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  • MIL-OSI USA: U.S. Rep. Castor Sounds Alarm After Analysis Exposes Millions of Americans Would Lose Health Care Coverage to Fund Republican Billionaire Tax Giveaway

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Reprepsentative Kathy Castor (FL14)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL-14) highlighted a recent analysis of the Republican proposals to cut health services for Americans who rely on Medicaid. The analysis, conducted by the nonpartisan, independent Congressional Budget Office (CBO), exposes the devastating human cost of Congressional Republicans’ proposed tax giveaway to the wealthiest Americans.

    “Republicans propose to cut life-saving care for hundreds of thousands of my neighbors across the Tampa Bay area to fund a massive tax cut for billionaires. It’s irresponsible and wrong,” said Rep. Castor. “The non-partisan CBO analysis makes clear Congressional Republicans’ Medicaid proposals will result in millions of Americans losing their health care coverage. Republicans in Congress and President Trump claim that they will not rip health care coverage away. Yet, every single proposal would cause massive benefit cuts and coverage loss for millions, inflicting pain and exorbitant costs on pregnant women, people with disabilities, and seniors. I will not stand for it.”

    CBO finds that federal reductions in Medicaid spending will result in states responding by taking a combination of four actions:

    • Spending more on Medicaid by using a mix of tax increases and cuts to other programs, such as K-12 education and public safety.
    • Cutting payments to health care providers.
    • Cutting optional benefits, such as home-based care and mental health care.
    • Taking away health insurance from people who rely on Medicaid.

    Republicans’ claims that their policies will just reduce so-called waste, fraud, and abuse or that people will not lose their benefits are simply untrue.

    • 100 percent of the savings from the policies that shift costs to states come from reducing payment rates to providers, limiting optional benefits, and kicking people off coverage, not eliminating waste, fraud and abuse.
    • 100 percent of the savings from rescinding the eligibility and enrollment rules that are on Republicans’ chopping block come from kicking people off Medicaid.

    Additional findings include:

    • Eliminating states’ ability to use provider taxes will result in 3.9 million Americans losing their health insurance.
    • Imposing per capita caps on people eligible for Medicaid through the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion will eliminate the health insurance coverage of 1.5 million.
    • Cutting the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) for Medicaid expansion would result in 2.4 million people losing their health insurance.
    • CBO expects that states would reduce enrollment by eliminating optional coverage categories, including Medicaid expansion, and by changing enrollment policies and procedures to make enrollment more challenging to navigate.
    • Repealing the Eligibility and Enrollment final rule would result in 2.3 million Americans losing Medicaid coverage, meaning 400,000 people, including children and people with disabilities, would be uninsured. Low-income seniors who retain only Medicare coverage would see premium and co-pay increases and would be unable to access the care they need without the support of Medicaid.

    “The Florida Hospital Association and leaders from Tampa Bay area hospitals, including Tampa General Hospital, BayCare, Moffitt Cancer Center, Orlando Health Bayfront, and AdventHealth visited me in Washington this week to express their strong disapproval of the cuts to Medicaid. They emphasized how the harm to Medicaid, patients and providers would negatively impact care for everyone – another reason to stand firm against health care cuts from Medicaid for a tax giveaway that disproportionately benefits the wealthy and the well-connected,” said Rep. Castor.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Valadao Joins Lawmakers to Protect our Forests

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman David G Valadao (CA-21)

    WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman David Valadao (CA-22) joined Reps. Doug LaMalfa (CA-01), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Jeff Hurd (CO-03), Young Kim (CA-40), Ken Calvert (CA-41), Darrell Issa (CA-48), Tom McClintock (CA-05), Vince Fong (CA-20), Adam Gray (CA-13), and Jim Costa (CA-21) in reintroducing the Forest Protection and Wildland Firefighter Safety Act. This bipartisan bill would amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to clarify that a permit is not required to use fire retardant to fight wildfires.

    “California suffers from thousands of wildfires each year, and taking fire retardant away from the U.S. Forest Service is reckless,” said Congressman Valadao. “This bipartisan bill ensures the heroes fighting wildfires have every tool at their disposal to minimize damage to our forests, homes, and businesses. I’m proud to join my Western colleagues to prioritize safety and common sense over extreme environmental policies.”

    “Fire retardant is one of the most effective tools we have to stop wildfires from turning into disasters—especially in the West,” said Rep. LaMalfa. “Trying to ban its use during fire season isn’t just ridiculous, it’s dangerous. These extremist environmental groups are more worried about trace amounts of retardant than the real damage caused by out-of-control fires. Entire forests, homes, wildlife, and human lives are at stake. The smoke alone from one major wildfire can choke the air for hundreds of miles. We should be focused on stopping fires early, not tying firefighters’ hands with red tape.”

    “With nearly 9 million acres burned nationwide in 2024, the threat of wildfire is only growing,” said Rep. Panetta.  “This bipartisan legislation would make clear that fire retardant must remain a critical part of our wildfire response strategy.  Protecting our homes, our forests, and those on the front lines keeping us safe remains our top priority.”

    “Catastrophic wildfires have swept across the West over the past decade, devastating communities, public lands, and wildlife habitats,” said Rep. Hurd. “This bipartisan legislation ensures the Forest Service has the critical tools and resources it needs, free from bureaucratic red tape, to protect lives, and I’m proud to stand with my Western colleagues to deliver real support to those on the front lines.”

    “We know that regulatory ‘green tape’ blocks our firefighters from battling deadly blazes once they start, as well as preventing the wildfires we know will occur. Even though my home state of California faces the devastating threat of wildfires every year, bureaucrats in Washington and Sacramento continue to handcuff our heroes. That’s why I’m proud to sponsor the Forest Protection and Wildland Firefighter Safety Act, which will streamline the essential aerial suppression efforts of our wildland firefighters as they take on and take down our nation’s wildfires,” said Rep. Issa.

    “We need all hands on deck and all the tools in our arsenal during a wildfire,” said Rep. Kim. “Fire retardant has proven to be safe and effective for containing and mitigating wildfires, and I’m proud to join Reps. LaMalfa and Panetta to ensure its continued use. As the representative of many wildfire-prone areas, including in the canyon communities of Orange County, I will keep fighting to support commonsense policies to protect our communities.” 

    “The bipartisan Forest Protection and Wildland Firefighter Safety Act will ensure our most critical wildfire suppression tool, fire retardant, is available to protect our communities when we need it most,” said Rep. Calvert. “I thank Rep. LaMalfa for introducing this important bill.”

    “Communities across California have been devastated by increasingly destructive wildfires,” said Rep. Gray. “In order to protect Californians, firefighters must be able to use every tool available to them. This bipartisan, commonsense bill that will empower them to do just that.”

    “As climate change fuels more intense and frequent wildfires across California, we must act to protect our communities and those who risk their lives on the frontlines. This legislation strengthens our wildfire response, invests in prevention, and gives firefighters the support they need to do their jobs safely. This is about protecting lives, livelihoods, and the land we all depend on,” said Rep. Costa.

    “This bill will improve wildfire response by streamlining fire suppression efforts and will eliminate the bureaucratic red tape that hinders firefighters on the front lines,” said Rep. Vince Fong. “As catastrophic megafires become increasingly common in California, firefighters must have timely access to every available tool without being delayed by cumbersome environmental waiver processes.”

    “With California wildfires on the rise, it’s commonsense to allow firefighters expedient access to critical resources” said Rep. McClintock. “I’m proud to join my colleagues in co-sponsoring the Forest Protection and Wildland Firefighter Safety Act to cut bureaucratic red tape and fight fires more efficiently.”  

    Background:

    In 2022, the Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics (FSEEE) sued the U.S. Forest Service in a federal district court for failing to obtain a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit for the application of aerially discharged fire retardant when combating fires. In 2023, the Federal court ruled in favor of the FSEEE requiring the Forest Service to obtain a NPDES permit from the EPA for aerial application of fire retardants, but did not grant FSEEE’s request for an injunction to block the Forest Service application of these products. If an injunction had been issued, millions of square miles in the West would be at risk of being lost due to catastrophic wildfires.

    The Forest Protection and Wildland Firefighter Safety Act would:

    • Clarify the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to reflect that a NPDES permit is not required by the Forest Service for the application of fire retardants from planes or helicopters to combat wildfires.
    • Build on the exemption already in the Federal Water Pollution Control Act where a NPDES permit is not needed for the discharge of runoff resulting from fire control activities.

    Read the full bill here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Simpson Joins Bipartisan Group of Members to Reintroduce Bill Addressing Agriculture Workforce Crisis

    Source: US State of Idaho

    WASHINGTON—This week, Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson joined Reps. Dan Newhouse (R-WA), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), David Valadao (R-CA), Jim Costa (D-CA), and Adam Gray (D-CA) in reintroducing the Farm Workforce Modernization Act. This legislation would make meaningful reforms to the H-2A visa program and establish a strong, legal immigration workforce for agricultural producers.
    “The workforce crisis is the most important issue facing agriculture in our country,” said Rep. Simpson. “Supporting American agriculture means providing a stable, reliable, and legal workforce, and this legislative solution addresses one of the most pressing concerns our farmers and ranchers face. Now that we finally have an administration taking the border crisis seriously, Congress must address this issue and enact necessary reforms. It is well past time we solve this problem. I look forward to working with my colleagues and getting this critical legislation across the finish line to President Trump’s desk for his signature.”
    As a representative of one of the most productive dairy districts in the nation, Rep. Simpson has been a strong advocate for getting this bill across the finish line. The Farm Workforce Modernization Act passed the House of Representatives in the 116th and 117th Congresses, with strong bipartisan support.
    The full text of the bill is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Sexual Abuse on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    RAPID CITY – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Kyle, South Dakota, man convicted of Sexual Abuse. The sentencing took place on May 1, 2025.

    Louis James Swallow, 22, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Swallow will be required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.

    Swallow was indicted for Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor and Abusive Sexual Contact by a federal grand jury in February 2024. He pleaded guilty on February 10, 2025.

    The case was charged after an acute disclosure of forcible sexual assault by the 13-year-old victim.  She disclosed Swallow followed her while she was walking home, grabbed her, forced her to the ground, and then raped her.  In sentencing Swallow to 20 years in prison, Judge Schreier condemned Swallow’s “frightening conduct,” noting he had also been charged in Pennington County for raping and strangling a girlfriend in 2020. Judge Schreier further recognized the trauma Swallow’s violence inflicted on the 13-year-old victim.

    This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.

    This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Lindrooth prosecuted the case.

    Swallow was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Private School Settles with Justice Department to Address Discrimination Against Children with Disabilities

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Richard G. Frohling, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on May 8, 2025, Wisconsin Montessori Society, Inc., d/b/a Milwaukee Montessori School (MMS) agreed to injunctive relief and payment of $290,000 to resolve allegations that it failed to provide full and equal enjoyment of its educational services to children with disabilities, in violation of Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), 42 U.S.C. §§ 12131-12189.

    MMS is a private day school that offers pre-K through grade 8 education.  Private schools, day care centers, and other places of education are generally prohibited from discriminating on the basis of disability under Title III of the ADA. Disabled individuals protected under Title III include both individuals with an actual disability—meaning “a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities of such individual”—as well as individuals “regarded as having such an impairment.”

    Since at least 2018, MMS has discriminated against young children with disabilities.  MMS has: (1) denied, on the basis of disability, participation in its educational services to disabled children by expelling and refusing to admit them; (2) denied disabled children equal participation in MMS’s educational services by repeatedly sending them to the office, seating them separately from other students, and sending them home early because of manifestations of their disabilities; and (3) failed to make reasonable modifications for disabled children.  MMS’s discriminatory actions are evidenced by the experiences of ten children described in the Settlement Agreement.

    “Children with disabilities have the right to access the educational opportunities offered by private schools, including Montessori schools,” said Acting United States Richard Frohling.  “This settlement is an important reminder that the ADA’s obligations extend to private schools and their treatment of students with disabilities.”

    Under the settlement agreement, MMS will pay monetary damages of $240,000 to compensate aggrieved persons as well as a civil penalty of $50,000 to the United States.  It also includes injunctive relief that requires monitoring and reporting, and MMS has voluntarily taken some steps to address the government’s findings.

    The ADA authorizes the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate complaints and undertake periodic reviews of covered entities. The Department of Justice is also authorized to commence a civil lawsuit in federal court and to seek injunctive relief, monetary damages, and civil penalties.

    Assistant United States Attorneys Lisa Yun and Nia Schmaltz represented the government in this matter.  The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only; MMS does not admit liability for the allegations.

    # #  #

    For Additional Information Contact:

    Public Information Officer

    Kenneth.Gales@usdoj.gov

    414-297-1700

    Follow us on Twitter

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Department of State Press Briefing – May 8, 2025

    Source: United States of America – Department of State (video statements)

    Spokesperson Tammy Bruce leads the Department Press Briefing, at the Department of State.

    ———-
    Under the leadership of the President and Secretary of State, the U.S. Department of State leads America’s foreign policy through diplomacy, advocacy, and assistance by advancing the interests of the American people, their safety and economic prosperity. On behalf of the American people we promote and demonstrate democratic values and advance a free, peaceful, and prosperous world.

    The Secretary of State, appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate, is the President’s chief foreign affairs adviser. The Secretary carries out the President’s foreign policies through the State Department, which includes the Foreign Service, Civil Service and U.S. Agency for International Development.

    Get updates from the U.S. Department of State at www.state.gov and on social media!
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/statedept
    X: https://x.com/StateDept
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    Flickr: https://flickr.com/photos/statephotos/
    Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/StateDept
    Substack: https://statedept.substack.com

    Watch on-demand State Department videos: https://video.state.gov/
    Subscribe to The Week at State e-newsletter: https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USSTATEBPA/signup/32562

    State Department website: https://www.state.gov/
    Careers website: https://careers.state.gov/
    White House website: https://www.whitehouse.gov/
    Terms of Use: https://state.gov/tou

    #StateDepartment #DepartmentofState #Diplomacy

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npPvbKdNI-k

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI: Kajeet Urges House to Support Schools and Libraries Counting on E-Rate Funding for Hotspots

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MCLEAN, Va., May 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Following today’s Congressional Review Act (CRA) block of the Federal Communications Commission Wi-Fi hotspots order, which removes E-Rate funding eligibility for these devices, Kajeet®, a leading provider of managed internet solutions for education, expressed confidence the House of Representatives will recognize the profound benefits of hotspots. To continue its mission, Kajeet affirmed its commitment to honoring E-Rate pricing to help schools and libraries secure critical connectivity.

    While the CRA reversal presents a setback to efforts aimed at funding off-campus student Wi-Fi hotspots through E-Rate, Kajeet encourages the House to carefully consider the compelling data demonstrating the effectiveness and safety of managed hotspots. It is an undeniable reality that over 70% of students rely on out-of-school internet access for homework, underscoring the critical need for reliable home connectivity. The pandemic starkly illuminated the deep disparities that exist, with countless families depending on public Wi-Fi at locations like libraries, hospitals, and even fast-food restaurants to enable their students to complete assignments.

    “Every day, teachers across the nation grapple with the challenges faced by students who lack internet access at home, a significant barrier to learning in today’s digital world,” said Ben Weintraub, CEO of Kajeet. “We are resolute in our commitment and want to help these impacted districts and libraries pivot quickly.”

    Kajeet’s solutions prioritize student safety and security with robust content filtering and management tools that comply with educational requirements and the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA). Last year, Kajeet Sentinel blocked billions of student attempts to access TikTok and other non-educational sites. This regulated filtering, with parameters set by school administrators based on grade level, has proven effective.

    Thousands of schools and libraries across the country applied for hotspot funding this year. It is estimated that this reversal could potentially impact more than 6 million individuals nationwide. As districts and libraries now face the pressing task of identifying alternative funding sources, Kajeet stands firm in its commitment to providing affordable and secure connectivity solutions.

    “We fully recognize the significant impact this E-Rate reversal for hotspots will have on districts’ carefully laid plans to provide essential off-campus connectivity,” added Weintraub. “By honoring E-Rate pricing, we aim to provide immediate stability and empower districts to continue their indispensable programs without disruption, ensuring that no student is left behind.”

    To take advantage of this limited E-Rate offer, please visit our website.

    About Kajeet:

    Kajeet provides optimized IoT connectivity, software and hardware solutions that deliver safe, reliable, and controlled internet connectivity to nearly 3,000 businesses, schools and districts, state, and local governments. Kajeet’s award-winning management platform, Sentinel®, includes visibility into real-time data usage, policy control management, custom content filters for added security, and multi-network flexibility. Since 2003, Kajeet has helped thousands of organizations connect over a million devices around the world. To learn more, visit kajeet.com

    Media Contact:

    Linda Jennings, Kajeet Corporate Communications

    248-521-3606 ljennings@kajeet.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How the Take It Down Act tackles nonconsensual deepfake porn − and how it falls short

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Sylvia Lu, Faculty Fellow and Visiting Assistant Professor of Law, University of Michigan

    The Take It Down bill, co-authored by U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, easily passed both houses of Congress. President Trump is expected to sign it into law. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

    In a rare bipartisan move, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Take It Down Act by a vote of 409-2 on April 28, 2025. The bill is an effort to confront one of the internet’s most appalling abuses: the viral spread of nonconsensual sexual imagery, including AI-generated deepfake pornography and real photos shared as revenge porn.

    Now awaiting President Trump’s expected signature, the bill offers victims a mechanism to force platforms to remove intimate content shared without their permission – and to hold those responsible for distributing it to account.

    As a scholar focused on AI and digital harms, I see this bill as a critical milestone. Yet it leaves troubling gaps. Without stronger protections and a more robust legal framework, the law may end up offering a promise it cannot keep. Enforcement issues and privacy blind spots could leave victims just as vulnerable.

    The Take It Down Act targets “non-consensual intimate visual depictions” – a legal term that encompasses what most people call revenge porn and deepfake porn. These are sexual images or videos, often digitally manipulated or entirely fabricated, circulated online without the depicted person’s consent.

    The bill compels online platforms to build a user-friendly takedown process. When a victim submits a valid request, the platform must act within 48 hours. Failure to do so may trigger enforcement by the Federal Trade Commission, which can treat the violation as an unfair or deceptive act or practice. Criminal penalties also apply to those who publish the images: Offenders may be fined and face up to three years in prison if anyone under 18 is involved, and up to two years if the subject is an adult.

    A growing problem

    Deepfake porn is not just a niche problem. It is a metastasizing crisis. With increasingly powerful and accessible AI tools, anyone can fabricate a hyper-realistic sexual image in minutes. Public figures, ex-partners and especially minors have become regular targets. Women, disproportionately, are the ones harmed.

    These attacks dismantle lives. Victims of nonconsensual intimate image abuse suffer harassment, online stalking, ruined job prospects, public shaming and emotional trauma. Some are driven off the internet. Others are haunted repeatedly by resurfacing content. Once online, these images replicate uncontrollably – they don’t simply disappear.

    In that context, a swift and standardized takedown process can offer critical relief. The bill’s 48-hour window for response has the potential to reclaim a fragment of control for those whose dignity and privacy were invaded by a click. Despite its promise, unresolved legal and procedural gaps can hinder its effectiveness.

    NBC News gives an overview of the Take It Down Act.

    Blind spots and shortfalls

    The bill targets only public-facing interactive platforms that primarily host user-generated content such as social media platforms. It may not reach the countless hidden private forums or encrypted peer-to-peer networks where such content often first appears. This creates a critical legal gap: When nonconsensual sexual images are shared on closed or anonymous platforms, victims may never even know – or know in time – that the content exists, much less have a chance to request its removal.

    Even on platforms covered by the bill, implementation is likely to be challenging. Determining whether the online content depicts the person in question, lacks consent and affects the hard-to-define privacy interests requires careful judgment. This demands legal understanding, technical expertise and time. But platforms must reach that decision within 24 hours or less.

    On the other hand, time is a luxury victims do not have. But even with the 48-hour removal window, the content can still spread widely before it is taken down. The bill does not include meaningful incentives for platforms to detect and remove such content proactively. And it provides no deterrent strong enough to discourage most malicious creators from generating these images in the first place.

    This takedown mechanism can also be subject to abuse. Critics warn that the bill’s broad language and lack of safeguards could lead to overcensorship, potentially affecting journalistic and other legitimate content. As platforms may be flooded with a mix of real and malicious takedown requests – some filed in bad faith to suppress speech or art – they may resort to poorly designed and privacy-invasive automated monitoring filters that tend to issue blanket rejections or err on the side of removing content that falls outside the scope of the law.

    Without clear standards, platforms may act improperly. How – and even whether – the FTC will hold platforms accountable under the act is another open question.

    Burden on the victims

    The bill also places the burden of action on victims, who must locate the content, complete the paperwork, explain that it was nonconsensual, and submit personal contact information – often while still reeling from the emotional toll.

    Moreover, while the bill targets both AI-generated deepfakes and revenge porn involving real images, it fails to account for the complex realities victims face. Many are trapped in unequal relationships and may have “consented” under pressure, manipulation or fear to having intimate content about them posted online. Situations like this fall outside the bill’s legal framing. The bill bars consent obtained through overt threats and coercion, yet it overlooks more insidious forms of manipulation.

    Even for those who do engage the takedown process, the risks remain. Victims must submit contact information and a statement explaining that the image was nonconsensual, without legal guarantees that this sensitive data will be protected. This exposure could invite new waves of harassment and exploitation.

    Loopholes for offenders

    The bill includes liability-evasive conditions and exceptions that could allow distributors to escape liability. If the content was shared with the subject’s consent, served a public concern, or was unintentional or caused no demonstrable harm, they may avoid consequences under the Take It Down Act. If offenders deny causing harm, victims face an uphill battle. Emotional distress, reputational damage and career setbacks are real, but they rarely come with clear documentation or a straightforward chain of cause and effect.

    Equally concerning, the bill allows exceptions for publication of such content for legitimate medical, educational or scientific purposes. Though well-intentioned, this language creates a confusing and potentially dangerous loophole. It risks becoming a shield for exploitation masquerading as research or education.

    Getting ahead of the problem

    The notice and takedown mechanism is fundamentally reactive. It intervenes only after the damage has begun. But deepfake pornography is designed for rapid proliferation. By the time a takedown request is filed, the content may have already been saved, reposted or embedded across dozens of sites – some hosted overseas or buried in decentralized networks. The current bill provides a system that treats the symptoms while leaving the harms to spread.

    In my research on algorithmic and AI harms, I have argued that legal responses should move beyond reactive actions. I have proposed a framework that anticipates harm before it occurs – not one that merely responds after the fact. That means incentivizing platforms to take proactive steps to protect the privacy, autonomy, equality and safety of users exposed to harms caused by AI-generated images and tools. It also means broadening accountability to cover more perpetrators and platforms, supported by stronger safeguards and enforcement systems.

    The Take It Down Act is a meaningful first step. But to truly protect the vulnerable, I believe that lawmakers should build stronger systems – ones that prevent harm before it happens and treat victims’ privacy and dignity not as afterthoughts but as fundamental rights.

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

    – ref. How the Take It Down Act tackles nonconsensual deepfake porn − and how it falls short – https://theconversation.com/how-the-take-it-down-act-tackles-nonconsensual-deepfake-porn-and-how-it-falls-short-255809

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Klobuchar Presses Justice Department on Media Subpoena Policy and Threats to the First Amendment

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn)
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) led her Judiciary Committee colleagues in pressing Attorney General Pam Bondi regarding her decision to change Justice Department policies to make it easier for the Justice Department to subpoena journalists to obtain information about their confidential sources and potentially harass journalists who write stories critical of the Administration.    .
    “We write to express our deep concern with the Department of Justice’s April 25, 2025 memorandum changing the guidance that set limitations on the Department’s ability to subpoena materials from journalists and news organizations,” wrote the Senators. “The free press is a bedrock of our democracy and reporters must be able to do their jobs without fear of being investigated or prosecuted.”
    “When asked at your confirmation hearing to commit to ‘respect the importance of a free press,’ you said ‘absolutely,’” the Senators continued. “Yet your decision to rescind important limits on the Justice Department’s ability to compel information from the press threatens the ability of journalists to fully perform their critical jobs, as guaranteed by the First Amendment.” 
    Along with Klobuchar, the letter was signed by every Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee – Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Chris Coons (D-DE), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Adam Schiff (D-CA). 
    The full letter is available here and below. 
    Dear Attorney General Bondi:
    We write to express our deep concern with the Department of Justice’s April 25, 2025 memorandum changing the guidance that set limitations on the Department’s ability to subpoena materials from journalists and news organizations.
    The free press is a bedrock of our democracy and reporters must be able to do their jobs without fear of being investigated or prosecuted. When asked at your confirmation hearing to commit to “respect the importance of a free press,” you said “absolutely.” Yet your decision to rescind important limits on the Justice Department’s ability to compel information from the press threatens the ability of journalists to fully perform their critical jobs, as guaranteed by the First Amendment. 
    Under the previous guidance, the Justice Department was authorized to subpoena journalists engaged in news gathering only “[w]hen necessary to prevent an imminent or concrete risk of death or serious bodily harm.” Under the 2025 guidance, Justice Department officials can take the extraordinary step of subpoenaing journalists merely to investigate “unauthorized disclosures that undermine President Trump’s policies,” extending far beyond disclosures of classified information. In other words, under this new guidance, there is little protection for journalists who publish any story critical of the Administration from being threatened with a subpoena and litigation to enforce the subpoena. The threat to journalists is especially concerning given Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel’s claims prior to his confirmation that the news media is “the most powerful enemy the United States has ever seen” and that he would “come after the people in the media . . . criminally or civilly.” 
    Nor does it appear that the Justice Department would subpoena reporters’ records only as a last resort. Under the guidelines, the Justice Department may subpoena journalists after the Attorney General has made only a few subjective determinations, such as whether the information sought is “essential to a successful prosecution,” whether “reasonable attempts” to obtain the information from alternative sources were made, and whether engaging in negotiations would threaten “the integrity of the investigation.” These factors make it far too easy for the Attorney General to compel journalists to reveal sources.   
    This change will also deter whistleblowers from coming forward with information to the news media, depriving the public of valuable information about its government. Whistleblowers that violate the law—for example by disclosing classified information—should be subject to the legal consequences of that action, but the government should not be allowed to intimidate or harass journalists who lawfully report the news. 
    As the Office of Legal Policy prepares regulations to implement your memorandum, we respectfully request that you provide responses to the following questions:
    What protections are in place to ensure that journalists are not targeted because they published a news article critical of the Administration?
    Will you commit to ensuring that issuing a subpoena to a journalist or news organization will be used only as a last resort when there is a compelling and overriding interest in the information, such as protecting national security?
    Will the regulations require the Department to comply with state shield laws?
    Is the Department consulting with outside organizations, including organizations representing journalists, as part of the preparation of regulations? If so, what organizations?
    What measures will the regulations put in place to ensure that the White House is not allowed to order or influence the issuance of a subpoena to a journalist or news organization?
    What process for review, if any, will be put in place to ensure the new regulations are being followed and are not being abused for political or any other inappropriate purpose?  
    Has the Justice Department issued any subpoenas to journalists or news organizations under this new guidance? If so, to whom and seeking what information?

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Klobuchar Presses for Bipartisan Path Forward on Safe AI Development, Highlights Need for Legislation to Give Americans Control Over Their Voice and Likeness

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn)
    WATCH KLOBUCHAR’S FULL QUESTIONS HERE
    WASHINGTON –  At a Senate Commerce Committee hearing titled “Winning the AI Race: Strengthening U.S. Capabilities in Computing and Innovation,” U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) pressed tech leaders on the future of AI development.
    Testifying at the hearing were Sam Altman, Co-Founder and CEO of OpenAI; Lisa Su, CEO and Chair of Advanced Micro Devices; Michael Intrator, CEO and Co-Founder of CoreWeave; and Brad Smith, Vice Chair and President of Microsoft. 
    “I think David Brooks put it the best when he said, ‘I’ve found it incredibly hard to write about AI because it is literally unknowable whether this technology is leading us to heaven or hell.’ We want it to lead us to heaven, and I think we do that by making sure we have some rules of the road in place so it doesn’t get stymied or set backwards because of scams or because of use by people who want to do us harm,” said Klobuchar.
    Klobuchar is a leader on efforts to put in place guardrails around the use and development of AI. Last Congress, Klobuchar and Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) partnered on the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Research, Innovation, and Accountability Act, which would create baseline accountability for AI deployment in high-risk areas, like managing critical infrastructure. The bill would also boost transparency for AI systems that are used to decide a person’s access to health care or housing, or to decide who to hire and fire.
    Last month, Klobuchar reintroduced the bipartisan Nurture Originals, Foster Art, and Keep Entertainment Safe (NO FAKES) Act with Senators Chris Coons (D-DE), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and Thom Tillis (R-NC). This legislation aims to protect Americans’ voice and likeness and combat the proliferation of AI deepfakes.
    Klobuchar’s and Senator Ted Cruz’s (R-TX) bipartisan TAKE IT DOWN Act passed Congress last week – the bill is now headed to the President’s desk to be signed into law. The TAKE IT DOWN Act would criminalize the publication of non-consensual intimate imagery (NCII), including AI-generated NCII, and require social media and similar websites to have in place procedures to remove such content within 48 hours of notice from a victim.
    A rough transcript of Klobuchar’s questions is available below. Video is available HERE for download.
    Senator Klobuchar: Thank you very much, Senator Cruz. A lot of exciting things with AI, especially from a state like mine that’s home to the Mayo Clinic, with the potential to unleash scientific research. While we’ve mapped the human genome, we have rare diseases that can be solved, so there’s a lot of positive, but we all know, as you’ve all expressed, there’s challenges that we need to get at with permitting reform. I’m a big believer in that. Energy development, thank you, Mr. Smith, for mentioning this with wind and solar and the potential for more fusion and nuclear, but wind and solar, the price going down dramatically in the last few years, and to get there, we’re going to have to do a lot better. 
    I think David Brooks put it the best when he said, “I found it incredibly hard to write about AI because it is literally unknowable whether this technology is leading us to heaven or hell.” We want it to lead us to heaven, and I think we do that by making sure we have some rules of the road in place so it doesn’t get stymied or set backwards because of scams or because of use by people who want to do us harm. 
    As mentioned by Senator Cantwell, Senator Thune, and I have teamed up on legislation to set up basic guardrails for the riskiest non-defense applications of AI. Mr. Altman, do you agree that a risk-based approach to regulation is the best way to place necessary guardrails for AI without stifling innovation? 
    Sam Altman: I do, that makes a lot of sense to me. 
    Klobuchar: Okay, thanks. And did you figure that out in your attic?
    Altman: No, that was a more recent discovery. 
    Klobuchar: Thank you very good. Just want to make sure. Our bill directs, Mr. Smith, the Commerce Department, to develop ways of educating consumers on how to safely use AI systems. Do you agree that consumers need to be more educated? This was one of your answers to your five words, so I assume you do. 
    Brad Smith: Yes, and I think it’s incumbent upon us as companies and across the business community to contribute to that education as well.
    Klobuchar: Okay, very good. Back to you, Mr. Altman. The Americans rely on AI, as we know, increasingly, on some high-impact problems, to make them be able to trust that we need to make sure that we can trust the model outputs. The New York Times recently reported, earlier this week, that AI hallucinations, a new word to me, where models generate incorrect or misleading results, are getting worse. That’s their words. What standards or metrics does OpenAI use to evaluate the quality of its training data and model outputs for correctness?
    Altman: On the whole, AI hallucinations are getting much better. We have not solved the problem entirely yet, but we’ve made pretty remarkable progress over the last few years. When we first launched ChatGPT, it would hallucinate things all the time. This idea of robustness, being sure you can trust the information, we’ve made huge progress there. We cite sources. The models have gotten much smarter. A lot of people use these systems all the time. And we were worried that if it was not 100, you know, .0% accurate, which is still a challenge with these systems, it would cause a bunch of problems. But users are smart. People understand, you know, what these systems are good at, when to use them, when not. And as that robustness increases, which it will continue to do. People will use it for more and more things, but as an industry, we’ve made pretty remarkable progress in that direction over the last couple of years.
    Klobuchar: I know we’ll be watching that. Another challenge that has been, we’ve seen, and Senator Cruz worked and I worked on a bill together for quite a while, and that’s the TAKE IT DOWN Act, and that is that we are increasingly seeing internet activity where kids looking for a boyfriend or girlfriend, maybe they put out a real picture of themselves, it ends up being distributed at their school, or they somehow they someone tries to scam them from financial gain, or its AI, as we’ve increasingly seen, where It’s not even someone photos, but someone puts a fake body on there. And we’ve had about over 20 suicides in one year, of young people, because they felt like their life was ruined, because they were going to be exposed in this way. So this bill we passed, and through the Senate and the House, the First Lady supported it, and it’s headed to the President’s desk. Could you talk about how we can build models that can better detect harmful deep fakes? Mr. Smith
    Smith: Yeah. I mean, we’re doing that. OpenAI is doing that, and a number of us are. And I think the goal is to first identify content that is generated by AI, and then, often, it is to identify what kind of content is harmful. And I think we’ve made a lot of strides in our ability to do both of those things. There’s a lot of work that’s going on across the private sector and in partnership with groups like NIC MEC to then collaboratively identify that kind of content. So it can be taken down. We’ve been doing this in some ways for 25 years, since the internet, and we’re going to need to do more of it.
    Klobuchar: And on the issue, last question, Mr. Chair, since the last one was about your bill, I figure it’s okay. The newspapers and you testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Mr. Smith, about the bill Senator Kennedy and I still think that there’s an issue here about negotiating content rates. We’ve seen some action recently in Canada and other places. Can you talk about those evolving dynamics with AI developers and what’s happening here to make sure that content providers and journalists get paid for their work? 
    Smith: Yeah, it’s a complicated topic, but I’ll just say a couple of things. First, I think we should all want to see newspapers in some form flourish across the country, including, say, rural counties that increasingly have become news deserts, newspapers have disappeared. Second, and it’s been the issue that we discussed in the Judiciary Committee, there should be an opportunity for newspapers to get together and negotiate collectively. We’ve supported that. That will enable them to basically do better. Third, every time there’s new technology, there is a new generation of a copyright debate. That is taking place now. Some of it will probably be decided by Congress, some by the courts. A lot of it is also being addressed through collaborative action, and we should hope for all of these things. To I’ll just say, strike a balance. We want people to make a living creating content, and we want AI to advance by having access to data.
    [Sen. Klobuchar followed up with an additional round of questions.] 
    Klobuchar: I had one more question that I wanted to ask, and it’s related to just the whole deep fake issue, just because Senator Blackburn and Senator Coons and Senator Tillis and I have worked on this really hard, and Blackburn and Coons are in the lead of the bill. But we have recently seen deep fake videos of Al Roker promoting a cure for high blood pressure, a deep fake of Brad Pitt asking for money from a hospital bed. Sony Music has worked with platforms to remove more than 75,000 songs with unauthorized deep fakes, including voices of Harry Styles Beyonce. I recently met – it’s not just famous people – there is a Grammy-nominated artist from Minnesota, talked to him about what’s going on with digital replicas. So there’s a real concern, and it kind of gets at what Senator Schatz and I were talking about earlier with the news bill. But they just wanted to make you all aware of this legislation, because there were some differences on this, and now we have gotten a coalition, including YouTube, supporting it, as well as the Recording Industry Association, Motion Picture Association, SAG AFTRA. So it’s a big deal, and I’m hoping it’s something that you will all look at, but could you just comment – I would go to you, Mr. Smith first, about protecting people from having their likenesses replicated through AI without permission, and even if you all pledge to do it, our obvious concern is that there will, maybe other companies that wouldn’t, and that’s why I think, as we look at what these guard rails are. The protection of digital people’s digital rights should be part of this.
    Smith: No, I think you’re right to point to it. It has become a growing area of concern. During the presidential election last year, both campaigns, both political parties, were concerned about the potential for deep fakes to be created. We worked with both campaigns and both parties to address that. We see it being used in really ways that I would call abusive, including of celebrities and the like. I think it starts with an ability to identify when something has been created by AI and is not a genuine, say, photographic or video image. And we do find that AI is much more capable at doing that than, say, the human eye and human judgment. I think it’s right that there be certain guardrails, and some of these we can apply voluntarily. We’ve been doing that across the industry. OpenAI and Microsoft were both part of that last year. And there are certain uses that probably should be considered across the line and therefore should be unlawful. And I think that’s where the kinds of initiatives that you’re describing have a particularly important role to play.
    Klobuchar: And could you look at that legislation? 
    Smith: Absolutely.
    Klobuchar: I appreciate it.  Mr. Altman, just same question, same thing.
    Altman: Of course, we’d be happy to look at the legislation. I think this is a big issue, and it’s one coming quickly… I think there’s a few areas to attack it. You can talk about AI that generates content, platforms that distribute it, how takedowns work, how we educate society, and how we build in robustness to expect this is going to happen. I do not believe it will be possible to stop the generation of the content. I think open source, open weight models are a great thing on the whole, and something we need to pursue, but it does mean that there’s going to be just a lot of these models floating around that can do this, the mass distribution, I think it’s possible to put some more guardrails in place, and that seems important, I but I don’t want to neglect the sort of societal education piece. I think with every new technology, there’s some sort of, almost always some sort of new scams that come, the sooner we can get people to understand these Be on the lookout for them. Talk about this as a thing that’s coming, and then I think that’s happening. I think the better people are very quickly understanding that content can be AI-generated, and building new kinds of defenses in their own minds about it. But still, you know, if you get a call and it sounds exactly like someone you know and they’re panicked and they need help, or if you see a video  like the videos you talked about this gets at us in a very deep psychological way. And I think we need to build societal resilience, because this is coming.
    Klobuchar: It’s coming, but there’s got to be some ways to – you’ve got to have some to either enforce it, damages whatever. There’s just not going to be any consequences.
    Altman: Absolutely, we should have all of that. Bad actors don’t always follow the laws, and so I think we need an additional shield, or whenever we can have them. But yes, we should absolutely have that.
    Klobuchar: All right. Look forward to working with you on it.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Luján Statement on Republican Resolution to Strip Internet Access from Millions of Students and Educators

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Senator for New Mexico Ben Ray Luján
    Luján Joined Press Conference Ahead of Senate Republicans’ Vote, Highlighted Impact on New Mexico Students

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the Telecommunications and Media Subcommittee, issued the following statement on Senate Republicans’ vote to strip internet access from millions of students and educators:
    “Across the country, the E-Rate program has helped connect countless students to the internet they need to succeed in today’s world – especially in the most rural parts of America. Under the FCC’s Wi-Fi hotspots rule, schools and libraries across America can provide Wi-Fi hotspots to students and educators to use at home.
    “Senate Republicans just passed a partisan resolution that would rob New Mexico students and educators of the very tools they need to succeed. When we should be increasing connectivity, my Republican colleagues are working to limit it. If this resolution is signed into law, New Mexico schools and libraries that have applied for Wi-Fi spots through the E-Rate program will be rejected.”
    Earlier today, Senator Luján joined U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), U.S. Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), and advocates at a press conference on Republican attempts to gut low-income, rural, and Tribal students’ access to Wi-Fi internet hotspots. Following the press conference, Senate Republicans voted to pass a Congressional Review Act resolution that overturns a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rule allowing schools and libraries to use their E-Rate funds to loan Wi-Fi hotspots to students and educators.  
    In New Mexico, 40% of students lack access to high-speed broadband. Nationwide, studies have estimated between 9 million to 15 million U.S. students lack adequate internet access at home. Since 2020, the FCC’s E-Rate program has committed over $174 million in support to New Mexico schools and libraries.
    Schools and libraries in New Mexico that have applied for Wi-Fi hotspots through the E-Rate program include:
    ·         David F. Cargo El Valle De Anton Chico Library
    ·         Farmington Municipal School District 5
    ·         Grants Public Library
    ·         Lake Valley Navajo School
    ·         Ojo Encino Day School
    ·         Taos Day School
    ·         Taos Municipal School District
    As Ranking Member of the Commerce Subcommittee on Telecommunications and Media, Senator Luján is a strong champion for 100% broadband connectivity. In the 118th Congress, Senator Luján introduced the bipartisan Tribal Connect Act to make it easier for Tribes to secure high-speed internet access at Tribal Essential Community-Serving Institutions through the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Universal Service Fund (USF) Schools and Libraries Program, or E-Rate program. In the 117th Congress, Senator Luján introduced legislation to help close the homework gap by equipping school buses with Wi-Fi technology and improving financing options for broadband deployment.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Lee Bill Establishes Obscenity Definition Across States

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Utah Mike Lee
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) introduced the Interstate Obscenity Definition Act today to clarify the legal definition of “obscenity” for all states, making the transmission of obscene content across state lines more easily prosecuted. U.S. Representative Mary Miller (R-IL) is the bill’s co-lead in the House of Representatives.
    “Obscenity isn’t protected by the First Amendment, but hazy and unenforceable legal definitions have allowed extreme pornography to saturate American society and reach countless children,” said Senator Mike Lee. “Our bill updates the legal definition of obscenity for the internet age so this content can be taken down and its peddlers prosecuted.”
    “The Interstate Obscenity Definition Act equips law enforcement with the tools they need to target and remove obscene material from the internet, which is alarmingly destructive and far outside the bounds of protected free speech under the Constitution. I’m proud to lead this effort in the House with Senator Lee to safeguard American families and ensure this dangerous material is kept out of our homes and off our screens.” – Representative Mary Miller
    The Interstate Obscenity Definition Act (IODA) clarifies the definition of obscenity across all states and provides updated descriptions suited to modern content. The new definition removes dependence on ever-changing and elusive public opinion, replacing ambiguity with practical standards to make obscenity identifiable. This change will prevent obscene material such as pornography from evading prosecution by relying on the legal confusion of differing standards between states. Under IODA, law enforcement will be empowered to identify and prevent obscenity from being transmitted across state lines.
    Obscenity is already unprotected speech under the First Amendment, but its current definition makes it difficult to assess and prosecute. The current legal definition of obscenity was taken from a Supreme Court case argued in 1973. Its standards are subjective and vague, making it difficult to apply with certainty to any given material. Using a pre-internet standard for modern times presents serious challenges – particularly when states use differing definitions for “obscenity” – and allows criminals to evade prosecution.
    The Interstate Obscenity Definition Act (IODA):
    Defines “obscenity” within the Communications Act of 1934 as content that: 
    taken as a whole, appeals to the prurient interest in nudity, sex, or excretion, 
    depicts, describes or represents actual or simulated sexual acts with the objective intent to arouse, titillate, or gratify the sexual desires of a person, and, 
    taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value. 
    Strengthens the existing general prohibition on obscenity in the Communications Act (47 U.S.C 223(a)) by removing the “intent” requirement that only prohibits the transmission of obscenity for the purposes abusing, threatening, or harassing a person.
    Click here to read exclusive coverage from The Daily Caller.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: GVP Sullivan Visits Pratt & Whitney Picket Line as Support Pours in for Striking IAM District 26 Members

    Source: US GOIAM Union

    IAM Local 700 and 1746 (District 26) members at Pratt & Whitney in Middletown and East Hartford, Conn., are on strike to secure a better contract.

    Workers are seeking improved wage security, job security, and retirement security. But, the current company proposal do not address their core issues, despite the company’s high profits.

    “I stand behind you and we’re going to fight like hell every day to get what you want,” said IAM Eastern Territory General Vice President David Sullivan.

    Watch the video report here.
    View photo gallery here.

    Union representatives and striking members emphasized the support of IAM and highlighted that the strike is driven by a significant rejection of the company’s offer and a strong desire to protect the future for all generations of workers. The difficulties faced by striking workers, such as the cost of childcare, are also mentioned by several members who are walking the picket lines.

    IAM members at Pratt and Whitney have also received an outpouring of support from the highest levels of state government and leadership in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. Additionally, the striking members at Pratt and Whitney have drawn community support from other labor organizations. 

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: India-Pakistan: escalating conflict between two nuclear powers

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jonathan Este, Senior International Affairs Editor, Associate Editor

    This article was first published in The Conversation UK’s World Affairs Briefing email newsletter. Sign up to receive weekly analysis of the latest developments in international relations, direct to your inbox.

    Once again, India and Pakistan are locked in conflict over Kashmir. A diplomatic crisis that started with a terrorist attack that killed 26 tourists, all but one of them Indian, became a fortnight of cross-border skirmishes and pugilistic posturing from New Delhi and Islamabad. India responded on May 7 with Operation Sindoor, a series of airstrikes apparently aimed at what India said were terrorist training camps, in which at least 31 people were reportedly killed. Pakistan has vowed revenge and launched its own deadly attacks. And so an old emnity is rekindled.

    India and Pakistan have been at loggerheads over Kashmir virtually since partition in 1947. Its mixed population, its geography and, importantly, its history as what was known as a “princely state”, virtually guaranteed it. Princely states, which were not administered by the British Raj were given the choice of joining either independent India or the newly created Pakistan. Kashmir, ruled over by the Hindu maharaja Hari Singh, eventually joined India.

    Hari Singh reportedly did so with some misgivings. The state he ruled over had a majority population of Muslims. But when the first conflict broke out at the end of 1947, with an invasion by Pakistani tribesmen looking to take control of Kashmir, he called on India for assistance and signed a deal temporarily incorporating the state into India pending a plebiscite – which never took place.

    The first India-Pakistan war ended in 1949 with a UN-mandated ceasefire. A border was drawn through the state giving India roughly two-thirds control over Jammu and Kashmir, with Pakistan controlling the other third. Both sides have claimed the whole territory ever since.

    Violence has broken out periodically in the intervening decades, characterised since the 1980s by insurgencies, which India routinely accuses Pakistan of backing – an accusation which Pakistan routinely denies. Groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) have carried out terror attacks in both Kashmir and India, including LeT’s 2008 Mumbai massacre in which 166 people were killed.

    Sign up to receive our weekly World Affairs Briefing newsletter from The Conversation UK. Every Thursday we’ll bring you expert analysis of the big stories in international relations.

    Now the situation which the rest of the world has worried about for years, a conflict between two neighbouring nuclear armed powers, has begun to escalate with fears it might spiral out of control. Natasha Lindsteadt, an expert in international security, takes a look at the military – and nuclear– capabilities and policies of the two countries.

    She writes that India has a far larger military (it’s ranked as one of the world’s top five military nations by Military Watch magazine, with Pakistan ranked ninth). The two countries have a roughly comparable nuclear arsenal. But while India has a “no first use” policy, Pakistan has never committed itself in this way, arguing it needs its nuclear arsenal to counter India’s larger conventional forces.

    But even a small nuclear exchange between the two could kill more than 20 million people, writes Lindsteadt.



    Read more:
    Why are India and Pakistan on the brink of war and how dangerous is the situation? An expert explains

    Part of the problem seems to be a complete lack of communications at the highest level. US president, Donald Trump, initially appeared reluctant to get involved, saying that he is “sure they’ll figure it out one way or the other … There’s great tension between Pakistan and India, but there always has been.” He is since reported to have offered to step in, an offer apparently politely rejected by New Delhi.

    “What is needed now is robust, real-time crisis communication between the two nations,” write security experts Syed Ali Zia Jaffery of the University of Lahore and Nicholas Wheeler of the University of Birmingham. The problem is that there is no mechanism for that.

    And as we know from the Cuban missile crisis, when the US and Soviet Union came very close to a nuclear exchange, it’s all too easy for mistakes to be made which could escalate a conflict between two nuclear powers into a conflagration.

    After that crisis, the two leaders involved, John F. Kennedy and Nikita Krushchev, set up a communications link (which became known as the “hotline”) to enable direct communications. As Jaffery and Wheeler point out, this served to keep the rival powers from further dangerous confrontation (it even helped in bringing about arms treaties when Ronald Reagan was in the White House and Mikhail Gorbachev was in the Kremlin.



    Read more:
    Why a hotline is needed to help bring India and Pakistan back from the brink of a disastrous war

    For a deeper dive into the crisis and the long history of conflict between India and Pakistan, here are five essential reads, carefully curated for you by my colleague Matt Williams, senior international editor at The Conversation in the US.



    Read more:
    India-Pakistan strikes: 5 essential reads on decades of rivalry and tensions over Kashmir

    Netanyahu’s Gaza plan

    In the Middle East, meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are planning to move in large numbers into Gaza with a plan to occupy the whole of the territory. The prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has described the move as a “forceful operation” which will destroy Hamas and rescue its remaining hostages. The remaining population of 2.1 million Palestinian civilians will be moved “to proect it”.

    With more than 50,000 people dead in Gaza since the conflict began in October 2023, you have to say Israel’s attempts to protect civilians have been decidedly unsuccessful.

    Leonie Fleischmann, senior lecturer in international politics at City St George’s, University of London, sees this as Israel’s next step towards clearing Gaza of Palestinians, something she says Netanyahu’s far-right enablers have been pushing for all along. But she also sees parallels with what is happening in the West Bank, where Israel is gradually annexing land occupied by Palestinians and mandated by the Oslo accords of the 1990s as part of a future Palestinian state.

    The recent Louis Theroux documentary film showed the terrible circumstances under which Palestinians live on the West Bank, juxtaposing that with the determination of extreme Zionists to take over what they see as the land of their forefathers.

    Fleischmann notes that this week, Israeli cabinet minister Bezalel Smotrich approved plans for construction on land in an area which, if given to settlers, would effectively cut the West Bank in two. This would, she says, “bury any remaining hope for a two-state solution”. Rather chillingly, Smotrich is quoted as saying: “This is how you kill the Palestinian state.”



    Read more:
    Israeli plan to occupy all of Gaza could open the door for annexation of the West Bank

    Where would Palestinians go under Netanyahu’s plan? Well, if the Israeli prime minister shares Donald Trump’s vision of redeveloping Gaza as some sort of Middle Eastern “riviera”, they’d be dispersed into countries such as Egypt and Jordan.

    This idea is a non-starter, writes Scott Lucas of University College Dublin. Lucas, a Middle East expert who has written regularly for us about Israel and Gaza and answered our questions about the situation. He says Egyptian president, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has definitively ruled out accepting a mass exodus of Palestinians via the Rafah crossing at Gaza’s southern end. And Jordan is equally unwilling to accept any more Palestinian refugees. Apart from anything else, it already has about 3 million.

    As Lucas writes: “Any Arab government that takes in Gazans, even amid a humanitarian crisis, would be tacitly burying the idea of a Palestinian state. That would break a 77-year-old principle and resurrect the Nakba – the forced displacement and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in 1948.”

    Israel is unlikely to get much international support for such a move either, Lucas adds. Donald Trump is preoccupied with other things and, even if he weren’t, the rest of the international community would hardly stand for what would probably be seen as an act of ethnic cleansing on a massive scale.



    Read more:
    What does Netanyahu’s plan for ‘conquering’ Gaza mean for Israel, Palestine and their neighbours? Expert Q&A

    But what do ordinary Israelis think of their government’s plans for Gaza? For most Israelis the paramount factor is their security. So far the Netanyahu government’s actions in Gaza had enjoyed majority suppport for that reason and in the hope that somehow the conflict might lead to getting the remaining hostages home.

    But the latest plan to take Gaza completely could scupper any hope of repatriating the hostages. And there are signs that many Israelis are getting tired of the constant crisis and conflict. There appears to be a growing appetite for peace.

    Or so writes Yuval Katz of Loughborough University, who grew up in Israel but left eight years ago to pursue an academic career. He was recently home for the first time in two years and spent time contacting peace groups. Here is what he found.



    Read more:
    Israel’s peace movement offers a ray of hope amid the pain of Gaza conflict

    World Affairs Briefing from The Conversation UK is available as a weekly email newsletter. Click here to get updates directly in your inbox.

    – ref. India-Pakistan: escalating conflict between two nuclear powers – https://theconversation.com/india-pakistan-escalating-conflict-between-two-nuclear-powers-256277

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Winning the AI race: Strengthening U.S. capabilities in computing and innovation

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: Winning the AI race: Strengthening U.S. capabilities in computing and innovation

    Editor’s note: On Thursday, May 8, Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith testified before the Senate Commerce Committee. To view the proceedings, visit the committee’s website.

     

    Winning the AI Race:
    Strengthening U.S. Capabilities in Computing and Innovation

    Written Testimony of Brad Smith
    Vice Chair and President, Microsoft Corporation

    Senate Commerce Committee

    Chairman Cruz, Ranking Member Cantwell, and Members of the Committee,

    Thank you for the opportunity to testify on the critical issue of artificial intelligence. I am Brad Smith, the Vice Chair and President of Microsoft Corporation.

    AI has the potential to become the most useful tool for people ever invented. Like the general purpose technologies that preceded it, such as electricity, machine tools, and digital computing, AI will impact every part of our economy. It will shape not just how we work and live, but how we compete, prosper, and stay secure as a nation between now and the middle of this century.

    The notice for this hearing aptly refers to an “AI race.” I would like to talk today about what is needed to win this race.

    The AI race involves both technology and economics. It requires both innovation and diffusion. It is both a sprint and a marathon. The country can win a lap but lose the race if it fails to bring together all the ingredients needed for success.

    It is a race that no company or country can win by itself.

    To win the AI race, the United States will need to support the private sector at every layer of the AI tech stack. The nation will need to partner with American allies and friends around the world.

    In my testimony today, I will focus on three strategic priorities where this Congress and the federal government will make a difference.

    First, the country must win the AI innovation race. This will require massive datacenters and AI infrastructure that need federal support to expand and modernize the electrical grid on which they depend. The country must recruit and train skilled labor like electricians and pipefitters that are in short supply. We all must summon the best of our researchers at national labs and universities, supported by federal basic research programs and partnerships that have become the envy of the world. We will need to continue to excel in moving innovative ideas from academic labs into companies and new products. And we will need to support AI developers with open and broad access to public data.

    Second, the nation must win the AI diffusion race. This will require that we promote broad AI adoption that will enable productivity growth across every sector of the economy. More than anything, this requires new initiatives to promote the AI skilling of the American workforce. This will involve basic AI fluency in our schools and new AI training programs in our community colleges. It will also include advanced AI education that will represent the next generation of computer science degrees, organizational skills that will be mastered in the country’s business schools, and new courses in the nation’s law schools. When combined, these will enable companies, non-profits, and government agencies alike to put AI to effective use. Governments at the federal, state, and local levels can then help accelerate this diffusion by adopting AI services to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the services they provide to the public.

    Third, the United States must export AI to American allies and friends. No company or country is so powerful that it can master the future of AI without friends. The United States and China are competing not only to innovate but to spread their respective technologies to other countries. This part of the race likely will be won by the fastest first mover. The United States needs a smart export control strategy that protects our national security while assuring other countries that they will have reliable and sustained access to critical American AI components and services. Perhaps as much as anything, this requires that we collectively sustain international trust in our products, our companies, and the country itself.

    AI as a General Purpose Technology

    Economists sometimes put technologies into two categories, general purpose technologies and single-purpose tools. Most things in the world are single-purpose tools, like a smoke detector or a lawn mower. They do one thing very well. But over the course of history, certain so-called general purpose technologies impact and sometimes even redefine almost every sector of the economy. Electricity is the prototypical example, because when you think about it, electricity changed the way every economic sector works.

    The key to mastering the future of AI starts in part by understanding the role technology has played in the past. The past three centuries have brought the world three industrial revolutions, each driven by these general purpose technologies. First, it was iron working in the United Kingdom, starting in the 1700s. And then it was electricity and machine tools in the 1800s, when the United States overtook the United Kingdom by putting these technologies to work more broadly than any other country. And then there was the third industrial revolution during the last 50 years, driven by computer chips and software.

    Without question, being a global leader in advancing a general purpose technology gives a country a major edge. But one lesson of history is that the countries that benefit the most and advance the fastest are not necessarily the countries where the technology is invented. Rather, it’s where the technology is diffused – or adopted – the most quickly and broadly. This is for good reason. If a technology improves productivity and changes every part of an economy, then the country that uses it the most broadly and quickly will benefit the most.

    This both frames and defines the AI opportunity and challenge for the United States. As a nation, we need to focus both on advancing innovation and driving diffusion, both domestically and as a leading American export.

    The AI Tech Stack

    The key to driving both innovation and diffusion is to recognize that AI, like all general purpose technologies, is built on what we in the industry call a tech stack – a stack of technologies that are used together. This is true for every great general purpose technology. You can see this, for example, if we go back in time and think about electricity. Thomas Edison first succeeded in 1878 in using electricity to light a lightbulb. But the illumination of lights across a city quickly required the construction of power plants, the fuel to run them, the creation of an electrical grid, the standardization of circuits, and a wide range of electrical appliances beyond the lightbulb itself. In short, a tech stack for electricity.

    Artificial intelligence similarly is built on an AI tech stack. Fundamentally, it is divided into three layers, infrastructure, the platform layer, and applications. You can see this illustrated below.

    The infrastructure layer is massive. Microsoft is spending more than $80 billion this fiscal year on the capital investment needed for this layer, with more than half this amount being spent in the United States. This goes to buying land, investing in electricity and broadband connectivity, procuring chips like GPUs, and installing liquid cooling. These lead to the construction of datacenters – or often datacenter campuses with many buildings with potentially hundreds of thousands of computers. This infrastructure supports both the training of new AI models and their deployment, so they can be used for AI-based services around the world.

    On top of this infrastructure, there is the platform layer. The heart of this layer consists of AI foundation models, including frontier models created by companies like OpenAI, as well as open source and other models from a wide variety of other firms – including Anthropic, Google, Mistral, DeepSeek, and Microsoft itself. The platform layer relies on data to train and ground models. And it includes a new generation of software-based AI platform services that are used to help build AI applications.

    Ultimately, both the infrastructure and platform layers support the applications layer. These are devices and software applications that use AI to deliver better services to people. ChatGPT and Microsoft’s Copilot are both examples of AI applications. One of the amazing things about the applications layer is it’s not just companies – large or small or established or startup – that are creating AI applications. It’s everybody. It’s researchers using new AI-infused applications to change drug discovery. It’s non-profits changing the way they deliver services. It’s teachers using AI as a tool to improve the way they prepare material for a classroom. It’s governments making everything from the filing of a tax return to the renewal of a driver’s license easier and more efficient.

    To build a new AI economy, it’s critical to get all three of these layers working and to get a flywheel turning across the ecosystem. It’s essential to build the infrastructure layer so people can develop and deploy the models at the platform layer. It’s essential to use the AI models so that people will build the applications on top of them. And it’s essential for customers to adopt the applications, so the market can grow, and drive increased investment to expand the infrastructure further. The process repeats itself. This is how a new economy is born.

    Success Requires an Entire Ecosystem

    The flywheel effect makes clear that success requires not only national progress at one layer of the tech stack, but at every layer. That is what the private sector currently is pursuing in the United States better than in any other country. And it’s what this Congress and the Executive Branch can help support with a strategy that promotes both AI innovation and diffusion up and down this stack.

    National AI leadership requires not only success by a few companies, but by many. Today’s panel, involving leading firms such as OpenAI, AMD, CoreWeave, and Microsoft, reflects important slices of the new AI economy. The AI economy requires a multifaceted and integrated ecosystem that includes “Big Tech” and “Little Tech,” startups and more established firms, open source and proprietary developers, suppliers and customers, firms that create data and firms that consume it, all working together. Governments as both regulators and leading AI adopters have critical roles to play.

    Commentators sometimes focus on the tensions between different participants in this tech ecosystem. These deserve attention. What’s often overlooked is that the different participants also depend on each other. And this means that the different contributors to the AI ecosystem all need to be healthy.

    A large technology company like Microsoft has a unique opportunity – and responsibility – to partner with and support the participants at every level of the tech stack. We strive to advance not just innovation but an economic architecture, business models, and responsible practices that will help grow the AI market on a long-term basis. Not just for the United States, but the country’s friends and allies.

    Winning the Innovation Race

    Although the AI economy is being built mostly by the private sector, government policies and initiatives need to play a critical role. This starts with work needed to help fuel innovation. A few areas deserve particular attention in this hearing.

    Power the growth of datacenters

    Just as you can’t have reliable electricity in your home without a powerplant, you can’t have AI without datacenters and AI infrastructure. And these datacenters require a vast supply chain to construct and large amounts of electricity to operate.

    America’s advanced economy relies on 50-year-old infrastructure that cannot meet the increasing electricity demands driven by AI, reshoring of manufacturing, and increased electrification. The United States will need to invest in more transmission and energy resources, onshore our supply chains, and modernize our electric grid to support forecasted increases in electrical loads. Microsoft is investing in these areas itself.

    We urge the federal government to streamline the federal permitting process to accelerate growth in all these areas. The current federal permitting processes often involve multiple agencies and complex, unpredictable, multi-year reviews. This hinders progress. The federal government should take immediate steps to establish reliable, reasonable, and transparent timelines for permitting decisions. This can also be done by standardizing federal permitting processes and designating a lead agency to shepherd the permits through the process. Further, the permitting agencies should utilize AI and digital tools to improve timelines and transparency for applicants and ensure the permitting agencies have quick access to information to assist them in their review and decision-making process.

    We were pleased to see President Trump’s recent Executive Order, “Updating Permitting Technology for the 21st Century,” directing agencies to make maximum use of technology in the environmental review and permitting process. The Congress should also look to the Federal-State Modern Grid Deployment Initiative as a proven program that can be leveraged to deliver results.

    This is just the start of what is needed to modernize and expand America’s energy grid. We need to recognize that new investments in the grid are just as important today as they were a century ago, when the United States led the world in private and public sector support for electricity.

    Grow the AI Infrastructure workforce

    Perhaps the single biggest challenge for data center expansion in the United States is a national shortage of people – including skilled electricians and pipefitters. Electricians, for example, are essential to datacenter construction, installing a complex system of electrical panels, transformers and backup power systems. We have hired thousands of electricians across the country, including in Arizona, Georgia, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin. But the United States doesn’t have enough electricians to fill the growing demand. We estimate that over the next decade, the United States will need to recruit and train half a million new electricians to meet the country’s growing electricity needs. We need a national strategy to ensure we meet this opportunity for American workers.

    These are good jobs that will provide great long-term careers for people across the country. We recommend making existing federal education and training funds, as well as tax incentives, available to scale up these opportunities. These could include targeting current federal apprenticeship investments in regions that have identified major AI infrastructure initiatives and supporting existing training centers to quickly increase the number of registered apprenticeships focused on electricians.

    We commend President Trump’s recent Executive Order, “Preparing Americans for High-Paying Skilled Trade Jobs of the Future,” for highlighting the importance of skilled trades in the building of AI infrastructure and for paving the way to meet this moment. As federal agencies work to implement the order, it will be critical that industry forecasters and union training centers work together to maximize impact.

    Ultimately, we need new steps at every level of government and in communities across the country. For example, we need to do more as a nation to revitalize the industrial arts and shop classes in American high schools. This should be a priority for local school boards and state governments. Similarly, the nation’s community colleges will need to do more to support a national initiative to help train a new generation of skilled labor, including electricians and pipefitters.

    Invest in AI research and development

    To uphold America’s position as a global scientific leader, it is imperative to enhance federal investment in fundamental scientific research. The United States boasts a storied history of employing public-private partnerships. The decisions made decades ago to publicly fund research infrastructure and provide financial support to talented scientists and entrepreneurs paved a pathway to American technological leadership. Through federal, state and local government initiatives, investments were made in regional economies and programs, betting on the ingenuity of the American people. Notable incubators of the 20th  century – such as Bell Labs and the network of federal national laboratories – were the result of deliberate efforts to unite industry, government, and academia to propel scientific advancement. We must deploy a similar strategy today for AI and quantum technologies. Investments in these areas are critical to advancing the development of innovative technological solutions that address complex global challenges.

    To outcompete nations like China, which have significantly boosted their research and development (R&D) investments, the United States must accelerate strategic investments in scientific research for future technologies. Experts predict China will continue to invest substantial resources in next-generation technologies such as AI, advanced manufacturing, clean energy, quantum computing, and semiconductors over the next decade.

    Since the Second World War, America’s technological innovation has been driven by R&D based on two critical ingredients that the rest of the world has both studied and envied. The first is sustained support for basic research. While a few tech companies invest substantial sums in basic research, as we do through Microsoft Research (MSR), most world-leading basic research is pursued by academics at American universities, often based on funding from the National Science Foundation and other federal agencies. Driven by curiosity rather than a profit motive, this research often leads to unexpected but profound discoveries that are published publicly.

    The second ingredient is a sustained commitment to investments in product development by companies of all sizes. The United States, more than any other country, has mastered the process of moving new ideas quickly from universities to the private sector. This success rests on healthy investments in both R and D, recognizing that basic research is often publicly funded and typically in universities, while product development is robustly and privately funded through companies. It’s the combination of the two that makes American R&D so successful.

    In 2019, President Trump approved an executive order designed to strengthen America’s lead in artificial intelligence. It rightly focused on federal investments in AI research and making federal data and computing resources more accessible. Six years later, the President and Congress should expand on these efforts to support advancing America’s AI leadership. More funding for basic research at the National Science Foundation and through our universities is one good place to start.

    Ensure public data is open and accessible

    Data is the fuel that powers artificial intelligence. The quality, quantity, and accessibility of data directly determines the strength and sophistication of AI models. While the internet has been a major source of training data, the federal government remains one of the largest untapped sources of high-quality and high-volume data. Yet today, many of these datasets are either inaccessible or not usable for AI development.

    By making government data readily available for AI training, the United States can significantly accelerate the advancement of AI capabilities, driving innovation and discovery. Opening access to these datasets would allow for the analysis of themes, patterns, and insights across broad datasets, propelling the country to the forefront of global AI development.

    Importantly, accessible public data levels the playing field. It empowers not only large companies but startups, academic institutions, and nonprofits to train and refine AI models. This fosters a more competitive and inclusive AI ecosystem, where innovation is driven by ideas and ingenuity – not just proprietary data.

    In comparison, countries like China and the United Kingdom are already investing heavily in their data resources, recognizing the economic and strategic value of national-scale data management. China’s comprehensive system to manage datasets as a strategic resource and the UK’s National Data Library underscore a growing global trend of treating data as a common good for economic competitiveness.

    Winning the AI Diffusion Race

    History teaches us that the true impact of a general-purpose technology is not measured solely by the caliber of its leading inventions, but by how quickly, widely, and effectively these are adopted across society. But the reality is that technology diffusion takes time, investment, partnerships, and sound public policy.

    The history of electricity offers an important insight for AI. Once Thomas Edison proved in 1878 that electricity could power a lightbulb, why would anyone choose to sit at night in a room illuminated by a candle or kerosene? Yet tonight, almost 150 years later, more than 700 million people on the planet still live without electricity in their homes. Diffusion requires not only great technology, but sound economics.

    The economics of tech diffusion start with skilling. Countries need to invest in the skills needed to use new technology, both as individuals and across organizations. It is easy to underestimate both the role that skilling plays and the need for public policy to support it. But in each industrial revolution, the country that best harnessed the leading general-purpose technology of its time was the nation that skilled its population the most quickly and broadly.

    Skill the American workforce

    In the new AI economy, Americans of all backgrounds will need critical AI skills to compete. To meet the totality of the skilling challenge, the country must pursue a new national goal to make AI skilling accessible and useful for every American. This will require a very broad range of partnerships and new policy ideas, spanning across geographic, organizational, economic, and political divides.

    President Trump’s recent executive orders focused on AI education and the workforce provide critical steps towards a national skilling strategy for AI. The “Advancing Artificial Intelligence Education for American Youth” EO establishes a clear policy to promote AI literacy by responsibly integrating AI into education for teachers and students. By fostering this early exposure, the nation’s youth will be better positioned for AI-enabled work. Congress can also consider leveraging existing federal funding to the nation’s school districts to encourage AI learning and literacy in K-12 education.

    Businesses and non-profits have important roles to play. At Microsoft, we are seeking to do our part to meet this skilling challenge. In 2025 alone, we are on a path to train 2.5 million Americans in basic AI skills. We’re partnering with the National Future Farmers of America (FFA) to train educators in every state to integrate AI into the agricultural classroom through our Farm Beats for Students program. We are partnering with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the largest organization representing the nation’s educators in America, to deliver a co-developed training program to 10,000 AFT members. And we’re partnering with the State of New Jersey, Princeton University, and CoreWeave on an AI Hub in New Jersey that will include support for AI education in local community colleges.

    When it comes to AI skilling, the most important thing we need to do is recognize that this is a critical field that is ripe for attention, learning, partnership, and innovation. It will have a huge impact on broadening access to this technology across our economy and society. Generative AI is a new and young technology. So is our knowledge of the full extent of need in terms of AI skilling programs and support. This is a first-class priority that deserves as much attention and support as innovation in AI technology itself.

    Encourage AI adoption

    The federal government also will play a critical role in AI diffusion by using AI itself. There are opportunities across the government to use AI to improve the quality and efficiency of public services for citizens.

    It’s encouraging to see the recent OMB publication of M-Memos focused on federal government use and procurement of AI. Both memos emphasized the importance of removing barriers to innovation, maximizing the use of domestically developed AI products, and encouraging AI leaders within the federal government to facilitate responsible AI adoption.

    We’re seeing activity in the states as well. We partnered with the Texas Department of Transportation to launch a six-week pilot program aimed at boosting productivity and improving decision-making across various departments. The program saw strong results with 97 percent of participants using the AI digital assistant during the pilot, 68 percent have integrated it into their daily workflow, and participants reporting saving an average of 12 hours a week on routine tasks.

    Exporting American AI

    The ability to export our AI is essential to sustaining our global competitiveness and ensuring that our technological progress benefits not only our nation, but also our allies and partners around the world. Building on recent AI diplomacy efforts, the United States offers a compelling and trusted value proposition in the global technology landscape.

    American tech companies, including Microsoft, are making unprecedented investments in AI infrastructure around the world. Microsoft alone is building AI infrastructure in more than forty countries, including regions where China has focused its investments. We urgently need a national policy that provides the right balance of export controls and trade support for these investments.

    While the U.S. government rightly has focused on protecting sensitive AI components in secure datacenters through export controls, an even more important element of AI competition will involve a race between the United States and China to spread their respective technologies to other countries. Given the nature of technology markets and their potential network effects, this race between the United States and China for international influence likely will be won by the fastest first mover. The United States needs a smart international strategy to rapidly support American AI around the world.

    This fundamental lesson emerges from the past twenty years of telecommunications equipment exports. Initially, American and European companies such as Lucent, Alcatel, Ericsson, and Nokia built innovative products that defined international standards. But as Huawei invested in innovation and China’s government subsidized sales of its products, especially across the developing world, adoption of these Chinese products outpaced the competition and became the backbone of numerous countries’ telecommunications networks. This created the technology foundation for what later became an important issue for the Trump Administration in 2020, as it grappled with the presence of Huawei’s 5G products and their implications for national and cybersecurity.

    Early signs suggest the Government of China is interested in replicating its successful telecommunications strategy. China is starting to offer developing countries subsidized access to scarce chips, and it’s promising to build local AI datacenters. The Chinese wisely recognize that if a country standardizes on China’s AI platform, it likely will continue to rely on that platform in the future.

    International partnerships will be critical. This is why Microsoft has partnered with entities like the UAE’s G42 and investment funds like Blackrock and MGX, aiming to raise up to $100 billion for AI infrastructure and supply chains. American tech companies and private capital markets are forging stronger ties with key nations and sovereign investors in the Middle East, surpassing previous efforts to counter Chinese subsidies in telecommunications and reflecting our commitment to innovation and cooperation. While China’s government may subsidize its technology adoption in developing regions, it will struggle to match the scale and impact of America’s private sector investments.

    Pragmatic American export control policies are essential, balancing security protections with the ability to expand rapidly. Protecting national security by preventing adversaries from acquiring advanced AI technology is crucial. Rules should include qualitative standards for secure datacenter deployments to prevent chip diversion to China and ensure advanced AI services are safeguarded. We support this type of approach.

    However, we have expressed our concerns about the quantitative caps imposed on GPU shipments by the interim final AI Diffusion Rule issued in January. These place key American allies and partners in a Tier Two category, imposing limits on AI datacenter expansion. This includes countries like Switzerland, Poland, Greece, Singapore, India, Indonesia, Israel, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia. Customers in these countries now fear restricted access to American AI technology – potentially benefitting China’s AI sector by turning to alternatives.

    The Trump administration has an opportunity to revise the rule, eliminating quantitative caps and retaining qualitative standards. This approach ensures American allies and partners remain confident in accessing American AI products.

    Ultimately, we need to recognize that countries around the world will use American AI only if they can trust it. This creates responsibilities for American companies to develop and deploy AI infrastructure and products in a responsible manner that meets local needs. And it requires that countries have confidence in sustained and uninterrupted access to critical AI components and services. The United States has long built a reputation for trustworthy technology that China has been unable to match. But this reputation, like everything that truly matters, requires constant attention and care.

    Tags: AI, AI economy, artificial intelligence, Brad Smith, Congress, Innovation, Innovation Featured, Technology

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Microsoft’s Virtual Datacenter Tour opens a door to the cloud

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: Microsoft’s Virtual Datacenter Tour opens a door to the cloud

    Explore the infrastructure and datacenter design that powers over 60 datacenter regions and 300+ datacenters globally with Microsoft’s Virtual Datacenter Tour.

    Imagine stepping into a realm where the cloud meets cutting-edge technology, revealing the inner workings behind servers, fiber optic network cables, operations, physical datacenter buildings, and the most advanced AI infrastructure. This is Microsoft’s Virtual Datacenter Tour, where customers can explore the infrastructure and datacenter design that powers over 60 datacenter regions and 300 plus datacenters globally. In addition to our cloud infrastructure’s scale and breadth, customers will be able to interpret their own perception behind what makes our cloud infrastructure reliable, sustainable, trusted, and innovative.

    So, what are datacenters?

    Datacenters provide the infrastructure for the technology we rely on in our daily lives, from online banking and remote work to video calls and social media. They power the cloud, enabling us to store files, join meetings, access critical healthcare or financial data, and work on documents from anywhere, on any device. The cloud is a globally interconnected network of millions of computers in datacenters around the world that work together to store and manage data, run applications, and deliver content and services.

    Microsoft’s datacenters house thousands of servers, working around the clock to ensure your information is always available. Even during unexpected events, skilled technicians maintain operations with backup systems and redundancy. Our extensive network of secure datacenters across dozens of countries ensures services are close to where you access the cloud, and our footprint continues to grow to meet customer demand. Learn more about how Microsoft datacenters are powering our daily lives.

    How can I tour a Microsoft datacenter?

    We wish we could invite all of our customers to visit one of our datacenter regions, but this presents prohibitive security, safety, and staffing issues. Instead, we decided we’d bring our datacenter to you. The tour enables you to come and go with flexibility.

    Our virtual datacenter tour is a microsite that offers an immersive 3-dimensional self-guided virtual journey that will allow you to interact with Microsoft’s datacenters firsthand. Virtual visitors will learn about the infrastructure required to design, build, and operate our datacenters, the renewable energy that powers them, and the hardware and software that keep data secure.

    One highlight of the tour offers a glimpse of the future of cloud computing. The innovation room in our virtual datacenter tour allows you to explore recent innovations like Microsoft’s zero-water cooling datacenter design, which eliminates water use in datacenter cooling through advanced technologies, and Majorana 1, the world’s first quantum chip powered by a topological core.

    This tour provides a sneak peek into how Microsoft is enabling millions of customers to run critical and advanced workloads, including AI and quantum computing, while paving the way for future innovations. Visitors can take the tour via a personal computer or mobile device.

    Take a walk with us into the cloud

    We are continuously enhancing the virtual datacenter tour with new rooms, content, and experiences to elevate each virtual visit.

    First, we are excited to announce the integration of a virtual assistant powered by the Azure Open AI service, designed to answer the many questions you may have. As you walk through the datacenter, you will be greeted by an AI assistant offering real-time support during your tour, answering datacenter-specific questions, and offering detailed insights about our datacenter operations. Whether you are interested in our Microsoft Cloud infrastructure sustainability practices, air cooling technologies, datacenter security, resiliency capabilities, or the global reach of our datacenters, our AI assistant is here to guide you every step of the way.

    Explore the server room and learn about our latest hardware, including Azure Cobalt, our in-house CPU powering general compute offerings, and Azure Maia, our custom AI accelerator optimized for AI workloads. We also have long-standing partnerships with industry leaders like NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel to ensure a diverse set of hardware is available on Azure. This enables us to deliver the right mix of performance, efficiency, and cost to our customers.

    New to our server room is our hot aisle experience. Microsoft’s datacenter hot aisle design optimizes cooling efficiency by isolating hot air from servers into a single, dedicated aisle, ensuring peak performance and energy savings. At over a scorching 100 degrees, the unique isolation of hot air ensures a consistent temperature, boosts cooling efficiency, reduces energy consumption, and cuts operational costs. Find out how we manage a consistent temperature in our server room by ejecting, and even reusing, the heat generated from these servers.

    If you step outside into the mechanical area, you will be met with a breadth of Microsoft-designed datacenter power and cooling technologies. From the outside, you will also see an array of electrical equipment, such as batteries and backup generators, required to power the datacenter in the event of a power failure. Batteries and generators play a key role in enabling us to deliver continuity of service. For each megawatt of datacenter capacity, we generally have just over one megawatt of battery backup and generator backup to make sure the datacenters can meet our service levels and operational reliability. Longer term, Microsoft’s goal is to use more low-carbon fuels, batteries, or even hydrogen fuel cells for backup generators.

    Outside, you will also learn how we cool our datacenter to ensure the reliability of the hardware running inside. If it gets too hot indoors, servers can start failing. To keep this from happening, we use adiabatic cooling and free air cooling. Adiabatic and free air cooling are highly efficient methods of cooling datacenters. Adiabatic cooling uses water evaporation rather than mechanical air conditioning, while free air cooling takes advantage of natural weather elements to control the temperature. Both methods significantly reduce water and power usage. Learn more about Azure modern datacenter cooling.

    Visit our Virtual Datacenter Tour today

    This Virtual Datacenter Tour emphasizes Microsoft’s commitment to enabling advanced workloads and future innovations. Experience a more interactive and informative tour with our cutting-edge AI technology and updated unique design capabilities to understand how Microsoft is at the forefront of the future of cloud computing.

    Experience the Virtual Datacenter Tour today.

    Learn more about Azure’s limitless innovation today

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI USA: New Dashboard Shows Importance of Peers in Mental Health Wellness and Substance Use Recovery

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: New Dashboard Shows Importance of Peers in Mental Health Wellness and Substance Use Recovery

    New Dashboard Shows Importance of Peers in Mental Health Wellness and Substance Use Recovery
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    The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today announced the release of a new dashboard highlighting the success of North Carolina’s Peer Warmline. The Warmline is a free resource for people experiencing emotional difficulty, mental health issues, substance use challenges, or for those who just need to talk with someone who understands what they are going through. Since launch, warmline counselors have received more than 67,000 calls, and 99% of callers who responded to a recent survey expressed satisfaction with the support they received. The dashboard launch coincides with Mental Health Awareness Month in May.

    “Mental Health matters to all of us, and we are committed to ensuring everyone who needs care can access that care when they need it and in the setting that is most appropriate for them,” said NC Health and Human Services Secretary Dev Sangvai. “For many, having the opportunity to speak with a Peer Support Specialist is critical in their wellness journey, and these numbers show how effective this resource is in North Carolina.”

    The dashboard provides a snapshot of how many people call the line, the general reason they called, how long they spent on the line and how satisfied they were with the support they received. Support from others with lived experience has been shown to reduce hospitalizations and emergency room visits. The North Carolina Warmline is available 24/7 by calling 855-PEERS-NC (855-733-7762) or calling the North Carolina 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline and asking to be transferred. 988 is available to anyone who needs crisis support for themselves or a loved one. North Carolina’s 988 dashboard shows more than 134,000 calls in the past year with calls answered within 14 seconds on average. These are two of many resources available in North Carolina if you or someone you know needs mental health care. 

    “When someone we love is struggling, we want them to have support that is accessible, compassionate, and effective,” said Kelly Crosbie, MSW, LCSW, Director of the NCDHHS Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Use Services. “The Peer Warmline offers people a chance to connect with someone who truly understands – someone who’s been there. This new dashboard shows us just how valued that support is, with a 99% satisfaction rate among tens of thousands of callers. It’s one more way we’re working to build a behavioral health system that meets people where they are, whenever they need it.”

    Community crisis centers are another key feature of the state’s behavioral health system, offering safe places where individuals can get help without going to the emergency room. These centers are one of several options if you are experiencing a mental health crisis. They offer immediate help with mental health needs and treatment for alcohol or drugs. Most are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and don’t require appointments or insurance. Visit the NCDHHS website for crisis services to find a location near you.

    If you are struggling and need someone to listen and understand your situation, a mobile crisis team can also come to you. The team is made up of one or two helpful and caring counselors who can meet you at your home, school or somewhere you feel safe. NCDHHS has a list of mobile crisis teams you can call 24/7 across North Carolina. 

    To support youth across North Carolina, NCDHHS partnered with Somethings.com to offer a free mental health peer mentorship program for all teens struggling with depression, anxiety, eating disorders or other emotional trauma. The digital service connects teens with mentors and clinical providers who are trained to offer social and emotional support. Users can talk or text with their mentors through the Somethings app whenever it works for them. Somethings says 77% of users have reported that their services have been more effective than traditional therapy.

    The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is free, confidential, and available any time, 24/7. You can call or text 988 or use the chat function at 988Lifeline.org. Individuals who speak Spanish can connect directly to Spanish-speaking crisis counselors by calling 988 and pressing option 2, by texting “AYUDA” to 988, or by chatting online at 988lineadevida.org or 988Lifeline.org. Trained counselors are also available for veterans and members of the LBGTQI+ community.

    The NC Recovery Helpline is dedicated to advocating for, connecting with and educating North Carolina citizens seeking help for themselves or a loved one struggling with substance use and/or mental health. Individuals can reach the Recovery Helpline via phone (1.800.688.4232), text (919.703.1872), email (help4recovery.org), or chat.

    Additionally, NCDHHS has a wealth of suicide prevention resources for people struggling with their mental health, providers treating people in need of mental health care and communities impacted by suicide.  

    El Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos de Carolina del Norte anunció hoy el lanzamiento de un nuevo tablero que destaca el éxito de la línea Peer Warmline de Carolina del Norte. La linea Warmline es un recurso gratuito para personas que experimentan dificultades emocionales, enfermedades de salud mental, desafíos de uso de substanacias o para las personas que solo necesitan hablar con alguien que entienda por lo que están pasando. Desde su lanzamiento, los consejeros de la línea Warmline han recibido más de 67,000 llamadas, y el 99% de las personas que llamaron también respondieron a una encuesta reciente expresaron su satisfacción con el apoyo que recibieron.  El lanzamiento del tablero coincide con el Mes de Concientización sobre la Salud Mental en mayo.

    “La salud mental es importante para todos nosotros, y estamos comprometidos a garantizar que todas las personas que necesitan atención puedan acceder a esa atención cuando la necesiten y en el entorno que sea más apropiado para ellas”, dijo Dev Sangvai, Secretario de Salud y Servicios Humanos de Carolina del Norte. “Para muchos, tener la oportunidad de hablar con un especialista en apoyo entre pares es fundamental en su viaje de bienestar, y estas cifras muestran cuán efectivo es este recurso en Carolina del Norte”.

    El tablero proporciona una vista instantánea de cuántas personas llaman a la línea, la razón general por la que llamaron, cuánto tiempo pasaron en la línea y qué tan satisfechos estaban con el apoyo que recibieron. Se ha demostrado que el apoyo de otras personas con experiencia vivida reduce las hospitalizaciones y las visitas a la sala de emergencias. La linea North Carolina Warmline está disponible 24/7 llamando al 855-PEERS-NC (855-733-7762) o llamando a la Línea 988 de Prevención del Suicidio y Crisis de Carolina del Norte (North Carolina 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline) y pidiendo ser transferido. La linea 988 está disponible para cualquier persona que necesite apoyo de crisis para sí misma o para un ser querido. El tablero 988 de Carolina del Norte muestra más de 134,000 llamadas en el último año, con un promedio de llamadas respondidas en 14 segundos. Estos son dos de los muchos recursos disponibles en Carolina del Norte si usted o alguien que conoce necesita atención de salud mental.

    “Cuando alguien que amamos tiene dificultades, queremos que tenga un apoyo accesible, compasivo y efectivo”, dijo Kelly Crosbie, MSW, LCSW, Directora de la División de Salud Mental, Discapacidades del Desarrollo y Servicios de Uso de Sustancias de NCDHHS. “Peer Warmline ofrece a las personas la oportunidad de conectarse con alguien que realmente entiende, alguien que ha estado allí. Este nuevo tablero nos muestra lo valioso que es ese apoyo, con una tasa de satisfacción del 99% entre decenas de miles de personas que llaman. Es una forma más de trabajar para crear un sistema de salud conductual que va al encuentro de las personas donde estén, cuando lo necesiten”.

    Los centros comunitarios de crisis son otra característica clave del sistema de salud conductual del estado, que ofrece lugares seguros donde las personas pueden obtener ayuda sin tener que ir a la sala de emergencias. Estos centros son una de las varias opciones si está experimentando una crisis de salud mental. Ofrecen ayuda inmediata con las necesidades de salud mental y tratamiento para el alcohol o las drogas. La mayoría están abiertos 24 horas del día, los 7 días de la semana y no requiere citas ni seguro. Visite el sitio web de NCDHHS para obtener servicios para situaciones de crisis y encontrar una ubicación cerca de usted.

    Si tiene dificultades y necesita que alguien escuche y comprenda su situación, un equipo móvil de crisis también puede acudir a usted. El equipo está formado por uno o dos consejeros serviciales y comprensivos que pueden reunirse con usted en su hogar, escuela o en algún lugar donde se sienta seguro. El NCDHHS tiene una lista de equipos móviles para situaciones de crisis a los que puede llamar las 24 horas del día, los 7 días de la semana en Carolina del Norte.

    Para apoyar a los jóvenes de Carolina del Norte, NCDHHS se asoció con Somethings.com para ofrecer un programa gratuito de tutoría entre pares de salud mental para todos los adolescentes que luchan contra la depresión, la ansiedad, los trastornos alimentarios u otros traumas emocionales. El servicio digital conecta a los adolescentes con mentores y proveedores clínicos que están capacitados para ofrecer apoyo social y emocional. Los usuarios pueden hablar o enviar mensajes de texto a sus mentores a través de la aplicación Somethings siempre que les funcione. Somethings dice que el 77% de los usuarios han informado que sus servicios han sido más efectivos que la terapia tradicional.

    La Línea 988 de Prevención del Suicidio y Crisis es gratuita, confidencial y está disponible en cualquier momento, las 24 horas del día, los 7 días de la semana. Puede llamar o enviar un mensaje de texto al 988 o usar la función de chat en 988Lifeline.org. Las personas que hablan español pueden comunicarse directamente con los consejeros de crisis de habla hispana llamando al 988 y oprimiendo la opción 2, enviando un mensaje de texto con “AYUDA” al 988 o chateando en línea en 988lineadevida.org o 988Lifeline.org. También hay consejeros capacitados disponibles para veteranos y miembros de la comunidad LBGTQI+.

    La Línea de ayuda de NC Recovery está dedicada a abogar por, conectarse con y educar a los ciudadanos de Carolina del Norte que buscan ayuda para sí mismos o para un ser querido que lucha contra el uso de sustancias y/o la salud mental. Las personas pueden comunicarse con la Línea de Ayuda de Recuperación por teléfono (1.800.688.4232), mensaje de texto (919.703.1872), correo electrónico (help4recovery.org) o chateo.

    Además, NCDHHS tiene una gran cantidad de recursos de prevención del suicidio para personas que luchan con su salud mental, proveedores que tratan a personas que necesitan atención de salud mental y comunidades afectadas por el suicidio.

    May 8, 2025

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Bigbank AS Results for April 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Bigbank’s loan portfolio grew by 55 million euros in April, representing the highest monthly increase so far this year. The growth continues to be driven by key products: the corporate loan portfolio increased by 26 million euros, and the home loan portfolio increased by 20 million euros. The consumer loan portfolio grew by 9 million euros.

    The deposit portfolio decreased by a total of 12 million euros in April. The larger liquidity buffer accumulated in the first quarter enabled continued optimisation of deposit pricing across all Bigbank markets during April. As a result, the volume of term deposits declined by 50 million euros, while the volume of savings deposits increased by 37 million euros. As the interest rates on term and savings deposits have decreased, customers are increasingly opting for the more flexible savings deposit product when placing new deposits.

    Net interest income at the end of April was 0.6 million euros, or 2%, lower year-on-year. On the interest income side, the growing loan portfolio has so far been sufficient to offset the lower income resulting from the decline in Euribor. However, interest expenses have grown at a slightly faster pace, as the drop in deposit interest rates has lagged behind the decline in Euribor and the deposit portfolio has expanded.

    One of the most positive developments in April was that the net allowance for expected credit losses remained significantly lower than in the same period last year. This is mainly due to improved repayment behaviour in the consumer loan portfolios of the Baltic countries. Despite the significant growth in the loan portfolio, the net allowance for expected credit losses and provision expenses decreased by a total of 4.2 million euros, or 42%, in the first four months of the year compared to the same period in 2024.

    Net profit in April amounted to 3.0 million euros – a solid result considering the continued decline in interest rates. It is also encouraging that the lower net interest income compared to last year has been compensated by lower expected credit losses, reduced administrative expenses, and growing net fee income. One of the key contributors to the strong performance is Bigbank’s dedicated and expanding team. At the same time, the growing team has increased salary expenses by 1.3 million euros over the four-month period. A negative development has been the 1.1 million euro increase in income tax expenses over the same period, mainly due to higher income tax rates introduced in Estonia and Lithuania at the beginning of 2025.

    Bigbank’s key financial indicators for April 2025:

    • Customer deposits and loans received increased by 358 million euros over the year, reaching 2.55 billion euros (+16%).
    • Loans to customers grew by 573 million euros year-on-year, reaching 2.37 billion euros (+32%).
    • Net interest income totalled 8.4 million euros in April; the four-month total reached 34.0 million euros. Compared to the same period last year, net interest income declined by 0.6 million euros (–2%).
    • Net allowance for expected credit losses and provision expenses totalled 5.8 million euros in the first four months of the year, down 4.2 million euros or 42% year-on-year.
    • Net profit in April was 3.0 million euros. Cumulative profit for the first four months amounted to 12.9 million euros, an increase of 3.6 million euros or 38% compared to the same period in 2024.
    • Return on equity in April was 13.4%.
    Income statement, in thousands of euros Apr 2025 YTD25 YTD24 Difference YoY
    Total net operating income, incl. 9,082 38,236 37,598 638 +2%
    Net interest income 8,384 33,958 34,592 -634 -2%
    Net fee and commission income 853 3,376 2,901 475 +16%
    Total expenses, incl. -4,131 -16,485 -16,421 -64 +0%
    Salaries and associated charges -2,517 -9,993 -8,734 -1,259 +14%
    Administrative expenses -898 -3,650 -4,943 1,293 -26%
    Profit before loss allowances 4,951 21,751 21,177 574 +3%
    Net allowance for expected credit losses and provision expenses -1,178 -5,813 -9,965 4,152 -42%
    Income tax expense -737 -3,038 -1,892 -1,146 +61%
    Profit for the period from continuing operations 3,036 12,900 9,320 3,580 +38%
    Profit or loss before tax from discounted operations 0 0 29 -29  
    Profit for the period 3,036 12,900 9,349 3,551 +38%
               
               
    Business volumes, in thousands of euros Apr 2025 YTD25 YTD24 Difference YoY
    Customer deposits and loans received 2,548,170 2,548,170 2,190,221 357,949 +16%
    Loans to customers 2,367,531 2,367,531 1,794,458 573,073 +32%
               
    Key figures Apr 2025 YTD25 YTD24 Difference YoY
    ROE 13.4% 14.2% 11.4% +2.8pp  
    Cost / income ratio (C/I) 45.5% 43.1% 43.7% -0.6pp  
    Net promoter score (NPS) 59 58 58 +0  

    Compared to the financial results published for April 2024, the net interest income and the net allowance for expected credit losses for the prior period have been adjusted, both reduced by 0.6 million euros. The adjustment is related to an identified error, where interest income from impaired financial assets had been accrued on the gross exposure rather than on a net basis. This correction does not impact the net profit for April 2024.

    Bigbank AS (www.bigbank.eu), with over 30 years of operating history, is a commercial bank owned by Estonian capital. As of 30 April 2025, the bank’s total assets amounted to 2.9 billion euros, with equity of 274 million euros. Operating in nine countries, the bank serves more than 170,000 active customers and employs over 550 people. The credit rating agency Moody’s has assigned Bigbank a long-term bank deposit rating of Ba1, along with a baseline credit assessment (BCA) and an adjusted BCA of Ba2.

    Argo Kiltsmann
    Member of the Management Board
    Telephone: +372 5393 0833
    Email: argo.kiltsmann@bigbank.ee
    www.bigbank.ee

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: FHLBank San Francisco and Local Financial Institutions Deliver Nearly $4 Million for Wildfire Relief and Recovery in Southern California

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN FRANCISCO, May 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In partnership with 41-member financial institutions, the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco (FHLBank San Francisco) has delivered over $3.9 million in critical funding to support communities impacted by this year’s Southern California wildfires.

    FHLBank San Francisco matched 70 member donations, providing $1.4 million in funding to more than two dozen local nonprofits providing direct relief, plus contributed $600,000 in direct donations — $300,000 each to the California Fire Foundation and Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles — to support both immediate emergency response and long-term rebuilding efforts.

    “The tragic losses experienced by thousands of local residents and business owners in the Southern California wildfires earlier this year were truly heartbreaking,” said Joseph Amato, interim president and chief executive officer of FHLBank San Francisco. “We respond when our communities need us and are proud to partner with our member financial institutions to provide millions in donations to support local nonprofits and vital community organizations in wildfire relief efforts. Together, we can help Los Angeles recover and rebuild stronger than ever.”

    As part of its commitment to wildfire relief and recovery in Southern California, FHLBank San Francisco matched member donations up to $50,000 each. Donations were directed to nearly 50 local nonprofits and community organizations, including:

    • American Red Cross
    • California Community Foundation
    • Community Build, Inc.
    • Door of Hope
    • Fire Family Foundation
    • Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation
    • Pasadena Community Foundation
    • Union Station Homeless Services
    • United Way of Greater Los Angeles
    • USC Community Credit Union Foundation
    • West Angeles Community Development Corporation
    • YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles

    Response to Wildfire Recovery

    In support of longer-term housing recovery, FHLBank San Francisco contributed $300,000 to California Fire Foundation and $300,000 to Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles, two leading nonprofits actively contributing to wildfire relief in Southern California.

    “These funds from the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco are very helpful in serving as a catalyst to help the local wildfire recovery efforts,” said Erin Rank, president and chief executive officer of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles. “We are deploying the funds to our Together, We Can ReBUILD LA® initiative that is focused on helping families rebuild, relocate, provide essential goods, provide rental or mortgage assistance, and other intermediate housing needs.”

    Member Engagement in Matching Funds

    Among the 41 FHLBank San Francisco member community financial institutions that participated in the matching funds, 17 requested the $50,000 maximum amount, including Wescom Central Credit Union which donated over $100,000 to the American Red Cross.

    “At Wescom, we are committed to supporting the financial well-being and resilience of our community, especially during times of crisis. In partnership with our credit union members and the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco, we acted swiftly to provide not only the necessary financial resources but also to mobilize essential supplies,” said Darren Williams, President and CEO of Wescom Financial. “This effort is part of Wescom’s longstanding commitment to corporate social responsibility, and we remain focused on advancing our support as our community rebuilds.”

    A Broader Commitment to Recovery and Resilience

    FHLBank San Francisco’s wildfire relief and recovery efforts are a part of a suite of tools and resources that are available to help member financial institutions address both urgent needs and longer-term recovery in local communities. These tools and resources include discounted credit programs that support affordable housing, economic development and community revitalization efforts. Learn more at fhlbsf.com.

    About Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco

    The Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco is a member-driven cooperative helping local lenders in Arizona, California, and Nevada build strong communities, create opportunity, and change lives for the better. The tools and resources we provide to our member financial institutions — commercial banks, credit unions, industrial loan companies, savings institutions, insurance companies, and community development financial institutions — propel homeownership, finance quality affordable housing, drive economic vitality, and revitalize whole neighborhoods. Together with our members and other partners, we are making the communities we serve more vibrant and resilient.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Patrick Norman of USX Cyber to Speak at ACC Chief Legal Officer Global Summit

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    WASHINGTON, May 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Patrick Norman, Chief Risk Officer and General Counsel at USX Cyber®, was named to speak at the Association of Corporate Counsel’s Chief Legal Officer Global Summit 2025 in Barcelona, Spain.

    The Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) is a global bar association that promotes the common professional and business interests of in-house counsel through information, education, networking opportunities, and advocacy initiatives. Membership provides opportunities for in-house counsel to broaden their knowledge and expertise through collaboration with peers in their industry and region. ACC’s Chief Legal Officer (CLO) Global Summit brings chief legal officers together as peers to explore the next, best practices for driving innovation and addressing complex demands in the face of economic uncertainty and evolving business needs.

    Norman will be leading a roundtable discussing “Chief Legal Officers Leading through a VUCA World”. A VUCA world is one characterized by Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity. The roundtable will explore the critical role of the chief legal officer in managing VUCA risks and offer strategic insights into proactive risk management, crisis leadership, regulatory adaptation, and ethical decision-making in uncertain times.

    ACC Chief Legal Officer Global Summit 2025
    May 21, 2025 – May 23, 2025
    Torre Melina Gran Meliá
    Av. Diagonal, 671, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
    Register: https://www.acc.com/closummit

    About USX Cyber®

    USX Cyber® is transforming cybersecurity compliance through its Guardiant® platform—a security-driven compliance solution built for today’s complex threat landscape. More than just a robust, end-to-end XDR platform, Guardiant® empowers the C-suite with real-time dashboard visibility into both their organization’s cybersecurity posture and compliance status. Executives gain immediate insight into live threats, risk exposure, and cybersecurity investments. Guardiant® accelerates compliance with major cybersecurity frameworks, with many protocols satisfied right out of the box, dramatically reducing time-to-compliance and overhead. Built on a powerful XDR core, Guardiant® unifies real-time threat detection, automated incident response, and centralized control—delivering comprehensive protection and compliance tracking through a single-pane-of-glass experience.

    Media Contact:
    Megan Donovan
    External Communications Director
    USX Cyber, LLC
    megan@howllouder.com
    732-245-3399

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: U.S. Hospitals and Health Systems Hit with Long-running Increases in Medical Supply and Drug Expenses, Bad Debt and Charity Care, According to New Strata Report

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CHICAGO, May 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Hospitals and health systems nationwide saw notable growth in medical supply and drug expenses and increases in bad debt and charity care in recent years — all factors that could be exacerbated in the coming months as the healthcare industry feels the effects of federal tariffs and other policy changes, according to a new report from Strata Decision Technology.

    Non-labor expenses have long been on the rise for U.S. hospitals, with total non-labor expense increasing year-over-year (YOY) each month for more than three years, according to Strata data. Medical supply and drug expenses have steadily grown as a share of overall expenses. Medical supply expense as a percent of total expense increased from 7.2% in the first quarter of 2023 to 8.0% in Q1 of this year. Drug expense as a percent of total expense rose from 4.1% in Q1 2023 to 4.4% in Q1 2025. 

    “Hospitals and health systems have battled persistent expense increases for years,” said Steve Wasson, Strata’s chief data and intelligence officer. “Now — with more than two-thirds of medical devices used in the U.S. manufactured outside of the country — tariffs and other federal policy changes could further drive up costs for pharmaceuticals, syringes, personal protective equipment, and other medical supplies and devices that healthcare professionals rely on every day to care for patients.”

    U.S. health systems also saw growth in charity and bad debt deductions in recent years. The median charity deduction for health systems increased 5.4% from Q1 2024 to Q1 2025, and jumped 21.4% in Q1 2025 versus Q1 2023. The median health system bad debt deduction increased 9.2% from Q1 2024 to Q1 2025 and 16.9% versus Q1 2023. 

    For hospitals, charity deductions for the first quarter rose 7.6% from Q1 2024 and jumped 24.5% versus Q1 2023. Bad debt deductions at hospitals decreased slightly at 0.9% from Q1 2024 to Q1 2025, but rose 15.3% versus two years ago. 

    Possible changes to Medicaid being discussed in Congress could contribute to further increases in bad debt and charity care. As of Q1 2025, the data show that Medicaid accounts for 12% or more of revenue for most U.S. hospitals, depending on the region. Hospitals in the Midwest have the lowest share of Medicaid revenue at 11.1%, while hospitals in the West have the largest at 14.4%. 

    About the Data 
    The report uses data from Strata’s StrataSphere® and Comparative Analytics database. Comparative Analytics offers access to near real-time data drawn from more than 135,000 physicians from over 10,000 practices and 139 specialty categories, and from 500+ unique departments across more than 1,600 hospitals. Comparative Analytics also provides data and comparisons specific to a single organization for visibility into how their market is evolving. StrataSphere is a unique and comprehensive data-sharing platform that helps providers leverage a network that represents approximately 25% of all provider spend in U.S. healthcare. This report incorporates data from more than 600 hospitals with StrataJazz® Decision Support.

    About Strata Decision Technology 
    Strata Decision Technology provides a cloud-based platform for software and service solutions to help organizations better analyze, plan, and perform in support of their missions. With the combination of Syntellis Performance Solutions’ Axiom solutions, more than 2,300 organizations rely on Strata to provide their financial analytics, planning, and performance solutions. Strata has been named the market leader for Business Decision Support for 18 consecutive years. By uniting these two industry leaders, Strata continues to deliver market-leading solutions and world-class service, with an increased focus on accelerating innovation. For more information, please go to www.stratadecision.com.

    Strata Social Networks 
    LinkedIn: Strata Decision Technology
    Media contact: 
    Sally Brown, Inkhouse 
    strata@inkhouse.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: A new pope is chosen: A look back on the jostling for the papacy and the conclave’s history

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Colin Rose, Associate Professor of European and Digital History, Brock University

    Cardinal Robert Prevost of the United States is the new pope, succeeding Pope Francis, and taking the name Pope Leo XIV. He’s been elected following a millennium-old ceremony known as the papal conclave. During the conclave, the 135 eligible Cardinal Electors of the Catholic Church sequestered themselves and elected the new pope in isolation.

    During that time, they had no contact with the outside world and they voted repeatedly, in written ballots and verbal declaration, until one of them achieved a two-thirds majority.

    Every failure brings sighs from the crowds in St. Peter’s Square as the votes, burned with a chemical admixture, send up a plume of inky black smoke from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel. White smoke, signalling a new pope has been elected, provokes cheers and celebrations and the beginning of a new papal era, as was the case after the election of Leo on May 8, 2025.



    Read more:
    How the next pope will be elected – what goes on at the conclave

    The history of the conclave, especially during the Italian Renaissance that I teach and research, tells us a lot about how the papacy is both a religious and a political office.

    The pope is at once the supreme pontiff of the Catholic Church as well as the absolute monarch of Vatican City. He is both bishop of Rome and head of state of the smallest sovereign state in the world.

    Politics of the papacy

    In the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries, the Vatican was the capital of a much-larger Papal State. This territorial buffer around Rome at its height bordered the territories of Florence, Naples, Milan and Venice, and covered much of northern Italy.

    Popes wielded great influence in the dramatic politics of famous Italian families like the Medici: it was a Medici pope, Clement VII, who helped negotiate the installation of the first Medici duke in Florence.

    Apocryphal accounts persist of Julius II, the so-called “Warrior Pope,” leading a charge over the walls of Bologna in 1506.

    At the same time popes, and Catholic policy, had profound consequences for European and global politics: Clement’s successor Paul III excommunicated England’s King Henry VIII, cementing the English break with Rome in 1538.

    A portrait of Pope Alexander VI Borgia circa 1495.
    (Vatican Museums)

    Alexander VI was more audaciously imperial: he sponsored the treaty that arbitrarily divided the entire world outside of Europe between Spain (his home country) and Portugal in 1494.

    Alexander VI’s historical infamy is perhaps outdone only by his son, Cesare Borgia, made famous by his mention is Niccolo Machiavelli’s book The Prince.

    Becoming pope was a big deal for a cardinal and his family. Leading candidates known as papabili (pope-ables) began strategizing and negotiating even before popes died.

    When a pontiff died, those cardinals abroad began their travels to Rome, construction began on the temporary cells that would house them all during the sequestration and the real work of electing a pope began.

    Enea Silvio Piccolomini left a detailed memoir of his election as Pius II in 1458. In it he describes a process of negotiating, threatening, cajoling and strategizing that make the scheming in the recent movie Conclave look unsophisticated.

    Renaissance Italy wrestled with and ultimately reconciled itself to the political nature of the papacy.

    Many, including popes such as Pius II, expressed discomfort with the political power of the papacy. While it was a clear factor in the schism of European Christendom that led to the emergence of the Protestant churches in the 16th century, in early modern Italy the political power of the papacy was a reality of the diplomatic milieu.

    The empty throne

    The conclave marks a special place in early modern history as a time when ordinary political order was overturned for a brief period known as the sede vacante (the Vacant See).

    The Vacant See was a time when identities were swappable and when, as one Paolo di Grassi told a judge in 1559, “in Vacant See [Romans] are the masters. The People are the Masters.” Di Grassi had, during the Vacant See of November 1559, pursued his own longstanding grudges against his enemies and been involved in at least one armed brawl.

    While they waited for a new pope, Romans and everyone else might have passed the time with another favourite vice: gambling on the conclave’s outcome.



    Read more:
    Who will the next pope be? Here are some top contenders

    European princes and other potentates of the church paid close attention to conclaves, tried to smuggle information in and out and steer the conclave in favour of their preferred candidate.

    In 1730, for instance, Cardinal Lambertini smuggled a letter out of his conclave thanking a benefactor for their donations to his future ordination as Pope Benedict XIV.

    The election held everyone’s attention as a rare and unusually impactful event in the Roman calendar.

    While Rome’s streets thrummed with tension during the chaotic days of a Vacant See, the conclave proceeded serenely and secretly within the Vatican’s walls.

    The use of white smoke to mark the election of a pope only began in the 20th century. During the Renaissance, the sound of bells would be a more effective way to spread the news through Rome, before the new pope was announced to the city and the world.

    Much turns on that announcement now, as much did in previous centuries. The conclave elects both a pope and a head of state. While Vatican City is magnitudes smaller than the Papal State of the past, it remains a sovereign state.

    Papal pronouncements shape not just religious thought but political action, through voting, advocacy and more. The crowds who awaited the announcement of the new pope might be less raucous than Renaissance Romans, but they were nonetheless invested in the results.

    Colin Rose receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

    – ref. A new pope is chosen: A look back on the jostling for the papacy and the conclave’s history – https://theconversation.com/a-new-pope-is-chosen-a-look-back-on-the-jostling-for-the-papacy-and-the-conclaves-history-255492

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department Announces Results of Operation Restore Justice: 205 Child Sex Abuse Offenders Arrested in FBI-Led Nationwide Crackdown, Including Two in the District of Hawaii

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

    HONOLULU – Today, the Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Restore Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track and arrest child sex predators. The operation resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sexual abuse offenders in the nationwide crackdown. The coordinated effort was executed over the course of five days by all 55 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section in the Department’s Criminal Division, and United States Attorney’s Offices around the country.

    “The Department of Justice will never stop fighting to protect victims — especially child victims — and we will not rest until we hunt down, arrest, and prosecute every child predator who preys on the most vulnerable among us,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “I am grateful to the FBI and their state and local partners for their incredible work in Operation Restore Justice and have directed my prosecutors not to negotiate.”

    “Every child deserves to grow up free from fear and exploitation, and the FBI will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of those who exploit the most vulnerable among us,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Operation Restore Justice proves that no predator is out of reach and no child will be forgotten. By leveraging the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state and local partners, we’re sending a clear message: there is no place to hide for those who prey on children.”

    “Our pledge to protect Hawaii’s keiki is among the most solemn and critical commitments we make to our local community,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson. “Working with our outstanding law enforcement partners we have consistently and aggressively pursued child predators and those who seek to exploit children either for profit or their own twisted gratification. Our efforts in Operation Restore Justice, including last week’s arrests, demonstrate the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s commitment to investigate, charge, and convict those who violate federal child protection laws.”

    “The FBI is unwavering and united with its partners in the fight to protect children,” said FBI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge David Porter. “Our collaboration with state and local law enforcement allows us to extend our reach into communities, respond faster to threats, and ensure survivors get the support they need. FBI Honolulu will continue to conduct proactive arrest operations targeting those seeking to harm our children—we’ll work to get these predators off the streets and keep our kids safe.”

    In the District of Hawaii, two individuals were arrested and charged with federal crimes, including Dominick Kalikokaeoeo Howard, who was charged by criminal complaint with distributing child pornography, and David Martin Garcia Perez, who was charged by criminal complaint with receiving and possessing or accessing child pornography.

    Others arrested around the country are alleged to have committed various crimes including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material, online enticement and transportation of minors, and child sex trafficking. In Minneapolis, for example, a state trooper and Army Reservist was arrested for allegedly producing child sexual abuse material while wearing his uniforms. In Norfolk, VA, an illegal alien from Mexico is accused of transporting a minor across state lines for sex. In Washington, D.C., a former Metropolitan Police Department Police Officer was arrested for allegedly trafficking minor victims.

    In many cases, parental vigilance and community outreach efforts played a critical role in bringing these offenders to justice. For example, a California man was arrested about eight hours after a young victim bravely came forward and disclosed their abuse to FBI agents after an online safety presentation at a school near Albany, N.Y.

    This effort follows the Department’s observance of National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April, and underscores the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and raising awareness about the dangers they face. While the Department, including the FBI, investigates and prosecutes these crimes every day, April serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of preventing these crimes, seeking justice for victims, and raising awareness through community education.

    The Justice Department is committed to combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.

    The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI’s tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.

    Other online resources:

    Electronic Press Kit

    Violent Crimes Against Children

    How we can help you: Parents and caregivers protecting your kids

    An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Israel’s peace movement offers a ray of hope amid the pain of Gaza conflict

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Yuval Katz, Lecturer in Communication and Media, Loughborough University

    The first thing I do when going back to Israel for a visit is go for a run. After more than two years abroad, it is a good opportunity to refamiliarise myself with the home I left to pursue my academic career more than eight years ago.

    I knew things would not feel the same. On October 7 2023, Hamas militants breached the fence surrounding the Gaza Strip, killing over 1,000 Israelis and taking more than 200 hostage. It was the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust and a resounding blow against the founding idea of the state of Israel, which was established as a safe haven for the Jewish people, who have been persecuted for millennia.

    But in the 18 months that have passed since this catastrophic day, I have grown increasingly critical of the path Israel has taken. It has become a path of revenge, in which Israel has killed more than 50,000 Palestinians through ruthless air strikes and ground operations in the Gaza Strip.

    Now, as many government officials openly declare that there are “no innocent people in Gaza”, plans are in the making to cleanse Gaza of Palestinians through “voluntary immigration”. Although it has not been recognised as such by international law (charges of genocide are currently being investigated by the International Court of Justice), the Netanyahu government has been accused of premeditated genocide, carried out by Jews only 80 years after the Holocaust ended.

    Sign up to receive our weekly World Affairs Briefing newsletter from The Conversation UK. Every Thursday we’ll bring you expert analysis of the big stories in international relations.

    In the meantime, Israelis are frustrated and exhausted. Their security has not improved, and 59 hostages remain in Gaza (only 24 of whom are thought to be alive). Those who returned from captivity alive report that military operations kill rather than save them – many of them urge the government to stop the war.

    During my run, I was amazed by the mesmerising advocacy campaign to release the hostages. Faces of the hostage and their stories are omnipresent across the public sphere – in posters hung on walls and fences, on flags, bumper stickers and slogans sprayed in graffiti on highways.

    One cannot escape the simultaneous presence (absence) of the hostages. When driving across the country, I listened to radio hosts mentioning those left behind in the Gaza tunnels at the beginning of every hour. Lest we forget.

    Yet, with all the yearning to bring them home comes a devastating helplessness. Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, whose intelligence failures were responsible for October 7 and the endless war, is still in power – and many ordinary people feel there is little they can do to change this reality.

    Perhaps it was my indefatigable search for hope that led me to an organisation that embodies the alternative to endless cycles of conflict.

    My academic work focuses on how media forms – whether that be popular television shows, digital activism, or mainstream journalism – generate spaces where Palestinians and Jews meet each other. Where they can process their traumas together creatively through art and storytelling in ways that offer new possibilities for a life worth living between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea.

    But I completed collecting the data for my book project before October 7. Now, returning, I felt an urgency to discover whether a vision for peace was still possible amid this unbearable despair.

    Standing together

    The movement, Standing Together, was founded in late 2015 in the wake of a series of violent incidents. Witnessing the incompetence of left-wing parties and human rights organisations to protect Palestinian citizens of the state from growing racism, a few dozen activists decided to organise a joint demonstration for Palestinians and Jews, so they set up a Facebook page to invite people to join.

    Trailer for No Other Land.

    The movement has expanded significantly since then; from a group of roughly 20 activists, it now consists of over 6,000 registered members, operating in 14 local centres across the country and is a leading organiser of political activities on Israeli campuses.

    I visited its headquarters in Tel Aviv – where the movement has expanded from a couple of rooms to a whole floor of an office building, with paid staff managing its data, media content, finances, and student relations.

    I conducted several interviews with Standing Together’s managers in which they indicated that membership and donations have grown exponentially since the war started. They told me many Palestinians and Israelis are looking for a political home to advance a vision of peace, equality and solidarity.

    The activities of Standing Together include operating information booths which also collect humanitarian aid for Gaza and send it across the border. They screen events and movies for members that reflect the harsh reality of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict while offering an alternative to perpetual violence.

    A series of national screenings was dedicated to the Oscar-winning documentary, No Other Land, which depicts the dispossession of the Palestinian community of Masafer Yatta in the West Bank.

    The movie had been banned from commercial screening in Israel, but the filmmakers, peace activists for whom changing the political reality in Masafer Yatta is more important than anything else, have made it free to screen – they want all Israelis to see it.

    It also screened the joint Memorial Day service, a ceremony that has been staged for years now to allow bereaved families from both sides to meet and grieve together and call for a political change in which no more people join this community of pain.

    People who attended a screening of the Israeli-Palestinian memorial day ceremony at a synagogue in the city of Ra’anana at the end of April were attacked by right-wing activists. There was no response or condemnation from government officials.

    As darkness threatens to consume the people of Israel and Palestine with little regard for human life, movements like Standing Together spread light and bring hope.

    Yuval Katz 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. Israel’s peace movement offers a ray of hope amid the pain of Gaza conflict – https://theconversation.com/israels-peace-movement-offers-a-ray-of-hope-amid-the-pain-of-gaza-conflict-256030

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: A beginner’s guide to vegan fashion (and how to spot ‘greenwashing’)

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Dr Songyi Yan, Senior Lecturer in Sustainable Fashion Management, Manchester Metropolitan University

    Ksw Photographer/Shutterstock

    “Vegan” and “plant-based” are not just food labels anymore; they are fashion’s latest buzzwords. Imagine walking into a high-street fashion store, drawn to a stylish bomber jacket labelled “100% vegan”. You flip the tag, looking for material details, only to find none. Nearby, a luxury handbag proudly announces it’s made from vegan leather. A closer look reveals it’s 56% recycled polyester and 44% polyurethane – basically plastic.

    It’s easy to assume vegan clothes are more ethically and sustainably produced. While it’s evident that vegan leathers avoid animal-derived materials and can support higher animal welfare, labels can be misleading. Many vegan leathers are primarily plastic-based, with environmental consequences that aren’t always communicated clearly.

    Even when made from recycled polyester, these materials still contribute to pollution. They will shed plastic microfibres that persist in landfills and oceans for centuries, and require energy intensive recycling. In some cases, plastic-based vegan leather can be more environmentally damaging than natural alternatives such as vegetable-tanned leather, which is a by-product of the meat industry that biodegrades more easily.

    Fashion’s veganism doesn’t stop with plastics. Material innovations such as cactus leather, mushroom-based mycelium and algae-derived threads promise exciting alternatives to plastic-based and animal-derived fabrics. Brands often use terms such as “plant-based”, “bio-material”, and “100% biodegradable” to attract consumers. Unfortunately, these labels are often vague, inconsistently defined, and can hide potential issues, including synthetic coatings, unclear biodegradability or short product lifespans.

    I’m a researcher in sustainable fashion, focusing on consumer behaviour and sustainability communication. Together with colleagues, I have analysed the websites of 21 innovative materials companies and found that sustainability messaging is often carefully curated and lacking transparency. Vegan alternatives can help brands build an eco image and cut production costs, without necessarily reducing environmental harm.

    Few companies disclose important details such as product durability, recyclability or the conditions needed to biodegrade. Meanwhile, terms like “100% biodegradable” can give the impression that their algae-derived T-shirt will simply decompose in the garden – when, in reality, it requires specific industrial conditions such as sustained high heat, controlled humidity and specialised microbial environments to break down properly. Such miscommunication contributes to “greenwashing”, where marketing sounds greener than the reality.

    Often vegan products are made from plastic polymers.
    TaraPatta/Shutterstock

    To help consumers make informed choices, brand messaging about sustainability needs to be clear and consistent. Terms such as “vegan”, “plastic-free” and “biodegradable” currently lack standardised definitions and aren’t regulated rigorously in markets such as the UK and EU, making them nearly meaningless without verifiable proof. Even upcoming legislation aimed at regulating green claims faces major challenges, as legally binding definitions remain vague.

    This lack of transparency isn’t limited to fashion. I’ve seen a vegan sofa marketed without details about its materials, leaving consumers unaware of plastics and synthetic chemicals involved.

    Similarly, a computer bag is marketed as made from Banbū, a plant-based material derived from bamboo. While the exact composition isn’t disclosed, similar materials often combine natural fibres with synthetic elements for durability. Without full transparency, it’s difficult for consumers to know whether such items are entirely plastic-free or not.

    How to shop smarter

    So, what can we do as consumers? With so much greenwashing and fuzzy language, it’s easy to feel powerless. Here are some practical ways to help you question vague eco-claims:

    Read beyond the label: Don’t stop at buzzwords such as “vegan” or “plant-based”, check what the product is actually made of. Is it 100% natural or blended with plastics like polyurethane? If material details aren’t listed, that’s a red flag.

    Check for trusted certifications: Claims are stronger when backed by certifications. Look out for certifications such as the Global Recycled Standard (GRS), Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), or Cradle-to-Cradle Certified™ help verify claims around recycled content, chemical safety and sustainability across products’ lifecycle.

    Think long-term: A durable product you can use for years is more sustainable than one that’s vegan but only lasts a season. Ask yourself: Will this item stand the test of time? Can it be repaired, reused, or easily recycled once it reaches the end of its wearable life?

    Prioritise transparency: Choose brands that don’t just tell feel-good stories but openly share facts. One good example is Veja – the footwear brand openly discusses its practices with vegetable-tanned leather, admitting it wasn’t durable enough for wide use. While they don’t claim perfection, Veja is relatively honest about their materials, production practices, and sustainability challenges and limitations – that transparency is still quite rare.

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

    Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 45,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

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

    – ref. A beginner’s guide to vegan fashion (and how to spot ‘greenwashing’) – https://theconversation.com/a-beginners-guide-to-vegan-fashion-and-how-to-spot-greenwashing-253770

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Zuni Man Pleads Guilty to Voluntary Manslaughter in Fatal Stabbing Case

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

    ALBUQUERQUE – A Zuni man pleaded guilty in federal court to voluntary manslaughter in connection with a fatal stabbing.

    According to court records, on February 4, 2023, Joey Luarkie, 25, an enrolled member of the Zuni pueblo, was at a residence in Zuni when the victim arrived, and an argument ensued. The confrontation escalated inside the home, where Luarkie stabbed the victim in the neck. The victim was found outside the residence by responding officers and died the next day after being transported to the hospital and undergoing emergency surgeries.

    At sentencing, Luarkie faces up to 15 in prison, followed by up to three years of supervised release.

    U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office made the announcement today.

    The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Zuni Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Operation Vulindlela phase 2: Focusing on key reforms

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    The second phase of Operation Vulindlela, will focus on three key reforms: tackling the legacy of spatial inequality, enhancing local government performance, and accelerating digital transformation. 

    Launching the next phase of this important initiative at the Union Buildings, on Wednesday, 7 May 2025, President Cyril Ramaphosa emphasised that this new phase is aimed at driving rapid and inclusive economic growth for the benefit of all South Africans. 

    “We need growth that is both rapid and inclusive. We need growth that serves the millions of people in our country who remain unemployed, and the young people who cannot see a way into the labour market. 

    “And we need growth that improves people’s daily lives by fixing the infrastructure that is broken. That is why, in the next phase of Operation Vulindlela that we are launching today, we will implement reforms in three new areas,” the President said. 

    He stressed that if these reforms are implemented swiftly and boldly, they will put South Africa firmly on the path of economic recovery and renewal. 

    He acknowledged that the process of reform is never easy, and it is often contested, especially by those with vested interests.

    “Yet we have a simple choice to make. If we do not reform our economy, it will not grow and we will not create jobs. Unemployment will rise and poverty will increase. On the other hand, if we implement these reforms – if we do so swiftly and boldly – we will place our economy on a path of growth and renewal. 

    “There is a generation of South Africans that does not know what it is to live in a country that is growing. They have never experienced rising incomes, increasing jobs, thriving businesses and expanding opportunities. 

    “It is our intention to ensure that every South African feels the benefits of rapid, sustained and inclusive economic growth,” he said.

    The first focus area: Tackling Spatial Inequality 

    The second phase will start by addressing the apartheid legacy of spatial inequality, which has forced millions of South Africans to live far from economic opportunity. 

    The President noted that the country’s urban structure must be reshaped to enable citizens to live closer to where jobs and services are located. 

    “The poorest South Africans spend as much as 40 percent of their income on transport to get to work, more than almost any other country in the world. Imagine you earn R10 000 and R4000 of it is spent on transport,” he said. 

    He emphasised that the structure of the country’s cities has to change to enable people to access work. 

    To address this, government will change housing policies to introduce demand-side subsidies for home ownership and affordable rental options, empowering people to choose where they want to live. 

    “While the millions of homes that we have built since 1994 have given families shelter and dignity at an unprecedented scale, we cannot continue to build houses on the periphery of our cities and towns.”

    Publicly-owned land and buildings, particularly in inner cities, will be released for affordable housing, and the backlog of title deeds for affordable housing will be cleared. 

    Reforms will also simplify the titling system, making it more accessible and affordable. 

    The President added that this will turn houses into an asset for poor households. It will enable these households to access credit and use this asset to advance themselves. 

    Finally, a comprehensive regulatory review will be undertaken to remove barriers to low-cost housing development and encourage investment in urban centres rather than peripheral areas.

    “These reforms will help turn our cities and towns into thriving centres of economic activity,” he said. 

    The second focus area: Strengthening Local Government

    The second area of reform during this phase of Operation Vulindlela is improving the performance of local government. 

    The President highlighted that many of the country’s municipalities are unable to deliver basic services to households and businesses. 

    “Operation Vulindlela has set out a clear agenda for local government reform, which starts with improving the delivery of water and electricity services through professional utilities. 

    “Utilities should have the right technical skills, strong regulation and oversight, and full control of their billing and revenue functions to allow them to invest in infrastructure and maintenance,” he said. 

    Another key step is strengthening local government administration.

    “We will work to ensure that capable, qualified people are appointed to senior positions in municipalities, such as municipal managers and CFOs,” he said. 

    This will be done by extending the mandate of the Public Service Commission to local government and taking action against municipalities that fail to comply with minimum competency standards. 

    The Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs has initiated the process to update the White Paper on Local Government, which includes a review of the institutional structure of local government. 

    Finally, the National Treasury will review the local government fiscal framework, including the design of conditional grants, to ensure that the revenue of municipalities matches their responsibilities. 

    The third focus area: Accelerating Digital Transformation

    The third new area of focus is digital transformation. 

    Last month, Cabinet approved a Digital Transformation Roadmap to drive the adoption of digital technologies in government and to build digital public infrastructure that can be used by all South Africans. 

    This will include a digital identity system, rapid payments to expand financial inclusion, and enabling people to access services like applying for an ID or passport online. 

    “We have established significant momentum. We have seen the green shoots of recovery. It is our responsibility to grow a flourishing crop and to ensure that all South Africans reap the benefits of its harvest,” he said. 

    Successes of the first phase of Operation Vulindlela

    Operation Vulindlela was established in October 2020 as a joint initiative of the Presidency and National Treasury to accelerate the implementation of structural reforms.

    It was initiated in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and its devastating economic impact on the country and around the world. 

    In its first phase, Operation Vulindlela focused on reforms in five key areas namely energy, logistics, telecommunications, water, and the visa system.

    “The pandemic arrived just as the country was emerging from more than a decade of stagnant economic growth and rising unemployment and from the era of state capture. 

    “When I addressed a joint sitting of Parliament in October 2020, I said in the aftermath of a fire, green shoots begin to emerge. The ashes enrich the soil, and new life takes root to replace what was lost. Over the past four years, we have seen the green shoots of economic reform,” the President said. 

    Through far-reaching reforms in the electricity sector, government has substantially reduced the severity and frequency of load shedding, relieving a constraint on growth which had strangled the economy for years. 

    These reforms have enabled private investment in energy generation, unlocking billions of Rands in new investment in renewable energy in every part of the country. 

    The country has also embarked on a major reform of its ports and rail system through the Freight Logistics Roadmap.

    Major successes include the opening of the rail network to competition and the invitation of private sector participation in port terminals, while ensuring that the network infrastructure remains state owned. 

    The completion of the spectrum auction enabled significant investment in telecommunications infrastructure while improving network quality and reducing data costs for every South African. 

    The water use license system, which once served as a barrier to investment, now works efficiently and has allowed projects in forestry, mining and other sectors to proceed. 

    As of last year, the country has implemented an entirely new framework for skilled visas to attract investment and encourage businesses to establish themselves in our country and create jobs. 

    “All of this progress has been made possible thanks to the cooperation and commitment of the relevant government departments, state owned enterprises, public entities and social partners.

    “I commend in particular, the Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Directors-General and CEOs that have provided leadership to these efforts. Over the last four years, Operation Vulindlela has become a government-wide initiative. This is meaningful progress and it will enable higher growth in the years to come,” the President said. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI USA: May 08, 2025 Mullin, Schakowsky & Blumenthal Call on Trump Administration to Reserve Plans to Eliminate Consumer Product Safety Commission [1] H.R. Rep. No. 92-1153, at 25 (1972) (“The Commission’s decisions under this legislation will necessarily involve a careful meld of safety and economic considerations. This delicate balance, the committee believes, should be struck in a setting as far removed as… Read More

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Kevin Mullin California (15th District)

    “Without the dedicated oversight of the CPSC, American families, especially children, will be left vulnerable in their own homes.”

    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and U.S. Representatives Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) and Kevin Mullin (D-CA) today led 21 members of the Senate and 27 members of the House in calling on Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought to reverse plans to eliminate the bipartisan, independent Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). The CPSC is the only government entity tasked with developing and enforcing product safety standards, facilitating recalls of unsafe products, and educating consumers and businesses about product hazards and best practices. The proposal to absorb some of CPSC’s core functions into a nonexistent division within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), as HHS’ budget is being cut, is unrealistic and threatens public safety.

    “Since its inception, the CPSC has played a vital role safeguarding American families, and in particular infants, children, and older Americans. Thanks to the CPSC’s critical work, residential fires and fire-related deaths have decreased by over 40 percent. Crib deaths and child poisonings have dropped by 80 percent. The Commission’s work continues today, identifying emerging threats and protecting Americans from dangerous and banned imported products,” the Members wrote.

    The Members continued, “With the rapid growth of e-commerce and imported consumer products, especially from countries with less stringent safety regulations, CPSC plays a critical role to prevent unsafe and counterfeit goods from entering the U.S. market unchecked.”

    “We strongly oppose any attempt to eliminate, defund, or weaken the CPSC and demand that you immediately roll back any efforts to dissolve the agency. Americans rightfully expect that the products they bring into their home are safe, and only the CPSC has the authority and expertise to ensure that expectation is met,” the Members concluded.

    Blumenthal, Schakowsky, and Mullin’s letter comes as more than 150 consumer protection and trade groups warned that eliminating the CPSC would undermine product safety, weaken enforcement actions, consumer education campaigns, and data collection initiatives that protect Americans.

    U.S. Senators Amby Klobuchar (D-MN), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Tammy Baldwin (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Peter Welch (D-VT), Angus King (I-ME), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Ron Wyden (D-WA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Martin Heinrich (D-MN) signed onto the letter.

    U.S. Representatives Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Kim Schrier, M.D. (D-WA), Julia Brownley (D-CA), Al Green (D-TX), Danny Davis (D-IL), Frederica S. Wilson (D-FL), Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO), Paul D. Tonko (D-NY), Jonathan L. Jackson (D-IL), Delia C. Ramirez (D-IL), Rick Larson (D-CT), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Lori Trahan (D-MA), Kathy Castor (D-FL), Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Ritchie Torres (D-NY), Diana DeGette (D-CO), Rashida Talib (D-MI), Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-LA), Darren Soto (D-FL), Robin L. Kelly (D-IL), Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY), Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA), André Carson (D-IN), Becca Balint (D-WA), and J. Luis Correa (D-CA) also joined the letter.

    The full text of Blumenthal, Schakowsky, and Mullin’s letter is available here and below.

    Dear Director Vought:

                We write today on behalf of American consumers to express outrage that the Administration’s draft budget includes plans to eliminate the bipartisan, independent Consumer Product Safety Commission (CSPC) and absorb some of its functions and staff into a currently nonexistent staff division within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The CPSC develops and enforces commonsense product safety standards, facilitates recalls of unsafe products, and educates consumers and businesses on product hazards and best practices.  Eliminating the agency will put the physical safety of all Americans at risk. 

    Congress created the CPSC almost 50 years ago to protect Americans from unreasonable risks of injury or death associated with consumer products.  The Administration does not have the authority to eliminate a Commission established by Congress, as doing so would exceed its constitutional powers and undermine the principles of the legislative process.

                The establishment of the CPSC as an independent five-member commission reflected the House Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee’s understanding that product safety should be “as far removed as possible from partisan influence.”[1] Since its inception, the CPSC has played a vital role safeguarding American families, and in particular infants, children, and older Americans. Thanks to the CPSC’s critical work, residential fires and fire-related deaths have decreased by over 40 percent.[2] Crib deaths and child poisonings have dropped by 80 percent.[3] The Commission’s work continues today, identifying emerging threats and protecting Americans from dangerous and banned imported products. With the rapid growth of e-commerce and imported consumer products, especially from countries with less stringent safety regulations, CPSC plays a critical role to prevent unsafe and counterfeit goods from entering the U.S. market unchecked. These protections for American families have led to a comprehensive set of product safety standards, recall processes, data collection, and public education, which cannot be transferred to a new agency by executive action.

                HHS lacks the statutory authority to carry out the CPSC’s critical functions. Moreover, HHS already carries a broad mandate, overseeing food and drug regulation, communicable disease prevention, public health emergency preparation and responses, medical research, and the administration of Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. Yet, your Administration’s proposed budget plans would reduce HHS’s discretionary budget by one-third and eliminate 20,000 staff positions. Adding product safety to HHS’s already vast and demanding mandate, all while slashing the department’s budget and staff, would jeopardize the lives and physical safety of American families.

                We strongly oppose any attempt to eliminate, defund, or weaken the CPSC and demand that you immediately roll back any efforts to dissolve the agency.  Americans rightfully expect that the products they bring into their home are safe, and only the CPSC has the authority and expertise to ensure that expectation is met. The CPSC’s continued existence is essential to protecting Americans from preventable injury and death. Without the dedicated oversight of the CPSC, American families, especially children, will be left vulnerable in their own homes.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reps. Titus, Schweikert, Cohen, and Ciscomani Launch Congressional Wild Horse Caucus

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

    Congresswoman Dina Titus, a longtime advocate for wild horses, announced the formation of the Congressional Wild Horse Caucus to encourage federal policies for more humane treatment of wild horses and burros.

    “Nevada is home to more than 30,000 wild horses and burros – more than half of all the wild horses and burros in the United States,” said Congresswoman Titus. “These icons of the American West deserve to be treated humanely, and the bipartisan Wild Horse Caucus can lay the groundwork for better management of these herds by the Bureau of Land Management.”

    Congresswoman Titus has introduced legislation to eliminate the often harmful and fatal use of helicopters in BLM wild horse gathers. She also has proposed using fertility control as a more humane and less expensive means to control wild horse populations.

    “I am hopeful that the Wild Horse Caucus will raise awareness in Congress that there are better ways to manage wild horses and burros,” said Congresswoman Titus. “Protecting these animals from harm should be an issue we can all agree upon.”

    Joining Congresswoman Titus as co-chairs of the bipartisan caucus are Rep. David Schweikert (AZ-1), Rep. Steve Cohen (TN-9), and Rep. Juan Ciscomani (AZ-6).

    “Growing up, I had the blessing of spending much time on several ranches and farms in Arizona. These experiences have led me to serve as an advocate for humane treatment and protection of these majestic species. I’m looking forward to the conservation initiatives that will come out of the formation of this caucus,” said Congressman Schweikert.

    “I’m proud to be a co-chairman of the bipartisan Wild Horse Caucus and to work to protect these iconic symbols of our country.  Wild horses and burros are part of our national heritage. How we treat animals is a direct reflection of who we are, and I hold firm in the belief that all beings should be treated humanely,” said Congressman Cohen.

    “Wild horses and burros embody the spirit and heritage of the West and deserve to be protected and treated humanely,” said Congressman Ciscomani. “For too long, these animals have been subject to cruel and costly roundups that, at best, remove them from their natural habitat to be housed in warehouses, and at worse, result in the death of the animal. Caring for wild horses and burros is not a partisan issue, which is why I am proud to be named as Co-Chair of the bipartisan Congressional Wild Horse Caucus to promote humane policies, such as fertility control and habitat preservation, to manage and care for these iconic animals.”

    “This is an important step toward reforming a broken system,” said Suzanne Roy, Executive Director of American Wild Horse Conservation. “For too long, federal wild horse policy has relied on costly and inhumane roundups that remove animals from the range only to warehouse them in holding facilities. We commend the leaders of the Wild Horse Caucus for recognizing that there’s a better way to manage our wild herds that is rooted in humane treatment, science, and fiscal responsibility.”

    “Protecting America’s wild horses and burros has always been a bipartisan issue, in large part because these iconic animals hold an important place in our country’s history and because, for countless Americans, they continue to embody the spirit of freedom and resilience,” said Joanna Grossman, Ph.D., Animal Welfare Institute’s Equine Program Director and Senior Policy Advisor. “We are grateful to Representatives Titus, Ciscomani, Schweikert, and Cohen for their outstanding leadership on this issue. The Congressional Wild Horse Caucus will help ensure these beloved animals will be protected for generations to come.”

    Background

    In efforts to control equine populations, the federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is currently directed to “humanely capture” wild free-roaming horses and burros and set them up for adoption. To assist in the roundup, or “gathering”, of wild horses and burros, the BLM contracts directly with private enterprises, including helicopter companies, to pursue equines over long distances, creating situations that can be frightening and even deadly to the animals.

    These roundup practices also come at a steep cost to taxpayers. Since 2006, the BLM’s roundup contracts have paid some $57.4 million in taxpayer dollars to helicopter companies. Scientific research has shown that more humane and cost-effective alternatives, like fertility control, are equally effective in controlling equine populations. The BLM’s Wild Horse and Burro Program, however, currently spends less than four percent of its budget on these methods. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Space, advanced aviation boost economy by $2.5b

    Source: NZ Music Month takes to the streets

    The space and advanced aviation sectors added more than $2.5 billion to the New Zealand economy last year, a report released today by Space Minister Judith Collins shows.

    The Deloitte/Space TrailBlazer Innovation for Growth, Charting the Space and Advanced Aviation Sectors report showed the space sector contributed $2.47b to the economy in the 2023-24 financial year.

    The advanced aviation sector, which includes emerging aviation technologies and overlaps with the space sector, contributed $480 million.

    “The report showed our fast-growing space sector with revenue increasing by 53 percent in the five years to 2024 – a faster rate than the world’s space economy,” Ms Collins says.

    “This is a success story we should be proud as it shows the sector is creating jobs for New Zealanders, attracting billions of dollars of investment into New Zealand, and driving innovation and scientific advancement.

    “We want to keep up the momentum, which is why we set the ambitious target of doubling the size of New Zealand’s space and advanced aviation sectors by 2030.”

    The space sector’s year-on-year revenue growth of nearly 9 percent since 2019 was largely driven by increases in space manufacturing, operations and applications. The report, commissioned by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, also found New Zealand’s space sector is commercially led and homegrown, with 78 percent of survey respondents saying more than half their workforce is local.

    “As the sector grows, so does the number of people and communities it supports. The space sector now supports 17,000 jobs in New Zealand’s economy, up from 12,000 in 2019,” Ms Collins says.

    “Whether it’s a research lab, a drone manufacturer, or a rocket launch pad, there are some amazing companies and an immense depth of talent working in the space and advanced aviation sectors throughout the country.

    “Last year the Government signalled our intention to support the sector through a light-touch regulatory approach. We have natural advantages of clear skies and geography, and we want to give innovators the flexibility to test their ideas and continue driving growth.”

    “It’s also important we encourage the next generation to consider careers in the space and advanced aviation sectors.  

    “Applications for the Prime Minister’s Space Prizes open on 12 May. These prizes recognise and encourage innovative expertise for professionals and students, and I’d encourage people to apply,” Ms Collins says.

    The Innovation for Growth, Charting the Space and Advanced Aviation sectors report is available on the MBIE website.

    Note to Editors

    The attached infographic (PDF) shows high-level information on the space and advanced aviation sectors from the report.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –