Copper Rule Improvements rule, which would lower the lead action level to better protect human health and require water systems to replace old and deteriorating lead pipes within a decade. 

    Across Maine and the U.S., communities face threats to their drinking water from a number of contaminants, including lead, arsenic, nitrates, volatile organic compounds, PFAS, and others. EPA estimates that up to 9 million homes are served through legacy lead pipes across the country, many of which are in lower-income communities and communities of color, creating disproportionate lead exposure burden for these families.

    This Congress, Pingree reintroduced her bipartisan, bicameral Healthy Drinking Water Affordability Act, or the Healthy H2O Act, to provide grants for water testing and treatment technology directly to individuals and nonprofits in rural communities. 

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Flooded industrial sites and toxic chemical releases are a silent, growing threat in hurricanes like Milton and Helene

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By James R. Elliott, Professor of Sociology, Rice University

    An industrial storage tank overturned by Hurricane Helene in Asheville, N.C., shows the power of fast-moving floodwater. Sean Rayford/Getty Images

    Hundreds of industrial facilities with toxic pollutants are in Hurricane Milton’s path as it heads toward Florida, less than two weeks after Hurricane Helene flooded communities across the Southeast.

    Milton, expected to make landfall as a major hurricane late on Oct. 9, is bearing down on boat and spa factories along Florida’s west-central coast, along with the rubber, plastics and fiberglass manufacturers that supply them. Many of these facilities use tens of thousands of registered contaminants each year, including toluene, styrene and other chemicals known to have adverse effects on the central nervous system with prolonged exposure.

    Farther inland, hundreds more manufacturers that use and house hazardous chemicals onsite lie along the Interstate 4 and Interstate 75 corridors and their feeder roads. And many are in the path of the storm’s intense winds and heavy rainfall.

    Black dots indicate facilities in EPA’s 2022 Toxic Release Inventory within Hurricane Milton’s projected impact zone.
    Rice University Center for Coastal Futures and Adaptive Resilience, CC BY-ND

    Helene’s heavy rainfall in late September 2024 flooded industrial sites across the Southeast. A retired nuclear power plant just south of Cedar Key, Florida, was flooded by Helene’s storm surge.

    In disasters like these, the industrial damage can unfold over days, and residents may not hear about releases of toxic chemicals into water or the air until days or weeks later, if they find out at all.

    Yet pollution releases are common.

    After Hurricane Ian broadsided Florida’s western coast in 2022, runoff that included hazardous materials from damaged storage tanks and local fertilizer mining facilities, in addition to millions of gallons of wastewater, was visible from space, spilling across the coastal wetlands into the Gulf of Mexico. A year earlier, Hurricane Ida triggered more than 2,000 reported chemical spills.

    During Hurricane Harvey in 2017, floodwater surrounded chemical facilities near Houston. Some caught fire as cooling systems failed, releasing huge volumes or pollutants into the air. Emergency responders and residents, who didn’t know what risks they might face, blamed the chemicals for causing respiratory illnesses.

    Many types of toxic material can spread, settle and change the long-term health and environmental safety of surrounding communities – often with little notice to residents. Our team of environmental sociologists and anthropologists has mapped hazardous industrial sites across the country and paired them with hurricanes’ projected impact maps to help communities hold nearby facilities accountable.

    Major polluters on Gulf Coast at high risk”

    The risks from industrial facilities are most obvious along the U.S. Gulf Coast, where many major petrochemical complexes are clustered in harm’s way. These refineries, factories and storage facilities are often built along rivers or bays for easy shipping access.

    But those rivers can also bring storm surge flooding that can raise the ocean by several feet during hurricanes. The storm surge from Helene was over 10 feet above ground level in Florida’s Big Bend and over 6 feet in Tampa Bay. With Milton, forecasters warning of a 10- to 15-foot storm surge at Tampa Bay.

    A boom surrounds flooded railcars to try to contain leaks at a chemical plant in Braithwaite, La., after Hurricane Isaac in 2012.
    AP Photo/David J. Phillip

    A recent study found evidence of two to three times more pollution releases during hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico than during normal weather from 2005 to 2020.

    The effects of these pollution releases fall disproportionately on low-income communities and people of color, further exacerbating environmental health risks.

    Why residents may not hear about toxic releases

    The statistics are disconcerting, yet they get little attention. That is because hazardous releases remain largely invisible due to limited disclosure requirements and scant public information. Even emergency responders often don’t know exactly which hazardous chemicals they are facing in emergency situations.

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requires major polluters to file only very general information about chemicals and on-site risks in their risk management plans. Some large-scale fuel storage facilities, such as those holding liquefied natural gas, are not even required to do that.

    These risk management plans outline “worst-case” scenarios and are supposed to be publicly accessible. But, in reality, we and others have found them difficult to access, heavily redacted and housed in federal reading rooms with limited access. The reason local officials and national scientific review panels often give for the secrecy is to protect the facilities from terrorist attack.

    Oil storage tanks and industrial facilities line the Houston Ship Channel, which is vulnerable to storm surge from Gulf of Mexico hurricanes.
    AP Photo/David J. Phillip

    Adding to this opacity is the fact that many states – including those along the Gulf – suspend restrictions on pollution releases during emergency declarations. Meanwhile, real-time incident notifications from the National Response Center – the federal government’s repository for all chemical discharges into the environment – typically lag by a week or more,

    We believe this limited public information on rising chemical threats from our changing climate should be front-page news every hurricane season. Communities should be aware of the risks of hosting vulnerable industrial infrastructure, particularly as rising global temperatures increase the risk of extreme downpours and powerful hurricanes.

    Mapping the risks nationwide to raise awareness

    To help communities understand their risks, our team at Rice University’s new Center for Coastal Futures and Adaptive Resilience investigates how industrial communities in flood-prone areas nationwide can better adapt to such threats, socially as well as technologically.

    Our interactive map shows where elevated future flood risks threaten to inundate major polluters that we identify using the EPA’s Toxic Release Inventory.

    The U.S. has several hot spots with clusters of flood-prone polluters. Houston’s Ship Channel, Chicago’s waterfront steel industries and the harbors at Los Angeles and New York/New Jersey are among the biggest.

    Three of the biggest hot spots, where large numbers of industrial facilities with toxic materials face elevated future flood risks, are in the Northeast, the northwestern Gulf Coast and the southern end of the Great Lakes.
    Rice University Center for Coastal Futures and Adaptive Resilience, CC BY-ND

    But, as Helene revealed, there can also be great concern in less obvious spots. Inland, particularly in the mountains, runoff can quickly turn normally tame rivers into fast-rising torrents. The French Broad River at Asheville, North Carolina, rose about 12 feet in 12 hours during Helene and set a new flood stage record.

    When hurricanes and tropical storms are headed for the U.S., our interactive maps show where major polluters are located in the storm’s projected cone of impact. The maps identify hazardous flood-prone facilities down to the address, anywhere in the country.

    Knowledge is the first step

    Knowing where these sites are located is only the first step. Often, it’s up to communities themselves, many of them already overexposed and historically underserved, to raise concerns and demand strategies for mitigating the health, economic and environmental risks that industrial sites at risk of flooding and other damage can pose.

    These discussions can’t wait until a disaster is on the way. By knowing where these risks may be, communities can take steps now to build a safer future.

    This article, originally published Sept. 30, has been updated with Hurricane Milton.

    James R. Elliott receives funding from the National Science Foundation and the National Renewable Energy Lab.

    Dominic Boyer receives funding from the National Science Foundation, NOAA and Texas Sea Grant.

    Phylicia Lee Brown has nothing to disclose.

    – ref. Flooded industrial sites and toxic chemical releases are a silent, growing threat in hurricanes like Milton and Helene – https://theconversation.com/flooded-industrial-sites-and-toxic-chemical-releases-are-a-silent-growing-threat-in-hurricanes-like-milton-and-helene-239977

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –