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Category: housing

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mississauga — CBSA stops the smuggling of $4.6M worth of Ketamine into Canada leading to criminal charges by the RCMP

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    The RCMP and the CBSA announced today that four arrests have been made in Mississauga, Ontario, after foiling attempts to smuggle Ketamine, a dangerous anesthetic, from coming into Canada.

    Between February 18th and March 3rd four separate individuals arrived at Toronto Pearson International Airport after arriving from Europe. Baggage examinations by the CBSA uncovered alleged Ketamine concealed inside their luggage, amounting to an approximate total of 154 kilograms with an estimated street value of $4,608,000.

    Ketamine is an odorless and colourless drug that is used as a medical anesthetic in liquid form, but is often illicitly sold in powder form. There are several mental, physical, and long term effects associated with taking Ketamine. When taken, it can distort how an individual experiences sight and sound, and interferes with one’s ability to perceive pain. Due to these effects, it can sometimes be used to commit sexual assault.

    The CBSA seized the Ketamine and arrested the travelers. The RCMP Central Region Toronto Airport Detachment, Border Integrity Response team has charged:

    • Alison Louise Olmes (63), of Caledon, Ontario, with Importing a Controlled Substance, contrary to section 6(1) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) for smuggling 30.8 kilograms of suspected Ketamine into Canada
    • Courtney Linda Johanne Desbois (27), of Toronto, Ontario, with Importing a Controlled Substance, contrary to section 6(1) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) for smuggling 31.8 kilograms of suspected Ketamine into Canada
    • Lamia Hamici (40), of Montreal, Quebec, with Importing a Controlled Substance, contrary to section 6(1) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) for smuggling 60 kilograms of suspected Ketamine into Canada
    • Britney Carolyn Allen (32), of Whitby, Ontario, with Importing a Controlled Substance, contrary to section 6(1) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) for smuggling 30.95 kilograms of suspected Ketamine into Canada

    All accused have been released on an undertaking and are expected to appear at the A. Grenville and William Davis Courthouse in Brampton on March 26, 2025 & April 9, 2025

    “These seizures are yet another example of Canada’s Border Plan in action and the effective partnership between the CBSA and the RCMP in stopping drug trafficking. Ketamine poses a significant threat to public health, and our law enforcement agencies are keeping our communities safe, both in Canada and abroad.”
    – The Honourable David J. McGuinty, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness

    “Ketamine is a strong anesthetic and it’s use has been the cause of many deaths including the death of Canadian actor Matthew Perry. The RCMP is acting to protect Canadians from dangerous drugs that harm our communities. The importation of a narcotic like ketamine is a serious offence under the Controlled Drugs and Substance Act and a conviction may result in a lengthy prison sentence.”
    – Inspector John McMath Officer in Charge, RCMP Toronto Airport Detachment

    “Ketamine is a lethal substance that poses a significant risk to the safety of Canadians, and the CBSA is committed to securing Canada’s border from drug threats like this one. These seizures exemplify the hard work of our border services officers with our RCMP partners who employ targeting and intelligence methods to protect the health and safety of Canadians.”
    – Lisa Janes, Regional Director General, Canada Border Services Agency, Greater Toronto Area Region

    Fast Facts

    • Canada is investing $1.3 billion to bolster security at the border and strengthen the immigration system, all while keeping Canadians safe. Information available on the Border Plan is available here: The Government of Canada’s Border Plan: significant investments to strengthen border security and our immigration system
    • The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) are committed to intercepting and investigating smuggling attempts at our border and disrupting organized crime.
    • The RCMP supports the CBSA’s mandate at the ports of entry from inbound and outbound criminal threats through criminal investigations and prosecutions related to narcotic smuggling.
    • With a presence across Canada, the RCMP is uniquely positioned to protect our border between ports of entry, but also conduct follow-up investigations when necessary.
    • The RCMP and the CBSA work closely in an investigative capacity, along with other domestic and international law enforcement partners, to combat the impact that cross border criminal activity is having on our communities.

    If you have any information related to smuggling, drug importation, trafficking, or possession, or wish to report other criminality, you can contact the Ontario RCMP at 1-800-387-0020, the confidential CBSA Border Watch toll-free line at 1-888-502-9060 or anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), at any time.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Conviction Affirmed for Man Who Kidnapped, Murdered 80-year-old Horry County Woman

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    RICHMOND, Va. — The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld the 2022 conviction of Dominique Devonah Brand for kidnapping resulting in death, carjacking resulting in death, and using or carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence in a manner constituting murder.

    In a written opinion, the court affirmed Brand’s convictions following a multi-day bench trial in September 2022. Evidence presented at trial established that on Sunday, March 28, 2021, Brand entered the Nichols, South Carolina, home of Mary Ann Elvington, a retired elementary school teacher and stalwart in her church and community. In the days prior, Brand had burglarized another nearby residence, stealing a shotgun, in addition to burglarizing and vandalizing a local church. Brand forced Ms. Elvington to drive him from her house to Lake Waccamaw, North Carolina, and back into South Carolina. During this trip, Brand sat behind Ms. Elvington with the shotgun before forcing her into the back seat and driving her to a remote crossroads in Marion County. Once there, he marched her behind an abandoned grocery store, held the shotgun to the back of her head, and pulled the trigger, executing her. Brand then drove Ms. Elvington’s car to Marion, where he hid it behind an abandoned club. Ms. Elvington’s body was located the following evening. During a post-arrest statement to authorities, Brand denied committing the murder, but his guilt was proven at trial with DNA evidence, cell phone analytics, and crime scene analysis.

    “We are pleased that the Fourth Circuit has affirmed the convictions we proved beyond a reasonable doubt in the senseless kidnapping and murder of Ms. Mary Ann Elvington,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Brook B. Andrews for the District of South Carolina. “This has been a painful ordeal for her loved ones, and we send our continued support to Ms. Elvington’s family.”

    United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon presided over the trial and imposed two concurrent life sentences for the carjacking and kidnapping convictions, plus 10 consecutive years for using a firearm during the commission of these offenses. Brand, now 33, is in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons at USP Hazelton in West Virginia.

    The case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office with significant assistance from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), Horry County Police Department, Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Marion Police Department, Lake View Police Department, and Nichols Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Everett McMillian and Kathleen Stoughton prosecuted the case along with Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Hixson, who also serves as the Deputy Solicitor for the 15th Judicial Circuit.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: New Jersey Murder Fugitive Captured Near Temple University

    Source: US Marshals Service

    Philadelphia, PA – Investigators from the U.S. Marshals task force in Philadelphia, along with Deputies from the New York/New Jersey Atlantic City Division, arrested Kenneth Tripline in the 1500 block of West Diamond Street. Tripline was wanted by the Bridgeton Police Department for murder in relation to an incident that took place March 11th. Tripline allegedly stabbed his ex-girlfriend’s new boyfriend multiple times and then fled the scene. A warrant was issued March 12th and immediately delegated to the U.S. Marshals in New Jersey.

    On March 20th, Marshals developed information Tripline was presently in a residence around Temple University. At 9 a.m. investigators from the Marshals Service in Philadelphia and Atlantic City Division, along with Temple Police Officers, surrounded a home in the 1500 block of West Diamond Street. After knocking at the property, Tripline immediately attempted to escape from a rear window but was forced back inside by police. Tripline eventually surrendered to Marshals in front of the residence and was placed into custody without incident. 

    “Upon determining a fugitive wanted for murder was hiding in close proximity to Temple University, it was imperative for us to capture him as expeditiously as possible,” said Robert Clark, Supervisory Deputy for the Eastern Pennsylvania Violent Crime Fugitive Task Force.

    The Eastern Pennsylvania Violent Crimes Fugitive Task Force is a team of law enforcement officers led by U.S. Marshals in Philadelphia and the surrounding counties. The task force’s objective is to seek out and arrest violent crime fugitives. Membership agencies include the Philadelphia Police Department, Pennsylvania State Parole Officers, Pennsylvania State Police, Pennsylvania Attorney General Agents, Immigration Customs Enforcement, Chester Police Department, the Bucks County Sheriff’s Office, and the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Canada’s economic vulnerabilites show why it must invest in the wealth of local communities

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Audrey Jamal, Assistant Dean, Strategic Partnerships and Societal Impact, University of Guelph

    Five years after the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic on March 11, 2020, Canada now faces a new challenge — unprecedented economic pressure from its closest trading partner, the United States.

    Canadians are once again being forced to confront the country’s economic vulnerabilities. While the pandemic underscored the economic importance of place and social connections, economic aggression from the U.S. highlights the need for greater local autonomy.

    Canada needs a new approach to economic development. Yet, as the government searches for solutions to bolster “Team Canada,” policymakers risk falling back on the same tired strategies: corporate bailouts, tax breaks for big business and top-down stimulus.

    This played out during the pandemic. Policies favoured large corporations, leaving small businesses and workers struggling, despite their critical role in economic resilience. This time, Canada needs to do things differently.

    A renewed approach to economic development

    For Canada to build a more resilient economy, it must strengthen its communities by securing local assets, democratizing the economy and ensuring wealth circulates within communities rather than being extracted by distant, corporate interests.

    A promising solution lies in community wealth building, a local-first approach to building the economy that emerged in the early 2000s. This approach offers a tonic to current economic policies that concentrate wealth into the hands of a small group of individuals, leaving communities vulnerable.

    By prioritizing more inclusive and democratic ownership, investment and decision-making, community wealth building empowers communities to take control of their economic future. The strategy moves away from the current extractive economy, which prioritizes the exploitation of land, resources and people, toward one that builds wealth from the ground up.

    5 pillars of community wealth building

    The Democracy Collaborative’s community wealth-building framework offers five pillars for building strong local economies. These include progressive procurement, locally rooted finance, inclusive and democratic enterprise, fair work and the just use of land.

    Many communities across Canada and globally are experimenting with one or more of these pillars. For example, social purpose organizations are experimenting with locally rooted financial instruments that flow profits back into their mission.

    In Canada, community bonds allow social purpose organizations to raise capital from their community members to finance projects that benefit communities, such as affordable and green housing and regenerative food systems, among many others.

    When locally rooted finance is combined with just use of land, and inclusive and democratic ownership, these initiatives can ensure wealth-generating assets — land, housing, infrastructure and businesses — stay in the communities so more people benefit from economic development.

    Strengthening local economies

    Canada has a history of inclusive and democratic enterprise, with many co-operatives and social enterprises owned by charities and non-profits. Now, Canadian businesses also have the option of transferring ownership to employee ownership trusts.

    The diversity of ownership options challenges the false choice often presented when local businesses face closure: either shut down or be “saved” by an extractive investor.

    Despite these positive developments, many community wealth building projects in Canada continue to exist as one-offs and sit on the margins of mainstream economic development policy. Local projects challenge the status quo and, as community-led projects, can struggle with governance and access to financing.

    The federal government, non-profits and businesses all have the opportunity to shape a more resilient economic future for Canada by putting local businesses and local ownership first. But to transform local economies, action is needed across all five community wealth building pillars.

    Through our research on community bonds, community wealth building in mid-sized cities and community ownership, we have suggestions for how Canadian governments and businesses can help communities understand what strategies work, and how they can adapt and scale them as needed.

    This work is everyone’s business

    Real progress in this area requires action from all levels of government, as well as from policymakers, businesses and community leaders.

    As experience from Scotland and the U.S. shows, ground-up initiatives must be met with government support in the form of innovative policies, action and investments.

    In practical terms, this means aligning government procurement policies and partnerships with local initiatives for new businesses, introducing legislation that supports inclusive and democratic ownership, and building wealth from local assets rather than importing it.

    Local governments should commit to embedding community wealth building into their economic development planning. This is not a stretch, as many already support local business and entrepreneurship. The key is expanding on these efforts.

    For instance, both large cities like Toronto and coalitions of smaller local governments are using their purchasing power to buy goods and services from suppliers that strengthen the local economy.

    At the federal level, policy innovations like community right-to-buy legislation and related supports could give workers and communities the time, financing and expertise to compete with extractive investors and retain wealth and assets.

    By investing in community wealth building, governments can help shift economic power, build Canada’s economic resilience and ensure communities have agency in shaping their economic futures.

    Audrey Jamal receives funding from the Government of Canada’s Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).

    Heather Hachigian receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and has received funding from the Vancouver Foundation to support research related to this article.

    – ref. Canada’s economic vulnerabilites show why it must invest in the wealth of local communities – https://theconversation.com/canadas-economic-vulnerabilites-show-why-it-must-invest-in-the-wealth-of-local-communities-250221

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The history of ‘common sense’ matters when caring for our common home

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Barbara Leckie, Professor, English and the Institute for the Comparative Study of Literature, Art, and Culture; Academic Director, Re.Climate: Centre for Climate Communication and Public Engagement, Carleton University

    In recent years, the idea of “common sense” has again catapulted to prominence in the conservative political landscape.

    From United States President Donald Trump’s call for a “revolution of common sense” and his references to himself as a “common-sense conservative” to Pierre Poilievre’s references to his party as “Common Sense Conservatives” the value of common sense has been widely trumpeted.

    As a professor in climate and environmental humanities, I’m interested in examining how this return to common sense tends to focus attention away from climate action.

    Common sense is the domain of the obvious, the self-evident and what goes without saying. “Hot things can burn you,” for example, is the maxim with which historian Sophia Rosenfeld opens her political history of common sense.

    The history of common sense

    Attaching common sense to conservative political positions in Canada is not new. The phrase revives Ontario Premier Mike Harris’s “Common Sense Revolution” in the 1990s.



    Read more:
    Mike Harris’s ‘common sense’ attack on Ontario schools is back — and so are teachers’ strikes

    But common sense also has a longer conservative legacy. In the U.S., as American historian Larry Glickman illustrates, the phrase was deployed in the 1930s to challenge the perceived turn to social aid associated with New Deal policies. Prior to Trump, it has been used by Ronald Reagan, Sarah Palin and so-called Tea Party Republicans.

    Common sense as a political strategy, however, was not always aligned with a free market economy. Rosenfeld traces its history from the Greeks and 17th-century and 18-century writers through to 20th-century thinkers like German-American philosopher Hannah Arendt.

    As Rosenfeld notes, common sense has long had two contrasting emphases: an inquiry position that questions prevailing norms and a conservative position that doubles down on prevailing norms.

    Democracy and common sense

    The inquiry position emerged, Rosenfeld illustrates, in the 18th century and its best-known version is a radical pamphlet, Common Sense, written by British American author and pamphleteer Thomas Paine in 1776.

    This pamphlet energized readers across all political spectrums to support the principles of equality, liberty and freedom of expression that we now associate with democracy at large.

    Thomas Paine’s pamphlet energized readers to support principles of equality, liberty and freedom of expression.
    (Wikipedia)

    The conservative position, by contrast, emerges when these same values threatened religious belief and the free market. In this version, expertise is discounted and the people’s everyday experience is privileged.

    Historically, this position has given rise to a populism that accordingly also discredits education, debate and other pillars of democratic practice. As Rosenfeld demonstrates, the history of common sense shows that common sense has been mobilized both to support democracy and to undermine it.

    Common sense encompasses the world of everyday things like temperature and know-how, and it describes a deeper world that defines how we understand each other and live together in that everyday world. Its ability to toggle between these two domains is part of what gives it its force.

    What ‘everyone knows’

    Most of the time, common sense operates quietly because it is assumed to be tacit knowledge — what everyone knows. In times of crisis, however, common sense comes out of the shadows.

    It is no surprise, then, to see common sense entering public discourse in Canada when the country is beset by multiple crises: the existential threat posed by climate change, economic inequality and racism, to name only a few. Common sense, in this context, emerges as a call to return to when things were “normal.” It is the comfort food of thinking.

    For many people, there is solace in turning to what is familiar and seemingly obvious. For many others, there is not.



    Read more:
    Canadians are losing faith in the economy — and it’s affecting their perception of inequality

    ‘Common sense’ of market and environment

    Poilievre defines himself as a “champion of a free market.”

    “Free enterprise” and the market economy was also, as Glickman argues, the platform that Republicans polished into common sense. And it is, arguably, the platform that produced the very issues that most endanger us now, from climate change to economic inequality.

    But, as Einstein noted: “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” The common sense of the market economy, in other words, cannot solve the problems it created.

    Waking up to common sense

    The versatility of common sense as a populist political strategy is evident in Poilievre’s platform.

    For example, he wants voters to perceive him as radical by having attacked and apparently succeeded in undermining the idea of a carbon tax in both Conservative and Liberal platforms (the revolutionary side of common sense) while doubling down on what he calls woke politics (the conservative side of common sense).

    The concept of being woke, in turn, has been adopted as shorthand to criticize calls for climate action, a point reinforced in Poilievre’s recent conversation with psychologist and author Jordan Peterson when “he called people concerned about climate change ‘environmental loons that hate our energy.’”

    It’s always easier to stay with the old and familiar. But we are already in unfamiliar and unavoidable terrain.

    Our national parks are burning. Our air quality has been worse than any other country in the world. Flooding across the country is on the rise as is extreme heat.

    Caring economy needed

    Free-market common sense does not help us here. A neoliberal economy in which profits are more important than people and the planet does not help us here. What does, then?

    It’s not a leap to try to create the conditions for a caring rather than an extractive economy, as the collaborative work of scholars and activists Leanne Betasamosake Simpson and Robin Maynard suggests.

    Hot things can burn you. The hot things we confront now are not stove tops or flames, but global temperature increases. Leaders, it seems, tend to deploy “common sense” as an excuse to look away from the hot things that matter. Common sense, in its everyday meaning, would suggest that we look at them.

    Common sense works best rhetorically when it’s not questioned. The history of common sense suggests that now is the time to question it.

    Barbara Leckie receives funding from SSHRC.

    – ref. The history of ‘common sense’ matters when caring for our common home – https://theconversation.com/the-history-of-common-sense-matters-when-caring-for-our-common-home-251428

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy Meets Business Leaders in Metairie, Tours DSC Dredge Facility in Reserve

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy
    METAIRIE – Yesterday in Metairie, U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) met with the Jefferson Business Council, a collection of Presidents and CEOs of major companies in Jefferson Parish. They discussed their concerns about issues affecting families and business owners in the parish.
    “The members of the Jefferson Business Council had great questions about making flood insurance affordable and vaccinating children against measles,” said Dr. Cassidy. “We will work together with Congress and President Trump to meet these goals, so this community can be healthier and more affordable for families.”
    A priority for both families and business owners in the New Orleans area is keeping flood insurance affordable. Last Thursday, Cassidy went to the Senate floor to call on Congress to renew the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) for another two years, instead of having to rely on short-term extensions. He also proposed the bipartisan Flood Insurance Affordability Tax Credit Act in February, which would give low- and middle-income households enrolled in the NFIP a 33% refundable tax credit to combat rising flood insurance premiums.
    Cassidy is also working to renew the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017, which he supported and helped pass into law late that year. To that end, Cassidy recently met with President Trump as a Republican member of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, to discuss how to renew the TCJA while also providing more tax relief to middle-class families and balancing the budget.
    Cassidy was welcomed to the meeting by Mr. Mark Rosa, Chairman of the Jefferson Business Council.
    “On behalf of the Jefferson Business Council, it is a pleasure to meet with Senator Cassidy,” said Mr. Rosa. “Members of the JBS always welcome hearing from our representatives in Washington to speak to us on matters that will potentially impact the quality of life of the residents of Jefferson Parish.”
    Later, Cassidy visited DSC Dredge in Reserve, where he learned how they build custom dredges and dredge control systems that make harbors and shipping channels navigable to keep the flow of commerce going.
    “DSC Dredge is an incredibly innovative company based in Louisiana whose dredges are being used from the LSU Lakes to Bangladesh,” said Dr. Cassidy. “And they beat the competition.”
    Cassidy’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) included $109 million for federal projects sponsored by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to dredge and repair damages caused by Hurricanes Laura, Delta and Zeta. Another $808 million was included for the Mississippi River and tributaries, and $251 million for flood and coastal emergencies, directly benefiting Louisiana. Thanks to these efforts, dredging for various Corps projects was funded months after the passage of the IIA, including for the Atchafalaya River and Bayous Chene, Boeuf and Black, the Barataria Bay Waterway, the Freshwater Bayou, and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway.
    While at DSC Dredge, Cassidy toured the facility and met both with executives and employees of the company. Cassidy was welcomed by Mr. Bob and Bill Wetta, brothers and co-owners of DSC Dredge.
    “Our team takes great pride in designing and building dredges that keep America’s waterways open, provide critical infrastructure materials and perform environmental restoration and mitigation services,” said the Wettas. “We appreciate Senator Cassidy’s commitment to supporting industries like DSC Dredge that manufacture products critical to this mission. During the roundtable, our employees had the valuable opportunity to speak with the Senator, ask questions on key issues, and gain insights they wouldn’t have otherwise received. We are grateful for the time he took to engage directly with our team and hear their perspectives firsthand.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy, Crapo, Colleagues Reintroduce Legislation to Correct Biden-Harris Attack on Louisiana Commuters

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Mike Crapo (R-ID), and a group of Republican colleagues reintroduced the Choice in Automobile Retail Sales (CARS) Act to repeal the aggressive Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) tailpipe rule from President Biden and Vice President Harris amid their efforts to phase out gas-powered cars and trucks. The CARS Act protects Louisianans’ right to choose what cars they drive and works to prevent future regulations on affordable, reliable vehicles. “Making Louisiana families pay for EV tax breaks for rich peoples’ cars was one of the many bad things the Biden Administration did,” said Dr. Cassidy. “The CARS Act helps fix this damage!”“The rule-making process under the previous Administration pushed a radical green agenda that harmed consumer choice in the automobile industry,” said Senator Crapo. “Americans deserve to have access to affordable, reliable vehicles fueled by American-made energy products. However, the EPA’s tailpipe rule will hurt everyday Americans while simultaneously helping China. Consequences of rules and regulations such as these restrict consumer choice and raise costs for the average American family.”
    Under the Biden-Harris Administration, the EPA finalized a rule titled “Multi-Pollutant Emissions Standards for Model Year 2027 and Later Light-Duty and Medium-Duty Vehicles,” which sets stringent emissions standards for criteria pollutants and greenhouse gasses for these vehicles and is a de facto EV mandate.  Under the rule, internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles–which still represent the overwhelming majority of new car sales–can make up no more than 30 percent of new sales by 2032.  
    The average price of an electric vehicle (EV) is still significantly higher than the average price of a gas-powered vehicle, even with massive government subsidies for EVs paid for by American taxpayers.  EV mandates threaten to hurt everyday Americans and cost auto workers their jobs while simultaneously helping China, given that China continues to dominate the EV supply chain.  In recent years, demand for EVs made up less than ten percent of new car sales.
    The CARS Act would:
    Rescind the EPA tailpipe emissions rule;
    Prohibit the use of authority under the Clean Air Act to issue regulations that mandate the use of any specific technology or that limit the availability of new motor vehicles based on that vehicle’s engine type.  This includes any regulation prescribed on or after January 1, 2021;
    Require the EPA to update any regulations since January 1, 2021, that result in the limited availability of new vehicles based on that vehicle’s engine within two years; and
    End the EPA’s radical agenda, which is driving up costs for people and handing the keys of America’s auto industry to China.
    Cassidy and Crapo were joined by U.S. Senators Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Katie Britt (R-Alabama), Ted Budd (R-North Carolina), Pete Ricketts (R-Nebraska), Roger Marshall (R-Kansas), Steve Daines (R-Montana), Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Deb Fischer (R-Nebraska), John Barrasso (R-Wyoming), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Rick Scott (R-Florida), John Hoeven (R-North Dakota), Jim Justice (R-West Virginia), Shelley Moore Capito (R-West Virginia) and Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyoming) in cosponsoring the bill.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hoeven Statement on Jury Decision in Lawsuit Over DAPL Protests

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for North Dakota John Hoeven

    03.19.25

    BISMARCK, N.D. – Senator John Hoeven today issued the following statement after a North Dakota jury ruled in favor of Energy Transfer in the company’s lawsuit against Greenpeace over its role in the protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline.

    “The Dakota Access Pipeline was built with the latest, greatest technology and safety features, and the company went through all of the required regulatory and permitting steps. These facts are reaffirmed by today’s decision in court,” said Senator Hoeven. “This pipeline is important not only to North Dakota’s success as a global energy powerhouse, but our nation’s energy security. We will continue working to provide regulatory certainty for this and energy projects across the country, taking the handcuffs off our energy producers to make the U.S. truly energy dominant.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Firework Control Zones consultation

    Source: Scotland – City of Edinburgh

    Councillors have agreed to move forward with an extensive consultation process on Firework Control Zones for autumn 2025.

    Since 3 March, local communities have been invited to apply for their area to be a Firework Control Zone (FCZ). Following a four-week application period, an eight-week consultation will now take place. The consultation process will include discussions on a potential citywide zone, as well as targeted areas such as Niddrie, Sighthill/Broomhouse, and Gracemount/Moredun—areas that saw significant disorder in 2024. The consultation will also consider any new local FCZ applications submitted before 31 March.

    Culture and Communities Convener Val Walker said:

    By expanding and refining our Firework Control Zones for 2025, we are taking proactive steps to enhance public safety and ensure that our communities can enjoy Bonfire Night in a safe and responsible way.

    The feedback we received from last year’s zones has been invaluable, and with a thorough consultation process, we are giving residents a voice in shaping these important decisions. We are committed to reducing anti-social behaviour while promoting a safer and more enjoyable experience for all.

    The consultation will run until May, with the final outcome being presented to the Culture and Communities Committee in August.

    In 2024, four FCZs were established across Edinburgh, based on assessments from Police Scotland, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, and Council data. These zones—Balerno, Calton Hill, Niddrie, and Seafield—operated from November 1 to 10 and were aimed at tackling firework misuse and anti-social behaviour. The feedback and results from these zones will also help inform the planning for 2025.

    Published: March 20th 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Stein Visits Fayetteville Elementary School, Promotes Education Priorities in Budget Proposal

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: Governor Stein Visits Fayetteville Elementary School, Promotes Education Priorities in Budget Proposal

    Governor Stein Visits Fayetteville Elementary School, Promotes Education Priorities in Budget Proposal
    lsaito

    Raleigh, NC

    Today, Governor Josh Stein visited Ferguson-Easley Elementary School in Fayetteville to speak with educators and administrators. He also highlighted his 2025-2027 budget proposal, which invests in North Carolina’s students, teachers, and public schools.  

    “North Carolina’s children are our most important investment, and our state’s budget must reflect our commitment to them,” said Governor Josh Stein. “Our teachers must be well-paid, our schools well-built, and our students’ well-being put first.”

    “We are honored to welcome Governor Josh Stein to Ferguson-Easley Elementary today, where he has the opportunity to see firsthand the incredible work happening in our classrooms,” said Cumberland County Schools Superintendent Dr. Marvin Connely, Jr. “Across Cumberland County Schools, our dedicated educators are making a difference in the lives of students every day, and it is critical that we continue to invest in them. Equally important is our commitment to providing modern, safe, and innovative learning environments that support student success. We appreciate the Governor’s visit and his recognition of the vital role public education plays in shaping the future of our communities.”  

    “As an educational leader, I firmly believe that effective communication, problem-solving, and the use of technology are essential in preparing our students for success. I am passionate about supporting the whole child—helping them reach their maximum potential academically, socially, and emotionally,” said Ferguson-Easley Elementary School Principal Eric McLaurin. “My goal is to ensure that every student at Ferguson-Easley Elementary receives the highest quality education in a nurturing environment. I am also a strong believer in the home-school-community connection, and I strive to create meaningful partnerships that empower our children to reach their full potential and become global leaders in the 21st century. We are grateful to Governor Stein for visiting our school today and for recognizing the importance of investing in our students, educators, and the future of public education.”

    Yesterday, Governor Stein announced his 2025-2027 budget proposal. The budget attracts new teachers by raising starting teacher pay to the highest in the southeast and keeps excellent teachers by raising their pay, providing advanced teacher career pathways and investing in professional development. It also invests in student safety and well-being by hiring more school nurses and social workers, providing free breakfast in public schools, upgrading school security, and removing the distraction of cell phones from classrooms. Governor Stein is also proposing a $4 billion bond to modernize old and outdated school buildings.

    Click here to read Governor Stein’s full budget proposal.  

    Mar 20, 2025

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Turkey: a favourable international climate is spurring Erdoğan’s crackdown on democracy

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Massimo D’Angelo, Research Associate in the Institute for Diplomacy and International Affairs, Loughborough University

    The Turkish judiciary has finally succeeded in sidelining Istanbul’s mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu, at the fourth attempt. On the morning of March 19, the 53-year-old posted a video on social media announcing that police had arrived at his home to arrest him on charges of corruption, aiding a terrorist organisation and organised crime.

    “Hundreds of police are at my door”, he said in a voice message. “This immoral and tyrannical approach will undoubtedly be overturned by the will and resilience of our people”.

    Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has consistently excelled at positioning himself on the international stage, adeptly seizing opportunities left by others and turning them to his advantage. He has demonstrated this once again by orchestrating the arrest of İmamoğlu, his main political rival.

    With global events bolstering his leverage over the west, Erdoğan is well placed to act with impunity, knowing that his strategic importance will likely shield him from serious repercussions.

    The judiciary’s first attempt to remove İmamoğlu through legal means came in 2019, shortly after he won the Istanbul mayoral election by a narrow margin (around 13,000 votes). Erdoğan’s ruling Justice and Development party (AKP) contested the results, citing irregularities.

    Under intense pressure from the government, the Supreme Electoral Council annulled the vote and ordered a rerun. İmamoğlu not only retained, but significantly increased his lead. He secured victory over the AKP’s candidate, Binali Yıldırım, by more than 800,000 votes.

    Then, in 2022, İmamoğlu was sentenced to two years in prison for having called two public officials “fools” three years earlier. Ultimately, he was not arrested. But the sentence severely undermined his presidential ambitions, prompting him to forgo running for the presidency the following year.

    The third attempt occurred just days ago, when the government revoked the validity of İmamoğlu’s academic degree on bureaucratic grounds. Turkey’s political future looks to be entering a new and more precarious phase.

    İmamoğlu was born in Akçaabat, a district of Trabzon province on north-east Turkey’s Black Sea coast. He graduated in economics at Istanbul University and worked as a construction entrepreneur before entering politics.

    He is married with three children and, like Erdoğan, is passionate about football. In his youth, he was both a footballer and the managing director of his hometown’s football club, Trabzonspor.

    In 2024, İmamoğlu was reelected as mayor of Istanbul. Over the past six years, he has become a highly prominent political figure and, given the city’s size and his broad popularity, he has often been regarded as a natural candidate for the Turkish presidency.

    Many expected him to run as the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) candidate in the 2023 presidential election. But the party chose its leader, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, instead.

    This decision was partly driven by internal power struggles between the party’s old guard and newer leadership. However, the insult lawsuit against İmamoğlu alarmed many within the CHP, who feared that a potential arrest during the campaign would plunge the contest into chaos.

    Kılıçdaroğlu is less popular than İmamoğlu, and is from an older generation of opposition politicians who have repeatedly failed to challenge Erdoğan effectively. He ultimately lost to Erdoğan in the second round of voting.

    Despite state-led media campaigns to discredit İmamoğlu, his popularity has continued to rise. As a leading CHP figure, he was the frontrunner in the party’s primaries scheduled for March 23, ahead of the 2028 presidential elections. The arrest of İmamoğlu is widely seen as Erdoğan’s latest attempt to obstruct his candidacy.

    A pattern of political suppression

    Along with İmamoğlu, Turkish authorities have detained 87 people as part of an investigation into alleged terrorism and organised crime in Istanbul.

    Prosecutors accuse İmamoğlu of leading a criminal organisation, engaging in bribery, extortion and bid rigging. The inquiry also links him to financial misconduct and alleged ties with the Kurdistan Workers’ party (PKK), which the Turkish state categorises as a terrorist organisation.

    This is not the first time prominent political leaders in Turkey have been arrested on such charges. İmamoğlu’s case closely mirrors that of Selahattin Demirtaş, a Kurdish politician and former co-chair of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic party (HDP), who has been imprisoned since November 2016.

    Demirtaş, who was arrested during Erdoğan’s crackdown on political opposition after an attempted coup in 2016, was charged with “terrorist propaganda” and “undermining state unity”. In elections the previous year, his presidential campaign had gained widespread support, allowing the HDP to surpass Turkey’s 10% electoral threshold for entering parliament for the first time.

    Despite international calls for his release, including rulings from the European Court of Human Rights, Demirtaş remains incarcerated. In 2024, he was sentenced to a total of 42 years. Much like İmamoğlu today, his continued detention is widely regarded as politically motivated.

    In their influential work, How Democracies Die, Harvard professors Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt argue that the willingness to curtail civil liberties, such as controlling the media and suppressing dissent, is typical of populist leaders determined to tighten their grip on power.

    This latest crackdown is yet another episode in the continued erosion of democratic space in Turkey. However, Erdoğan currently operates in an unusually favourable global climate, with multiple strategic negotiations placing him centre stage.

    Although he has not hesitated to sideline rivals in the past, this environment has shifted further in his favour. The US president, Donald Trump, has rarely opposed such actions or condemned the suppression of political rights in other countries. On several occasions, Trump has even demonstrated his willingness to subject the US justice system and his opponents to his own will.

    The EU, distracted by internal conflicts and the Russian threat, also appears keen to keep Turkey onside. Turkey has Nato’s second-largest army and a Black Sea coastline, and is seeking to assume a key role in Europe’s security following Washington’s pivot away from the region. Across the Middle East, democracy often serves more as a bargaining chip than a genuine priority.

    Erdoğan has recently launched a “new Kurdish process”, aimed at reconciling with the PKK. This makes İmamoğlu’s arrest all the more surprising. The move may be intended to distance Kurdish voters from the CHP.

    Some citizens have attempted to protest the arrest despite a government ban on public gatherings. It remains to be seen how resilient the Turkish people will prove. Ultimately, Erdoğan’s success depends on the opposition’s ability to unite against him.

    Massimo D’Angelo 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. Turkey: a favourable international climate is spurring Erdoğan’s crackdown on democracy – https://theconversation.com/turkey-a-favourable-international-climate-is-spurring-erdogans-crackdown-on-democracy-252694

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Britain has almost 1 million young people not in work or education – here’s what evidence shows can change that

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Peter Urwin, Director, Centre for Employment Research, University of Westminster

    amenic181/Shutterstock

    Keir Starmer says the current benefits system is unsustainable, unfair and needs changing to avoid a wasted generation of young people who are not in education, employment or training (Neet).

    The government is concerned about the rising number of young people aged 16 to 24 who are Neet, which in the quarter to December 2024 was estimated at 987,000 in the UK. This is 13.4% of all young people in this age group. The increase, from around 11% in the period prior to the start of the pandemic, is linked to long-term illness among the economically inactive.

    About 40% of young people who are Neet are unemployed (not in work but looking for work) and the other 60% are inactive (not looking for work). Over the period of the pandemic, the number of young people with a mental health issue who are inactive because of long-term sickness has risen sharply.

    This is clearly concerning, but it is not entirely new. The number of 16- to 34-year-olds with a mental health condition, who are economically inactive because of long-term sickness, increased from around 100,000 in 2013 to about 180,000 at the start of the pandemic. The figure is now over 250,000. This long-term trend is part of a wider increase in disability prevalence across the UK’s ageing population.

    When discussing young people specifically, social policy experts such as myself use the label Neet, because “inactivity” also includes those in education and just using the youth unemployment rate does not capture the scale of the challenge.

    Young people (and particularly lower-attaining young people) tend to become Neet when they make the transition from school to post-16 learning, and then from learning to work. But the lack of robust data on these transitions means we still don’t fully understand it.

    When looked at historically, the current economic inactivity rate across age groups is not actually very high. The Neet rate among young people is a longstanding challenge, but it seems most responsive to the economic cycle – falling in good times and rising in bad. For instance, Neet rates for 18- to 24-year-olds last peaked in the period after the 2008 financial crisis.

    What will help get young people into work?

    The welfare reforms announced recently are aimed at addressing some of these long-term issues, specifically: restrictions to personal independence payment (PiP) eligibility and proposals to prevent under-22s from qualifying for incapacity benefits, the health element within universal credit.

    Liz Kendall, the work and pensions secretary, says these and other changes will save over £5 billion a year by the end of the decade. But this isn’t just about saving money. As the government has repeatedly said, it is also about getting young people into work.

    But trying to save both money and a generation seems a tall order. Can we do both?

    Reducing the level of benefits and limiting eligibility does save money and it will certainly force (rather than “help”) some people into work. But it is not an approach that will tackle the mental and physical health challenges this generation is facing.

    In discussion of “what works”, we cannot ignore the need to increase employment opportunities for those who are most at risk of becoming Neet. Ideally, this will come from improved economic growth driven by investment. This boosts productivity, creates new jobs and, importantly, drives up the quality of jobs and wages.

    However, UK productivity growth since the financial crisis has been weak, and when worse economic times come, we once again face the same challenge. Many young people, even if they are qualified to degree level, face barriers to progress. For instance, it is not easy to access many of the jobs that pay better wages, as they are in parts of the country where the cost of living is particularly high.

    Liz Kendall announces welfare reforms that will affect disability benefits and introduce more work support.
    House of Commons/Flickr, CC BY-ND

    It’s positive to see that the government is also investing in mental health support as part if its reforms, and that it has highlighted a number of evidence-based interventions. On mental health, for example, there is strong evidence that relatively light touch cognitive behavioural therapy and NHS Talking Therapies can improve employment outcomes.

    The welfare reform package also contains £1 billion a year for employment support. Kendall suggests that this could be used for programmes such as Work Choice, a voluntary employment programme for people who have a disability that prevents them from working or puts them at risk of losing their job.

    There is compelling evidence that those who took part in this programme before the pandemic experienced increased employment rates by between 11 and 12 percentage points. We also know that even short entry-level training for very low-skilled unemployed young people can have significant impacts, increasing employment rates by five percentage points.

    The government’s programme for change is evidence-based and they are to be commended in recognising and beginning to tackle long-standing issues of Neet among young people. The announcements on welfare will help, but we still need to tackle the root causes of high Neet rates in the UK.

    Youth transitions need to be better managed by all agencies of government, especially for those who have mental health challenges. There also need to be better jobs available for young people who become disillusioned with the education system.

    Growing the economy, together with the package of measures announced, will go some way to help. But some support needs to start even earlier. Young people who do not perform well in school have few education or employment options – this is the real tragedy of lost generations.

    Peter Urwin has received funding from UK Research Councils, the Nuffield Foundation and government departments such as DWP and DfE to investigate the challenges that young people face in making the transition from education to employment.

    – ref. Britain has almost 1 million young people not in work or education – here’s what evidence shows can change that – https://theconversation.com/britain-has-almost-1-million-young-people-not-in-work-or-education-heres-what-evidence-shows-can-change-that-252222

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Reverend Warnock Celebrates the Release of Georgian George Glezmann

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia

    Senator Reverend Warnock pressured Presidents of both parties to do everything in their power to secure Glezmann’s release

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) issued the following statement after reporting that George Glezmann, who had been held hostage by the Taliban in Afghanistan, is returning home to Georgia.

    “I’m beyond thrilled that George Glezmann is returning home to Georgia. My best wishes go out to George and his wife Aleksandra, who I’ve gotten to know well over the past two trying and difficult years. With Senator Ossoff, I’ve proudly pushed Presidents of both parties to do everything in their power to bring George home, and today we can finally celebrate that moment. Welcome home, George.”

    Senator Warnock worked tirelessly over the past two years to secure George Glezmann’s release, including:

    • Leading private effort to push the Administration officials to prioritize Glezmann’s release
    • Holding multiple calls and meetings with Glezmann’s wife, Aleksandra Salukvadze, on efforts to bring Glezmann home
    • Pressuring former Secretary of State Antony Blinken and former National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan to meet with Salukvadze
    • Holding phone calls with former National Security Council Chief of Staff Curtis Ried and former Deputy Homeland Security Advisor Jen Daskal to discuss progress on Glezmann’s case
    • Working with Senator Jon Ossoff (D-GA) to introduce and pass a resolution calling for Glezmann’s release in July 2024
    • Speaking to former President Joe Biden and Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) on Glezmann’s case
    • Writing directly to George Glezmann in a letter read aloud to him over the phone in September 2024
    • Making a direct ask to former White House Counsel Edward Siskel to bring Glezmann home
    • Joining onto Senator Ossoff’s effort to pressure President Donald Trump to prioritize George Glezmann’s release

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Gaza: ‘Bring them all home now’, freed hostage tells Security Council

    Source: United Nations 2

    Peace and Security

    A senior UN political affairs official called for Israel and Hamas to restore the shattered ceasefire in Gaza on Thursday and release all remaining hostages, while one of those freed told the Security Council of his 500-day ordeal in captivity.

    Briefing ambassadors, Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General at the Department of Political Affairs (DPPA), reiterated the UN’s unequivocal condemnation of the horrific attacks by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups on Israeli communities on 7 October 2023.

    More than 1,200 Israelis were brutally killed and over 250 taken hostage. At least 59 people – alive and deceased – remain in the custody of Hamas and other armed groups inside the enclave.

    “Nothing can justify the intentional killing, torture, sexual violence, and destruction – entire families murdered, burned in their homes, taken hostage,” Mr. Khiari said.

    “The events of that horrific day will not be forgotten.”

    Escalating conflict

    Mr. Khiari also reported on the worsening situation in Gaza following the collapse of the two-month ceasefire and hostages release deal – and    resumption of full-blown conflict.

    Israeli airstrikes have resulted in the deaths of hundreds of Palestinians, including women and children, he said, adding also that six UN staff members have been killed in the past three days.

    Calling for an urgent return to the ceasefire, Mr. Khiari warned that “with every passing day, we move further away from the objective of returning the remaining hostages safely to their homes.”  

    He recalled UN relief chief Tom Fletcher’s briefing to the Council earlier this week, “a renewed ceasefire is the best way of protecting civilians – in Gaza, in the occupied Palestinian territory and in Israel – releasing hostages and detainees and allowing aid and commercial supplies in.”

    UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

    Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General for Middle East, Asia and the Pacific, briefs the Security Council.

    A survivor’s testimony: I came back from hell

    The Security Council also heard from Eli Sharabi, an Israeli survivor who spent 491 days in Hamas captivity. Taken from his home in Kibbutz Be’eri on 7 October 2023, Mr. Sharabi was held underground, chained, starved and subjected to psychological and physical abuse.

    “I have come back from hell,” he told ambassadors.

    “For 491 days. I was kept mostly underground in Hamas terror tunnels…held captive in the darkness, isolated from the world by Hamas terrorists,” he continued.

    “For 491 days. I held on to hope, I imagined the life we would rebuild, I dreamt of seeing my family again,” he said.

    However, only when he returned home last month, he learned the truth that his wife and two daughters had been killed by Hamas on 7 October.

    ‘Telling their stories’

    Mr. Sharabi emphasised that he appeared before the Security Council today to tell the story of his brother, Yossi, who was also taken hostage and killed, and others still in Gaza.

    “My brother Yossi, murdered in Hamas captivity, his body still held hostage, still 50 metres underground. I swore to him that I would tell his story,” Mr. Sharabi said, “for every hostage still in Hamas’ hands, I am here to tell you the whole truth.”

    He described the events of 7 October when Hamas attacked Kibbutz Be’eri, how he and his wife, Lianne, tried to protect their daughters and how he was taken away.

    ‘Begging was our existence’

    Mr. Sharabi detailed the horrors of captivity, describing how hostages were deprived of food, medical care and basic hygiene.

    “We had to beg for food, beg to use the bathroom. Begging was our existence,” he said, adding, “Hamas [terrorists] ate like kings while [we] starved.”

    Mr. Sharabi was freed on 8 February, as part of the hostage release and ceasefire deal. Since his release, he has met both US President Trump and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, narrating the plight of hostages and appealing for their release.

    “Now, I am here before you at the United Nations to say – bring them all home. No more excuses, no more delays. If you stand for humanity, prove it. Bring them all home.”

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Soundtrack to South of Midnight, woven into gameplay, now available

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: Soundtrack to South of Midnight, woven into gameplay, now available

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Can books be bad for you? Only if you’re a ‘bad reader’ like Don Quixote

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Karen Attar, Research Fellow in Institute of English Studies, School of Advanced Study, University of London

    An illustration from an edition of Don Quixote where the eponymous protagonist goes mad from reading. Wikimedia, CC BY

    Books as a backdrop in a portrait or an interview lend gravitas. They stand for literacy, for education, for a way to open the mind, develop the imagination and get on in life. But not all books are considered to convey such benefits.

    Opinions about which books are worthy and which are not have dogged fiction. Which are frivolous nonsense, sure to pollute the mind, and which are worthy intellectual pursuits? Also, are there books which are just too dangerous to read?

    Is Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye sure to influence unwanted behaviour? Are there those who can read a book like Niccolò Machiavelli’s The Prince and not see it as real advice of how any immoral act is justified if they lead to power and glory?

    In short, are there bad books, or are there just bad readers?

    The theme of bad books versus bad readers runs through my recent publication Books, Reading and Libraries in Fiction, which I wrote with Institute of English Studies Reader Andrew Nash. It starts with Don Quixote (1605), which is considered the first modern novel in Europe and an enduring classic of world literature.

    By the beginning of the 17th century, medieval chivalric romances about knights riding around the countryside seeking adventures and saving damsels in distress were distinctly old-fashioned. Don Quixote did not realise that. He spent all his time reading such romances, neglecting all other duties, to the extent that he went mad.

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    Believing the stories implicitly, he set off in search of knightly adventures. Don Quixote is the quintessential bad reader who takes fiction literally and who focuses on the activity of fighting instead of the metaphorical value of striving for good against evil. It’s the uncritical way children may read, but not the way we expect adults to.

    It is because he was a man that Don Quixote had the purchasing power to surround himself with books (there were no public libraries in those days) and travel around. So, it has more often been women who have typically been portrayed as poor readers, over-identifying with the heroines of novels, reading books that are bad for them, or reading when they should be doing something else.

    The Female Quixote, a little-known novel by Charlotte Lennox (1752), draws consciously on Don Quixote as heroine Arabella expects life to reflect the French novels she has read. At the end a doctor must explain to her the difference between fiction and reality. The reader of The Female Quixote is expected to have a lot more sense and distance than the reader within the novel. They are supposed to learn from Arabella’s silliness.

    Jane Austen, who we know loved reading novels, has most to say about relegating fiction to its place. She does it famously in a gentle, high-spirited way through her heroine in Northanger Abbey (1817), Catherine Morland. This young woman gorges on sensational gothic romances and this fiction starts to seep into her perception of reality.

    On one particularly stormy gothic night in a strange country house, she finds a roll of paper in a drawer. “What is it?” she thinks. Her candle goes out and she tosses and turns until early morning, her imagination leading her to terrifying conclusions. In the cold light of morning, she discovers that the paper is only an old laundry bill.

    The worst case of “bad reading” in our book occurred in a 1855 novella Faust by Russian novelist Ivan Turgenev. The story deals with a young woman whose mother had banned the reading of fiction. The young male narrator introduces her to the first part of Goethe’s drama Faust. Overwhelmed by the emotions it arouses, unequipped to deal with them from any former contact with imaginative literature, the heroine falls ill and dies.

    Like her fictitious predecessors, she over-identifies with fiction. In her case she suffers because, had she read fiction when she was younger, she would have been more robust now. Typically in fiction of the past, fortunate women had wise men to guide them and their reading. Vera in Turgenev’s tale is rather unfortunate in her guide’s lack of discrimination.

    Does it mean that Faust, considered by many the pinnacle of German literature, is a “bad” book? No. Neither are gothic romances. We know from her letters that Jane Austen devoured novels, and that she liked Ann Radcliffe, one of the most prominent Gothic writers. Also, medieval chivalric romances can be inspiring.

    The challenge for characters in fiction, as for us, is to read with distance and discernment. It helps to start young, unlike Turgenev’s Vera. We must read to understand and follow worthy principles, rather than blindly imitating the behaviour of characters in novels. But most of all, we must read all sorts of fiction. And then we shall be reading thoughtfully, wisely and well.

    Karen Attar 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. Can books be bad for you? Only if you’re a ‘bad reader’ like Don Quixote – https://theconversation.com/can-books-be-bad-for-you-only-if-youre-a-bad-reader-like-don-quixote-252428

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Bringing More Affordable Housing in Brooklyn

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Kathy Hochul today announced a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the redevelopment of a state-owned site located at 1024 Fulton Street in Brooklyn’s Clinton Hill neighborhood. The approximately 12,800-square-foot lot, currently owned by the Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS), will be transformed into a vibrant, mixed-use, 100 percent affordable housing development. This project is part of Governor Hochul’s vision to address New York State’s housing crisis, which includes repurposing underutilized state-owned sites to provide much-needed affordable housing. The RFP follows an extensive community engagement process led by Empire State Development (ESD) in partnership with local elected officials to ensure the project meets neighborhood needs. Applicants can view the Request for Proposals document and submit a proposal to ESD by June 20 by 5 p.m. EST.

    “After decades of sitting vacant, we’re breathing new life into this property and delivering what New Yorkers need most: affordable housing and community amenities,” Governor Hochul said. “This project represents our commitment to addressing the housing crisis while ensuring development reflects the priorities of local residents. By transforming underutilized state-owned property into vibrant, sustainable homes, we’re making good on our promise to create more affordable homes across New York State.”

    From fall through winter 2024, ESD — in collaboration with Senator Jabari Brisport, Assembly Member Phara Souffrant Forrest, Council Member Crystal Hudson, Attorney General Letitia James, Congressman Hakeem Jeffries and Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso — hosted a series of community visioning workshops to gather feedback on the future development of the site. Over 150 members of the community participated in this public process which culminated in a Community Visioning Report, summarizing key community needs and priorities.

    The RFP outlines comprehensive development objectives that will maximize the site’s potential while creating lasting positive impact for the community. Proposals must demonstrate how they will implement the findings of the Community Visioning Report, deliver 100 percent affordable housing with rents capped at 100 percent of Area Median Income, and include a ground floor senior or intergenerational community center that responds directly to neighborhood needs identified through the public engagement process.

    1024 Fulton has been vacant since 1997, when OCFS acquired it from the City of New York with the intent to develop a community center. Before its acquisition by OCFS, the property served as a Brooklyn Union Gas showroom in 1912 and later housed various manufacturing and commercial uses. Due to structural issues, the building has remained unused for nearly three decades. The building is located in a neighborhood ideal for transit-oriented development, within walking distance of several educational institutions and multiple subway and bus lines.

    Empire State Development President, CEO, and Commissioner Hope Knight said, “This RFP represents ESD’s commitment to community-driven housing and economic development. By transforming this long-vacant property into affordable housing with a community facility, we’re creating both homes and opportunities for the Clinton Hill neighborhood. ESD is grateful to our city partners whose collaboration has been invaluable throughout this process. The extensive community engagement ensures this development will truly reflect local priorities and meet the community’s needs.”

    New York State Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas said, “The redevelopment of 1024 Fulton Street illustrates the Governor’s commitment to using state- owned properties to create mixed use affordable housing in Brooklyn and across the state. Up to 100 households will benefit from affordable homes and a community center that will bring people of all ages together and add to the vibrancy of the Clinton Hill neighborhood. Repurposing vacant properties into stable, affordable places where people can live comfortably, raise their families, and make memories is good for residents and the entire community. We look forward to seeing 1024 Fulton Street come to life.”

    New York State Office of Children and Family Services Commissioner Dr. DaMia Harris-Madden said, “Affordable housing is not just a necessity – it’s the foundation for a stable life, where every family can thrive and build a sustainable future. OCFS is proud to support Governor Hochul’s innovative initiative to reconstruct underutilized and vacant properties, like 1024 Fulton Street, which will cultivate financial stability and promote pathways for New Yorkers to build connections within their communities.”

    New York State Office of General Services Commissioner Jeanette Moy said, “This RFP is a significant step towards creating a multipurpose space that residents of Brooklyn’s Clinton Hill neighborhood can call home and use as a meeting place. OGS remains committed to advancing Governor Hochul’s vision of repurposing underutilized state property to address community needs while increasing affordable housing supply, and we are proud to work with ESD on paving the way for this long-awaited project at 1024 Fulton Street.”

    New York Attorney General Letitia James said, “Access to affordable housing is a basic human right. This new affordable housing development benefits all Brooklynites, especially our seniors, and ensures that those who want access to safe and affordable housing will have that opportunity. I thank Governor Hochul, Empire State Development, and my fellow elected officials for their efforts to work with local community members and transform this site into a facility that benefits the entire community.”

    State Senator Jabari Brisport said, “For almost 30 years this publicly owned building has sat empty; I’m so proud of how our community has come together to change that. Through our collaboration with Assemblymember Phara Souffrant Forrest and Empire State Development, our district was able to shape the future of this building. Together we’ve ensured it will provide the kind of affordable housing that limits gentrification and helps protect the stability of our vibrant community.”

    Assemblymember Phara Souffrant Forrest said, “1024 Fulton Street has been vacant for decades while Clinton Hill residents were displaced due to rapidly rising rents. I’m proud that my partners in government and I were able to begin the process of redeveloping this key site and ensure a 100 percent affordable development that is responsive to community needs. I look forward to continued collaboration with community members and the administration to ensure that this project can house the future residents of Clinton Hill for decades to come.”

    New York City Council Member Crystal Hudson said, “I’m excited that we are finally one step closer to seeing this vacant and neglected state-owned property converted into much-needed affordable housing and community space for older adults. By issuing this RFP and centering 100 percent affordable housing and intergenerational space, it is clear ESD took community demands seriously and is focused on combatting our dual crises of housing affordability and failure to deeply invest in our older adults even though our city’s older adult population will jump fourth percent by 2040. I look forward to continuing to partner with ESD to bring this vital project to reality.”

    Advancing Governor Hochul’s Comprehensive Housing Agenda
    The project builds on the Governor’s bold vision to expand the state’s housing supply through innovative measures such as the Pro-Housing Communities Program and Executive Order 30, which promote barrier-breaking solutions to spur much-needed development. As part of the FY25 Enacted Budget, Governor Hochul secured landmark agreements that include new tax incentives for Upstate communities, targeted relief to create additional housing in New York City, and a $500 million capital fund to develop up to 15,000 new homes on state-owned property. An additional $600 million in statewide funding and new protections for renters and homeowners underscore the Governor’s commitment to affordability and equity.

    These efforts build upon the Governor’s FY23 five-year, $25 billion Housing Plan aimed at creating or preserving 100,000 affordable homes — including 10,000 with support services for vulnerable populations—and electrifying an additional 50,000 units. To date, more than 55,000 homes have been created or preserved under this initiative. The FY25 Enacted Budget also strengthened the Pro-Housing Community Program, making Pro Housing Certification a prerequisite for municipalities to access up to $650 million in discretionary funding. Currently, 290 communities have been certified, including New York City — reflecting a growing statewide commitment to addressing New York’s critical housing needs.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Enhance Your Lifestyle & Home with Samsung’s A Better Life Campaign

    Source: Samsung

     
     
    Samsung has launched its annual lifestyle campaign – A Better Life with Samsung, which focuses on improving the everyday lives of its customers through Samsung’s multi-device experience. This campaign is centred around the idea that Samsung products are not just about function, but about making life better, convenient, efficient and more enjoyable.
     
    Samsung’s diverse range of products serve as an enabler for improving customer’s daily experiences. From cutting edge home appliances, to stylish and immersive TVs, efficient air conditioners and productivity boosting monitors, Samsung’s line-up empowers users to elevate and enhance their lifestyles with convenience, comfort and stylish innovation. These products and experiences are tailored to elevate daily living, blending innovation with style for a premium experience. In addition, Samsung’s product offerings aim to enhance convenience, enjoyment and overall well-being.
     
    For eleven consecutive years, the company has held its ground as a trailblazer in the global soundbar market. This is according to market research firm FutureSource Consulting that confirmed that Samsung captured a global market share of 20.1% in revenue and 18.4% in sales volume in 2024, further strengthening its top position in the premium audio industry since 2014. This is due to the fact that Samsung has continuously raised the bar for home entertainment systems over the years, earning its soundbars a reputation for superior sound quality and ground-breaking innovation.
     
    And, it doesn’t stop there. For 19 consecutive years, Samsung managed to secure its position as the global pioneer in the TV market. Samsung has, over the years, managed to continuously standout in the market and this is due to the high-end features, design and durability of its product. And, in an effort to improve the lives of users in South African homes and beyond – Samsung added 10 more years to its initial 10-year warranty on key components on selected appliances.
     
    The 20-year warranty[1] on the Digital inverter compressor[2], in particular is a testament of the reliability in Samsung fridges that are able to offer silent durability and energy efficiency. The two decades of warranty now offered to local consumers, is clear evidence of Samsung’s devotion to providing high-quality and durable appliances that stand the test of time.
     
    Importantly, Samsung’s renowned commitment to energy-saving goals is also evident in products like the Bespoke refrigerator, which monitors and controls energy consumption through SmartThings. The WindFree air conditioner’s motion-detecting eco-cooling optimises power usage, contributing to overall household energy efficiency.
     
    All of these technological innovations and accolades have, over the years reaffirmed Samsung’s products as the ideal choice for enhancing the lives of consumers — from transforming entertainment experiences to creating a seamless and enjoyable daily routine. Products such as The Frame, The Music Frame, The Serif, Neo QLED and OLED TVs, The Freestyle and the premium Soundbar, redefine home entertainment by providing beauty and immersive audio visual experiences that could take your leisure time to new heights.
     
    So, in a world where technology increasingly shapes our daily lives – Samsung is committed to helping customers enhance their productivity, entertainment as well as potentially improving their health and well-being. The Samsung brand is well known for its reputation for excellence and its commitment to providing exceptional customer experiences.
     
    The Better Life lifestyle campaign complemented by the innovation, premium quality and integration of all these products made possible by SmartThings, make Samsung an ideal fit and an ultimate choice for customers who want to live a better life. For more information, go to www.samsung.com/za
     
    Disclaimer:
    [1] . The 20-year warranty is only applicable to the inverter motors and compressors in refrigerators, washers and dryers sold in the E.U. starting in July 2022 in addition to Digital Inverter Motors and Compressors found in refrigerators and washers sold in the U.S.[2]20-year warranty on Digital Inverter Technologies (motor/compressor) only applies to refrigerators and washing machines manufactured by Samsung and subcontracted manufacturers. 20-year warranty does not apply to any outsourced products.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Salinas Leads Oregon Delegation in Calling on Trump Administration to Protect American Manufacturing

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)

    March 20, 2025

    Salinas Leads Oregon Delegation in Calling on Trump Administration to Protect American Manufacturing

    Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Representative Andrea Salinas (OR-06) led the Oregon delegation – including U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, along with U.S. Reps. Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Val Hoyle (OR-04), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), and Janelle Bynum (OR-05) – in a letter to U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, expressing concern about the Trump Administration’s decision to fire dozens of workers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). NIST provides guidance, training, and assistance to American manufacturers to help them grow and stay competitive on the global stage.

    “We write with deep concern regarding reports of significant ongoing and planned layoffs at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. NIST plays a critical role supporting Oregon businesses and workers. Widespread and indiscriminate terminations of hard-working public servants at the agency would undermine our domestic manufacturing industrial base and threaten technological innovation that drives future economic progress,” wrote the members.

    Oregon manufacturers contribute nearly $40 billion to our state’s economic output and support over 175,000 good paying jobs in a wide variety of industries, including wood products, aerospace components, and microelectronics. NIST-supported programs like the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) help drive innovation and deliver critical resources that local businesses need to succeed. In their letter, the members stress how mass layoffs will undermine NIST’s work and jeopardize manufacturing in Oregon and across America.

    “President Trump has consistently promised Americans that he will support domestic manufacturing – and the good jobs that come with it,” the lawmakers continued.

    “That is why it is so concerning to see that, instead of doubling down on what works, the President is attacking the federal programs manufacturers rely on, calling to repeal the CHIPS and Science Act, and imposing punishing tariffs that will harm American businesses while making everyday goods more expensive for consumers.”

    Read the full letter below or click here.

    The Honorable Howard Lutnick

    Secretary of Commerce

    U.S. Department of Commerce

    1401 Constitution Avenue N.W.

    Washington, D.C. 20230

    Dear Secretary Lutnick,

    We write with deep concern regarding reports of significant ongoing and planned layoffs at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. NIST plays a critical role supporting Oregon businesses and workers. Widespread and indiscriminate terminations of hard-working public servants at the agency would undermine our domestic manufacturing industrial base and threaten technological innovation that drives future economic progress.

    Oregon manufacturers contribute nearly $40 billion to our state’s economic output and support over 175,000 good paying jobs. These represent a wide variety of industries, producing everything from innovative wood products to aerospace components, to the microelectronics development and manufacturing at the heart of Oregon’s Silicon Forest. NIST is responsible for implementing some of our nation’s most effective and cost-efficient programs to help these manufacturers succeed:

    • Across the United States, the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) leveraged just $175 million in federal investment to deliver more than $5 billion in new investments and over 108,000 jobs created or retained in fiscal year 2024. In Oregon, the return was even greater. Just $2.2. million in federal funding led to $165.6 million in private investments – a remarkable $75 of economic output for every dollar of taxpayer support.
    • The CHIPS Program Office is responsible for stewarding over $2 billion of public investment in Oregon companies, which is catalyzing tens of billions of dollars of corporate investment in Oregon’s high-tech economy – while ensuring America’s self-sufficiency in this critical technology.
    • ManufacturingUSA fosters collaboration between industry and researchers to develop and deploy next-generation manufacturing methods and technologies. These partnerships support and benefit from partnerships with Oregon businesses and universities.
      • Examples include Oregon State University’s contributions to the RAPID institute, semiconductor companies like Analog Devices and Microchip working with PowerAmerica to accelerate the adoption of advanced semiconductors, and businesses such as Twist Bioscience partnering with BioMADE to enable the expansion of bioindustrial manufacturing.

    All these activities build on NIST’s core measurement science and standards work that provides tools manufacturers rely on every day. Mass layoffs at the agency will undermine the work NIST has carried out over years to ensure American businesses have the tools they need to compete on the world stage.

    President Trump has consistently promised Americans that he will support domestic manufacturing – and the good jobs that come with it. During his inaugural address, he asserted that “America will be a manufacturing nation once again” and you recently echoed the President’s rhetoric, telling reporters that “We want factory production in America. We want employment to blossom in America. We’re going to bring factories back to America.”

    We agree.

    That is why it is so concerning to see that, instead of doubling down on what works, the President is attacking the federal programs manufacturers rely on, calling to repeal the CHIPS and Science Act, and imposing punishing tariffs that will harm American businesses while making everyday goods more expensive for consumers.

    We are seriously worried that any attacks on NIST will undermine its capacity to support Oregon’s manufacturers and request that you respond to the following inquiries no later that March 31, 2025:

    1. How many NIST employees accepted the “Fork in the Road” deferred resignation offer, including those who departed the agency [at that time] without having signed the paperwork required by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)? Please provide a breakdown of which offices were affected and to what extent.
    2. Recent reports indicate over 70 probationary employees were terminated. Please confirm the accuracy of this reporting and provide a breakdown of which offices were affected and to what extent.
    3. CHIPS Incentives awards rely on complex contracts to ensure that industry partners successfully and responsibly invest taxpayer dollars. How will you ensure that any layoffs, deferred resignations, or future reductions in force do not impede the CHIPS Program Office’s ability to conduct robust oversight of and effective support for these awards, including in Oregon?
    4. How will you ensure that any layoffs, deferred resignations, or future reductions in force do not limit the Manufacturing Extension Partnership program’s capacity to offer services to small- and medium-sized domestic manufacturers, including in Oregon?
    5. NIST has decades of experience serving as a trusted partner to industry, providing some of the United States’ strongest tools to support and expand domestic manufacturing. How do you plan to leverage this experience to achieve your stated goal of bring manufacturing jobs back to America, including in our home state of Oregon?

    Thank you for your prompt response.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Secretary of State Peter Kyle speech to Nvidia GTC 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Speech

    Secretary of State Peter Kyle speech to Nvidia GTC 2025

    Secretary of State Peter Kyle addressed the Nvidia GTC 2025 Conference in San Jose on Thursday 20 March.

    For centuries, a succession of raw materials defined which governments and economies grew – and which did not.

    First, coal and steam, then, oil and electricity.

    Each of those ages brought with it a period of profound change. Radically reshaping living standards and the labour markets of the time, with new jobs in different places. More money, and more things to spend it on.

    Today, we find ourselves in the midst of another epochal shift. Its implications for our prosperity and our security will be no less seismic than those before.

    Who swims – and who sinks – all depends on compute. Because, when it comes down to it, the AI era is no less material than any other.

    The places and people who are shaping our economies have simply changed. Instead of collieries and oil wells, it’s the mines and refineries where silicon is processed.

    It’s not the vast manufacturing plants of the past who dominate the stock exchange, it’s the companies who are designing ever more powerful chips and the businesses using them to train ever more powerful models.

    I don’t want to underplay the significance of this change. To dismiss the economic consequences of the ‘rewiring’ we are witnessing in real time. But where the dynamics of the age of compute really differ, I think, is in the role of the state.

    The state’s role in the economy has never been stable or predetermined. Each era poses the same questions of each government.

    How to grow the economy? How to protect people? How to build better lives for our citizens?

    Each time, the state must respond to those questions anew. Its legitimacy and longevity simply depend on it.

    Today, though, these questions feel almost existential. The old answers just simply won’t cut it any more.

    And the certainties we have depended on for decades are being swept away.

    In the age of compute, we cannot – must not – be afraid to contemplate a sweeping change of course. That is what the UK’s AI Opportunities Action Plan sets out to do.

    In the UK and the US, there are communities that have been left behind by the pace of change. Abandoned by industry, they are left clinging to the rusting remnants of the industrial age.

    Losing faith in governments that have failed to deliver promise after promise and failed to deliver rebirth and renewal. I understand why people in these places worry that AI will not be working for them.

    That, as start-ups in Silicon Valley and London create wealth and prosperity for some, the rest of the economy will remain just as stagnant and unproductive as before. But I don’t believe there’s anything inevitable about that story.

    In empty factories and abandoned mines, in derelict sites and unused power supplies, I see the places where we can begin to build a new economic model.

    A model completely rewired around the immense power of artificial intelligence, where, faced with that power, the state is neither a blocker nor a shirker – but an agile, proactive partner.

    In Britain, we want to turn the relics of economic eras past into AI Growth Zones.

    With access to large power connections and a permissive planning system designed to cut the time it takes to start construction, these are the places where we’ll work with industry and local government to build compute infrastructure on a scale that our country has never seen before.  

    There is a real hunger for investment in Britain. People who are optimistic about the future, and hopeful for the opportunities which AI will bring them and deliver for their families and communities.

    Earlier this year, we asked local leaders across the country to come to us with proposals for Growth Zones and how it could impact their areas. Since then, we’ve had over two hundred responses.

    That is evidence of the ambition and appetite you can find in equal measure at the top of government in Britain right down to the grassroots of communities across the United Kingdom.

    Today, I can announce that the responses we’ve received include several sites that could host very powerful data centres. 

    One of those sites will get close to 2 GW. In our former industrial heartlands, hundreds of acres of flat land are sitting completely unused and ready for construction.

    Soon, though, this could be home to the largest data centre in Europe. And we have no time to waste. I want shovels in the ground this year.

    Because, if states are to secure their sovereign role in the future of this technology, they simply cannot afford to wait. And we will not.

    In the age of compute, we must offer more than just a place to invest. That’s why our AI Growth Zones will be the anchor for a more ambitious project. A project designed to unleash a new age of growth and prosperity across our nation, and build a smaller, smarter state.

    One that is ready for the century to come.

    Home to Nobel Prize winners like Sir Demis Hassabis, the U.K. has world-leading scientific capability in the development and deployment of AI. With a cradle-to-grave health service that has been running for 75 years, we also have uniquely rich data sets you cannot find anywhere else in the world.

    And we have a government with the capacity and the political will to deploy transformative technology in every part of our public sector, from courtrooms and classrooms to hospitals and job centres.

    Because we know that, if we want to deliver better services for citizens and better value for taxpayers, we have no other choice. In a country whose language and legal system are used around the world, that unique contribution – of global talent, data, and political will – can yield extraordinary results.

    Today, every single stroke centre in England is using AI to interpret acute stroke brain scans and support doctors to make decisions about treatment. Early data shows this is cutting the time it takes to get patients in and out the door from 340 to 79 minutes.

    [The incorrect figure was given in the speech as delivered. 140 minutes is the correct figure.]

    And it’s tripling the chance of independent living following a stroke. 

    It’s something of a truism that compute is only as good as the people who are using it, and the data they put in it.

    In Britain, we have both of those things in abundance. But the AI Opportunities Action Plan offers something else, too. A chance to test the models you are training in a country that is crying out for reform, and with a government ready to use AI to take on the great challenges that will define the century to come.  

    Tackling those challenges will require more than brute capacity. Building bigger or faster is not enough.

    In the age of compute, states must build smarter, too. That’s part of the reason I’m here in San Jose.

    Just around the corner at Lawrence Livermore, scientists are using El Cap – the world’s most powerful supercomputer – to advance the safety, security and reliability of your nuclear arsenal.

    At Oak Ridge, they’re using Frontier to model stellar explosions, neutrino physics experiments and global climate patterns.

    The US model of national labs shows what states can achieve by investing in world-class research infrastructure.

    The strategic advantage it provides is unparalleled.

    It won’t surprise you to know that I want to replicate that success in the UK.

    Because I believe government has not just a role to play, but a responsibility to shoulder in ensuring that AI delivers better lives for all of its citizens.

    And we cannot fulfil this responsibility without publicly accessible compute.

    In our Action Plan, we are committed to increasing our public compute capacity by twenty fold by 2030.

    And last year, Isambard, the first phase machine of our AI Research Resource, came online.

    Built using Nvidia chips, it is named after Isambard Brunel – the engineer who built the British ships and railways that changed the age of steam forever.

    Our scientists are already using it for protein mapping to deepen their understanding of heart disease – the leading cause of death globally.

    If we want to make our economies strong again, our countries healthy and our citizens safe, ambitious, rigorous research will be critical.

    States owe it to their citizens to support it. Not through diktat or directive, but through partnership.

    That’s why, last week, we opened market engagement for the private partnerships we will need to deliver our public compute ambitions.

    If you want to work together, I urge you to get in touch.

    I spoke earlier about the big questions that all states must answer in the age of compute. About how to ensure that technical progress translates into prosperity. How to protect our national security in a new global economy. The question of research, and how states should support it, can be added to that list.

    But there is another big question which we must confront. That is the question of energy.

    Because, in this respect at least, the age of compute is no different from any other. Power – and its availability – will shape it indelibly.

    I reject the doomers who claim that the energy demands of AI undermine the promise that this technology somehow possess. They were wrong before and they’re wrong now.

    The very existence of the GPU defies what were once believed to be the limits of scientific possibility.

    In the decades since, those limits have been defied again and again.

    So there is no reason why the challenge of energy efficiency should be somehow insurmountable. Together, we have already made impressive progress.

    NVIDIA’s Blackwell architecture – backed by processors designed by Arm – uses 25 times less energy than previous generations, and Isambard AI is the fourth most energy-efficient supercomputer in the world.

    The real challenge, I think, is to ensure that innovation is not left behind in the race for scale.

    To ensure that – even as we invest billions in compute infrastructure – we do not fail to challenge the tried and tested ways of delivering it. You don’t need me to tell you that.

    You are the people who are pushing against the frontiers of energy efficiency – rethinking architectures, rethinking cooling systems and energy sources.

    I mention energy, though, because I believe that states can be partners in that progress.

    And I want the UK to be a laboratory for change.

    A place where pioneers can challenge old orthodoxies.

    Where they can achieve the impossible and set a new course for the age of compute.

    Today, that project feels more urgent than ever before.

    In the last few months, we have witnessed the emergence of a new ‘scaling law’ in AI. A law that – some argue – will make compute less important than it was before. I couldn’t disagree more.

    Test-time scaling offers a complement – not a replacement – to pre- and post-training scaling methods.

    An opportunity to use the compute we do have to unlock deeper forms of intelligence.

    But it does not reduce in the slightest the critical significance of compute for states looking ahead to the century to come.  

    The age of compute isn’t going anywhere.

    Without compute, no economy can thrive. No country can protect its people. No government can retain the trust of its citizens.

    AI will bring deep disruption to almost every aspect of life as we know it. The logic of our economies and the legitimacy of the state are at stake.

    Britain stands ready not just to face that disruption, but to embrace it with you.

    Time and time again, we have worked together to shape a shared future, anchored in freedom, fairness, and the rule of law.

    Government with government, business with business, researcher with researcher. This is an alliance whose breadth and depth have no parallel.

    Today, we are the two foremost AI nations of the democratic world, and that alliance matters more than ever.

    Britain is full of talented, forward-thinking people. People who are ready to throw off the shackles of caution and conservatism and seize the once-in-a-generation opportunity that AI offers.

    With a government that is ready to get behind them. Ours is a country that is ready for investment, and ready for change. 

    I have talked a lot about collaboration already today, because, when it comes down to it, that is what I have come here to offer.

    Not just an opportunity to invest in Britain but a chance to form a new kind of partnership.

    A partnership that is tailored to the needs of our economic era.

    That partnership does not shy away from wealth creation but embraces it, because we know just how much our citizens stand to gain.

    It is rooted in a recognition of AI’s power to transform our economies – and a willingness to do what is necessary to make that transformation happen.

    And it is anchored in the values we share – because a future without them is simply unthinkable.

    This, I believe, is how the state survives in the decades to come.

    Not through retreat or withdrawal.

    Nor by rushing towards excessive rules and regulations that will stifle innovation and growth.

    But through strategic, purposeful partnership with you – the protagonists of the age of compute.

    Thank you.

    Updates to this page

    Published 20 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: High-speed internet available in Clinton, Ruth Lake, Deka Lake

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    People in Clinton, Ruth Lake and Deka Lake in the Cariboo region now have access to high-speed internet, enabling faster, more reliable access to digital services and opportunities.

    “People in Clinton, Ruth Lake and Deka Lake can access even more services including health care and education, alongside economic and job opportunities, from their home communities,” said George Chow, Minister of Citizens’ Services. “This completion marks another important milestone in our commitment to connect every rural, remote and Indigenous community in B.C. to high-speed internet.”

    Two connectivity projects built and operated by service provider Telus have been completed, providing access to faster, more reliable broadband internet services for 444 households in Clinton and 746 households in areas around Ruth Lake and Deka Lake, near 100 Mile House.

    “This connectivity project is a vital step toward bridging the digital divide in the Cariboo region,” said Margo Wagner, chair of the Cariboo Regional District. “By improving internet access, we are empowering our residents with better opportunities for education, health care, and economic growth.”

    The Government of B.C. invested $2 million in the Clinton project and more than $3.1 million in the Ruth Lake and Deka Lake project through the Connecting British Columbia program, administered by the Northern Development Initiative Trust. Telus contributed more than $1.4 million to the Clinton project and almost $1.7 million to the Ruth Lake and Deka Lake project.

    “Thanks to the Connecting British Columbia program and a decade of advocacy by the village, people in Clinton now have access to reliable high-speed internet,” said Roland Stanke, mayor of Clinton. “This increased connectivity will help attract new businesses, support local entrepreneurs and encourage families to consider Clinton as their home by making it easier to stay connected to services and each other.”

    Tyler Mooi, vice-president, customer network planning, Telus, said: “Telus is committed to connecting communities across the province, ensuring everyone has the tools they need to thrive in today’s digital world, no matter where they live. We are proud to work alongside the Village of Clinton and the Government of British Columbia to bring our fast and reliable connectivity, providing local residents and businesses with the speeds and coverage they need to connect to the people, information and resources that matter most.”

    Since 2017, the Province has invested $584 million to expand connectivity. As of January 2025, an estimated 74% of all rural homes and 83% of homes in First Nations communities now have access to high-speed internet service, compared to 57% and 66% respectively in 2017. When current projects in progress are completed, connectivity rates for rural homes will increase to 89% and Indigenous communities to 96%.

    In March 2022, the governments of British Columbia and Canada announced a partnership to invest as much as $830 million to expand high-speed internet services. The Province is committed to connecting all remaining under-served households, ensuring better access to services and economic opportunities in every community.

    The Connecting British Columbia and Connecting Communities BC funding programs support projects to expand high-speed internet access to rural and remote areas, levelling the playing field for British Columbians.

    Learn More:

    Connectivity in B.C.: 
    https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/connectivity-in-bc

    Connecting Communities BC:
    https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/connectivity-in-bc/20530/20601

    Connecting British Columbia:
    https://www.northerndevelopment.bc.ca/funding-programs/partner-programs/connecting-british-columbia/

    StrongerBC, B.C.’s economic plan:
    https://strongerbc.gov.bc.ca/economic-plan/

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Honduran National Sentenced to 24 Months Imprisonment for Re-Entry of a Removed Alien

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEW ORLEANS – ALEX SALOMON REYES-CHAVEZ, age 45, was sentenced on March 12, 2025 for re-entry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a), announced Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson.  He was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison by United States District Court Judge Sarah D. Vance.

    According to court documents, ALEX SALOMON REYES-CHAVEZ, (“REYES-CHAVEZ”) reentered the United States after being previously deported on March 5, 2012.  On June 30, 2023, REYES-CHAVEZ was arrested by the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office in Louisiana on two counts of theft and illegal possession of stolen things.  On October 24, 2023, federal authorities arrested REYES-CHAVEZ in Gretna, Louisiana as he was leaving the courthouse.  REYES-CHAVEZ has been previously removed two or more times for illegal reentry.  On July 14, 2010, REYES-CHAVEZ was sentenced to four years in the 190th District Court, in Bexar County, Texas, for Possession of Heroin, in violation of Texas State Law.  Additionally, on April 27, 2007, REYES-CHAVEZ was convicted of grand third-degree grand theft and was sentenced to nearly six months in jail in Miami, Florida.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson praised the work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement in investigating this matter.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Carter K.D. Guice, Jr. of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.

               

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Felon extradited from Mexico pleads guilty to illegally acquiring multiple firearms

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LAREDO, Texas – A 39-year-old resident of Laredo has entered a guilty plea for his role in a scheme to straw purchase multiple firearms, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    Between the February 2021 and July 2021, Jesus Guadalupe Covarrubias aided and abetted the straw purchasing of multiple rifles.

    In July 2021, authorities discovered the theft of approximately 10 AK-style and 20 AR-style rifles at a ranch Covarrubias owned. As a convicted felon, Covarrubias is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition per federal law. 

    Further investigation led law enforcement to his residence in Laredo where they observed Covarrubias and others placing items into nearby vehicles. Covarrubias left the house with two others and went to a second home.

    At that location, authorities observed the movement of three rifles from a truck into the house and took Covarrubias and others into custody. 

    Covarrubias admitted to knowing he was a convicted felon and unable to possess firearms and ammunition. As part of his guilty plea, he acknowledged sending others to stores to purchase firearms on his behalf. 

    After his arrest in August 2021, Covarrubias was permitted release upon posting bond but fled to Mexico. Law enforcement eventually took him into custody. He was returned to U.S. authorities Feb. 21.  

    “This case is an important reminder to criminals that they may run from justice, but they can’t hide,” said Ganjei. “The Southern District of Texas is appreciative of the efforts of all those, both in the United States and in Mexico, that made Mr. Corvarrubias’ extradition happen, so he could face justice.”

    “Straw purchasing is not only a direct violation of the law, but it also endangers our communities by enabling prohibited incidentals to gain access to firearms,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael Weddel of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). “These dangerous actions jeopardize public safety and undermine the trust that we place in our justice system. It is imperative that we hold accountable those who engage in straw purchasing, ensuring that our laws are enforced, and that justice is served to prevent the illegal flow of firearms into the wrong hands.”

    U.S. District Judge Diana Saldaña will impose sentencing at a later date. At that time, Covarrubias faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum find.

    Covarrubias will remain in custody pending that hearing.

    The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive conducted the investigation with assistance from the Webb County Sheriff’s Office and Laredo Police Department. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Mexico to secure the arrest and extradition of Covarrubias. U.S. Marshals Service completed the removal of Covarrubias from Mexico to the Southern District of Texas. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Day prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Violent Domestic Abuser Sentenced to 37 Months in Federal Prison for Third Illegal Reentry into United States from Mexico

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    INDIANAPOLIS— Pedro Zuniga-Lopez, 35, of Mexico, has been sentenced to 37 months in federal prison, followed by 2 years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to illegal reentry of an alien after deportation.

    According to court documents, on September 19, 2024, Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) Deportation Officers were notified by the Indiana Department of Corrections that Pedro Zuniga-Lopez, an illegal alien, was in custody following a conviction for domestic battery with bodily injury to a pregnant woman and scheduled to be released on October 22, 2024.

    Zuniga-Lopez had previously been deported to Mexico several times, including once in 2018 and twice in 2020. He was prohibited from entering the United States at any time because he had been convicted of at least one aggravated felony. Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, aliens found guilty of certain crimes may be excluded from legal reentry to the country.

    Zuniga-Lopez has a lengthy criminal history, including two previous federal convictions for illegal reentry, as well as two convictions for breaking and entering, and domestic battery with bodily injury to a pregnant woman.

    Most recently, in 2024, while in the United States unlawfully, Zuniga-Lopez viciously assaulted his own girlfriend, who was pregnant with his child, after she stated she did not want his drugs in her home. He swung at her face with closed fists and continued to punch her after she fell to the ground.  The victim’s three young children witnessed the attack and screamed “hey mommy, stop!” The day after the victim made this report to police, Zuniga-Lopez broke a window to her home and forced himself inside. He then fled from police before he was arrested. Zuniga-Lopez was convicted and sentenced in Marion County for this offense.

    “While in the United States unlawfully, this defendant has repeatedly broken the law, demonstrating time and time again a fundamental lack of respect for this country” said John E. Childress, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Additionally, this defendant is a proven menace to society, including toward some of the most vulnerable individuals in our community—women and children. Our office is committed to working with our ICE partners to charge and convict aliens that illegally re-enter the country, especially if they are a risk to public safety.”

    “Our ICE Officers work tirelessly to protect the homeland through our efforts with border security, national security and our drive to keep the public safe,” said ERO Chicago’s Assistant Field Office Director Douglas Thompson. “Criminal aliens that continue to cross into our country need to face consequences to discourage them committing crimes that endanger our communities. We will continue to work with our federal partners at the United States Attorney’s Office to prosecute violent felons like Zuniga-Lopez, who has multiple convictions and removals from the U.S.”

    U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Richard L. Young.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Childress thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith Wood, who prosecuted this case.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Luján Joins Push to Save Task Force Combating Threats to Election Officials

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Senator for New Mexico Ben Ray Luján
    Senators to Attorney General: “In this challenging environment for election officials, it is essential to our democracy that they can continue to rely on [DOJ] to uphold the law”
    Santa Fe, N.M. — U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) joined Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, and Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and more than two dozenDemocratic Senators in urging Attorney General Pam Bondi to continue the essential work of the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Election Threats Task Force, which directs the Department’s efforts to protect election officials from rising threats and acts of violence.
    The Senators’ letter comes as the Trump Administration has significantly rolled back the federal government’s capacity to fight against foreign and domestic election security threats. On Attorney General Bondi’s first day in office, she disbanded the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Foreign Influence Task Force, hindering efforts to address secret influence campaigns waged by China, Russia, and other foreign adversaries. Additionally, the Administration has fired or put on leave dozens of officials responsible for combating foreign election interference at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and has reportedly frozen all of CISA’s ongoing election security work. The Administration has also defunded CISA’s nationwide program to train local officials and monitor threats through the Elections Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center.
    “Given the recent disturbing personnel and policy decisions at the Department and the lack of transparency about the future of the Task Force, we request an immediate update on the status and activities of the Task Force, as well as what resources will be provided to ensure its important work continues so that election officials of both parties can safely administer our elections,” wrote the Senators.
    “Recent surveys have found that one in three election officials reported facing threats, harassment, and abuse. Similarly, 48 percent of local election officials know of someone who has left their job because of fear for their safety—a troubling loss of institutional knowledge needed for the smooth running of elections. Election workers continue to fear for their safety, so it is critical that the work of the Task Force continues to deter and counter these threats. In this challenging environment for election officials, it is essential to our democracy that they can continue to rely on the Department to uphold the law,” continued the Senators.
    In addition to Senators Luján, Padilla, and Durbin, the letter was also signed by Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Angus King (I-Maine), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).
    Full text of the letter is available here and below: 
    Dear Attorney General Bondi:
    We write to strongly urge you to continue the critical law enforcement work of the Department of Justice’s Election Threats Task Force, which protects election officials from ongoing threats and acts of violence. Given the recent disturbing personnel and policy decisions at the Department and the lack of transparency about the future of the Task Force, we request an immediate update on the status and activities of the Task Force, as well as what resources will be provided to ensure its important work continues so that election officials of both parties can safely administer our elections.
    The Task Force was established in the wake of the 2020 election cycle when election officials across the political spectrum began facing unprecedented threats of violence intended to thwart the peaceful transfer of power that is the hallmark of our democracy. In close collaboration with state and local law enforcement, the Task Force has assessed thousands of complaints of suspected threats of violence and investigated and prosecuted violent offenders. Over the years, these threats have not only continued but escalated.  The Task Force has investigated fentanyl-laced letters, bomb threats, and swatting incidents—serving as a legacy of the 2020 election and impacting the ways election officials interact with voters in their communities.
    Recent surveys have found that one in three election officials reported facing threats, harassment, and abuse. Similarly, 48 percent of local election officials know of someone who has left their job because of fear for their safety—a troubling loss of institutional knowledge needed for the smooth running of elections. Election workers continue to fear for their safety, so it is critical that the work of the Task Force continues to deter and counter these threats. In this challenging environment for election officials, it is essential to our democracy that they can continue to rely on the Department to uphold the law.
    Moreover, the federal government’s ability to fight election interference has been greatly hampered in the early weeks of this Administration. Dozens of officials at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), who are responsible for combatting foreign election interference, have been fired or put on leave. CISA has also reportedly frozen all of its ongoing election security work, including defunding its nationwide program to train local officials and monitor threats through the “Elections Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center.” Additionally, on your first day in office, you signed a directive disbanding the FBI’s Foreign Influence Task Force, which was aimed at responding to secret influence campaigns waged by China, Russia, and other foreign adversaries.
    We request a response on the status and future plans of the Election Threats Task Force, the extent of resources and personnel dedicated to its work, and how it plans to incorporate related work previously led by CISA and the Foreign Influence Task Force by March 31, 2025.
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Council awarded further £2.45 million for energy efficient improvements to 350 social housing properties: £1.5 million grant for private sector homes

    Source: St Albans City and District

    Publication date:

    A £2.45 million grant has been obtained to enhance the energy efficiency of more social housing properties in St Albans District.

    And an additional £1.5 million grant has been awarded for improvements to privately-owned or rented homes with low-income households.

    St Albans City and District Council made its third successful application to the Government’s Warm Homes: Social Housing fund for the £2.45 million grant.

    It will provide upgrades to 350 Council homes which may include insulation, windows, ventilation and solar panels. 

    Low carbon heating system replacements will also be included in some properties.

    Blocks of flats will be included in the programme for the first time.

    The effect will be to reduce harmful carbon emissions while tenants will save money on their energy bills.

    The Council’s rolling programme to decarbonise its 4,800 homes began four years ago.

    The ambitious project has since gathered pace with the help of the Government grants, totalling £13m to date, as well as funding from the Council’s own ring-fenced housing budget.

    Councillor Jacqui Taylor, Lead for Housing, said:

    I am pleased that we have made our third successful bid for a grant from the Warm Homes fund.

    It is recognition of the outstanding progress we have made in making Council homes across the District more energy efficient and testament to the housing team who have put together these successful bids to get so much external funding investment into our District’s homes. 

    As a Council, one of our long-standing priorities is to tackle the climate emergency and reduce our emissions to net zero by 2030 as well as ensure all our tenants have a quality home to live in. This work is one of the many actions we are taking to achieve that goal.

    Tenants whose homes will be improved in this third wave will see their energy consumption reduce and, I am pleased to say, they will also save money on their bills.

    Warm Homes: Local Grant Fund

    The Council has also made its first successful application to the Warm Homes: Local Grant Fund and been awarded funding of £1.5 million.

    This will support energy efficiency improvements for low-income householders living in privately owned or rented homes.

    The properties will need to have an EPC rating of D to G with the money allocated over the next three years. 

    Improvements may include insulation, solar panels and air source heat pumps.

    There will be no cost to eligible households with further details about the scheme to be released later this year.

    Photo: two Council properties in Nicholas Close, Batchwood, St Albans, before and after they underwent energy efficient improvements including external wall insulation.

    Contact for the media: John McJannet, Principal Communications Officer: 01727 819533, john.mcjannet@stalbans.gov.uk.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Establishing Canada’s first large-scale bioinnovation centre

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    Significant federal contribution supports bioprocessing manufacturing, growing green supply chain

    March 20, 2025 · Dartmouth, Nova Scotia · Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA)  

    Strengthening the biomanufacturing sector creates opportunities, supports Canadian production and moves our country towards a more sustainable future. The Government of Canada is investing to help position Nova Scotia as a leader in life sciences, clean tech, health tech and precision fermentation.

    Building a world-class facility for biomanufacturing, clean tech

    Today, the Honourable Darren Fisher, Member of Parliament for Dartmouth – Cole Harbour, announced a $5 million, non-repayable contribution to Neptune BioInnovation Inc. to establish a multi-user bio-innovation hub and Contract Manufacturing Organization (CMO). The announcement was made on behalf of the Honourable Anita Anand, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry.

    The funding will help transform an underutilized facility in Dartmouth into a fully-equipped multi-user space for innovation and industry that will enable Canada to compete globally, strengthen domestic supply chains, and foster biotechnology advancements across critical sectors. It will provide shared industrial space, contract manufacturing, spray drying, and precision fermentation up to 100,000L, enabling companies to scale locally instead of leaving Canada.

    A one-of-a-kind facility in Canada, the Neptune BioInnovation Centre (NBC) will encourage biotechnology advancements in areas such as smart materials, bioplastics, functional foods, green chemicals, therapeutics and alternative proteins. It will attract users locally and from across Canada and globally. As NBC grows, there will be job creation, measurable progress toward sustainable development goals and a stronger domestic supply chain to address environmental and human health challenges.

    Today’s announcement further demonstrates the Government of Canada’s commitment to support innovation, keep manufacturing and Intellectual Property at home, attract investment and strengthen the national economy.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Cellular, high-speed internet available in Fort Babine

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    People in Fort Babine now have access to high-speed internet and expanded cellular services along Fort Babine Road, enabling improved access to emergency services and more reliable access to online services and opportunities.

    “Reliable cellular coverage and high-speed internet access are vital for safety, economic opportunities and staying connected with family wherever you live in the province,” said George Chow, Minister of Citizens’ Services. “The completion of this project in Fort Babine ensures people can access emergency services when travelling and go online for health care, education and economic opportunities.”

    With the installation of new cellular infrastructure, 47 households in Fort Babine (Babine 6) now have wireless access to high-speed internet services. Built and operated by service provider Telus, the project also expands cellular services for nearly six kilometres on Fort Babine Road along Lake Babine, providing crucial access to emergency services.   

    “We are grateful to Telus and the Government of British Columbia for helping to bring our remote community into the digital age,” said Chief Wilfred Adam, Lake Babine Nation. “The completion of this project will improve safety in Fort Babine and ensure people can stay informed and connected like never before.”

    The Government of British Columbia invested more than $2 million in the project through the Connecting British Columbia program, administered by the Northern Development Initiative Trust. Telus contributed more than $230,000 to the project.

    “Telus is proud to expand reliable access to cellular and high-speed internet services in British Columbia, in partnership with Lake Babine Nation and the Government of British Columbia,” said Tyler Mooi, vice-president, customer network planning, Telus. “Through these strong partnerships, we are connecting communities and improving health, economic and social outcomes that will have generational impacts.”

    Since 2017, the Province has invested $584 million to expand connectivity in British Columbia. As of January 2025, an estimated 74% of all rural homes and more than 83% of homes in First Nations communities had access to high-speed internet service – compared to 57% and 66% respectively in 2017. For Indigenous communities, this will grow to 96% when projects in progress are completed.

    In March 2022, the governments of British Columbia and Canada announced a partnership to invest as much as $830 million to expand high-speed internet services. B.C.͛’s commitment is to connect all remaining underserved households in the province.

    The Connecting British Columbia and Connecting Communities BC funding programs support projects to expand high-speed internet access to rural and remote areas of the province. The plan to connect all households will level the playing field for people in British Columbia, ensuring better access to services and economic opportunities for every community.

    Learn More:

    Connectivity in B.C.: 
    https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/connectivity-in-bc

    Connecting Communities BC:
    https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/connectivity-in-bc/20530/20601

    Connecting British Columbia:
    https://www.northerndevelopment.bc.ca/funding-programs/partner-programs/connecting-british-columbia/

    StrongerBC: BC’s Economic Plan:
    https://strongerbc.gov.bc.ca/economic-plan/

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI: Correction: Equinor presents 2024 Annual report

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Correction: The below stock market announcement (SMA) is a correction of the SMA published on 20 March 2025 message ID 641734. The reason for the correction is that information related to the balance sheet of Equinor ASA was inadequately presented in the attachment “Equinor Annual Report 2024.pdf”. The presentation is now complete in the attached reporting. 

     * * *

    Equinor ASA (OSE: EQNR, NYSE: EQNR) publishes annual report for 2024, including financial and sustainability reporting.

    “2024 was marked by continued unpredictability in energy markets, with growing energy demand, political uncertainty and uneven progress in the energy transition. Our focus is on producing the energy the world needs today, and at the same time developing the energy systems needed for the future,” says Anders Opedal, President and CEO of Equinor ASA.

    Safety

    “A systematic approach to safety over time is paying off with the best safety results to date in 2024. However, the year was marked by the fatal search and rescue (SAR) helicopter accident where we lost a dear colleague. We believe close collaboration with suppliers and shared learning in the industry is important for our continued safety improvement effort”, says Opedal.

    The twelve-month average Serious Incident Frequency (SIF) for 2024 was 0.3, down from 0.4 in 2023.

    Strong operational and financial performance

    Equinor delivered adjusted operating income* of USD 29.8 billion, and adjusted net income* of USD 9.18. Net operating income was reported at USD 30.9 billion and net income at USD 8.83 billion.

    “Our operational performance was strong, built on the dedicated efforts from employees across the company. Our role as a major supplier of energy to Europe is important and I am proud of the work we have done to provide energy security”, says Opedal.

    Strong operational performance across the portfolio contributed to an equity production of liquids and gas of 2,067 mboe per day in 2024, on par with the year before. Equity production of renewable power increased by 51% to 2,935 GWh.

    Strong financial result contributed to a return on average capital employed (RoACE)* at 21% for 2024. Capital discipline remained firm with organic capital expenditures* ending at USD 12.1 billion for the year. Equinor maintained a strong balance sheet with net debt to capital employed adjusted* of 11.9% at the end of 2024.

    The strong financial results of 2024 also led to strong contributions to society through taxes. In 2024, Equinor paid USD 20.6 billion in corporate income taxes of which USD 19.7 billion was paid in Norway, where Equinor has the largest share of its operations and earnings.

    Firm strategy and progressing industrial development

    “We have a consistent growth strategy, and our strategic direction remains firm. By adapting to market situation and opportunities, we are positioned for stronger free cash flow and growth, and set to create shareholder value for decades to come”, Opedal continues.

    Through progressing projects and portfolio shaping transactions Equinor spent 2024 high-grading the portfolio and positioning for stronger growth and cash flow.

    On the Norwegian continental shelf, the development of the portfolio continued with 39 new licences and approvals of the PDOs of Eirin, Irpa, Verdande and Andvare projects. The Johan Castberg FPSO arrived at the field and started preparations for startup.

    The international upstream portfolio was focused with the exits from our long-standing positions in Nigeria and Azerbaijan and deepened in core areas with the acquisitions of US Onshore gas assets close to premium markets. In the UK an agreement was signed to establish an incorporated joint venture with Shell UK Ltd., which will become the largest independent oil and gas company on the UK continental shelf.

    Through 2024 Equinor high-graded the renewables portfolio to ensure profitable growth, in a market challenged by cost inflation and regulatory delays. In the UK the world’s largest offshore wind farm, Dogger Bank, continued to progress towards commercial start-up. Production was commenced at the Mendubim solar plants in Brazil.

    The long-term view on the importance of offshore wind remains firm. Through an acquisition of a 10% stake in Ørsted, Equinor got exposure to a premium portfolio of offshore wind projects and assets in operation.

    Value chains for carbon transport and storage progressed notably. In Norway, Northern Lights, the first commercial CO2 transport and storage infrastructure was completed and is expected to receive and store CO2 in 2025. In the UK, execution started for two of UK’s first carbon capture and storage infrastructure projects where Equinor is a partner.

    Progress on the Energy transition plan

    In 2024, Equinor achieved a year-on-year reduction of 5% in operated scope 1+2 greenhouse gas emissions, bringing the total down to 11.0 million tonnes CO2 equivalents. This is a 34% reduction from 2015, which is the reference year for Equinor’s ambition to reduce group-wide operated emissions by 50% on a net basis by 2030. Throughout 2024, actions were taken for further emission reductions with the partial electrification of the Sleipner field center, the Gudrun platform, as well as the Troll B and C fields.

    The average upstream CO2 intensity of Equinor’s operated portfolio was 6.2 kg of CO2 per boe in 2024 (100% basis), an improvement from 6.7kg of CO2/boe in 2023 and well below the industry average. The scope 3 GHG emissions from use of our products were 251 million tonnes in 2024, on par with the level in 2023.

    Equinor improved in the net carbon intensity of energy produced (including scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions) in 2024, which is now 2% below the 2019 baseline. The reduction was mainly driven by increased renewable energy production and lower scope 1+2 emissions.

    Equinor ambition is to to be a leading company in the energy transition. The updated Energy Transition Plan, published on March 20 2025, outlines the approach to deliver on Equinor’s strategy of creating value in the transition, while adjusting to changing external context and market realities.

    ***

    The previously announced decision of the French Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE), includes a requirement for Equinor to publish the following summary language:

    “Les sociétés Danske Commodities A/S et Equinor ASA ont été condamnées, par une décision n° 08-40-23 de la Commission de régulation de l’énergie (CRE) du 20 janvier 2025, au titre de la méconnaissance de l’article 5 du règlement REMIT qui prohibe les manipulations de marché, au paiement de sanctions pécuniaires, dont les montants s’élèvent à huit millions d’euros (8.000.000 €) pour la société Danske Commodities A/S et quatre millions d’euros (4.000.000 €) pour la société Equinor ASA, pour des manipulations commises sur le marché de gros en 2019 et en 2020, en ce qui concerne les capacités de transport de gaz naturel entre la France et l’Espagne.

    Danske Commodities A/S and Equinor ASA were ordered by decision no. 08-40-23 of Commission de régulation de l’énergie (CRE) of 20 January 2025 to pay – for infringement of Article 5 of REMIT Regulation prohibiting market manipulations – financial penalties in the amount of eight million euros (€8,000,000) as regards Danske Commodities A/S and four million euros (€4,000,000) as regards Equinor ASA, for manipulations committed on the wholesale market in 2019 and 2020, with regard to natural gas transmission capacity between France and Spain.”

    The full decision is included in the attached appendix “Full decision text”. Equinor does not agree with the decision from CRE and will appeal the case to the Higher Administrative Court in France.

    * * *

    Our annual report and the subsidiary reports published separately can be downloaded from equinor.com/reports.

    * * *

    In accordance with Section 203.01 of the New York Stock Exchange Listed Company Manual, Equinor ASA announces that on 20 March 2025 it filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission its 2024 Annual Report on Form 20-F that includes audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2024.

    The Equinor 2024 Annual Report on Form 20-F may be downloaded from Equinor’s website at www.equinor.com. References to this document or other documents on Equinor’s website are included as an aid to their location and are not incorporated by reference into this document. All SEC filings made available electronically by Equinor may be obtained from the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

    Shareholders may also request a hard copy of the annual report free of charge at www.equinor.com.

    * * *

    (*) These are non-GAAP figures. See Use and reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures in the annual report for more details.

    Further information:

    Investor relations
    Bård Glad Pedersen, senior vice president Investor Relations,
    +47 51 99 00 00

    Press
    Rikke Høistad Sjøberg, media spokesperson financial communication,
    +47 901 01 451(mobile)

    * * *

    Cautionary Note regarding Forward Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements reflect current views with respect to future events, are based on the management’s current expectations and assumptions, and are, by their nature, subject to significant risks and uncertainties because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will occur in the future. There are a number of factors that could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including those discussed under “Risk Factors” in the 2024 Annual report and elsewhere in Equinor’s publications. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which such statement is made, and, except as required by applicable law, Equinor undertakes no obligation to update any of these statements, whether to make them conform to actual results, changes in expectations or otherwise.

    * * *

    This information is subject to disclosure obligations pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation, ref. section 3-1 in the Norwegian Securities Trading Act, and section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.

    Attachments

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Darren Jones speech to Institute for Government

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Speech

    Darren Jones speech to Institute for Government

    In a speech at the Institute for Government today, Darren Jones laid out his plans to transform and upgrade the government’s central finance system.

    Well, good afternoon everyone. It’s great to be back at the Institute for government. And as has been alluded to, I was here not very long ago. But I’m delighted to be back because I’ve been working on a project with colleagues in the Treasury that I’m told is not particularly newsy, but for me and a select group is very, very exciting. And so we wanted to talk about it and this was a perfect venue to do so. So thank you once again for hosting us.

    When I became Chief Secretary to the Treasury and therefore responsible for public spending, I didn’t quite envisage that I would be giving a speech like this, starting with a story about the sinking of the General Belgrano during the Falklands War. Nor to be making the connection between that event and my plans to modernize how we use finance and performance management data in Whitehall. But following a conversation with Lord Sainsbury, it turns out I am. And so I’m now going to tell you the story, if you don’t mind me pinching it.

    So some of you might remember that Clive Ponting was a senior civil servant who leaked government information about the sinking of the General Belgrano, and in 1985, after a court case that resulted in the then cabinet secretary Robert Armstrong, drafting something that’s now called the Armstrong Memorandum, which, based on some earlier constitutional principles, set out essentially how ministers and civil servants are accountable for their actions.

    The memorandum, in a classically British way, has become entwined in the Constitution and become an important part of our While constitutional principles, it’s now become a doctrine. The Armstrong doctrine, I’m told by the House of Commons library. And essentially what it means is that government departments are autonomous, independent organizations that report directly to Parliament. Now, that doctrine is important and obviously will continue. But in this modern world where we are trying to use data and technology to better deliver public services, we need to move on a little. And let me explain why.

    So when I arrived at the Treasury last year, I had assumed that the Treasury acted a bit like a finance department in a kind of multinational organization or a group, organizations with different lines of business or parts of the business that reported up to the Treasury.
    But what I’ve realised over the last few months is that actually the way our finance systems are designed means the relationship is a little bit more like a bank and its customer. So the Treasury, as the bank has a load of customers, the departments in government, and it’s our job to anticipate their financing needs, to think about how we’re going to raise the money, to be able to give them the money, to request information from them about what they want to do, which we do via letterhead and Excel spreadsheets. and then use word based document advice notes to talk about what they’d like to do and how much it might cost. And in that process, we then attach conditions to the spending. So we say, fine, you can have X million billion pounds. And in return we think these things should happen. We apply ring fences to different pots of money. You can only use this bit for this particular outcome. And we put loads of compliance reporting over it, a kind of grander scale of getting a loan from a bank where it might just be for your home development or debt consolidation or a car or whatever.

    And then we check in and we see how the departments are getting on, how they’re spending that money, whether they’re spending it broadly in line with what we agreed. And we do that on the basis of a monthly submission from the departments to an IT system called Oscar, which essentially is an Excel spreadsheet that the departments fill out and then upload. And that tells us at a very high level, how much they’re spending against what we thought they were going to spend. It’s essentially cash flow. And it doesn’t really tell us a huge amount more.

    And so what that means is that the information that we get is not only high level and a bit disaggregated, but it’s also retrospective. It’s looking backwards, not looking at current performance and not really able to predict future performance.

    And so in practice, because of this Armstrong doctrine, all of the finance, accounting and performance data sits within the departments on their own IT systems, often structured in different ways. Or they. Whitehall has been doing some good work in trying to get them to report their data in a unified way, and then turned into PDF management board packs that go to the departmental boards each month, which they send us as a courtesy, and we kind of have a look at them. But it’s all essentially not very ideal.

    And the problem with that is that not only does the Treasury then, in exercising its responsibility to manage public money, attach loads of conditions and ring fences and compliance reporting and kind of meddling essentially a lot in the departments, but then the departments in turn end up applying an enormous number of performance metrics and KPIs to all of the different services that they provide.

    We then in the Treasury layer some of our own on the top, the Cabinet Office layer, some of theirs on the top, and if it’s a Prime Minister or Prime Minister or priority number ten, layer some more on the top. And essentially you’ve then got this enormous list of KPIs that people are constantly manually reporting against the long side of the ring fences and the conditions and the compliance requirements. And quite frankly, it’s a wonder that anything gets done.

    And so that has to change. And it needs to change because it’s frustrating to all of our brilliant officials, our spending teams in the Treasury, but also all of our officials in Whitehall departments who want to get on and deliver the public’s priorities. It wouldn’t be acceptable to behave in this way in a modern company, and it is not acceptable to act in this way in the modern British state.

    So the reforms that I’m going to be taking forward will help deal with this problem and as a consequence, improve productivity and performance across Whitehall. It’s in line with what you’ve heard from the Prime Minister in terms of our ambitions to rewire the state, to modernize the state and public services, to deliver better outcomes for the public in return for greater transparency between the departments and the centre of government.

    We then, in the centre of government, have to offer greater autonomy and delegation to the departments. The transparency that we want will make it easier for the Treasury to continue to manage public money robustly, but in return they will have to be fewer conditions, better levels of delegation and a reduction in the amount of reporting and compliance against too many KPIs.

    Only yesterday I met with some CEOs and chief technology officers from leading businesses who are harnessing data through their complex multinational operations to help deliver better decision making.

    There was a private equity firm with over 60 portfolio companies, for example, and despite the huge number of individual operating entities and jurisdictions around the world in which they operate, they use some what seem to be pretty normal tools that the private sector now uses to pull that data through. They have some AI that read these PDF board packs and automatically put it into their IT systems, and they focus crucially on the data that matters most. That is most important to them, and which in turn gives them the best shot of being able to predict future performance as well as track current performance. It means that they’re able to see how individual business units and their sales are performing, where costs are mounting up, where revenue is falling, where problems are so that they can grab them and deal with them, but also to be able to allocate capital more efficiently and deliver better outcomes.

    As I say, these software products are available today. They’re not complicated, but we do need to bring them into the public sector at last, because a smarter, data driven approach to understanding, tracking and evaluating spending, performance and delivery is the right ambition for any government, and it’s definitely an ambition of ours.

    We’ve made some strides already. We’ve already, as I’ve talked about when I was here last time, updated the Spending Review. We’re using technology, dashboards, AI. We’re talking about things across departments with the cabinet. This is very different to the way it used to happen with the Treasury bilaterally via Excel spreadsheets, with not everyone knowing what was happening. You get one department in, you get them out, you get another department in, you get them out. We’ve transformed that already as best we can. But this type of approach will make it much easier and allow ministers to make much more informed decisions to deliver better outcomes for the public.

    So these reforms will update our operating model, and they will transform the digital and data architecture of public spending across government. We’re building on existing work that’s taking place, which is implementing shared enterprise resource planning software, ERP software, back office functions, basically where the departments are already integrating some of those functions in the cloud through various groupings of departments. And we will develop a single digital interface that sits over the top of these IT solutions and will bring the data up into the centre of government to allow us to look at financial and performance management.

    We’ll then be able to use data analytics and AI to track trends, spot emerging challenges, and to be able to share best practice in real time. It will also allow us to spot earlier where there are points of failure that lead to excessive spending. Too often there are lots of examples. We only realise that something is going wrong and costing a lot when it’s a very large number. We need to be able to spot those and deal with it much sooner in that process, for the benefit of people who are relying on those public services, but also for the benefit of taxpayers.

    The good news is that our officials, our finance professionals, the departments, they will all welcome this. They’ve been looking for. I think politicians to prioritise this niche but exciting opportunity for quite some time. And here we are at last, with ministers who are excited by the potential of data.

    We won’t be changing the constitutional basics. Of course, departments will still be accountable to Parliament through their ministers and accounting offices, but we will be taking this new approach to a shared, transparent evidence base where data flows in the way that it should, whether the centre of government has sites where departments can collaborate when they’re part of a system together, to have a more informed view about how their decisions affect each other and how ultimately that’s affecting people across the country.

    We start from a decade where the performance of public services went backwards. The Whitehall Monitor is a great evidence base for showing that productivity is nosedived, and as a consequence, public spending had spiralled out of control. We’ve already taken steps, as you all know, to get a grip of public spending, to embed our fiscal rules, to strengthen independent oversight from the office for Budget Responsibility, and to take the tough and sometimes unpopular decisions we’ve had to take in order to make sure that we’re spending in line with our means as a country.

    But after 14 years of behaving in that way, the public rightly look at government irrespective of party and ask, why am I paying all of this tax and not seeing basic public services work? This is an important part of the answer to that challenge, and it will give us the tools, the data and the insight to really be able to drive modernisation and productivity across the public sector so that we’re operating as a modern government fit for the 21st century.

    And as part of wider sets of reforms that you’ve heard Pat McFadden and others talk about ultimately delivering a more productive and lean state that can deliver better outcomes for people at lower cost thanks to our investment and modernisation of the state and public services. Thanks very much.

    Updates to this page

    Published 20 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –