Category: KB

MIL-OSI Global: Psychology in democratic South Africa: new book explores a post-apartheid journey

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Liezille Jacobs, Associate Professor, Rhodes University

Dr Liezille Jacobs’ book explores the experiences of South Africa’s first generation of post-apartheid Black psychologists. Photo by Dirk Pieters/cover concept Antonio Erasmus, CC BY-NC-ND

When apartheid ended in 1994, South Africa underwent significant social and political transformation. A key aspect of this shift was the push for greater inclusion and representation of Black South Africans across all sectors – including psychology.

Dr Liezille Jacobs was part of a pioneering generation of Black psychologists who started their training in 1995. Now she has written a book, Rocklands: On becoming the first generation of Black psychologists in post-apartheid South Africa. In it she explores the barriers she and her colleagues faced and unpacks misconceptions around what psychology is and does. She also argues that critical (and African) psychology can both “address the legacies of apartheid and heal the relational traumas caused by systemic oppression”. The Conversation Africa asked her about the book and her work.

What is the book about?

I wrote Rocklands to address the widespread misconceptions that both first-year psychology students and the general public often hold about what it truly means to be a psychologist. It’s common for people to oversimplify the profession. They view it merely as talking to people or offering quick-fix solutions to problems. The reality is far more complex.

I wanted to challenge these superficial ideas and provide a more layered and accurate representation of the field. The process of becoming a psychologist is not just about acquiring theoretical knowledge. It’s also about developing emotional intelligence, critical thinking, and a strong ethical foundation. Psychologists must balance empathy with objectivity, personal insight with professional boundaries, all while navigating the vast complexities of human emotions, relationships, and societal influences.

The goal of the book is to make psychological knowledge and expertise more accessible to the public.

Rocklands is also an account of resilience and personal growth in the face of adversity. The first chapter reflects on my early experiences growing up in Rocklands, Mitchell’s Plain. Rocklands was established during apartheid as part of a government plan to segregate communities. Non-white South Africans were moved to areas like Mitchell’s Plain under the Group Areas Act. Over time, Rocklands grew into a working-class neighborhood, shaped by its apartheid-era history.

The ensuing chapters provide a detailed account of my unique and often difficult journey. I’ve traversed a path less travelled but it’s ultimately led to personal and professional fulfilment.

Why did you decide to study psychology?

I initially dreamed of becoming a journalist. However, my parents encouraged me to explore other career options. The results of a career assessment suggested I should consider social work, occupational therapy or psychology.

Psychology truly caught my attention. As someone with an introverted personality I was drawn to the idea of understanding human behaviour and thought processes on a deeper level. At the time, I envisioned myself working as a clinical psychologist, helping individuals one-on-one.

Everything shifted when I began my formal studies in 1995. I quickly realised that the field of psychology in South Africa – especially in the context of its history – had much more work to do. I saw the gaps in the system and became acutely aware of how psychology had, in many ways, been complicit in perpetuating social injustices. In 1995, as a first year psychology student, I was made aware of the field’s struggle with its apartheid legacy and psychology’s unfinished business.

Hendrik Verwoerd was the architect of the racist policies and segregation system that became known worldwide as “grand apartheid”. He was also a psychologist by training.

Psychology in South Africa has made efforts to adapt to a diverse society. But there are still challenges. These include a disconnect between academic training and professional practice, and the lingering effects of apartheid-era inequalities.

Read more:
Being black in the world: a tribute to pioneering South African psychologist Chabani Manganyi

South Africa desperately needed (and still does today) Critical Psychologists. Critical psychology challenges traditional psychological theories by examining the social, political, and historical contexts that shape psychological issues. It critiques mainstream psychology for overlooking power structures. And it aims to use psychology as a tool for social change and addressing inequalities.

Critical psychologists challenge the dominant narratives of the past, address the legacies of apartheid, and have access to the tools to heal the relational traumas caused by systemic oppression. I knew I wanted to contribute to the transformation of the profession – to make it more inclusive, socially responsible, and oriented towards healing the wounds left by historical injustices. This shift in perspective has shaped my entire career. It’s guided my studies, research and teaching practice.

Have South Africa’s universities changed how they teach psychology?

The academic transformation project continues and universities are striving to adapt to a more diverse student body. But the pace and extent of this change can vary between institutions.

There has been a growing recognition globally that psychology, as a discipline, needs to move beyond its traditional western-centric, individualistic frameworks. It must engage more deeply with local contexts and diverse ways of knowing and experiencing the world.

I was the head of the Psychology Department at Rhodes University in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province from 2022 to 2024. The department has incorporated indigenous knowledge systems such as African philosophical perspectives and non-western psychological practices into our teaching.

For example, community-based service-learning strategies are emphasised in the undergraduate courses I teach. Community-based service-learning combines community service with academic learning. This gives students the opportunity to engage in real-world problems and contribute to the community while applying psychological theories, concepts and methods. Students learn how to become engaged citizens.

We also use a variety of teaching materials – case studies, texts by African scholars, multimedia – that resonate with students’ lived experiences.

Read more:
Decolonising psychology creates possibilities for social change

In a society as culturally and racially diverse as South Africa it is crucial for people to see themselves reflected in the professionals they turn to for help. This can play a role in lowering barriers to mental health services.

South Africa has a legacy of collective struggle and community resilience. Psychology stands to gain from a greater understanding of collective identities, community dynamics and social justice. Psychologists from diverse backgrounds can offer more nuanced, holistic interventions that address systemic issues rather than focusing solely on individual pathology.

Liezille Jacobs receives funding from the Future Professors Programme for the Book publication.

– ref. Psychology in democratic South Africa: new book explores a post-apartheid journey – https://theconversation.com/psychology-in-democratic-south-africa-new-book-explores-a-post-apartheid-journey-247699

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

February 5, 2025

MIL-OSI Russia: IMF Executive Board Concludes 2024 Article IV Consultation with Grenada

Source: IMF – News in Russian

February 4, 2025

Washington, DC: On January 24, the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) concluded the Article IV consultation^[1] with Grenada.

Through end-June 2024, Grenada’s economy was experiencing sustained strong growth supported by buoyant tourism, moderating inflation, and a narrowing current account deficit. A surge in Citizenship-by-Investment (CBI) revenue supported a strong improvement in the fiscal position and reduction in public debt. The financial system remained stable. On July 1, Hurricane Beryl caused damage in excess of 16 percent of GDP on the Grenadian islands of Carriacou and Petite Martinique, as well as in the northern parishes of the main island. The authorities responded swiftly with a package of fiscal measures, including suspension of fiscal rules to permit temporary deficit spending in support of the recovery and reconstruction.

Grenada’s near-term economic growth is projected to remain resilient at 3.9 percent in 2025, buoyed by limited hurricane damages to tourism infrastructure and the authorities’ large recovery and reconstruction spending. Sizable government savings and triggering of disaster-contingent instruments create fiscal space for these spending needs. Assuming a subsequent timely return to the fiscal rules, public debt is projected to continue falling and reach the debt target of 60 percent of GDP by 2030.

Over the medium-term GDP growth is projected to slow given the tourism sector operates near its peak-season capacity. Key downside risks include the threat of further natural disasters, potential shocks to tourism demand, and the uncertain scale of future CBI inflows, while the domestic non-bank financial system faces rising vulnerabilities from the continued rapid expansion of credit unions and the rising costs of property insurance. Prospective hotel developments and public investment projects represent upside risks to the medium-term growth outlook.

Executive Board Assessment^[2]

Executive Directors agreed with the thrust of the staff appraisal. They welcomed Grenada’s robust economic performance in 2023 and the first half of 2024, buoyed by strong tourism. Directors also commended the authorities’ swift and prudently tailored response to Hurricane Beryl, which supported disaster-relief and helped mitigate the impact on economic growth. Noting that the medium-term outlook remains subject to risks from natural disasters, uncertain Citizenship-by-Investment (CBI) flows, and other external shocks, they encouraged the authorities to exercise continued fiscal prudence and to pursue structural reforms to boost long-term growth and enhance resilience, while leveraging Fund technical assistance.

Directors welcomed Grenada’s commitment to fiscal prudence and debt sustainability and emphasized the importance of a timely return to the suspended fiscal rules. In that context, they noted the need for continued expenditure prioritization and revenue mobilization to create fiscal space for future investment needs, including for climate resilience. Further strengthening public investment management and budget planning processes would also be important. Directors also saw merit in developing a more uniform framework for managing all CBI resources and encouraged continued progress in resolving outstanding official arrears.

Directors welcomed the banking system’s resilience despite repeated shocks. They emphasized the need for vigilance and strengthened oversight in the rapidly expanding credit union sector. Directors encouraged strengthening data collection and regional collaboration in the property insurance sector, given rising premiums. They also agreed that further enhancements in the AML/CFT frameworks are essential, including to safeguard correspondent banking relationships.

Directors commended the authorities’ implementation of Grenada’s Disaster Resilience Strategy including investments in a risk-layering framework of disaster-contingency insurance and financing instruments. Moving forward and noting the risk of future natural disasters, they emphasized the importance of further advancing the energy transition and investment in disaster resilient infrastructure, with support from private financing.

Directors also encouraged sustained structural reform efforts to foster long-term growth, including investing in active labor market policies and continuing efforts to support off-season and niche tourism. Addressing data gaps is also important.

It is expected that the next Article IV Consultation with Grenada will be held on the standard 12-month consultation cycle.

Table 1. Grenada: Selected Social and Economic Indicators, 2019–29


Rank in UNDP Human Development Index			73		Infant mortality rate per ‘000 births (2021)						14.4
out of 189 countries (2021)					Adult illiteracy rate in percent (2014)						1
Life expectancy at birth in years (2021)			75		Poverty rate in percent of population (2019)						25
GDP per capita in US$ (2021)			10,449
Population in millions (2021)			0.13		Unemployment rate (2021 Q2)						11.1

	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025	2026	2027	2028	2029
					Est.			Proj.
National income and prices
GDP at constant prices	0.7	-13.8	4.7	7.3	4.7	3.6	3.9	3.3	2.7	2.7	2.7
GDP deflator	3.3	-0.3	2.8	2.2	2.7	1.4	1.4	2.0	2.0	2.0	2.0
Consumer prices, end of period	0.1	-0.8	1.9	2.9	2.2	1.2	1.9	2.0	2.0	2.0	2.0

Money and credit, end of period
Credit to private sector	1.4	3.1	3.8	2.1	3.8	3.8	4.2	4.4	4.6	4.5	4.5
Broad money (M2)	2.9	9.1	8.5	9.9	1.4	3.7	5.2	5.4	4.8	4.8	4.8

Central government balances (accrual)
Revenue and grants	26.6	28.1	31.5	32.7	36.9	44.1	30.5	29.3	29.2	28.9	28.8
Expenditure	21.6	32.7	31.2	31.8	28.9	39.5	39.4	33.1	29.6	29.2	28.9
o.w. Capital expenditure	2.6	9.6	8.6	10.2	9.3	11.7	12.2	8.7	6.2	5.8	5.6
Primary balance	6.8	-2.6	2.1	2.6	9.5	8.0	-5.1	-1.2	1.5	1.5	1.5
Overall balance	5.0	-4.5	0.3	1.0	8.0	4.7	-8.9	-3.8	-0.4	-0.3	-0.1

Central government debt (incl. guaranteed) 1/	58.5	71.4	70.0	62.8	60.5	59.3	58.1	53.9	53.2	51.4	49.6
Domestic	14.6	16.2	15.3	12.8	11.3	11.1	9.7	7.8	7.1	6.9	7.0
External	44.0	55.2	54.7	50.0	49.2	48.2	48.5	46.1	46.0	44.5	42.6
Public debt (incl. debt of SOEs and SBs)	62.7	89.5	86.6	78.8	75.2	73.3	71.4	66.5	65.2	62.9	60.6

Savings-Investment balance	-10.4	-16.1	-14.5	-11.0	-9.1	-13.1	-13.8	-10.6	-9.9	-9.1	-9.1
Savings	14.6	16.3	15.6	18.0	30.8	28.3	18.1	17.8	15.8	15.3	14.9
Investment	24.9	32.4	30.1	29.1	39.9	41.5	31.9	28.4	25.7	24.5	24.0

External Sector
Gross international reserves (millions of dollars)	234.1	290.9	324.2	352.6	389.1	435.1	364.5	364.8	390.3	405.6	424.6
(in months of imports)	5.2	5.6	4.9	5.0	4.8	5.2	4.3	4.2	4.3	4.3	4.3
Current account balance, o/w:	-10.4	-16.1	-14.5	-11.0	-9.1	-13.1	-13.8	-10.6	-9.9	-9.1	-9.1
Exports of goods and services	54.6	41.1	47.9	57.8	62.8	63.8	62.5	62.8	63.0	62.6	62.3
Imports of goods and services	55.8	52.2	55.4	64.3	63.7	69.9	68.5	65.6	65.0	63.8	63.4
External debt (gross)	64.7	92.5	94.8	90.0	86.9	85.4	85.4	82.6	82.3	80.5	78.4

Sources: Ministry of Finance; Eastern Caribbean Central Bank; United Nations, Human Development Report; World Bank WDI; and IMF staff estimates and projections.
1/ Includes the impact of the debt restructuring agreement for the 2025 bonds.

[1] Under Article IV of the IMF’s Articles of Agreement, the IMF holds bilateral discussions with members, usually every year. A staff team visits the country, collects economic and financial information, and discusses with officials the country’s economic developments and policies. On return to headquarters, the staff prepares a report, which forms the basis for discussion by the Executive Board.

[2] At the conclusion of the discussion, the Managing Director, as Chairman of the Board, summarizes the views of Executive Directors, and this summary is transmitted to the country’s authorities. An explanation of any qualifiers used in summings up can be found here: http://www.IMF.org/external/np/sec/misc/qualifiers.htm.

IMF Communications Department

MEDIA RELATIONS

PRESS OFFICER: Meera Louis

Phone: +1 202 623-7100Email: MEDIA@IMF.org

https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2025/02/03/pr25026-grenada-imf-executive-board-concludes-2024-article-iv-consultation

MIL OSI

MIL OSI Russia News –

February 5, 2025

MIL-OSI Canada: Investor Alert: Maple Bit Is Not Registered
Source: Government of Canada regional news

Released on February 4, 2025

The Financial and Consumer Affairs Authority of Saskatchewan (FCAA) warns investors of the online entity known as Maple Bit.

“We encourage Saskatchewan residents to check the registration status of any investment entity at aretheyregistered.ca before considering investing with them,” FCAA Securities Division Executive Director Dean Murrison said. “Checking the registration status is easy and ensures that who you work with is reputable.”

Maple Bit claims to offer Saskatchewan residents trading opportunities, including cryptocurrencies, stocks, forex, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), commodities, indices and contracts for difference (CFDs).

This alert applies to the online entity using the website “maple-bit com” (this URL has been manually altered so as not to be interactive).

Maple Bit is not registered with the FCAA to trade or sell securities or derivatives in Saskatchewan. The FCAA cautions investors and consumers not to send money to companies that are not registered in Saskatchewan, as they may not be legitimate businesses.

If you have invested with Maple Bit or anyone claiming to be acting on their behalf, contact the FCAA’s Securities Division at 306-787-5936.

In Saskatchewan, individuals or companies need to be registered with the FCAA to trade or sell securities or derivatives. The registration provisions of The Securities Act, 1988, and accompanying regulations are intended to ensure that only honest and knowledgeable people are registered to sell securities and derivatives and that their businesses are financially stable.

Tips to protect yourself:
- Always verify that the person or company is registered in Saskatchewan to sell or advise about securities or derivatives. To check registration, visit The Canadian Securities Administrators’ National Registration Search at aretheyregistered.ca.
- Know exactly what you are investing in. Make sure you understand how the investment, product, or service works.
- Get a second opinion and seek professional advice about the investment.
- Do not allow unknown or unverified individuals to remotely access your computer.
-30-

For more information, contact:

MIL OSI Canada News –
February 5, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: NCDHHS Invests $3 Million to Expand Child First, Strengthening Support for Young Children and Families Across North Carolina

Source: US State of North Carolina

Headline: NCDHHS Invests $3 Million to Expand Child First, Strengthening Support for Young Children and Families Across North Carolina

NCDHHS Invests $3 Million to Expand Child First, Strengthening Support for Young Children and Families Across North Carolina
hejones1
Fri, 01/31/2025 – 10:51

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is investing $3 million to expand access to Child First, an evidence-based, early childhood intervention program proven to reduce the risk of child maltreatment and prevent young children and families from entering the foster care system. This investment, awarded to Alliance Health, Trillium Health Resources and Vaya Health, will expand Child First services to additional counties across the state, providing critical, community-based access to behavioral health care and family support services.

Child First is a nationally recognized, two-generation care model that provides home-based clinical therapy for young children (prenatal through age five) and their parents or primary caregivers while also connecting families to essential resources in their communities. The program has been proven to strengthen parent-child relationships, reduce maternal depression and build resilience for families experiencing challenges like poverty, domestic violence, substance abuse, homelessness or incarceration.

Child First is a front-end, upstream resource that can support young families before abuse or neglect occurs, preventing the need for intervention through child welfare services in the future.

“We know that the earliest years of life set the foundation for a child’s future health and well-being,” said North Carolina Health and Human Services Secretary Dev Sangvai. “By expanding access to Child First, we are ensuring that more families receive the support they need to create stable, nurturing environments where young children can thrive.”

The goal of NCDHHS’ $3 million investment is to expand access to evidence-based programs in underserved communities in North Carolina to improve outcomes for children and families. Trillium Health Resources and Alliance Health have been awarded $1 million each to expand Child First into a combined 22 additional counties across the state. Vaya Health has dedicated $350,000 to expanding Child First in western North Carolina, and the remainder of their $1 million award will support other evidence-based behavioral health programs, including Parent-Child Interaction Therapy and Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

Child First is currently available in 31 North Carolina counties through providers such as Children’s Home Society, RHA Health Services, Easter Seals PORT Health and Coastal Horizons. With this expansion, more families will have access to trauma-informed, family-focused care and support in their own homes.

“Investing in early intervention and prevention services is one of the most effective ways we can support children and families, helping them build stability and resilience before a challenge becomes a crisis,” said NCDHHS Deputy Secretary for Opportunity and Well-Being Susan Osborne. “By expanding access to Child First, we are ensuring more families receive comprehensive, evidence-based support – laying the foundation for lifelong health and well-being.”

To strengthen the overall impact of the program across the state, NCDHHS is launching a Child First Learning Collaborative. The collaborative will bring together providers, the participating LME/MCOs and Child First NC partners to assess the program’s effectiveness, support successful implementation and help to inform the department’s future investments in evidence-based, community-based services.

This initiative is part of the department’s broader $835 million investment to transform behavioral health in North Carolina. Of these funds, $80 million is committed to building a child behavioral health system that improves outcomes for children and families through trauma-informed, family-centered care. The goal is to integrate a continuum of services into North Carolina’s homes, communities and schools to meet children and families where they are, ensuring access to the right services at the right time to meet their needs.

For more information, go to the Child First NC website.

El Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos de Carolina del Norte está invirtiendo $3 millones para ampliar el acceso a Child First, un programa de intervención en la primera infancia basado en la evidencia que ha demostrado reducir el riesgo de maltrato infantil y evitar que los niños pequeños y las familias ingresen al sistema de cuidado de crianza. Esta inversión, otorgada a Alliance Health, Trillium Health Resources y Vaya Health, ampliará los servicios de Child First a condados adicionales en todo el estado, proporcionando acceso crítico y basado en la comunidad a la atención de salud conductual y los servicios de apoyo familiar.

Child First es un modelo de atención de dos generaciones reconocido a nivel nacional que proporciona terapia clínica en el hogar para niños pequeños (prenatales hasta los cinco años) y sus padres o cuidadores principales, al tiempo que conecta a las familias con recursos esenciales en sus comunidades. Se ha demostrado que el programa fortalece las relaciones entre padres e hijos, reduce la depresión materna y desarrolla la resiliencia de las familias que experimentan desafíos como la pobreza, la violencia doméstica, el abuso de sustancias, la falta de vivienda o el encarcelamiento.

Child First es un recurso inicial y ascendente que puede apoyar a las familias jóvenes antes de que ocurra el abuso o la negligencia, evitando la necesidad de intervención a través de los servicios de bienestar infantil en el futuro.

“Sabemos que los primeros años de vida establecen los principios básicos para la salud y el bienestar futuros de un niño”, dijo el secretario de Salud y Servicios Humanos de Carolina del Norte, Dev Sangvai. “Al ampliar el acceso a Child First, nos aseguramos de que más familias reciban el apoyo que necesitan para crear entornos estables y enriquecedores donde los niños pequeños puedan prosperar”.

El objetivo de la inversión de $3 millones de NCDHHS es ampliar el acceso a programas basados en evidencia en comunidades desatendidas en Carolina del Norte para mejorar los resultados para los niños y las familias. Trillium Health Resources y Alliance Health han recibido $1 millón cada una para expandir Child First a un total combinado de 22 condados adicionales en todo el estado. Vaya Health ha dedicado $350,000 a expandir Child First en el oeste de Carolina del Norte, y el resto de su subvención de $1 millón apoyará otros programas de salud conductual basados en evidencia, incluida la terapia de interacción entre padres e hijos y la terapia cognitiva conductual centrada en el trauma.

Child First está actualmente disponible en 31 condados de Carolina del Norte a través de proveedores como Children’s Home Society, RHA Health Services, Easter Seals PORT Health y Coastal Horizons. Con esta expansión, más familias tendrán acceso a atención y apoyo informados sobre el trauma centrados en la familia y en sus propios hogares.

“Invertir en servicios tempranos de intervención y prevención es una de las formas más efectivas en que podemos apoyar a los niños y las familias, ayudándoles a desarrollar estabilidad y resiliencia antes de que un desafío se convierta en una crisis”, dijo Susan Osborne, Secretaria Adjunta de Oportunidades y Bienestar de NCDHHS. “Al ampliar el acceso a Child First, nos aseguramos de que más familias reciban un apoyo integral y basado en la evidencia, sentando las bases para la salud y el bienestar de por vida”.

Para fortalecer el impacto general del programa en todo el estado, NCDHHS está lanzando una Colaboración de Aprendizaje Infantil Primero (Child First Learning Collaborative). La colaboración reunirá a los proveedores, las entidades locales de administración/organizaciones de asistencia administrada (LME/MCO, por sus siglas en inglés) participantes y los socios de Child First NC para evaluar la efectividad del programa, apoyar la implementación exitosa, y ayudar a informar las inversiones futuras del departamento en servicios comunitarios basados en evidencia.

Esta iniciativa es parte de la inversión más amplia del departamento de $835 millones para transformar la salud del comportamiento en Carolina del Norte. De estos fondos, $80 millones se comprometen a construir un sistema de salud conductual infantil que mejore los resultados para los niños y las familias a través de una atención centrada en la familia e informada sobre el trauma. El objetivo es integrar una gama continua de servicios en los hogares, comunidades y escuelas de Carolina del Norte para satisfacer a los niños y las familias donde se encuentran, asegurando el acceso a los servicios adecuados en el momento adecuado para satisfacer sus necesidades.

Para obtener más información sobre Child First NC, visite childfirst.org.

Feb 4, 2025

MIL OSI USA News –

February 5, 2025

MIL-OSI: First Financial Corporation Reports 2024 Results

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

TERRE HAUTE, Ind., Feb. 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — First Financial Corporation (NASDAQ:THFF) today announced results for the fourth quarter of 2024.

Net income was $16.2 million compared to $12.4 million reported for the same period of 2023;
Diluted net income per common share of $1.37 compared to $1.06 for the same period of 2023;
Return on average assets was 1.18% compared to 1.05% for the three months ended December 31, 2023;
Credit loss provision was $2.0 million compared to provision of $2.5 million for the fourth quarter 2023; and
Pre-tax, pre-provision net income was $22.3 million compared to $16.6 million for the same period in 2023.¹

The Corporation further reported results for the year ended December 31, 2024:

Net income was $47.3 million compared to $60.7 million reported for the same period of 2023;
Diluted net income per common share of $4.00 compared to $5.08 for the same period of 2023;
Return on average assets was 0.92% compared to 1.26% for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023;
Credit loss provision was $16.2 million compared to provision of $7.3 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023; and
Pre-tax, pre-provision net income was $73.4 million compared to $79.7 million for the same period in 2023.¹

______________________________
¹Non-GAAP financial measure that Management believes is useful for investors and management to understand pre-tax profitability before giving effect to credit loss expense and to provide additional perspective on the Corporation’s performance over time as well as comparison to the Corporation’s peers and evaluating the financial results of the Corporation – please refer to the Non GAAP reconciliations contained in this release.

Average Total Loans

Average total loans for the fourth quarter of 2024 were $3.79 billion versus $3.13 billion for the comparable period in 2023, an increase of $657 million or 20.98%. On a linked quarter basis, average loans increased $84.7 million or 2.29% from $3.71 billion as of September 30, 2024. Increases in average loans year-over-year were mostly a result of the acquisition of SimplyBank on July 1, 2024.

Total Loans Outstanding

Total loans outstanding as of December 31, 2024, were $3.84 billion compared to $3.17 billion as of December 31, 2023, an increase of $669 million or 21.13%. On a linked quarter basis, total loans increased $122 million or 3.28% from $3.72 billion as of September 30, 2024. The year-over-year increase was impacted by the $467 million in loans acquired in the SimplyBank acquisition. Organic growth was primarily driven by increases in Commercial Construction and Development, Commercial Real Estate, and Consumer Auto loans.

Norman D. Lowery, President and Chief Executive Officer, commented “We experienced another sound quarter of loan growth and record net interest income. During the quarter our net interest margin expanded, and we expect continued improvement in coming quarters.”

Average Total Deposits

Average total deposits for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, were $4.76 billion versus $4.05 billion as of December 31, 2023, an increase of $706 million or 17.44%. Increases in average deposits year-over-year were mostly a result of the acquisition of SimplyBank. On a linked quarter basis, average deposits increased $52 million, or 1.10% from $4.71 billion as of September 30, 2024.

Total Deposits

Total deposits were $4.72 billion as of December 31, 2024, compared to $4.09 billion as of December 31, 2023, a $629 million increase, or 15.37%. On a linked quarter basis, total deposits increased $1.4 million, or 0.03%. $622 million in deposits were acquired in the SimplyBank acquisition. Non-interest bearing deposits were $859.0 million, and time deposits were $749.4 million as of December 31, 2024, compared to $750.3 million and $515.7 million, respectively for the same period of 2023.

Shareholders’ Equity

Shareholders’ equity at December 31, 2024, was $549.0 million compared to $528.0 million on December 31, 2023. During the last twelve months, the Corporation has not repurchased any shares of its common stock. 518,860 shares remain available for repurchase under the current repurchase authorization. The Corporation paid a $0.45 per share quarterly dividend in October and declared a $0.51 quarterly dividend, which was paid on January 15, 2025.

Book Value Per Share

Book Value per share was $46.36 as of December 31, 2024, compared to $44.76 as of December 31, 2023, an increase of $1.60 per share, or 3.57%. Tangible Book Value per share was $36.10 as of December 31, 2024, compared to $36.91 as of December 31, 2023.

Tangible Common Equity to Tangible Asset Ratio

The Corporation’s tangible common equity to tangible asset ratio was 7.86% at December 31, 2024, compared to 9.15% at December 31, 2023.

Net Interest Income

Net interest income for the fourth quarter of 2024 was a record $49.6 million, compared to $39.6 million reported for the same period of 2023, an increase of $10.0 million, or 25.29%.

Net Interest Margin

The net interest margin for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, was 3.94% compared to the 3.63% reported at December 31, 2023. On a linked quarterly basis, the net interest margin increased 16 basis points from 3.78% at September 30, 2024.

Nonperforming Loans

Nonperforming loans as of December 31, 2024, were $13.3 million versus $24.6 million as of December 31, 2023. The ratio of nonperforming loans to total loans and leases was 0.35% as of December 31, 2024, versus 0.78% as of December 31, 2023. The decrease in nonperforming loans is due to a commercial relationship that was downgraded in fourth quarter 2023 and subsequently resolved in 2024.

Credit Loss Provision

The provision for credit losses for the three months ended December 31, 2024, was $2.0 million, compared to $2.5 million for the fourth quarter 2023.

Net Charge-Offs

Fourth quarter net charge-offs were $1.4 million compared to $1.8 million in the same period of 2023.

Allowance for Credit Losses

The Corporation’s allowance for credit losses as of December 31, 2024, was $46.7 million compared to $39.8 million as of December 31, 2023. The allowance for credit losses as a percent of total loans was 1.22% as of December 31, 2024, compared to 1.26% as of December 31, 2023. On a linked quarter basis, the allowance for credit losses as a percent of total loans decreased 2 basis points from 1.24% as of September 30, 2024. The Corporation recorded $8.5 million in allowance for the acquisition of SimplyBank, which included $3 million to record purchased credit deteriorated (“PCD”) reserves.

Non-Interest Income

Non-interest income for the three months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 was $12.2 million and $11.2 million, respectively.

Non-Interest Expense

Non-interest expense for the three months ended December 31, 2024, was $39.8 million compared to $34.2 million in 2023. This includes an overall increase in operating expenses as a result of the acquisition.

Efficiency Ratio

The Corporation’s efficiency ratio was 62.98% for the quarter ending December 31, 2024, versus 65.62% for the same period in 2023.

Income Taxes

Income tax expense for the three months ended December 31, 2024, was $3.8 million versus $1.7 million for the same period in 2023. The effective tax rate for 2024 was 17.28% compared to 16.31% for 2023.

About First Financial Corporation

First Financial Corporation (NASDAQ:THFF) is the holding company for First Financial Bank N.A., which is the fifth oldest national bank in the United States, operating 83 banking centers in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Georgia. Additional information is available at www.first-online.bank.

Investor Contact:
Rodger A. McHargue
Chief Financial Officer
P: 812-238-6334
E: rmchargue@first-online.com



	Three Months Ended						Year Ended
	December 31,		September 30,		December 31,		December 31,		December 31,
	2024		2024		2023		2024		2023
END OF PERIOD BALANCES
Assets	$	5,560,348	$	5,483,351	$	4,851,146	$	5,560,348	$	4,851,146
Deposits	$	4,718,914	$	4,717,489	$	4,090,068	$	4,718,914	$	4,090,068
Loans, including net deferred loan costs	$	3,837,141	$	3,715,235	$	3,167,821	$	3,837,141	$	3,167,821
Allowance for Credit Losses	$	46,732	$	46,169	$	39,767	$	46,732	$	39,767
Total Equity	$	549,041	$	565,951	$	527,976	$	549,041	$	527,976
Tangible Common Equity ^(a)	$	427,470	$	446,786	$	435,405	$	427,470	$	435,405

AVERAGE BALANCES
Total Assets	$	5,516,036	$	5,483,572	$	4,725,297	$	5,154,320	$	4,802,448
Earning Assets	$	5,196,352	$	5,165,520	$	4,485,766	$	4,871,293	$	4,564,135
Investments	$	1,311,415	$	1,342,037	$	1,279,821	$	1,310,263	$	1,358,661
Loans	$	3,790,515	$	3,705,779	$	3,133,267	$	3,468,534	$	3,111,784
Total Deposits	$	4,757,438	$	4,705,614	$	4,050,968	$	4,405,679	$	4,106,132
Interest-Bearing Deposits	$	3,925,740	$	4,403,454	$	3,291,931	$	3,767,259	$	3,304,816
Interest-Bearing Liabilities	$	134,553	$	157,227	$	206,778	$	166,377	$	199,551
Total Equity	$	556,330	$	546,912	$	463,004	$	535,963	$	486,572

INCOME STATEMENT DATA
Net Interest Income	$	49,602	$	47,170	$	39,590	$	174,986	$	167,262
Net Interest Income Fully Tax Equivalent ^(b)	$	50,985	$	48,630	$	40,942	$	180,586	$	172,716
Provision for Credit Losses	$	2,000	$	9,400	$	2,495	$	16,166	$	7,295
Non-interest Income	$	12,213	$	11,223	$	11,247	$	42,772	$	42,702
Non-interest Expense	$	39,801	$	38,564	$	34,244	$	144,438	$	130,176
Net Income	$	16,241	$	8,741	$	12,420	$	47,275	$	60,672

PER SHARE DATA
Basic and Diluted Net Income Per Common Share	$	1.37	$	0.74	$	1.06	$	4.00	$	5.08
Cash Dividends Declared Per Common Share	$	0.51	$	0.45	$	0.45	$	1.86	$	0.99
Book Value Per Common Share	$	46.36	$	47.93	$	44.76	$	46.36	$	44.76
Tangible Book Value Per Common Share ^(c)	$	36.77	$	36.22	$	31.47	$	36.10	$	36.91
Basic Weighted Average Common Shares Outstanding		11,824		11,808		11,772		11,812		11,937

______________________________
(a)   Tangible common equity is a non-GAAP financial measure derived from GAAP-based amounts. We calculate tangible common equity by excluding goodwill and other intangible assets from shareholder’s equity.
(b)   Net interest income fully tax equivalent is a non-GAAP financial measure derived from GAAP-based amounts. We calculate net interest income fully tax equivalent by adding back the tax equivalent factor of tax exempt income to net interest income. We calculate the tax equivalent factor of tax exempt income by dividing tax exempt income by the net of tax rate of 75%.
(c)   Tangible book value per common share is a non-GAAP financial measure derived from GAAP-based amounts. We calculate the factor by dividing average tangible common equity by average shares outstanding. We calculate average tangible common equity by excluding average intangible assets from average shareholder’s equity.


Key Ratios	Three Months Ended						Year Ended
	December 31,		September 30,		December 31,		December 31,		December 31,
	2024		2024		2023		2024		2023
Return on average assets	1.18	%	0.64	%	1.05	%	0.92	%	1.26	%
Return on average common shareholder’s equity	11.68	%	6.39	%	10.73	%	8.82	%	12.47	%
Efficiency ratio	62.98	%	64.43	%	65.62	%	64.67	%	60.43	%
Average equity to average assets	10.09	%	9.97	%	9.80	%	10.40	%	10.13	%
Net interest margin ^(a)	3.94	%	3.78	%	3.63	%	3.71	%	3.78	%
Net charge-offs to average loans and leases	0.15	%	0.49	%	0.22	%	0.35	%	0.23	%
Credit loss reserve to loans and leases	1.22	%	1.24	%	1.26	%	1.22	%	1.26	%
Credit loss reserve to nonperforming loans	351.37	%	326.65	%	161.94	%	351.37	%	161.94	%
Nonperforming loans to loans and leases	0.35	%	0.38	%	0.78	%	0.35	%	0.78	%
Tier 1 leverage	10.38	%	10.25	%	12.14	%	10.38	%	12.14	%
Risk-based capital – Tier 1	12.43	%	13.63	%	14.76	%	12.43	%	14.76	%

______________________________
(a) Net interest margin is calculated on a tax equivalent basis.


Asset Quality	Three Months Ended						Year Ended
	December 31,		September 30,		December 31,		December 31,		December 31,
	2024		2024		2023		2024		2023
Accruing loans and leases past due 30-89 days	$	22,486	$	16,391	$	20,168	$	22,486	$	20,168
Accruing loans and leases past due 90 days or more	$	1,821	$	1,517	$	960	$	1,821	$	960
Nonaccrual loans and leases	$	11,479	$	12,617	$	23,596	$	11,479	$	23,596
Other real estate owned	$	523	$	169	$	107	$	523	$	107
Nonperforming loans and other real estate owned	$	13,823	$	14,303	$	24,663	$	13,823	$	24,663
Total nonperforming assets	$	16,719	$	17,179	$	27,665	$	16,719	$	27,665
Gross charge-offs	$	3,070	$	6,936	$	3,976	$	19,289	$	15,496
Recoveries	$	1,633	$	2,365	$	2,213	$	7,082	$	8,188
Net charge-offs/(recoveries)	$	1,437	$	4,571	$	1,763	$	12,207	$	7,308


Non-GAAP Reconciliations	Three Months Ended December 31,
	2024		2023
($in thousands, except EPS)
Income before Income Taxes	$	20,014	$	14,098
Provision for credit losses		2,000		2,495
Provision for unfunded commitments		300		—
Pre-tax, Pre-provision Income	$	22,314	$	16,593


Non-GAAP Reconciliations	Year Ended December 31,
	2024		2023
($ in thousands, except EPS)
Income before Income Taxes	$	57,154	$	72,493
Provision for credit losses		16,166		7,295
Provision for unfunded commitments		100		(100	)
Pre-tax, Pre-provision Income	$	73,420	$	79,688


CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Dollar amounts in thousands, except per share data)

	December 31,			December 31,
	2024			2023
	(unaudited)
ASSETS
Cash and due from banks	$	93,526		$	76,759
Federal funds sold		820			282
Securities available-for-sale		1,195,990			1,259,137
Loans:
Commercial		2,196,351			1,817,526
Residential		967,386			695,788
Consumer		668,058			646,758
		3,831,795			3,160,072
(Less) plus:
Net deferred loan costs		5,346			7,749
Allowance for credit losses		(46,732	)		(39,767	)
		3,790,409			3,128,054
Restricted stock		17,555			15,364
Accrued interest receivable		26,934			24,877
Premises and equipment, net		81,508			67,286
Bank-owned life insurance		128,766			114,122
Goodwill		100,026			86,985
Other intangible assets		21,545			5,586
Other real estate owned		523			107
Other assets		102,746			72,587
TOTAL ASSETS	$	5,560,348		$	4,851,146

LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Deposits:
Non-interest-bearing	$	859,014		$	750,335
Interest-bearing:
Certificates of deposit exceeding the FDIC insurance limits		144,982			92,921
Other interest-bearing deposits		3,714,918			3,246,812
		4,718,914			4,090,068
Short-term borrowings		187,057			67,221
FHLB advances		28,120			108,577
Other liabilities		77,216			57,304
TOTAL LIABILITIES		5,011,307			4,323,170

Shareholders’ equity
Common stock, $.125 stated value per share;
Authorized shares-40,000,000
Issued shares-16,165,023 in 2024 and 16,137,220 in 2023
Outstanding shares-11,842,539 in 2024 and 11,795,024 in 2023		2,018			2,014
Additional paid-in capital		145,927			144,152
Retained earnings		687,366			663,726
Accumulated other comprehensive income/(loss)		(132,285	)		(127,087	)
Less: Treasury shares at cost-4,322,484 in 2024 and 4,342,196 in 2023		(153,985	)		(154,829	)
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY		549,041			527,976
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	$	5,560,348		$	4,851,146


CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (Dollar amounts in thousands, except per share data)

	Year Ended
	December 31,
	2024			2023			2022
	(unaudited)
INTEREST INCOME:
Loans, including related fees	$	226,262		$	189,641		$	146,295
Securities:
Taxable		24,237			24,643			21,014
Tax-exempt		10,533			10,573			9,974
Other		3,710			3,540			6,018
TOTAL INTEREST INCOME		264,742			228,397			183,301
INTEREST EXPENSE:
Deposits		81,071			51,694			16,743
Short-term borrowings		4,284			5,370			1,243
Other borrowings		4,401			4,071			273
TOTAL INTEREST EXPENSE		89,756			61,135			18,259
NET INTEREST INCOME		174,986			167,262			165,042
Provision for credit losses		16,166			7,295			(2,025	)
NET INTEREST INCOME AFTER PROVISION
FOR LOAN LOSSES		158,820			159,967			167,067
NON-INTEREST INCOME:
Trust and financial services		5,468			5,155			5,155
Service charges and fees on deposit accounts		29,653			28,079			27,540
Other service charges and fees		999			801			665
Securities gains (losses), net		103			(1	)		3
Interchange income		655			676			559
Loan servicing fees		1,259			1,176			1,554
Gain on sales of mortgage loans		1,153			966			1,994
Other		3,482			5,850			9,246
TOTAL NON-INTEREST INCOME		42,772			42,702			46,716
NON-INTEREST EXPENSE:
Salaries and employee benefits		74,555			68,525			65,555
Occupancy expense		9,616			9,351			9,764
Equipment expense		17,612			14,020			12,391
FDIC Expense		2,788			2,907			2,327
Other		39,867			35,373			35,986
TOTAL NON-INTEREST EXPENSE		144,438			130,176			126,023
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES		57,154			72,493			87,760
Provision for income taxes		9,879			11,821			16,651
NET INCOME		47,275			60,672			71,109
OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)
Change in unrealized gains/(losses) on securities, net of reclassifications and taxes		(9,807	)		10,896			(144,570	)
Change in funded status of post retirement benefits, net of taxes		4,609			1,991			7,022
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)	$	42,077		$	73,559		$	(66,439	)
PER SHARE DATA
Basic and Diluted Earnings per Share	$	4.00		$	5.08		$	5.82
Weighted average number of shares outstanding (in thousands)		11,812			11,937			12,211

The MIL Network –

February 5, 2025

MIL-OSI: Update on offer for subscription

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Octopus Apollo VCT plc

Update on offer for subscription

The Board of Octopus Apollo VCT plc (the ‘Company’) has confirmed that the over-allotment facility may be used in relation to the Company’s offer for subscription that opened on 23 October 2024 (the ‘Offer’) up to a maximum of £25 million. This increases the maximum amount that can be raised under the Offer to £75 million.

A copy of the prospectus dated 23 October 2024 relating to the Offer (the ‘Prospectus’) has been submitted to the National Storage Mechanism and is available to the public for viewing online at the following web-site address:

https://data.fca.org.uk/#/nsm/nationalstoragemechanism

The Prospectus can also be viewed on the Company’s website: http://www.octopusinvestments.com

For further information please contact:

Rachel Peat
Octopus Company Secretarial Services Limited
Tel: +44 (0)80 0316 2067

LEI: 213800Y3XEIQ18DP3O53

The MIL Network –

February 5, 2025
MIL-OSI: Mark Cuban Foundation and the Cosmosphere Bring AI Education to Hutchinson Teens

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

HUTCHINSON, Kan., Feb. 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Mark Cuban Foundation is proud to announce a pioneering museum pilot program in partnership with the Cosmosphere International Science Education Center and Space Museum in Hutchinson, Kansas. The program will bring the highly acclaimed Artificial Intelligence (AI) Bootcamp to Hutchinson area high school students. This collaboration emphasizes the Foundation’s mission to reach students in underserved and previously unconnected regions, providing them with opportunities to engage with innovative technology.

The program aims to provide students with a foundational understanding of artificial intelligence and its applications to future careers. Students can select from six tracks: healthcare, arts and entertainment, business and entrepreneurship, computer science, sports science, or education and career readiness. Driven by the belief that fostering interest in AI at a young age is crucial for preparing the next generation for their future, the AI Bootcamps are introductory and accessible to students in 9-12 grade with an interest in technology. Students do not need any familiarity with computer science or programming to attend.

This free AI Bootcamp is hosted for underserved high school students with a transparent focus on recruiting girls, students of color, first generation college students, and those from low to moderate income households. The AI Bootcamp Program provides students with lunch and a snack, transportation assistance, and technology equipment during bootcamp.

“As AI continues to become an undeniable force in all of our lives, it’s crucial that we open the door to this knowledge, especially to young people who want to explore it,” said Mark Cuban, founder. “While technology expands and becomes more advanced, it becomes more critical that we ensure our students are prepared when they apply for schools or jobs in the future. Thanks to our work with the Cosmosphere, the bootcamp will offer an avenue to explore this fascinating field of technology to any student, no matter their means.”

This year’s bootcamp, taking place in Hutchinson on March 17- 19, is hosted and staffed by the Cosmosphere, a space museum with one of the largest collections of U.S. and Soviet space artifacts. It features the Apollo 13 command module, an SR-71 Blackbird, a planetarium, and hands-on exhibits for all ages.

Cosmosphere is one of more than 25 host companies selected to host camps across the U.S.

“At the Cosmosphere, we’re passionate about igniting curiosity in young minds and empowering the next generation of innovators. This AI bootcamp, in partnership with the Mark Cuban Foundation, represents a tremendous opportunity to do just that,” said JoAnna Strecker, Cosmosphere Vice President of Education. “We’re grateful to the Mark Cuban Foundation for their support in making this dream a reality, and we can’t wait to see the incredible things these students will achieve.”

Apply for the bootcamp at: markcubanai.org.

Watch Mark Cuban’s message about Mark Cuban Foundation’s AI bootcamps and access the full media kit here.

To learn more, visit markcubanai.org.

This bootcamp is facilitated with support from Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamp Program’s media partner, Notified, a globally trusted technology partner for investor relations, public relations and marketing professionals.

About Mark Cuban Foundation’s AI Bootcamp Initiative
The Mark Cuban Foundation is a 501(c)(3) private non-profit led by entrepreneur and investor Mark Cuban. The AI Bootcamps Program at MCF seeks to inspire young people with emerging technology so that they can create more equitable futures for themselves and their communities. Over 3 consecutive Saturdays underserved 9^th – 12^th grade students learn what AI is and isn’t, where they already interact with AI in their own lives, the ethical implications of AI systems, and much more. Learn more about the no-cost AI Bootcamp program at markcubanai.org.

About Cosmosphere

The Cosmosphere International Science Education Center and Space Museum is a Smithsonian Affiliate. Located at 1100 North Plum in Hutchinson, KS, its collection includes U.S. space artifacts second only to the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum and the largest collection of Russian space artifacts outside of Moscow. This unique collection allows the Cosmosphere to tell the story of the Space Race better than any museum in the world while offering fully immersive education experiences that meet Next Generation Science Standards. The Cosmosphere also features the Carey Digital Dome Theater, offering daily documentary showings, a digital Planetarium, Dr. Goddard’s Rocket Lab Experience, where visitors experience live science demonstrations, and CosmoKids, an interactive STEAM area for children accompanied by an adult.

The MIL Network –

February 5, 2025
MIL-OSI Video: Acting FBI Director Brian Driscoll’s Statement on Recent FBI Achievements

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) (video statements)

Acting Director Brian Driscoll shares an update on some of the important work the men and women of the FBI have been doing across the country and around the world to keep the American people safe.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPwLLc2yOZE

MIL OSI Video –

February 5, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Senator Coons declares in a new Washington Post op-ed that President Trump’s attacks on USAID are an assault on Americans’ safety and national security

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons

WASHINGTON – In case you missed it, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, published an op-ed in the Washington Post discussing the national security consequences of President Donald Trump’s efforts to freeze U.S. foreign assistance funding and halt operations at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

This weekend, reports broke that President Trump plans to sign an executive order drastically reducing USAID’s budget and operations and folding it into the State Department. It’s one of many steps to decapitate our foreign aid apparatus, including freezing nearly all U.S. foreign aid for 90 days on his first day back in office.

In his op-ed, Senator Coons pointed out that for less than one percent of the federal budget, USAID and foreign aid spending keep Americans abroad and within the 50 states safe. Whether containing dangerous diseases before they can reach this country or preventing security vacuums in which terrorist groups thrive, USAID funds keep Americans safe and our nation secure. Additionally, cutting our foreign aid budget will create a vacuum that will allow China and our adversaries to expand their influence.

The Washington Post: Trump’s attack on USAID is an assault on Americans’ safety

Donald Trump ran for president on a promise that he would keep Americans safe. His effort to defund and destroy the U.S. Agency for International Development shows he has a misguided idea of how to do that.

…

U.S. foreign assistance makes up 1 percent of our federal budget, and this money isn’t charity. It bolsters our security and advances our values. The reckless steps the Trump administration is taking as part of its isolationist “America First” agenda are, simply put, dangerous for Americans. Our foreign assistance and engagement wins us friends around the world, establishes our leadership and, more important, neutralizes distant threats to the United States well before they put our country at risk.

…

U.S. foreign and development assistance carried out by USAID might occur out of the public eye and far from our borders, but it addresses instability and keeps Americans safe. It keeps Americans living overseas safe. It keeps our service members stationed around the world safe. It keeps my constituents in Wilmington safe. As Gen. Jim Mattis, Trump’s first defense secretary, said, if we don’t fund foreign aid, “then I need to buy more bullets.”

MIL OSI USA News –

February 5, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: Psychology in democratic South Africa: new book explores a post-apartheid journey

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Liezille Jacobs, Associate Professor, Rhodes University

When apartheid ended in 1994, South Africa underwent significant social and political transformation. A key aspect of this shift was the push for greater inclusion and representation of Black South Africans across all sectors – including psychology.

Dr Liezille Jacobs was part of a pioneering generation of Black psychologists who started their training in 1995. Now she has written a book, Rocklands: On becoming the first generation of Black psychologists in post-apartheid South Africa. In it she explores the barriers she and her colleagues faced and unpacks misconceptions around what psychology is and does. She also argues that critical (and African) psychology can both “address the legacies of apartheid and heal the relational traumas caused by systemic oppression”. The Conversation Africa asked her about the book and her work.

What is the book about?

I wrote Rocklands to address the widespread misconceptions that both first-year psychology students and the general public often hold about what it truly means to be a psychologist. It’s common for people to oversimplify the profession. They view it merely as talking to people or offering quick-fix solutions to problems. The reality is far more complex.

I wanted to challenge these superficial ideas and provide a more layered and accurate representation of the field. The process of becoming a psychologist is not just about acquiring theoretical knowledge. It’s also about developing emotional intelligence, critical thinking, and a strong ethical foundation. Psychologists must balance empathy with objectivity, personal insight with professional boundaries, all while navigating the vast complexities of human emotions, relationships, and societal influences.

The goal of the book is to make psychological knowledge and expertise more accessible to the public.

Rocklands is also an account of resilience and personal growth in the face of adversity. The first chapter reflects on my early experiences growing up in Rocklands, Mitchell’s Plain. Rocklands was established during apartheid as part of a government plan to segregate communities. Non-white South Africans were moved to areas like Mitchell’s Plain under the Group Areas Act. Over time, Rocklands grew into a working-class neighborhood, shaped by its apartheid-era history.

The ensuing chapters provide a detailed account of my unique and often difficult journey. I’ve traversed a path less travelled but it’s ultimately led to personal and professional fulfilment.

Why did you decide to study psychology?

I initially dreamed of becoming a journalist. However, my parents encouraged me to explore other career options. The results of a career assessment suggested I should consider social work, occupational therapy or psychology.

Psychology truly caught my attention. As someone with an introverted personality I was drawn to the idea of understanding human behaviour and thought processes on a deeper level. At the time, I envisioned myself working as a clinical psychologist, helping individuals one-on-one.

Everything shifted when I began my formal studies in 1995. I quickly realised that the field of psychology in South Africa – especially in the context of its history – had much more work to do. I saw the gaps in the system and became acutely aware of how psychology had, in many ways, been complicit in perpetuating social injustices. In 1995, as a first year psychology student, I was made aware of the field’s struggle with its apartheid legacy and psychology’s unfinished business.

Hendrik Verwoerd was the architect of the racist policies and segregation system that became known worldwide as “grand apartheid”. He was also a psychologist by training.

Psychology in South Africa has made efforts to adapt to a diverse society. But there are still challenges. These include a disconnect between academic training and professional practice, and the lingering effects of apartheid-era inequalities.

Read more: Being black in the world: a tribute to pioneering South African psychologist Chabani Manganyi

South Africa desperately needed (and still does today) Critical Psychologists. Critical psychology challenges traditional psychological theories by examining the social, political, and historical contexts that shape psychological issues. It critiques mainstream psychology for overlooking power structures. And it aims to use psychology as a tool for social change and addressing inequalities.

Critical psychologists challenge the dominant narratives of the past, address the legacies of apartheid, and have access to the tools to heal the relational traumas caused by systemic oppression. I knew I wanted to contribute to the transformation of the profession – to make it more inclusive, socially responsible, and oriented towards healing the wounds left by historical injustices. This shift in perspective has shaped my entire career. It’s guided my studies, research and teaching practice.

Have South Africa’s universities changed how they teach psychology?

The academic transformation project continues and universities are striving to adapt to a more diverse student body. But the pace and extent of this change can vary between institutions.

There has been a growing recognition globally that psychology, as a discipline, needs to move beyond its traditional western-centric, individualistic frameworks. It must engage more deeply with local contexts and diverse ways of knowing and experiencing the world.

I was the head of the Psychology Department at Rhodes University in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province from 2022 to 2024. The department has incorporated indigenous knowledge systems such as African philosophical perspectives and non-western psychological practices into our teaching.

For example, community-based service-learning strategies are emphasised in the undergraduate courses I teach. Community-based service-learning combines community service with academic learning. This gives students the opportunity to engage in real-world problems and contribute to the community while applying psychological theories, concepts and methods. Students learn how to become engaged citizens.

We also use a variety of teaching materials – case studies, texts by African scholars, multimedia – that resonate with students’ lived experiences.

Read more: Decolonising psychology creates possibilities for social change

In a society as culturally and racially diverse as South Africa it is crucial for people to see themselves reflected in the professionals they turn to for help. This can play a role in lowering barriers to mental health services.

South Africa has a legacy of collective struggle and community resilience. Psychology stands to gain from a greater understanding of collective identities, community dynamics and social justice. Psychologists from diverse backgrounds can offer more nuanced, holistic interventions that address systemic issues rather than focusing solely on individual pathology.

– Psychology in democratic South Africa: new book explores a post-apartheid journey
– https://theconversation.com/psychology-in-democratic-south-africa-new-book-explores-a-post-apartheid-journey-247699

MIL OSI Africa –

February 5, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: Destroyer Squadron 50 Assumes Operation Prosperity Guardian Mission

Source: United States Navy

MANAMA, Bahrain – Combined Maritime Forces’ (CMF) Combined Task Force (CTF) 153 handed over responsibility for Operation Prosperity Guardian, the presence and information-sharing mission to counter unlawful Houthi attacks on maritime shipping in the Red Sea region, to Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 50, Feb. 1.

DESRON 50, the surface warfare task force under U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, will continue OPG’s commitment to freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce in the Southern Red Sea, Bab al-Mandab, and western Gulf of Aden.

“CMF’s CTF-153 has done a spectacular job leading OPG and I thank all of the members who committed to this important mission,” said Vice Adm. George Wikoff, commander of CMF. “There will be no change to the important role OPG contributes to regional maritime security.”

“DESRON 50 brings immediate continuity to the mission,” Wikoff said.

More than 20 nations participated in OPG, providing ships, personnel, and information support since the focused operation was announced in December 2023. Wikoff said CMF personnel who participated in OPG, “performed their duties with exceptional professionalism.”

The Joint Maritime Information Center, established in February 2024 as part of OPG’s information sharing mission, will expand its role within the CMF as an authoritative information source for regional maritime reporting.

“Through dialogue and building close relationships with industry and with CMF, JMIC continues to provide real-time information to enable informed decisions, contributing to overall domain awareness,” said Capt. Lee Stuart, JMIC Director.

Combined Maritime Forces, a 46-nation naval partnership, is headquartered in Bahrain and is the world’s largest multinational naval partnership, committed to upholding the rules-based international order at sea. It promotes security, stability and prosperity across approximately 3.2 million square miles of international waters, encompassing some of the world’s most important shipping lanes.

MIL Security OSI –

February 5, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Ambassador For a Day competition in North Macedonia 2025
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

The British Embassy in Skopje invites female students in North Macedonia aged 18 to 22 to enter a competition to be an Ambassador for a Day.
What is Ambassador For A Day

Have you ever wondered what the day-to-day work of an Ambassador is like? This competition will give the winner the unique opportunity to shadow the Ambassador to North Macedonia in the week of International Women’s Day and learn about the work of an Ambassador and other diplomacy leaders.

Why you should enter this competition

Women and girls represent half of the world’s population and therefore also half of its potential. Today there are too few women in international diplomacy, including women from under-represented backgrounds, whether ethnic, religious, economic, cultural, or personal identity, among others. Women are not represented at parity in political and business sectors.

To end this underrepresentation, we must ensure equality of opportunity and equitable outcomes for everyone. This is why we are encouraging women to make their voices heard on topics that affect us all.

We encourage young students to become leaders and advocates for change by offering them the opportunity to take a look behind the scenes of the British Embassy in Skopje.

Who can enter

You can enter this competition if, on 8 March 2025, you are:

a student registered in a university in North Macedonia

aged 18 to 22 years old

available to spend a full day of activities with us at the British Embassy

How to enter

To enter, you must write an essay in English answering the following question in no more than 500 words: “Which influential British woman would you like to meet and why?”

Important tips:

we will be celebrating International Women’s Day (IWD) together and this competition should highlight women’s roles

creativity will be an important judging criteria

the competition’s jury will be comprised of a diverse panel representing different backgrounds to ensure a fair and inclusive evaluation process

How to submit your entry

Read the terms and conditions for entering the Ambassador for a Day 2025 competition:

Terms and Conditions for entering the Ambassador for A Day 2025 Competition (ODT, 12.1 KB)

Then email your essay and Ambassador For A Day participation form to BritishEmbassySkopje@fcdo.gov.uk

Deadlines

Make sure you enter the competition on time:

competition opens: 5 February 2025

deadline for applications: 23 February 2025

competition winner contacted: 28 February 2025

competition winner publicly announced: 8 March 2025

Share this page

The following links open in a new tab

Share on Facebook (opens in new tab)

Share on Twitter (opens in new tab)

Updates to this page

Published 4 February 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
February 5, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Britain’s leading the way protecting children from online predators
Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

UK becomes the first country in the world to create new AI sexual abuse offences to protect children from predators generating AI images.
Children will be protected from the growing threat of predators generating AI images and from online sexual abuse as the UK becomes the first country in the world to create new AI sexual abuse offences.

AI tools are being used to generate child sexual abuse images in a number of sickening ways including by “nudeifying” real life images of children or by stitching the faces of other children onto existing child sexual abuse images. The real-life voices of children are also often used in this sickening material, meaning innocent survivors of traumatic abuse are being re-victimised.

Perpetrators are also using those fake images to blackmail children and force victims into further horrific abuse including streaming live images. AI tools are being used to help perpetrators disguise their initial identity and more effectively groom and abuse children online.

To better protect children against this sickening abuse the Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has today (2 February) revealed the UK will be the first country in the world to:

make it illegal to possess, create or distribute AI tools designed to generate CSAM, punishable by up to 5 years in prison

make it illegal for anyone to possess AI “paedophile manuals” which teach people how to use AI to sexually abuse children, punishable by up to 3 years in prison

At the same time, the Home Office will:

introduce a specific offence for predators who run websites designed for other paedophiles to share vile child sexual abuse content or advice on how to groom children, punishable by up to 10 years in prison

give Border Force the necessary powers to keep the UK safe and prevent the distribution of CSAM which is often filmed abroad by allowing officers to compel an individual who they reasonably suspect poses a sexual risk to children to unlock their digital devices for inspection. Punishable by up to 3 years in prison, depending on the severity

All 4 measures will be introduced as part of the Crime and Policing Bill when it comes to Parliament. The bill will support the delivery of the government’s safer streets mission to halve knife crime and violence against women and girls in a decade and increase confidence in policing and the wider criminal justice system to its highest levels.

The increased availability of AI CSEA imagery not only poses a real risk to the public by normalising sexual violence against children, but it can lead those who view and create it to go on to offend in real life.

Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, said:

We know that sick predators’ activities online often lead to them carrying out the most horrific abuse in person. This government will not hesitate to act to ensure the safety of children online by ensuring our laws keep pace with the latest threats.

These 4 new laws are bold measures designed to keep our children safe online as technologies evolve. It is vital that we tackle child sexual abuse online as well as offline so we can better protect the public from new and emerging crimes as part of our plan for change.

The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) has warned that more and more sexual abuse AI images of children are being produced.

Over a 30 day period in 2024, IWF analysts identified 3,512 AI CSAM images on a single dark web site. Compared with their 2023 analysis, the prevalence of Category A images (the most severe category) had risen by 10%.

New data from the charity shows that reports showing AI generated CSAM have risen 380%, with 245 confirmed reports in 2024 compared with 51 in 2023. Each report can contain thousands of images.

The charity also warns that some of this AI generated content is so realistic that sometimes they are unable to tell the difference between AI generated content and abuse that is filmed in real life. Of the 245 reports the IWF took action against, 193 included AI generated images which were so sophisticated and life-like, they were actioned under UK law as though they were actual, photographic images of child sexual abuse.

The predators who run or moderate websites designed for other paedophiles to share vile child sexual abuse content or advice on how to groom children are often the most dangerous to society by encouraging others to view even more extreme content.

Covert law enforcement officials warn that these individuals often acting as ‘mentors’ for others with an interest in harming in children by offering advice on how to avoid detection and how to manipulate AI tools to generate CSAM.

Technology Secretary, Peter Kyle said:

For too long abusers have hidden behind their screens, manipulating technology to commit vile crimes and the law has failed to keep up. It’s meant too many children, young people, and their families have been suffering the dire and lasting impacts of this abuse.

That is why we are cracking down with some of the most far-reaching laws anywhere in the world. These laws will close loopholes, imprison more abusers, and put a stop to the trafficking of this abhorrent material from abroad. Our message is clear – nothing will get in the way from keeping children safe, and to abusers, the time for cowering behind a keyboard is over.

Through the new laws, The Home Office is leading on the international stage by continuing to invest in law enforcement capabilities to target online child sexual abuse offenders to disrupt the highest harm and most technically sophisticated offenders.

Which is why we are giving Border Force the necessary powers to keep the UK safe and prevent the distribution of CSAM which is often filmed abroad. Border Force officers will have the power to compel an individual, where they reasonably suspect that the individual poses a sexual risk to children, to unlock their digital devices for inspection.

Once the device is accessed, specialist technology will be used to compare the contents of the device against the Child Abuse Image Database (CAID), to identify the presence of known child sexual abuse material.

Interim Chief Executive of the IWF, Derek Ray-Hill, said:

We have long been calling for the law to be tightened up, and are pleased the government has adopted our recommendations. These steps will have a concrete impact on online safety.

The frightening speed with which AI imagery has become indistinguishable from photographic abuse has shown the need for legislation to keep pace with new technologies.

Children who have suffered sexual abuse in the past are now being made victims all over again, with images of their abuse being commodified to train AI models. It is a nightmare scenario, and any child can now be made a victim, with life-like images of them being sexually abused obtainable with only a few prompts, and a few clicks.

The availability of this AI content further fuels sexual violence against children. It emboldens and encourages abusers, and it makes real children less safe. There is certainly more to be done to prevent AI technology from being exploited, but we welcome today’s announcement, and believe these measures are a vital starting point.

While AI can be used as a force for good to transform people’s lives, make public services more efficient and help bolster creative industries, the risk of its use to children continues to grow.

The crime risks normalising sexual violence against children and re-victimising survivors of traumatic abuse. Which is why this government is prepared to build upon the Online Safety Act and will not hesitate to go further if necessary.

Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls, Jess Phillips, said:

As technology evolves so does the risk to the most vulnerable in society, especially children. It is vital that our laws are robust enough to protect children from these changes online. We will not allow gaps and loopholes in legislation to facilitate this abhorrent abuse.

However, everyone has a role to play, and I would implore Big Tech to take seriously its responsibility to protect children and not provide safe spaces for this offending.

Crossbench Peer and Chair of 5Rights Foundation, Baroness Kidron said:

It has been a long fight to get the AI Child Sexual Abuse Offences into law, and the Home Secretary’s announcement today that they will be included in the Crime Bill, is a milestone. AI-enabled crime normalises the abuse of children and amplifies its spread. Our laws must reflect the reality of children’s experience, and ensure that technology is safe by design and default.

I pay tribute to my friends and colleagues in the specialist police unit that brought this to my attention, and commend them for their extraordinary efforts to keep children safe. All children whose identity has been stolen or who have suffered abuse deserve our relentless attention and unwavering support. It is they – and not politicians – who are the focus of our efforts

In January, the Home Secretary announced a raft of new measures and an investment of £10 million that will allow us to do more to protect vulnerable children, find more criminals, and get justice for more victims and survivors of child sexual abuse.

More victims of child sexual abuse and exploitation will be given power to seek an independent review of their cases following the widening of the Child Sexual Abuse Review Panel. Chief constables of all police forces in England and Wales have been urged to re-examine non-recent and live cases of gang exploitation to increase prosecutions.

At the same time, Baroness Louise Casey has been appointed to lead a rapid audit of existing evidence on grooming gangs to help deliver quicker action to tackle the crime and help victims. By Easter, the government will lay out a clear timetable for taking forward the recommendations from the final IICSA report.

Policy Manager for Child Safety Online at the NSPCC, Rani Govender said:

It is encouraging to see the government take action aimed at tackling criminals who create AI generated child sexual abuse images.

Our Childline service is hearing from children and young people about the devastating impact it can have when AI generated images are created of them and shared. And, concerningly, often victims won’t even know these images have been created in the first place.

It is vital the development of AI does not race ahead of child safety online. Wherever possible, these abhorrent harms must be prevented from happening in the first place. To achieve this, we must see robust regulation of this technology to ensure children are protected and tech companies undertake thorough risk assessments before new AI products are rolled out.

Share this page

The following links open in a new tab

Share on Facebook (opens in new tab)

Share on Twitter (opens in new tab)

Updates to this page

Published 4 February 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
February 5, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: UNRWA delivers bulk of aid in Gaza, as destruction mounts in West Bank

Source: United Nations 4

4 February 2025 Peace and Security

Some 30,000 residents from Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank have fled their homes after large swathes of it were destroyed in a series of controlled detonations by the Israeli security forces (ISF), the UN agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) said on Tuesday.

UNRWA’s communications director Juliette Touma described catastrophic scenes at the camp, where some 100 buildings had been “destroyed or heavily damaged” by the detonations at the weekend.

The camp’s residents had “endured the impossible”, she said, after nearly two months of “unceasing and escalating violence” linked to the Israeli military operation.

“The detonation on Sunday was when children were supposed to go back to school,” Ms. Touma explained, adding that the 13 UNRWA schools in the camp and its surrounding areas remain closed, depriving 5,000 children of education.

Israeli ban

UNRWA faces unprecedented challenges to continue carrying out its work following the Israeli parliament’s adoption in October last year of two laws banning its operations in Israeli territory and prohibiting Israeli authorities from having any contact with the agency. The Knesset laws entered into force last Thursday.

Still, Ms. Touma said that to this day, the Government of Israel has “not communicated to UNRWA how they intend to implement” the laws.

The agency’s teams are “staying and delivering” in the remaining parts of the West Bank, Ms. Touma said, with basic services, including primary healthcare and education ongoing.

“Schools and clinics remain open, including in occupied East Jerusalem, providing services to refugees,” the UNRWA spokesperson said. “We are seeing attendance at UNRWA schools at over 80 to 85 per cent.”

Ms. Touma also reported a “steady increase” in the number of patients visiting the UNRWA health centres in the West Bank, with one clinic in East Jerusalem recording more than 400 patients a day.

Turning to the Gaza Strip, where humanitarian needs are sky-high, Ms. Touma said that the “biggest priority” for UNRWA teams there is distributing supplies from 4,200 aid trucks that have entered the enclave since the start of the ceasefire on 19 January.

This is the target number that was set as part of the initial phase of the ceasefire and represents a welcome boost for the people of Gaza whose needs remain enormous – particularly among the hundreds of thousands of people who have returned to the shattered north.

More trucks are expected to arrive later this week, Ms. Touma said, adding that “hundreds of trucks” are waiting to enter Gaza from Egypt and Jordan.

Truce opportunity

The first phase of the temporary truce between Israel and Hamas followed more than 15 months of war which in which some 46,000 Palestinians were killed, according to the Gaza health authorities. The conflict was sparked by the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led attacks on Israel, in which some 1,200 people were killed and 250 were taken hostage.

Ms. Touma stressed that UNRWA has brought in 60 per cent of all supplies that came into Gaza since the ceasefire began and that the “vast majority” of the aid is distributed by the agency which has more than 5,000 staff there. A fifth of them are health workers, Ms. Touma added, underscoring UNRWA’s major role as a primary healthcare provider in the enclave, offering an average of 17,000 daily consultations.

Following the Knesset ban, UN chief António Guterres and the heads of many UN agencies insisted that UNRWA is irreplaceable in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

Besides obstacles stemming from the new Israeli legislation, the agency’s operations are also constantly in jeopardy because of its “very bad” financial health, Ms. Touma said. The United States, notably, had stopped funding UNRWA as of January 2024.

The UNRWA spokesperson said that the agency was able to pay salaries to its workers last month but had limited visibility over its financial situation, calling the funding crisis “endemic”.

MIL OSI United Nations News –

February 5, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: Statement attributable to the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General – on the death of former President Horst Köhler

Source: United Nations secretary general

The Secretary-General was saddened to learn of the death of Horst Köhler, the former President of the Federal Republic of Germany. Former President Köhler was a champion of the United Nations, deeply committed to global partnerships, sustainable development and creating new perspectives for youth in Africa. He served as the Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy on Western Sahara from 2017 to 2019, during which he sought to help resolve the long-standing conflict there.

The Secretary-General extends his sincere condolences to the family of former President Köhler, as well as the Government and people of Germany.

MIL OSI United Nations News –

February 5, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: McClain Statement on President Trump’s Tariff Negotiations

Source: US House of Representatives Republicans

The following text contains opinion that is not, or not necessarily, that of MIL-OSI – WASHINGTON – Earlier today, President Donald Trump announced he reached a deal with Mexico to start reversing the deadly fentanyl and border crises, pausing the anticipated tariffs for one month. Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum also initially agreed to send 10,000 soldiers to the United States-Mexico border to help stop the flow of fentanyl and illegal immigration.

Then, following a phone call with President Trump, Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau announced Canada will implement its $1.3 billion border plan. Canada will also appoint a new Fentanyl Czar and launch a Canada-U.S. Joint Strike Force to combat organized crime, fentanyl, and money laundering.

House Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain released the following statement:

“The days of America getting walked all over are gone. Countries are starting to find out that negotiations will no longer be a one-way street,” McClain said. “President Trump made a promise to put American farmers, producers, and workers first – and he has kept it. Today’s deals are major steps toward leveling the playing field, securing our borders, and saving lives. House Republicans look forward to working alongside the President on policies that put our country first.”

MIL OSI USA News –

February 5, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: NASA Archive Evolves While Still Calling USGS Home
Source: US Geological Survey
Breadcrumb

News
NASA Archive Evolves While Still Calling USGS Home

The LP DAAC and EROS both benefit from their connections
NASA established the LP DAAC at the USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center more than three decades ago to manage some data from its Earth Observing System (EOS). But NASA’s roots at EROS run even deeper: The center began as NASA’s archive partner in the 52-year-old Landsat satellite program.

The dedication ceremony at USGS EROS in 1990 for the establishment of the Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center (LP DAAC).

About 40 USGS EROS federal and contract employees provide the workforce for the LP DAAC, which archives NASA-funded land data from sensors located on satellites and the International Space Station. Some LP DAAC employees first worked at other positions at EROS, which has expanded from its initial archive purpose into Landsat satellite operations and science applications. Similarly, some previous LP DAAC employees have shifted into other departments at EROS.

Today, data from both the LP DAAC and USGS EROS archives are used by scientists in government agencies, universities and other organizations around the world to monitor and make decisions about topics that range from agriculture and wildfires to urban planning, flooding and hotspot detections.

The recent LP DAAC Annual User Working Group (UWG) Meeting at EROS spotlighted just a few of the many uses for remote sensing data. The LP DAAC UWG is made up of 15 representatives in various career stages at universities, government agencies and commercial endeavors whose work involves using LP DAAC data, tools and resources.

The data come from well-known sensors such as the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and newer sensors like the Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI). The LP DAAC also archives the Harmonized Landsat Sentinel-2 (HLS) data, produced from a combination of data from Landsat satellites and European Sentinel-2 satellites.

Some LP DAAC users also use EROS-generated data—commonly Landsat, but also science products like the National Land Cover Database (NLCD), now called Annual NLCD; LANDFIRE (Landscape Fire and Resource Management Planning Tools); and Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity (MTBS).

‘Tons of Connections’ Between LP DAAC Users and EROS

Cole Krehbiel of the USGS, project scientist for the Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center (LP DAAC) at EROS, welcomes attendees to the recent LP DAAC Annual User Working Group Meeting at EROS. USGS EROS photo

The User Working Group was designed to help the LP DAAC learn more about current and future user needs and to collect feedback on how to better support user communities. The working group learned, too—from updates about changes at the LP DAAC and NASA’s 11 other Distributed Active Archive Centers around the country to status reports about the LP DAAC’s active sensors.

They also heard about Landsat updates and were given an overview of the science work at EROS. EROS employees were invited to attend as well to become more familiar with the LP DAAC.

“Hosting at EROS gives us a unique opportunity to kind of expand our User Working Group, because you’ve got the USGS science projects that are also users of LP DAAC data. There’s tons of connections. And then it’s kind of a two-way street because I’ve also got UWG members that are using LANDFIRE data and a lot using Landsat data,” said USGS LP DAAC Project Scientist Cole Krehbiel.

The User Working Group members who attended in person learned more about the EROS archive (below left) firsthand as they were led on a basement tour showing aisles and aisles of shelves loaded with older media containing Landsat and aerial imagery. “It’s funny that the basement is always everyone’s favorite, I think, and seeing those old rolls of film,” Krehbiel said.

In technological contrast, they also viewed supercomputers, available for use by USGS and other Department of Interior scientists, in a climate-controlled computer room at EROS (below right). The computer room also contains several storage racks of LP DAAC data—at least for now.

Updates on LP DAAC Data Access Efforts

Chris Torbert, USGS Project Manager for the LP DAAC, updates attendees at the recent LP DAAC Annual User Working Group Meeting at EROS about developments at the LP DAAC. USGS EROS photo

One LP DAAC update that the User Working Group heard about will affect those EROS computer room racks.

The LP DAAC has been in the process of moving its archive data into the commercial cloud environment for several years so it can be more interoperable, or more easily used in combination with other datasets by scientists. “Datasets are important on their own and stand alone. But they’re better together,” said Chris Torbert, USGS Project Manager for the LP DAAC.

The vast majority of the LP DAAC data that users work with has now been moved to the cloud, the User Working Group was informed, and the LP DAAC will reduce its physical storage footprint at EROS within a year. Still taking up room at EROS for a couple of years will be data from the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) sensor, which launched in 1999. At the conclusion of a processing effort to create a collection in the cloud of all the ASTER data, that data will be removed physically from EROS, too.

Another update provided to the User Working Group included the LP DAAC’s web presence, which soon will shift from an individual website managed by the USGS to a unified NASA website with the other DAACs. LP DAAC data is accessed through the LP DAAC-developed AppEEARS (Application for Extracting and Exploring Analysis Ready Samples) tool, which serves several other DAACs, too. AppEEARS also currently offers Landsat U.S. Analysis Ready Data (ARD) Surface Reflectance products; integrating those data into AppEEARS was a recommendation from the UWG and a collaborative effort between USGS EROS and the LP DAAC.

AppEEARS provides access, processing and visualization of popular LP DAAC data all in one spot. The LP DAAC wants to explore adding other EROS data products, in addition to Landsat ARD, to AppEEARS for the convenience of its user community using multiple datasets. At the top of the wish list from the UWG was the Annual NLCD products, which the LP DAAC plans to integrate into AppEEARS this year.

EROS Scientist Joins User Working Group

Birgit Peterson, a new LP DAAC User Working Group member, describes her research that uses LP DAAC data during the recent Annual User Working Group meeting at EROS. Peterson is a USGS supervisory geographer and the fire science team lead in the EROS Integrated Science and Applications Branch. USGS EROS photo

Among the LP DAAC User Working Group’s newest members is EROS’ own Birgit Peterson, a USGS supervisory geographer and the fire science team lead in the Integrated Science and Applications Branch. Peterson uses GEDI data that’s stored in the LP DAAC to get a three-dimensional view of vegetation that can act as fuel for fires and help indicate how a fire would behave in a forest, for example.

Attending the LP DAAC meeting was eye-opening for Peterson, who had given little thought to how the data she downloaded and used became available. Now, she realizes, “there’s a whole science behind it. There’s a whole technology. It makes me want to go out and try different ways to get at some of the data that were talked about.”

Times have changed for the better, she said. “The level of thought that is being put into how we get data out there, just comparing back to 10, 15, close to 20 years ago, has improved so dramatically.”

Peterson hopes to not only represent her own project interests on the User Working Group, but also help represent the perspective of scientists she knows who, with severely limited time, need remote sensing data to be easy to access and use.

“Birgit was an extremely good candidate with her experience with the LANDFIRE program and also wildfire management, fire ecology and those sorts of things,” Krehbiel said. “We were definitely interested in bringing someone into the User Working Group to represent EROS because it is such a huge user community.”

Big Developments Expected for Data Management at EROS

Both the LP DAAC and USGS archive at EROS are looking forward to separate planned Earth observation missions that would significantly expand their data management work in coming years.

The Surface Biology and Geology (SBG) mission is building a new satellite with aspirations for a second, each collecting different data. “I would say, for 30 years, by and large, the LP DAAC has been the MODIS and ASTER DAAC. That’s really been our identity,” Torbert said. “In the future, it’s SBG.”

Meanwhile, the next iteration of Landsat satellites, labeled Landsat Next, is planned to be a constellation of three satellites offering more frequent revisit times around the Earth than previous Landsat satellites. Landsat Next is expected to collect about 20 times the amount of data collected by its predecessor, Landsat 9, which is currently orbiting with Landsat 8.

“To have Landsat Next and SBG both be managed at USGS EROS is a huge accomplishment, and we should be very proud of our center for that,” Krehbiel said.

MIL OSI USA News –
February 5, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: IAM Local 778 Ratifies Strong New Contract with Kansas City Auto Dealers

Source: US GOIAM Union

IAM Local 778 and Teamsters Local 41 members working at Ford, Dodge, and Chevrolet dealerships ratified a strong new three-year agreement with the Kansas City Dealers Association on Jan. 6.

The new contract covers IAM and Teamsters members at various dealerships throughout Kansas City and the surrounding area. After narrowly avoiding a strike while bargaining their last two agreements, members overwhelmingly passed this contract, which contains many enhancements.

“The Midwest Territory is proud of our strong presence in the automotive industry,” said IAM Midwest Territory General Vice President Sam Cicinelli. “This bargaining committee worked hard to bring the membership an outstanding new contract that they deserve.”

IAM Union Bargaining Committee member Jeff Jaenson, who has been on the negotiating committee four times, said this is the healthiest contract he has ever seen.

“Our members deserve a contract they can be proud of, and the vote confirmed that they are,” said IAM Local 778 Directing Business Representative Scott Brown. “IAM Business Representative Kevin Watkinson led the committee through some tough bargaining topics and ultimately made sure every need of the membership was addressed.”

The bargaining committee negotiated to improve crucial elements of the agreement, including better wages, overtime pay, accrual language, sick time, tool insurance, 401(k) retirement contribution, and health insurance.

“We thank everyone involved in helping to make this ratification meeting run smoothly,” said IAM Union Local 778 Business Representative and lead negotiator Kevin Watkinson. “Thank you to all of the members who came out to cast their vote and to the dedicated IAM members who volunteered their time to help with the ratification process: April Major, Joe Ester, Brad Kreisel, and Tyler Gibson.”

April Major- Secretary-Treasurer for IAM Local 778
Joe Ester- Plant Engineer (BASE) and Steward at UPS
Brad Kreisel- Full time Committee person at Honeywell (FMT)
Tyler Gibson- Mechanic and Steward at UPS

Jeff Jaenson- IAM Bargaining Committee
Mike Kampman- IAM Bargaining Committee
Kevin Watkinson- IAM Business Representative
Erik Holtzclaw- IBT Bargaining Committee
Brad Neighbors- IBT Business Agent
Jim Eaton- IBT Bargaining Committee
Zach Alden- IBT Business Agent

Share and Follow:

MIL OSI USA News –

February 5, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Inskip crocodile sighting

Source: Government of Queensland

Issued: 3 Feb 2025

Open larger image

Crocodile sighting near Sarawak camping area at Inskip Point

Wildlife officers are investigating after an estimated two-metre crocodile was seen on the beach in front of the Sarawak camping area at Inskip Point, near Rainbow Beach.

On 3 February 2025, a ranger from the Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science observed the crocodile on the beach, and watched it flee into the ocean.

The ranger took photos of the crocodile’s body imprint on the sand, it’s claw marks and marks made by its sliding tail.

Senior wildlife officer, Joshua Morris said the animal is likely to be the same crocodile recently videoed on Coonarr Beach, near Bundaberg.

“Rangers will be notifying people in camping areas in the Inskip Point region and wildlife officers will install recent crocodile sight warning signs,” Mr Morris said.

“People in the area are urged to be vigilant around the water, keep their children close and use an esky or similar as a barrier while fishing.

“As part of our investigation, we will conduct ground patrols, vessel-based searches and use drones to check the surrounding coastline.

“We are asking people in the Rainbow Beach region, including boaties, to make a sighting report if they see what they believe to be a crocodile.

“Each sighting report is important and provides us with information about the location and behaviour of crocodiles.

“Under the Queensland Crocodile Management Plan, Rainbow Beach is atypical crocodile habitat, and we will target this crocodile for removal from the wild if it is located.

“We can reassure the public that this crocodile is considered to be a vagrant animal that has moved into the area from up north, and this sighting does not mean the crocodile population is extending south.”

In 2013 and 2014, two large crocodiles were removed from the Mary River. They remain the last estuarine crocodiles confirmed outside of Croc Country near the southern end of their range.

Crocodile sightings can be reported by using the QWildlife app, completing a crocodile sighting report on the DETSI website, or by calling 1300 130 372. The department investigates every crocodile sighting report received.

MIL OSI News –

February 5, 2025
MIL-OSI: Seafarer Capital Partners Reveals Key Drivers of Performance in Emerging Markets Value Investing
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

LARKSPUR, Calif., Feb. 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Drawing on fourteen years of fundamental research and investing in global emerging markets, and over eight years of hands-on experience in managing the Seafarer Overseas Value Fund (SIVLX, SFVLX, SFVRX), Seafarer Capital Partners (Seafarer) recently published a white paper providing empirical data and evaluating key opportunity sets found in emerging markets value investing.

The new white paper, titled “Revisiting the Seven Sources of Value in Emerging Markets,” examines practical lessons the Seafarer Value team has learned in its pursuit of investing in seven distinct sources of value in the emerging markets, which were first identified by Seafarer in 2016. The full paper is available on Seafarer’s website here.

“Rather than taking a traditional approach focused solely on simplistic valuation multiples, Seafarer’s approach to value investing in emerging markets started with the idea that these markets present a number of distinct underlying sources of value that may give rise to viable investment opportunities,” said Brent Clayton, author of the white paper and co-portfolio manager of the Seafarer Overseas Value Fund. “This paper looks back on our team’s practical experience pursuing these sources of value in emerging markets, including opportunities and risks we have become more attuned to.”

The white paper reviews all seven sources of value identified at the launch of the Value Fund (read the original 2016 white paper here) and breaks out the impact of each source on the Fund’s performance since inception (see included chart). The commentary also includes a nuanced analysis of these sources of value and provides “emblematic stock” examples to help practically illustrate the sources of value in action.

The key lessons shared in the white paper, by source of value, include the following:
- Asset Productivity: Companies that are among the lowest-cost, highest-margin operators within their industries have been able to survive prolonged cyclical downturns. Such business resiliency can render the exact timing of the cycle less important.
- Structural Shift: Highly-cash generative companies structurally shifting to a lower growth rate provided fruitful opportunities for the strategy, particularly in China in 2016 and Brazil in 2020.
- Balance Sheet Liquidity: Companies with high levels of cash on their balance sheets have been more prone to be “value traps” than anticipated. While a potential source of latent value, it can also be a sign of poor capital allocation or weak corporate governance.
The paper provides detailed discussion of lessons learned while pursuing investing in each of the seven sources of value and includes one portfolio holding for each of the sources as an illustration.

“Finding low-priced stocks in the emerging markets is not difficult. The challenge is finding low-priced businesses with both sustainable competitive advantages and management teams that think carefully about how they steward corporate capital,” said Clayton. “A focused and long-term approach has been critical to realizing value across the seven opportunity sets that this strategy pursues.”

About the Seafarer Overseas Value Fund
The Seafarer Overseas Value Fund (tickers: SIVLX, SFVLX, SFVRX) seeks to provide long-term capital appreciation. The Fund invests primarily in the securities of companies located in developing countries. The Fund invests primarily in common and preferred stocks. The Fund’s portfolio is comprised of securities identified through a bottom-up security selection process based on fundamental research. The Fund seeks to produce a minimum long-term rate of return by investing in securities priced at a discount to their intrinsic value.

About Seafarer Capital Partners
Seafarer Capital Partners is an investment adviser focused on emerging markets. Seafarer offers investment portfolios that seek to participate in the opportunities afforded by the growth and progress in the developing world. The firm employs a bottom-up, fundamental investment approach. Seafarer’s objective is to provide long-term investment portfolios that offer sustainable growth, reasonable income, suitable diversification and which mitigate volatility. The firm serves as the investment adviser to the Seafarer Overseas Growth and Income Fund and the Seafarer Overseas Value Fund. Founded in 2011, Seafarer is a wholly employee-owned firm located in the San Francisco Bay Area. For more information, please visit www.seafarerfunds.com.

¹ Percentages in the chart are based on the aggregate contribution to total return for portfolio holdings in each primary source of value divided by the aggregate contribution to total return of all portfolio holdings from the inception of the Seafarer Overseas Value Fund on May 31, 2016 through September 30, 2024. They exclude cash and other assets and liabilities held by the Fund. A portfolio holding’s primary source of value is defined as the intended driver of value Seafarer was targeting over the majority of a position’s holding period. Sources: Bloomberg, Seafarer.

ALPS Distributors, Inc. is the distributor for the Seafarer Funds.

Investors should consider the investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses carefully before making an investment decision. This and other information about the Funds are contained in the Prospectus, which may be obtained by calling (855) 732-9220. Please read the Prospectus carefully before you invest or send money.

Important Risks: An investment in the Funds involves risk, including possible loss of principal. International investing involves additional risks, including social and political instability, market and currency volatility, market illiquidity, and reduced regulation. Emerging markets are often more volatile than developed markets, and investing in emerging markets involves greater risks. Fixed income investments are subject to additional risks, including but not limited to interest rate, credit, and inflation risks. Value investments are subject to the risk that their intrinsic value may not be recognized by the broad market. An investment in the Funds should be considered a long-term investment.

The views and information discussed herein are as of the date of publication, are subject to change, and may not reflect Seafarer’s current views. The views expressed represent an assessment of market conditions at a specific point in time, are opinions only and should not be relied upon as investment advice regarding a particular investment or markets in general. Such information does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell specific securities or investment vehicles. It should not be assumed that any investment will be profitable or will equal the performance of the portfolios or any securities or any sectors mentioned herein. The subject matter contained herein has been derived from several sources believed to be reliable and accurate at the time of compilation. Seafarer does not accept any liability for losses either direct or consequential caused by the use of this information.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3388df52-1d76-4853-aa15-51bbf250f6dd

The MIL Network –
February 5, 2025
MIL-OSI: ThinkMarkets wins ‘Newcomer of the Year 2024’ at TradingView awards

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

LONDON, Feb. 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ThinkMarkets, a leading online trading provider, recently announced that it received an award from TradingView for ‘Newcomer of the Year 2024’.

The annual TradingView awards aim to recognize integrated brokers on its platform that are at the forefront of global online trading and have consistently demonstrated providing their users with the best service over the last 12 months.

TradingView selects the winner for its nominated categories based on a broker’s verified client reviews, feedback, and ratings, as well as client engagement, platform uptime, and more. This ensures all awards are authentic and that only the best brokers receive recognition.

Commenting on the news, co-CEO, Nauman Anees, said the following:

“We’re delighted to win this prestigious TradingView award. Despite launching on the platform only midway through the year in July 2024 and having to compete alongside other brokers that also joined that year, we’re thrilled to have made such an impact. We’ve received an overwhelmingly positive response from both new and existing clients eager to take advantage of this offering. We’re grateful that TradingView and the wider trading community have recognized our efforts with this award, and we’ll continue to expand and improve our offering to ensure we remain a leading choice among traders on TradingView.”

ThinkMarkets also took the opportunity to express a big thank you for the continued support from its clients, partners, and employees who have all helped in their efforts to achieve this prestigious award.

For more information and the latest updates, users can visit: www.thinkmarkets.com

About ThinkMarkets
ThinkMarkets is a global, multi-regulated online brokerage established in 2010 offering clients quick and easy access to 4,000+ CFD instruments across FX, indices, commodities, equities, and more. ThinkMarkets has offices in London, Dubai, Melbourne, and Tokyo and hubs in the Asia-Pacific, Europe, and South Africa. It also operates with several financial licenses around the globe and delivers some of the industry’s most recognized trading platforms, including its award-winning platform, ThinkTrader.

Contact

ThinkMarkets
pr@thinkmarkets.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a0daee5a-f695-4bad-8f7e-faf0c960bd58

The MIL Network –

February 5, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Smart brands rein in ad spending when a rival faces a setback − here’s why

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Vivek Astvansh, Associate Professor of Quantitative Marketing and Analytics, McGill University

When a rival business stumbles, it’s both a threat and an opportunity. Matt Molloy via Getty Images Plus

Imagine: You’re in charge of marketing for a major automaker, and your biggest competitor just recalled thousands of vehicles. Now customers are worried about the safety of cars like yours. Do you seize the moment and ramp up advertising to steal market share? Or do you pull back on ads, fearing that customers will connect your brand with the bad press?

For what marketing professors like me call “substitute brands,” this sort of dilemma pops up all the time. Whether it’s a product recall, a customer data breach or a scandal, bad news for one brand can shake customers’ confidence in an entire product category.

The big question: Should competitors respond by increasing or decreasing their advertising? And will these adjustments help or hurt sales?

At first glance, the answer might seem obvious. More ad spending should mean bigger market share, right? But the reality is more complex. In a recent study looking at how 62 car brands responded to a 2014 recall, my colleagues and I found that, on average, when a rival brand issues a recall, its competitors cut their ad spending in half. In other words, most brands treat a rival’s crisis as a threat rather than an opportunity.

And when we looked at the ads’ content, we saw something even more interesting. When a rival brand stumbled, we found substitutes boosted their price-focused advertising by 25% on average, likely in an attempt to attract deal seekers. At the same time, they cut quality-focused advertising by 71%, possibly to avoid drawing unwanted comparisons.

And here’s the kicker: This strategy works.

We found, on average, a rival’s recall raises a substitute’s monthly sales by 35.3% – and the more a brand pulls back on ad spending, the greater the effect. So, when a competitor falters, the best response isn’t necessarily to shout louder. Instead, the data suggests a smarter play: Spend strategically, focus on price messaging, and avoid drawing attention to quality comparisons.

How we did our work

To understand how brands respond when a competitor faces a crisis, we focused on a real-world case: Volkswagen’s recall of nearly half a million cars branded under the Sagitar model in October 2014. This provided the perfect opportunity to study how rival brands adjusted their advertising strategies.

We identified Sagitar’s substitute models – 62 other sedans in the A-class category, sold by more than 30 manufacturers – and collected data on sales and ad spending across 308 media markets in the months before and after the recall. We then did a statistical analysis, controlling for several other variables that could influence ad spending.

Why it matters

Prior research offers mixed guidance on how a substitute brand should adjust its ad spending after a rival’s marketing crisis. Anecdotal evidence from the automotive and consumer goods industries is also mixed. For example, after Samsung recalled its Galaxy Note 7 in 2016 due to faulty batteries, competing phonemakers aggressively ramped up their advertising in an attempt to increase their market share.

Similarly, in 2010, after a Toyota recall, General Motors offered incentives for Toyota owners to switch to a GM car. GM’s chief marketing officer positioned these incentives as GM’s way to meet car buyers’ desire for peace of mind, and reports suggest that GM’s and other rival carmakers’ sales increased following Toyota’s recall.

But my team’s research suggests that this sort of strategy might not be the best one. Sometimes, saying less actually says more.

The Research Brief is a short take on interesting academic work.

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

– ref. Smart brands rein in ad spending when a rival faces a setback − here’s why – https://theconversation.com/smart-brands-rein-in-ad-spending-when-a-rival-faces-a-setback-heres-why-248842

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

February 5, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: What the ‘moral distress’ of doctors tells us about eroding trust in health care

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Daniel T. Kim, Assistant Professor of Bioethics, Albany Medical College

I sit on an ethics review committee at the Albany Med Health System in New York state, where doctors and nurses frequently bring us fraught questions.

Consider a typical case: A 6-month-old child has suffered a severe brain injury following cardiac arrest. A tracheostomy, ventilator and feeding tube are the only treatments keeping him alive. These intensive treatments might prolong the child’s life, but he is unlikely to survive. However, the mother – citing her faith in a miracle – wants to keep the child on life support. The clinical team is distressed – they feel they’re only prolonging the child’s dying process.

Often the question the medical team struggles with is this: Are we obligated to continue life-supporting treatments?

Bioethics, a modern academic field that helps resolve such fraught dilemmas, evolved in its early decades through debates over several landmark cases in the 1970s to the 1990s. The early cases helped establish the right of patients and their families to refuse treatments.

But some of the most ethically challenging cases, in both pediatric and adult medicine, now present the opposite dilemma: Doctors want to stop aggressive treatments, but families insist on continuing them. This situation can often lead to moral distress for doctors – especially at a time when trust in providers is falling.

Consequences of lack of trust

For the family, withdrawing or withholding life-sustaining treatments from a dying loved one, even if doctors advise that the treatment is unlikely to succeed or benefit the patient, can be overwhelming and painful. Studies show that their stress can be at the same level as people who have just survived house fires or similar catastrophes.

While making such high-stakes decisions, families need to be able to trust their doctor’s information; they need to be able to believe that their recommendations come from genuine empathy to serve only the patient’s interests. This is why prominent bioethicists have long emphasized trustworthiness as a central virtue of good clinicians.

However, the public’s trust in medical leaders has been on a precipitous decline in recent decades. Historical polling data and surveys show that trust in physicians is lower in the U.S. than in most industrialized countries. A recent survey from Sanofi, a pharmaceutical company, found that mistrust of the medical system is even worse among low-income and minority Americans, who experience discrimination and persistent barriers to care. The COVID-19 pandemic further accelerated the public’s lack of trust.

In the clinic, mistrust can create an untenable situation. Families can feel isolated, lacking support or expertise they can trust. For clinicians, the situation can lead to burnout, affecting quality and access to care as well as health care costs. According to the National Academy of Medicine, “The opportunity to attend to and ease suffering is the reason why many clinicians enter the healing professions.” When doctors see their patients suffer for avoidable reasons, such as mistrust, they often suffer as well.

At a time of low trust, families can be especially reluctant to take advice to end aggressive treatment, which makes the situation worse for everyone.

Ethics of the dilemma

Physicians are not ethically obligated to provide treatments that are of no benefit to the patient, or may even be harmful, even if the family requests them. But it can often be very difficult to say definitively what treatments are beneficial or harmful, as each of those can be characterized differently based on the goals of treatment. In other words, many critical decisions depend on judgment calls.

Consider again the typical case of the 6-month-old child mentioned above who had suffered severe brain injury and was not expected to survive. The clinicians told the ethics review committee that even if the child were to miraculously survive, he would never be able to communicate or reach any “normal” milestones. The child’s mother, however, insisted on keeping him alive. So, the committee had to recommend continuing life support to respect the parent’s right to decide.

Physicians inform, recommend and engage in shared decision-making with families to help clarify their values and preferences. But if there’s mistrust, the process can quickly break down, resulting in misunderstandings and conflicts about the patient’s best interests and making a difficult situation more distressing.

Moral distress in health care.

Moral distress

When clinicians feel unable to provide what they believe to be the best care for patients, it can result in what bioethicists call “moral distress.” The term was coined in 1984 in nursing ethics to describe the experience of nurses who were forced to provide treatments that they felt were inappropriate. It is now widely invoked in health care.

Numerous studies have shown that levels of moral distress among clinicians are high, with 58% of pediatric and neonatal intensive care clinicians in a study experiencing significant moral distress. While these studies have identified various sources of moral distress, having to provide aggressive life support despite feeling that it’s not in the patient’s interest is consistently among the most frequent and intense.

Watching a patient suffer feels like a dereliction of duty to many health care workers. But as long as they are appropriately respecting the patient’s right to decide – or a parent’s, in the case of a minor – they are not violating their professional duty, as my colleagues and I argued in a recent paper. Doctors sometimes express their distress as a feeling of guilt, of “having blood on their hands,” but, we argue, they are not guilty of any wrongdoing. In most cases, the distress shows that they’re not indifferent to what the decision may mean for the patient.

Clinicians, however, need more support. Persistent moral distresses that go unaddressed can lead to burnout, which may cause clinicians to leave their practice. In a large American Medical Association survey, 35.7% of physicians in 2022-23 expressed an intent to leave their practice within two years.

But with the right support, we also argued, feelings of moral distress can be an opportunity to reflect on what they can control in the circumstance. It can also be a time to find ways to improve the care doctors provide, including communication and building trust. Institutions can help by strengthening ethics consultation services and providing training and support for managing complex cases.

Difficult and distressing decisions, such as the case of the 6-month-old child, are ubiquitous in health care. Patients, their families and clinicians need to be able to trust each other to sustain high-quality care.

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

– ref. What the ‘moral distress’ of doctors tells us about eroding trust in health care – https://theconversation.com/what-the-moral-distress-of-doctors-tells-us-about-eroding-trust-in-health-care-246377

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

February 5, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Hunger rises as food aid falls – and those living under autocratic systems bear the brunt

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Jonas Gamso, Associate Professor and Deputy Dean of Knowledge Enterprise for the Thunderbird School of Global Management, Arizona State University

Volunteers hand out USAID flour at the Zanzalima Camp in Ethiopia. J. Countess/Getty Images

“No famine has ever taken place in the history of the world in a functioning democracy,” observed Nobel Prize-winning economist Amartya Sen in his 1999 book “Development as Freedom.”

My recent research doesn’t tackle Sen’s central argument – premised on the belief that democratic leaders prioritize food security because they cannot win reelection if the most basic needs of their constituents are not met – head on. Instead, I explored an auxiliary question: Do democratic governments cope better than their autocratic counterparts when their countries are confronted by sudden drops in food aid?

The answer is a resounding “yes.”

I came to that conclusion by analyzing food insecurity data from 110 countries from 2000 to 2020.

Food aid – a form of international assistance in which donors give food, or funds to buy food, to low- or middle-income countries – has recently fallen, reaching fewer people in 2024 than in 2023, according to estimates from the World Food Program, a United Nations agency. Major donors like Germany and the United States have reduced or suspended aid, citing budgetary constraints or concerns about theft, including to some of the neediest countries, such as Afghanistan, Haiti and Ethiopia. Adding to concerns, the Trump administration has signaled that it may move to “close down” the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, the largest provider of global food assistance.

At the same time, the world has faced a significant hunger crisis since 2019 due to a combination of factors, including the impacts of civil conflict, climate change and stubbornly high prices.

I wanted to determine whether food aid cuts and rising hunger are connected, and if democracy matters. I started by cataloging instances when countries had experienced significant reductions in food aid inflows. I then looked at whether those “aid shocks” were followed by upticks in food insecurity, using data from the U.N.’s Food and Agricultural Organization. Finally, I assessed whether the relationship between aid shocks and food insecurity varied across countries and political systems.

The results indicate that autocracies experience heightened food insecurity when sharp cuts to international food assistance occur, whereas democracies keep their people fed.

For example, autocratic Eswatini, an absolute monarchy in southern Africa that was formerly known as Swaziland, experienced a food aid shock in 2010 that was followed by a 2 percentage point uptick in the prevalence of undernourishment. In contrast, when Mongolia, a robust democracy, experienced an aid shock in 2007, undernourishment actually declined by about 3 percentage points.

On the one hand, this isn’t entirely surprising, as democratic leaders – unlike their autocratic counterparts – have to face the public in national elections, and winning is difficult when people are experiencing widespread hunger. Because leaders in a democracy are more accountable to their citizens, they make more of an effort to make up for the lost aid or cushion the adverse effects of food aid shocks on their populations.

On the other hand, democracies often struggle to move quickly, due to their complex policymaking processes and checks and balances. This may lead some to conclude that it is harder for them to move nimbly during a foreign aid crisis.

Why it matters

While many question the effectiveness of aid, including food aid, my findings suggest that cutting it – as some critics suggest – will have negative effects on the health and well-being of vulnerable people around the world. Already, food systems experts have expressed fears over the Trump administration’s proposed aid freezes and the potential breaking up of USAID.

For this reason, donor nations should be cautious about halting or rapidly shifting their foreign giving.

At the same time, donor governments, which are mostly Western democracies, have often used aid as a tool for promoting democratic institutions, at times cutting off aid to autocratic countries that abuse human rights. While this practice seems sensible to donors that wish to punish or discourage autocrats, my findings raise a significant concern: People living in autocratic countries may be left starving when aid is withdrawn.

And donor nations could take further steps to support democratization and democratic resilience, particularly in countries that are vulnerable to food insecurity. For example, donors can engage with civil society groups in aid-recipient nations, empowering them with tools and techniques to promote, protect and preserve democratic institutions. This way, countries will be more resilient and less likely to fall into crisis levels of hunger if and when aid cuts occur.

What’s next

While there is a tendency to treat governments as either “democratic” or “autocratic,” that approach obscures a good deal of nuance. Democracies vary in terms of their rules, procedures and governing structures. Likewise, autocracies can differ greatly from one another, with military regimes, personalist dictatorships and party-based autocracies each having unique characteristics.

Moving forward, I hope to dig into these varieties of democracy and autocracy to see how countries representing each respond to aid shocks.

The Research Brief is a short take on interesting academic work.

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

– ref. Hunger rises as food aid falls – and those living under autocratic systems bear the brunt – https://theconversation.com/hunger-rises-as-food-aid-falls-and-those-living-under-autocratic-systems-bear-the-brunt-247759

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

February 5, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Why are rubies red and emeralds green? Their colors come from the same metal in their atomic structure

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Daniel Freedman, Dean of the College of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics & Management, University of Wisconsin-Stout

Rubies get their bright color from some fascinating chemistry. Matthew Hill/Bloomberg Creative Photos via Getty Images

The colors of rubies and emeralds are so striking that they define shades of red and green – ruby red and emerald green. But have you ever wondered how they get those colors?

I am an inorganic chemist. Researchers in my field work to understand the chemistry of all the elements that make up the periodic table. Many inorganic chemists focus on the transition metals – the elements in the middle of the periodic table. The transition metals include most of the metals you are familiar with, like iron (Fe) and gold (Au).

One feature of compounds made with transition metals is their intense color. There are many examples in nature, including gemstones and paint pigments. Even the color of blood comes from the protein hemoglobin, which contains iron.

Investigating the colors of compounds containing transition metals leads you into some really amazing science – that’s part of what drew me to study this field.

Rubies and emeralds are great examples of how a small amount of a transition metal – in this case, chromium – can create a beautiful color in what would otherwise be a fairly boring-looking mineral.

Minerals and crystals

Rubies appear red because they absorb blue and green light.
benedek/E+ via Getty Images

Both rubies and emeralds are minerals, which is a type of rock with a consistent chemical composition and a highly ordered structure at the atomic level.

When this highly ordered structure extends in all three dimensions, the mineral becomes a crystal.

With a theory developed by physicists in the 1920s called crystal field theory, scientists can explain why rubies and emeralds have the colors they do. Crystal field theory makes predictions about how a transition metal ion’s structure is affected by the other atoms surrounding it.

Rubies are mainly made up of the mineral corundum, which is composed of the elements aluminum and oxygen in a regular, repeating array. Each aluminum ion is surrounded by six oxygen ions.

A crystal of corundum looks like this at the atomic level, with the aluminum ions shown as red balls and the oxygen ions shown as white balls. Each aluminum ion is surrounded by six oxygen ions, and each oxygen by four aluminums.
Eigenes Werk/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

Emeralds are mainly made up of the mineral beryl, which is made from the elements beryllium, aluminum, silicon and oxygen. Beryl’s crystal structure is more complicated than corundum’s because of the additional elements in the formula, but each aluminum ion is again surrounded by six oxygen ions.

Emeralds appear green because they absorb red and blue light.
SunChan/E+ via Getty Images

Pure corundum and beryl are colorless. The brilliant colors of rubies and emeralds come from the presence of very small amounts of chromium. The chromium replaces about 1% of the aluminum in the corundum or beryl crystal when a ruby or emerald forms underground at a high temperature and pressure.

But how can one element – chromium – create the red color of a ruby and green color of an emerald?

Color science

Rubies and emeralds have the colors they do because, like many substances, they absorb some colors of light. Most visible light, like sunlight, is composed of all the colors of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. These colors make up the visible light spectrum, which is easy to remember as ROY G BIV.

Objects absorb some visible light wavelengths and reflect others, which is why we see them as having a color.
Fulvio314/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

One of the main reasons why objects have a color is because they absorb one or more of these visible colors of light. If a substance absorbs, for instance, red light, it means that the red light gets trapped in the substance and the other colors reflect back to your eyes. The color you see is the sum of the remaining light, which will be in the green-to-blue range. If a substance absorbs blue, it will look red or orange to you.

Unlike the colorless aluminum ion, the chromium ion absorbs blue and green light when surrounded by the oxygen ions. The red light is reflected back, so that’s what you see in rubies.

In an emerald, even though the chromium is surrounded by six oxygen ions, there is a weaker interaction between the chromium and the surrounding oxygen ions. That’s due to the presence of silicon and beryllium in the beryl crystal. They cause the emerald to absorb blue and red light, leaving the green for you to see.

The ability to tune the properties of transition metals like chromium through changing what is surrounding it is a core strategy in my field of inorganic chemistry. Doing so can help scientists understand the basic science of metal-containing compounds and the design of chemical compounds for specific purposes.

You can take delight in the amazing colors of the gemstones, but through chemistry, you can also see how nature creates those colors using an endless variety of complex structures made with the elements in the periodic table.

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

– ref. Why are rubies red and emeralds green? Their colors come from the same metal in their atomic structure – https://theconversation.com/why-are-rubies-red-and-emeralds-green-their-colors-come-from-the-same-metal-in-their-atomic-structure-247978

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

February 5, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Some viruses prefer mosquitoes to humans, but people get sick anyway − a virologist and entomologist explain why

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Lee Rafuse Haines, Associate Research Professor of Molecular Parasitology and Medical Entomology, University of Notre Dame

The _Aedes_ mosquito is a vector of several viral diseases, including eastern equine encephalitis, or EEE, and West Nile fever. Lee Haines, CC BY-ND

Humans have an exceptional ability to deal with viruses. In most cases, your immune system is able to fight an infection. On the other hand, your body provides a spa-like environment that is temperate and stable, optimal for viruses to replicate. Human behavior, including close contact with animals and frequent travel, also increases the likelihood of becoming infected.

From the perspective of viruses spread by insects, or arboviruses, making the evolutionary leap from insects to humans is a tough battle. Viruses cannot replicate very well in humans, which means transmission from mosquitoes is often very difficult.

One might think arboviruses continually evolve in ways that enable them to infect more species. But do they?

We are a virologist and an entomologist who study insect-borne and viral diseases and how human and insect immune systems respond to invading pathogens. Our work provides insights on the complex journey of an arbovirus as it cycles between insect and vertebrate hosts.

As an example, let’s use a Togavirus, the mosquito-transmitted arbovirus that causes eastern equine encephalitis, or EEE. This rare but serious disease can cause a potentially fatal neurological condition in humans and horses. Although EEE is primarily endemic to the eastern United States, its incidence in recent years has increased in regions farther north, with several reported cases in states such as Michigan, Massachusetts and New York.

While rare, a EEE infection in people can lead to severe complications or death.

From animals to mosquitoes

A female mosquito’s inner workings – particularly its guts and salivary glands – create the perfect environment for a virus to flourish.

When a mosquito bites an infected nonhuman host, such as a sick bird, the virus is transported with freshly ingested blood into the mosquito’s midgut – the equivalent to the human stomach and intestines where food is stored and digested. The virus quickly infects midgut cells to avoid a hostile digestive environment and quietly replicates without activating the mosquito’s immune pathways.

Within days, the virus will be released by damaged midgut cells to migrate to the mosquito’s salivary glands, where it will be positioned for transmission. Now, each time the mosquito feeds, it will pump virus-saturated saliva into its new animal host and continue the disease transmission cycle.

This image shows a tissue section of the salivary gland of a mosquito infected with EEE. The virus particles are colored red.
Fred Murphy and Sylvia Whitfield/CDC

It is easy for the virus to avoid detection by the mosquito’s relatively primitive immune system. Compared with humans, the immune system of mosquitoes can launch only a generalized and overall less effective attack on pathogens. This means an arbovirus can usually establish a persistent, lifelong, almost symbiotic infection without damaging the mosquito’s health, perfect for the virus to disseminate itself.

Mosquitoes have evolved over millions of years to become tolerant to arboviral infections. This relationship has allowed the mosquito to maintain viral populations without having to launch energy-expensive immune responses. However, this does not mean mosquitoes are just passive virus carriers. An arbovirus can change how infected mosquitoes behave or reproduce.

For example, viruses can manipulate mosquitoes in two ways: by making them feed more frequently, and by increasing their attraction to infected hosts. However, this behavior puts the mosquito at greater risk of being killed by irritated hosts who notice the repeated biting attempts. Arboviruses can also affect mosquito reproduction by sometimes reducing the number of eggs a female mosquito produces and increasing the length of time it takes for the eggs to mature. In some cases, these viruses can even sterilize female mosquitoes.

Arboviruses have evolved to expertly use mosquitoes as both transportation vehicles and breeding grounds. By spreading and multiplying without severely harming their insect hosts, these viruses ensure their own survival and continued transmission.

From mosquitoes to humans

The virus must overcome several barriers to successfully colonize a human host.

The initial step for successful disease transmission – the virus’s ultimate goal – is perhaps the easiest: The EEE virus infects humans when a virus-infected female mosquito has an unquenchable appetite for warm blood. From the moment the virus is deposited under the skin through the mosquito’s infected saliva, a tough battle ensues.

The first battle for the virus is to adapt to a typically much hotter setting than the ambient environment – the human body temperature of around 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit (37 degrees Celcius) or higher.

Then, the virus must evade the host’s immediate defenses, which includes physical barriers, such as layers of skin and mucosa, as well as immune cells that detect and attack invading microbes. Once in the bloodstream, the virus faces the adaptive arm of the human immune system, which is capable of targeting specific viral components with exquisite precision, like a biological sniper.

Once the EEE virus reaches the central nervous system – the brain and spinal cord – the immune system can overreact to the infection and inadvertently cause inflammation and damage nerve cells. This can lead to serious long-term effects, such as cognitive impairment.

The human immune response is more robust than that of a mosquito.
Sashunita/Cavan Images via Getty Images

To persist in this hostile human environment, the virus uses various survival strategies. One technique is creating new mutations on its surface and shape-shifting to avoid immune detection. Another strategy is to hijack human cells to replicate itself, such as using the cell’s machinery to synthesize new viral components and altering how the cell regulates division.

As viruses adapt to overcome immune defenses, both humans and mosquitoes evolve countermeasures to fight infection. The greater complexity of the human immune system makes it especially challenging for viruses to survive and spread between human hosts.

From human to human?

Like many other arboviruses, the EEE virus cannot be transmitted from person to person, which effectively limits its spread among human populations. Your body keeps the virus contained. Consequently, when the EEE virus infects people via the bite from an infected mosquito, it is considered a dead end, as it cannot escape its human host or infect another bloodthirsty mosquito.

So, what does the virus that causes EEE gain by infecting people? Not likely anything. A mosquito-borne virus like the Togavirus that causes EEE prefers its established transmission cycle between mosquitoes and birds. Human infections occur only when a mosquito deviates from its typical menu of birds.

EEE spreads more easily between mosquitoes and birds than it does in humans, which helps explain why human infections don’t happen very often. Thankfully, human bodies simply aren’t the virus’s currently preferred environment.

Pilar Pérez Romero is affiliated with the spin-off company Vaxdyn SL as a founding partner.

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

– ref. Some viruses prefer mosquitoes to humans, but people get sick anyway − a virologist and entomologist explain why – https://theconversation.com/some-viruses-prefer-mosquitoes-to-humans-but-people-get-sick-anyway-a-virologist-and-entomologist-explain-why-247076

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

February 5, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Budd, Tillis, Rouzer Introduce Bill to Ensure Aid Access for All Types of WNC Homes

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator Ted Budd (R-North Carolina)

Washington, D.C. — Senators Ted Budd (R-NC), Thom Tillis (R-NC), along with Reps. David Rouzer (R-NC), Jerry Nadler (D-NY), Ritchie Torres (D-NY), and Brittany Pettersen (D-CO) have introduced the Disaster Assistance Fairness Act.

The bill would require the President to direct the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to remove debris from real estate owned by homeowners associations and condominiums when a state or local government determines the debris and wreckage constitute a threat to life, public health, or safety, or the economic recovery of the community.

The bill would also clarify that FEMA should provide homeowners with financial assistance for the repair of “essential common elements,” such as roofs, heating and cooling equipment, stairwells, and plumbing or electricity.

Senator Budd said in a statement:

“The scope of the devastation in Western North Carolina continues to require the federal government to work quickly to help folks in their time of need. Our legislation will cut through red tape and remove dangerous debris from mountain homes. It will also make sure that all North Carolinians are eligible for disaster assistance regardless of the type of community they live in. I will continue to work with my colleagues to provide Western North Carolina with the assistance they need, as quickly as possible.”

Senator Tillis said:

“As I have said since Helene struck Western North Carolina, we must respond differently to natural disasters. This commonsense bill ensures that everyone, no matter where they live, has access to the same critical resources and assistance programs they need to restore their homes and recover after a disaster.”

Rep. Rouzer:

“Last year’s hurricane season reminded us natural disasters do not discriminate among neighborhoods, location, or housing arrangements. No matter your living situation, every individual deserves the same access and support in recovery. Yet, under FEMA’s current eligibility rules, certain individuals in condos, co-ops, and homeowner associations do not have access to Individual Assistance to cover the damage of common elements, often requiring increased costs for individuals to rebuild. This Disaster Assistance Fairness Act allows these individuals to receive the same assistance as everyone else.”

MIL OSI USA News –

February 5, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Profile: Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov

Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

BEIJING, Feb. 3 — At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov will pay a state visit to China from Tuesday to Friday.

Japarov, a Kyrgyz ethnic, born in Kyrgyzstan’s Issyk-Kul Oblast on Dec. 6, 1968, graduated from Kyrgyz State Academy of Physical Culture and Sports in 1991 and from Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University in 2006.

During 1986-1987 and 1989-1995, he served as head of the collective farm “Santash” in the Tup district of the Issyk-Kul Oblast. He served in the army from 1987 to 1989.

From 1996 to 2000, Japarov held the post of deputy chairman of the farm “Soltonkul” in the Tup district of Issyk-Kul Oblast. Between 2000 and 2005, he successively served as the general director of the “Guzel” fuel company and the “Nur” oil and gas company.

From 2005 to 2007, he acted as a deputy of the third convocation of the Kyrgyz Parliament. Between 2007 and 2009, he was an advisor to the president. From 2008 to 2009, he was a member of the National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption. From 2009 to 2010, he worked as head of the National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption. From 2010 to 2013, he served as a deputy of the fifth convocation of the Kyrgyz Parliament.

In October 2020, Japarov became the Kyrgyz prime minister and acting president. In January 2021, he was elected as the Kyrgyz president for a six-year term.

MIL OSI China News –

February 5, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Profile: Pakistani President Asif Ali Zarda

Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

BEIJING, Feb. 3 — At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, President Asif Ali Zardari of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan will pay a state visit to China from Tuesday to Saturday.

Zardari, 70, was elected as a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan in 1990 and as a senator in 1997. He once served as the federal minister for environment and the federal minister for investment.

Zardari assumed the co-chairperson of the Pakistan People’s Party in 2007, and served as the 11th president of Pakistan from 2008 to 2013.

He became the 14th president of Pakistan on March 10, 2024.

MIL OSI China News –

February 5, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Harbin venues ready for 9th Asian Winter Games

Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

All competition venues are fully equipped and ready to host the 9th Asian Winter Games, scheduled for February 7-14 in Harbin, northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province. All 13 competition venues have been renovated using existing facilities. While ensuring high-quality competitions, the event follows the principles of sustainability, cost-effectiveness and adaptability for post-event use. Yabuli Ski Resort is fully prepared, with all eight snow tracks ready, including alpine skiing and biathlon courses.

MIL OSI China News –

February 5, 2025

Category: KB

What is the book about?

Why did you decide to study psychology?

Have South Africa’s universities changed how they teach psychology?

IMF Communications Department

MEDIA RELATIONS

What is the book about?

Why did you decide to study psychology?

Have South Africa’s universities changed how they teach psychology?

What is Ambassador For A Day

Why you should enter this competition

Who can enter

How to enter

Important tips:

How to submit your entry

Deadlines

Share this page

Updates to this page

Share this page

Updates to this page

Israeli ban

Truce opportunity

NASA Archive Evolves While Still Calling USGS Home

The LP DAAC and EROS both benefit from their connections

‘Tons of Connections’ Between LP DAAC Users and EROS

Updates on LP DAAC Data Access Efforts

EROS Scientist Joins User Working Group

Big Developments Expected for Data Management at EROS

How we did our work

Why it matters

Consequences of lack of trust

Ethics of the dilemma

Moral distress

Why it matters

What’s next

Minerals and crystals

Color science

From animals to mosquitoes

From mosquitoes to humans

From human to human?