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  • MIL-OSI Canada: Crop Report for the Period October 15 to October 21, 2024

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on October 30, 2024

    Producers in Saskatchewan are done harvest as 100 per cent of crops are in the bin. 

    Many areas of the province received a lot of moisture in May and June, which led some to believe it could be a late harvest. However, hot and dry conditions in the latter half of the growing season resulted in crops rapidly maturing and harvest beginning earlier than expected.

    Harvest first began in the southwest and southeast regions in early August. By the end of the month, harvest was in full swing throughout the province. Rainfall caused harvest delays in some areas, while other areas didn’t receive any rain, which has sparked concerns of moisture shortages going into the winter. The early start to harvest allowed producers to get the crop off in good time and other field work to be done prior to freeze-up. Producers continue to hope for more rain this fall and a lot of snow over winter to improve moisture conditions for next spring.

    Most crops got off to a good start this year due to the abundance of spring moisture. Cool conditions slowed early crop development, but producers were optimistic about their crops’ yield potential. Hot and dry conditions in July and August caused crops to rapidly develop and took a toll on yield potential. Overall, yields in Saskatchewan were above the 10-year average for most crops, but regional yields vary based on rainfall received during critical parts of the growing season. The only crops that yielded lower than the 10-year average were durum, oats, canola and mustard. 

    Fall cereal crops yielded above 10-year averages as winter wheat averaged 46 bushels per acre and fall rye averaged 52 bushels per acre province-wide. Average spring-seeded cereal crop yields were 46 bushels per acre for hard red spring wheat, 52 bushels per acre for other spring wheat varieties, 33 bushels per acre for durum, 63 bushels per acre for barley, 79 bushels per acre for oats and 1,340 pounds per acre for canary seed. Flax was the only oilseed crop to yield higher than the 10-year average with an average of 23 bushels per acre across the province. Mustard crops yielded 837 bushels per acre and canola yields averaged 33 bushels per acre across Saskatchewan. Finally, average yields for all legume crops were above the 10-year average. Average field pea yields were 36 bushels per acre, 30 bushels per acre for soybean crops, 1,306 pounds per acre for lentils and 1,319 pounds per acre for chickpea crops.

    Most high-acreage crops in Saskatchewan graded in the top two categories, indicating good overall crop quality. Canola graded at 89 per cent 1 CAN and nine per cent 2 CAN. Sixty per cent of Saskatchewan’s hard red spring wheat graded in the 1 CW category while another 31 per cent graded in the 2 CW category. Lentil and field pea grades are very similar as 43 per cent of field peas and 40 per cent of lentils fall in the 1 CAN grade. Additionally, 50 per cent of lentil and field pea crops are rated as 2 CAN. There are quality variations between different regions as environmental conditions play a major role in crop quality.

    All producers were busy combining this fall and some were also seeding fall cereal crops. Despite relatively strong winter wheat and fall rye yields this year, seeded acres for each of these crops fell by approximately three per cent this fall.

    This year’s average silage yield for the province is 6.37 tons per acre, which is lower than the seven tons per acre reported last year. The east-central and southern regions experienced above-average yields while average yields in west-central and northern regions were below the provincial average. Livestock producers are happy to see hay yields higher this year than they were last year. On dryland acres, alfalfa averaged 1.78 tons per acre, brome hay averaged 1.79 tons per acre and green feed averaged 2.25 tons per acre. Under irrigation, yields for alfalfa were 3.36 tons per acre, 3.25 tons per acre for brome hay and 3.57 tons per acre for greenfeed. Most producers in the province reported good to excellent hay quality in their first cut. Some producers got a second hay cut and they reported good to excellent quality. Hay prices vary throughout Saskatchewan, but the average price of alfalfa is 134.16 dollars per ton, 120.70 dollars per ton for brome and 126.25 dollars per ton for greenfeed. Straw and standing hay are cheaper as average prices are 51.05 dollars per ton and 57 dollars per ton, respectively.

    Current topsoil moisture conditions are better than they were heading into last winter. Provincial cropland topsoil moisture is rated as 49 per cent adequate, 44 per cent short and seven per cent very short. For provincial hayland, topsoil moisture is 42 per cent adequate, 45 per cent short and 13 per cent very short. Pasture topsoil moisture around the province is 37 per cent adequate, 45 per cent short and 18 per cent very short. Additionally, 35 per cent of Saskatchewan pastures are in good condition prior to the winter, 34 per cent are fair, 24 per cent are in poor condition and seven per cent are in very poor condition. Producers throughout the province are still hoping to get more rain this fall and lots of snow over the winter to improve soil moisture and pasture conditions for next year.

    Many producers are still working hard to get post-harvest field work done prior to freeze-up. Producers are harrowing, applying fall fertilizer and drying grain. Producers with livestock are currently moving cattle home for the winter and hauling bales. Once the snow flies, producers will enjoy a break from field work and continue planning next year’s operation.

    A complete, printable version of the Crop Report is available online: download Crop Report.

    Follow the 2024 Crop Report on Twitter at @SKAgriculture.

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    For more information, contact:

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Canadian Forces Snowbirds complete their 2024 Show Season

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    October 30, 2024 – Ottawa – National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces

    On October 18, 2024, the Canadian Forces (CF) Snowbirds concluded their 2024 season with the Home Closer show at 15 Wing in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, marking the end of their 53rd show year.

    The Home Closer provides the team an opportunity to thank their family, friends and other members of 431 Squadron’s ‘home team’ in Moose Jaw that provides logistical, technical and administrative support while the show team is traveling.

    Since May, the Snowbirds have performed over 40 displays at more than 20 locations across Canada and the United States (US). Highlights included their participation in the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal, the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Canada Day Mass Flypast, and other celebrations in recognition of the RCAF’s centennial.

    The season was further distinguished by collaborations with renowned allied air demonstration teams, including the Italian Air Force’s Frecce Tricolori, the Royal Air Force’s Red Arrows, the U.S. Air Force’s Thunderbirds, and the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels.

    The team, consisting of 11 pilots, 17 technicians, one Public Affairs Officer, two Material Management Support Technicians, and three Mobile Support Equipment Operators, will now take a well-deserved break before training for the 2025 season.

    Looking ahead, 2025 will mark the CF Snowbirds’ 54th show season, with the initial schedule set to be announced in the winter.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Rebuilding after the wildfire: Updates to Parks Canada policies will ensure community of Jasper is better prepared for future challenges while maintaining the unique character of the town

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Rebuilding after the wildfire: Updates to Parks Canada policies will ensure community of Jasper is better prepared for future challenges while maintaining the unique character of the town.

    In preparing for the rebuild, planners from Parks Canada and the Municipality of Jasper completed a review of Parks Canada’s existing local development policies for how development can take place in the Town of Jasper. The Jasper Superintendent, in coordination with the Municipality of Jasper administration, approved these updated local policies with the following goals in mind:

    1.      Simplify the development review and approval process to make rebuilding easier for lessees. 

    2.      Rebuild with fire in mind, using the latest FireSmart research to ensure Jasper’s resilience to wildfire.

    3.      Increase housing options for Jasperites, to ensure our actions now assist with housing supply in the long term.

    4.      Rebuild with climate resilience in mind, supporting our efforts to be a community at the forefront of sustainability efforts.

    5.      Enhance Jasper’s built-form character, to ensure the unique qualities of Jasper are maintained.

    The aim of the updates is to identify simple changes that could make rebuilding easier. Bigger changes will be left for community discussion and exploration as part of a future community planning process. 

    All changes have been catalogued and the redlined versions of the updated policies are available on request by contacting jasperrealtymunicipalservices@pc.gc.ca.

    Key changes to improve fire resilience

    By reducing the susceptibility of a home to catching on fire, the chances of a home – and all the neighbouring homes – surviving a wildfire are greatly increased. After review and engagement with Natural Resources Canada on FireSmart guidelines, several key changes were made to Jasper’s development policies to improve Jasper’s future resilience to wildfire: 

    1.      Prohibiting new wood siding or shingles.

    2.      Requiring that there be a 1.5 m buffer zone of non-flammable materials around a home.

    3.      Requiring that landscaping plans align with FireSmart recommendations.

    Key changes to increase housing

    Housing has been a concern in Jasper for many years. Since 2007, the residential vacancy rate for Jasper has been between 0 and 0.4%. Over the last few decades, community consultations have consistently identified additional housing as a priority for the Jasper community. To create potential for additional housing in Jasper, the following changes were made to Jasper’s development policies:

    1. Leaseholders with lots formerly zoned for single-detached dwellings can now build either one or two primary dwelling units on the lot.
    2. Parking requirements are reduced.
    3. There are more options for accessory dwelling units, including garden suites.
    4. Subdivision made easier, including options to build a duplex, divide the lot in two, and sell the other half of the duplex.

    More details are available in the Rebuilding Guide:

    https://parks.canada.ca/pn-np/ab/jasper/gestion-management/serviceimmobilier-realty/reconstruction-rebuilding/guide

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    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congresswoman Barbara Lee Applauds Announcement of Over $300 Million for Port of Oakland

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Barbara Lee 13th District of California

    October 29, 2024

    Oakland, CA – Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-12) today applauded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) announcement of $322 million for the Port of Oakland to decarbonize Port activities by providing Port tenants and Port users the opportunity to transition to zero emission alternatives. This funding comes after Lee led a letter with her congressional colleagues to EPA Administrator Michael Regan in July pushing for the grant application to be approved.

    This federal funding will advance the EPA Clean Ports Program’s mission of zero-emissions equipment at the Oakland Seaport and will help improve overall air quality at the Oakland Seaport and in neighboring communities. It is the largest-ever amount of federal funding for a Bay Area program aimed at cutting emissions from seaport cargo operations. The grant will finance 663 pieces of zero-emissions equipment which includes 475 drayage trucks and 188 pieces of cargo handling equipment.  

    “The climate crisis demands that we act urgently and boldly to protect our communities,” said Congresswoman Lee. “This investment will protect Oakland from the damaging effects of fossil fuels and will move us faster toward a zero-emissions future. Further, this investment will improve air quality and reduces pollution in local communities by cutting emissions from diesel-heavy port operations. This brings us closer to an economy that provides good jobs while expanding environmental justice. I’d like to thank the Biden-Harris administration for their leadership and my colleagues in the Northern California Delegation in Congress for their work in helping secure this funding. It is critical that we continue to invest in zero-emissions operations, and I’m proud the Port of Oakland is leading the way.”

    “California’s ports move the goods that power our economy. This historic investment of over $320 million in the Port of Oakland is a monumental step forward in accelerating the zero-emission infrastructure transition,” said Senator Alex Padilla. “Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, we’re decarbonizing our supply chain to produce cleaner air and protect public health in neighboring communities while developing the next-generation East Bay workforce.” 

    As a result of this critical funding, emissions reductions and climate adaptation community initiatives will see actionable and measurable results for the surrounding communities in Oakland.

    “I am thrilled to support the ‘Transforming the Port of Oakland to Zero Emissions Project,’ which will not only strengthen the local workforce but also provide zero-emission transportation alternatives for everyone, especially the region’s most underserved communities. This new EPA funding for the Port of Oakland unlocks critical federal financing to meet the Bay Area’s community priorities, reducing carbon emissions and supporting climate adaptation initiatives,” said Congressman John Garamendi (CA-08). “As a senior member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, one of my top priorities in Congress is securing federal investments that promote economic and environmental justice for all Californians.”

    “The EPA’s $322 million grant to support the ‘Transforming the Port of Oakland to Zero Emissions Project’ marks a huge step in our efforts to maintain the Port of Oakland as a key hub for goods movement and a sustainability leader for our region,” said Congressman Mike Thompson (CA-04). “I was glad to join Rep. Lee as she led Congressional support for the Port of Oakland’s application for this grant. This funding will help adapt Port operations in the face of climate change and I look forward to seeing the project’s community benefits, including improvements to our air quality and opportunities for local clean energy workforce development.”

    “The Port of Oakland is vital to our local economy and it’s critical that we advance its goals to reduce emissions.  Funding through the EPA’s Clean Ports Program, made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act, will support sustainability, make our air cleaner, and create good-paying jobs. I was proud to join Congresswoman Barbara Lee and my colleagues in supporting for this funding,” said Rep. Ro Khanna (CA-17).

    “Special thanks to Congresswoman Barbara Lee for always being a champion of the Port’s decarbonization efforts,” said Port of Oakland Executive Director Danny Wan. “These grant funds and our Clean Ports partnership with our customers and our community are transformative for the Port and the region—and will accelerate all of our zero emissions efforts currently underway.”

    “The Clean Ports grant from the U.S. EPA is a major environmental victory,” said Port of Oakland Board President Michael Colbruno. “We are grateful to U.S. Senators Laphonza Butler and Alex Padilla, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, and the Bay Area congressional delegation who stood together in strong advocacy for this grant. This funding will go a long way toward decarbonizing the Oakland supply chain and providing environmental and economic benefits for the region.” 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Myanmar fighters battle to hold prized city – AFP

    Source: United States Institute of Peace

    Red flags flutter over bullet-scarred buildings in the strategic Myanmar city of Lashio, which an ethnic minority armed group linked to China seized from the military in its biggest defeat for decades.

    Lashio is the largest urban centre to fall to any of Myanmar’s myriad ethnic minority armed groups — who have been fighting the central authorities on and off for decades — since the military first seized power in 1962. 

    But analysts say the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) will struggle to govern Lashio, which straddles a key trade route to China and normally has a population of 150,000.

    Most fled the weeks of fighting that culminated in the city’s capture last month, and those who remain fear a return to the bloody violence.

    Residents and rescue groups say dozens of civilians were killed or wounded as the military pounded the town with air strikes and both sides launched rockets and shells at each other.

    While the fighting has eased since August, junta planes are still flying sorties and conducting air strikes, including on Monday and Tuesday night. 

    “We cannot say Lashio is back to normal but everyone is trying to act like it’s normal,” real estate agent Soe Soe, 30, told AFP.

    She fled in July but returned after the MNDAA took over and said she will stay, even as smaller clashes continue in the vicinity. 

    “The situation is uncertain right now,” she added. “Everyone is afraid.”

    – ‘No experience’ –

    The MNDAA was part of a trio of ethnic armed groups that launched a coordinated offensive against the junta — which ousted Aung San Suu Kyi’s civilian government in 2021 — a year ago, taking it by surprise and seizing swathes of Shan state.

    Junta jets are still pounding the city and targets have included hospitals and administrative buildings, according to the US Institute of Peace’s Myanmar programme chief Jason Tower.

    They “seem to be focused on preventing the MNDAA from advancing post-conflict reconstruction and returning the city to normal under its governance”, he said.

    Running Lashio will stretch the MNDAA’s manpower and capacity, he told AFP.

    “It is now trying to govern a much larger territory and faces a wide range of challenges it has no experience dealing with.”

    – ‘Everyone is afraid’ –

    Lucrative lead, silver and zinc mines lie near Lashio, while hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of trade passes along the highway that snakes northeast to China through the jungle-clad Shan hills each year, according to the junta’s commerce ministry.

    Reaching the city is difficult due to fighting along the road.

    Within it, rifle-toting MNDAA policemen in black uniforms patrol the streets as the group — which analysts say maintains close ties with Beijing — works to convince former residents and businesses to return.

    Vendors marked out new plots at a market damaged during the fighting, but schools were shuttered and traffic was thin on the usually busy highway.

    As the group tries to restore normality, MNDAA-affiliated media have released regular updates about new administrative measures, from reorganising the main market to distributing rice and supplies to needly families.

    But many who fled the fighting are yet to return. 

    “Everyone is afraid because the fighting only just finished,” said Mae Gyi, 28, a vendor.

    Junta air strikes have killed and wounded several civilians, according to the MNDAA.

    And the ethnically Chinese MNDAA are an unknown quantity for Lashio’s diverse population of Bamar, Shan, and other groups.

    In areas controlled by the group in its Kokang homeland along the border with China’s Yunnan province, the language of administration, the currency and internet providers are all Chinese.

    It has other echoes with the People’s Republic: in April the MNDAA executed three of its members in the border city of Laukkai for murder and selling stolen weapons, following a public trial in which each of the accused wore a placard detailing their crimes in Chinese. 

    – Nowhere to go –

    The approach has alarmed some Lashio residents, with one former inhabitant — speaking on condition of anonymity — telling AFP they would not return until the MNDAA left.

    “Only our parents went back to Lashio,” the former resident said.

    But others have welcomed the tough approach.

    “The MNDAA has cleaned the town, and they have been helping the people… They helped to prevent prices from becoming too high,” said another former resident, whose family have returned.

    AFP has contacted the group on its plans for administering Lashio but received no response.

    Only “around 20-30 percent” of the town’s population had returned, said Soe Soe, but she was determined not to flee again despite the continuing low-level fighting.

    “We don’t have anywhere else to go,” she said. “So I came back to Lashio and am trying my best to stay here.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sectors strengthen ties for expanded Basilan peace works – The Philippine Star

    Source: United States Institute of Peace

    John Unson – Philstar.com

    September 22, 2024 | 4:18pm

    Brig. Gen. Alvin Luzon of the Army’s 101st Infantry Brigade huddles with Haroro Ingram, Philippine country director of the United States Institute of Peace at the sideline of the multi-sector peace dialogue in Lamitan City, Basilan on Sept. 20, 2024.

    Photo courtesy of Philstar.com / John Unson

    COTABATO CITY — The military, police, the United States Institute of Peace and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in Basilan have strengthened ties to keep the tranquility now felt in the island province.

    All of the 11 towns and the Lamitan City in Basilan, scenes of bloody clashes between Moro secessionist groups and government forces in decades past, had all been cleared from presence of the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group via joint peacebuilding programs of local government units, the police and the military’s Western Mindanao Command.

    Radio reports in Cotabato City on Sunday, September 22, stated that officials of the Army’s 101st Infantry Brigade, the Basilan Provincial Police Office and representatives of the joint Government-MILF Coordinating Committee agreed to continue cooperating on programs complementing the Mindanao peace process during a dialogue in Barangay Matatag in Lamitan City on Friday, September 20.

    Haroro Ingram, the Philippine country director of the United States Institute of Peace, or USIP, was present in the peace and security conference, where cooperation among key players in keeping the peace now in Basilan was discussed by participants, among them the commander of the Army’s 101st Infantry Brigade, Brig Gen. Alvin Luzon, and Basilan provincial police director, Police Colonel Cerrazid Umabong.

    Local officials were quoted in Sunday’s radio reports in Cotabato as saying that the visit to Basilan on Friday of Haroro and in recent months by representatives of different foreign humanitarian entities and peace advocacy organizations, is essential to their efforts of enticing investors from other regions and from abroad to venture into viable agricultural projects in the province.

    Friday’s peace and security conference in Lamitan City reportedly delved partly on the need to maintain cohesion in peacebuilding activities of all sectors in Basilan, including the Government-MILF Coordinating Committee, the 101st Infantry Brigade, the provincial police and its component municipal police stations.

    The 101st Infantry Brigade, units in Basilan of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region and local officials were credited then for the peace and calm now spreading around the four corners of the province. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 60 Years Ago: The First Flight of the Lunar Landing Research Vehicle

    Source: NASA

    President John F. Kennedy’s national commitment to land a man on the Moon and return him safely to the Earth before the end of the decade posed multiple challenges, among them how to train astronauts to land on the Moon, a place with no atmosphere and one-sixth the gravity on Earth. The Lunar Landing Research Vehicle (LLRV) and its successor the Lunar Landing Training Vehicle (LLTV) provided the training tool to simulate the final 200 feet of the descent to the lunar surface. The ungainly aircraft made its first flight on Oct. 30, 1964, at NASA’s Flight Research Center (FRC), now NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center (AFRC) in California. The Apollo astronauts who completed landings on the Moon attributed their successes largely to training in these vehicles.
    The first Lunar Landing Research Vehicle silhouetted against the rising sun on the dry lakebed at Edwards Air Force Base in California’s Mojave Desert.
    In December 1961, NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., received an unsolicited proposal from Bell Aerosystems in Buffalo, New York, for a design of a flying simulator to train astronauts on landing a spacecraft on the Moon. Bell’s approach, using their design merged with concepts developed at NASA’s FRC, won approval and the space agency funded the design and construction of two Lunar Landing Research Vehicles (LLRV). At the time of the proposal, NASA had not yet chosen the method for getting to and landing on the Moon, but once NASA decided on Lunar Orbit Rendezvous in July 1962, the Lunar Module’s (LM) flying characteristics matched Bell’s proposed design closely enough that the LLRV served as an excellent trainer. 
    Two views of the first Lunar Landing Research Vehicle shortly after its arrival and prior to assembly at the Flight Research Center, now NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center, in California.
    Bell Aerosystems delivered the LLRV-1 to FRC on April 8, 1964, where it made history as the first pure fly-by-wire aircraft to fly in Earth’s atmosphere. Its design relied exclusively on an interface with three analog computers to convert the pilot’s movements to signals transmitted by wire and to execute his commands. The open-framed LLRV used a downward pointing turbofan engine to counteract five-sixths of the vehicle’s weight to simulate lunar gravity, two rockets provided thrust for the descent and horizontal translation, and 16 LM-like thrusters provided three-axis attitude control. The astronauts could thus simulate maneuvering and landing on the lunar surface while still on Earth. The LLRV pilot could use an aircraft-style ejection seat to escape from the vehicle in case of loss of control.
    Left: The Lunar Landing Research Vehicle-1 (LLRV-1) during an engine test at NASA’s Flight Research Center (FRC), now NASA’s Armstrong Fight Research Center, in California’s Mojave Desert. Right: NASA chief test pilot Joseph “Joe” A. Walker, left, demonstrates the features of LLRV-1 to President Lyndon B. Johnson during his visit to FRC.
    Engineers conducted numerous tests to prepare the LLRV for its first flight. During one of the engine tests, the thrust generated was higher than anticipated, lifting crew chief Raymond White and the LLRV about a foot off the ground before White could shut off the engines. On June 19, during an official visit to FRC, President Lyndon B. Johnson inspected the LLRV featured on a static display. The Secret Service would not allow the President to sit in the LLRV’s cockpit out of an overabundance of caution since the pyrotechnics were installed, but not yet armed, in the ejection seat. Following a Preflight Readiness Review held Aug. 13 and 14, managers cleared the LLRV for its first flight.
    Left: NASA chief test pilot Joseph “Joe” A. Walker during the first flight of the Lunar Landing Research Vehicle (LLRV). Right: Walker shortly after the first LLRV flight.
    In the early morning of Oct. 30, 1964, FRC chief pilot Joseph “Joe” A. Walker arrived at Edwards Air Force Base’s (AFB) South Base to attempt the first flight of the LLRV. Walker, a winner of both the Collier Trophy and the Harmon International Trophy, had flown nearly all experimental aircraft at Edwards including 25 flights in the X-15 rocket plane. On two of his X-15 flights, Walker earned astronaut wings by flying higher than 62 miles, the unofficial boundary between the Earth’s atmosphere and space. After strapping into the LLRV’s ejection seat, Walker ran through the preflight checklist before advancing the throttle to begin the first flight. The vehicle rose 10 feet in the air, Walker performed a few small maneuvers and then made a soft landing after having flown for 56 seconds. He lifted off again, performed some more maneuvers, and landed again after another 56 seconds. On his third flight, the vehicle’s electronics shifted into backup mode and he landed the craft after only 29 seconds. Walker seemed satisfied with how the LLRV handled on its first flights.
    Left: Lunar Landing Research Vehicle-2 (LLRV-2) during one of its six flights at the Flight Research Center, now NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center, in California in January 1967. Right: NASA astronaut Neil A. Armstrong with LLRV-1 at Ellington Air Force Base in March 1967.
    Walker took LLRV-1 aloft again on Nov. 16 and eventually completed 35 test flights with the vehicle. Test pilots Donald “Don” L. Mallick, who completed the first simulated lunar landing profile flight during the LLRV’s 35th flight on Sept. 8, 1965, and Emil E. “Jack” Kluever, who made his first flight on Dec. 13, 1965, joined Walker to test the unique aircraft. Joseph S. “Joe” Algranti and Harold E. “Bud” Ream, pilots at the Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC), now NASA’s Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, travelled to FRC to begin training flights with the LLRV in August 1966. Workers at FRC assembled the second vehicle, LLRV-2, during the latter half of 1966. In December 1966, after 198 flights workers transferred LLRV-1 to Ellington AFB near MSC for the convenience of astronaut training, and LLRV-2 followed in January 1967 after completing six test flights at FRC. The second LLRV made no further flights, partly because the three Lunar Landing Training Vehicles (LLTVs), more advanced models that better simulated the LM’s flying characteristics, began to arrive at Ellington in October 1967. Neil A. Armstrong completed the first astronaut flights aboard LLRV-1 on Mar. 23, 1967, and flew 21 flights before ejecting from the vehicle on May 6, 1968, seconds before it crashed. He later completed his lunar landing certification flights using LLTV-2 in June 1969, one month before peforming the actual feat on the Moon.
    Left: Apollo 11 Commander Neil A. Armstrong prepares to fly a lunar landing profile in Lunar Landing Training Vehicle-2 (LLTV-2) in June 1969. Middle: Apollo 12 Commander Charles “Pete” Conrad prepares to fly LLTV-2 in July 1969. Right: Apollo 14 Commander Alan B. Shepard flies LLTV-3 in December 1970.
    All Apollo Moon landing mission commanders and their backups completed their lunar landing certifications using the LLTV, and all the commanders attributed their successful landings to having trained in the LLTV. Apollo 8 astronaut William A. Anders, who along with Armstrong completed some of the early LLRV test flights, called the training vehicle “a much unsung hero of the Apollo program.” During the flight readiness review in January 1970 to clear LLTV-3 for astronaut flights, Apollo 11 Commander Armstrong and Apollo 12 Commander Charles “Pete” Conrad, who had by then each completed manual landings on the Moon, spoke positively of the LLTV’s role in their training. Armstrong’s overall impression of the LLTV: “All the pilots … thought it was an extremely important part of their preparation for the lunar landing attempt,” adding “It was a contrary machine, and a risky machine, but a very useful one.” Conrad emphasized that were he “to go back to the Moon again on another flight, I personally would want to fly the LLTV again as close to flight time as possible.” During the Apollo 12 technical debriefs, Conrad stated the “the LLTV is an excellent training vehicle for the final phases. I think it’s almost essential. I feel it really gave me the confidence that I needed.” During the postflight debriefs, Apollo 14 Commander Alan B. Shepard stated that he “did feel that the LLTV contributed to my overall ability to fly the LM during the landing.”
    Left: Apollo 15 Commander David R. Scott flies Lunar Landing Training Vehicle-3 (LLTV-3) in June 1971. Middle: Apollo 16 Commander John W. Young prepares to fly LLTV-3 in March 1972. Right: Apollo 17 Commander Eugene A. Cernan prepares for a flight aboard LLTV-3 in October 1972.
    David R. Scott, Apollo 15 commander, stated in the final mission report that “the combination of visual simulations and LLTV flying provided excellent training for the actual lunar landing. Comfort and confidence existed throughout this phase.” In the Apollo 15 postflight debrief, Scott stated that he “felt very comfortable flying the vehicle (LM) manually, because of the training in the LLTV, and there was no question in my mind that I could put it down where I wanted to. I guess I can’t say enough about that training. I think the LLTV is an excellent simulation of the vehicle.” Apollo 16 Commander John W. Young offered perhaps the greatest praise for the vehicle just moments after landing on the lunar surface: “Just like flying the LLTV. Piece of cake.” Young reiterated during the postflight debriefs that “from 200 feet on down, I never looked in the cockpit. It was just like flying the LLTV.” Apollo 17 Commander Eugene A. Cernan stated in the postflight debrief that “the most significant part of the final phases from 500 feet down, … was that it was extremely comfortable flying the bird. I contribute (sic) that primarily to the LLTV flying operations.”
    Left: Workers move Lunar Landing Research Vehicle-2 from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center for display at the Air Force Test Flight Museum at Edwards Air Force Base. Right: Lunar Landing Training Vehicle-3 on display outside the Teague Auditorium at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
    In addition to playing a critical role in the Moon landing program, these early research and test vehicles aided in the development of digital fly-by-wire technology for future aircraft. LLRV-2 is on display at the Air Force Flight Test Museum at Edwards AFB (on loan from AFRC). Visitors can view LLTV-3 suspended from the ceiling in the lobby of the Teague Auditorium at JSC.
    The monograph Unconventional, Contrary, and Ugly: The Lunar Landing Research Vehicle provides an excellent and detailed history of the LLRV.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA, NOAA Rank 2024 Ozone Hole as 7th-Smallest Since Recovery Began

    Source: NASA

    Healing continues in the atmosphere over the Antarctic: a hole that opens annually in the ozone layer over Earth’s southern pole was relatively small in 2024 compared to other years. Scientists with NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) project the ozone layer could fully recover by 2066.

    During the peak of ozone depletion season from Sept. 7 through Oct. 13, the 2024 area of the ozone hole ranked the seventh smallest since recovery began in 1992, when the Montreal Protocol, a landmark international agreement to phase out ozone-depleting chemicals, began to take effect.
    At almost 8 million square miles (20 million square kilometers), the monthly average ozone-depleted region in the Antarctic this year was nearly three times the size of the contiguous U.S. The hole reached its greatest one-day extent for the year on Sept. 28 at 8.5 million square miles (22.4 million square kilometers).
    The improvement is due to a combination of continuing declines in harmful chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) chemicals, along with an unexpected infusion of ozone carried by air currents from north of the Antarctic, scientists said.

    [embedded content]
    The ozone hole over Antarctica reached its annual maximum extent on Sept. 28, 2024, with an area of 8.5 million square miles (22.4 million square kilometers).Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/ Kathleen Gaeta

    In previous years, NASA and NOAA have reported the ozone hole ranking using a time frame dating back to 1979, when scientists began tracking Antarctic ozone levels with satellite data. Using that longer record, this year’s hole ranked 20th smallest in area across the 45 years of observations.
    “The 2024 Antarctic hole is smaller than ozone holes seen in the early 2000s,” said Paul Newman, leader of NASA’s ozone research team and chief scientist for Earth sciences at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “The gradual improvement we’ve seen in the past two decades shows that international efforts that curbed ozone-destroying chemicals are working.”
    The ozone-rich layer high in the atmosphere acts as a planetary sunscreen that helps shield us from harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the Sun. Areas with depleted ozone allow more UV radiation, resulting in increased cases of skin cancer and cataracts. Excessive exposure to UV light can also reduce agricultural yields as well as damage aquatic plants and animals in vital ecosystems.
    Scientists were alarmed in the 1970s at the prospect that CFCs could eat away at atmospheric ozone. By the mid-1980s, the ozone layer had been depleted so much that a broad swath of the Antarctic stratosphere was essentially devoid of ozone by early October each year. Sources of damaging CFCs included coolants in refrigerators and air conditioners, as well as aerosols in hairspray, antiperspirant, and spray paint. Harmful chemicals were also released in the manufacture of insulating foams and as components of industrial fire suppression systems.
    The Montreal Protocol was signed in 1987 to phase out CFC-based products and processes. Countries worldwide agreed to replace the chemicals with more environmentally friendly alternatives by 2010. The release of CFC compounds has dramatically decreased following the Montreal Protocol. But CFCs already in the air will take many decades to break down. As existing CFC levels gradually decline, ozone in the upper atmosphere will rebound globally, and ozone holes will shrink.

    [embedded content]
    Ozone 101 is the first in a series of explainer videos outlining the fundamentals of popular Earth science topics. Let’s back up to the basics and understand what caused the Ozone Hole, its effects on the planet, and what scientists predict will happen in future decades.Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/ Kathleen Gaeta

    “For 2024, we can see that the ozone hole’s severity is below average compared to other years in the past three decades, but the ozone layer is still far from being fully healed,” said Stephen Montzka, senior scientist of the NOAA Global Monitoring Laboratory.
    Researchers rely on a combination of systems to monitor the ozone layer. They include instruments on NASA’s Aura satellite, the NOAA-20 and NOAA-21 satellites, and the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership satellite, jointly operated by NASA and NOAA. 
    NOAA scientists also release instrumented weather balloons from the South Pole Baseline Atmospheric Observatory to observe ozone concentrations directly overhead in a measurement called Dobson Units. The 2024 concentration reached its lowest value of 109 Dobson Units on October 5. The lowest value ever recorded over the South Pole was 92 Dobson Units in October 2006.
    NASA and NOAA satellite observations of ozone concentrations cover the entire ozone hole, which can produce a slightly smaller value for the lowest Dobson Unit measurement.
    “That is well below the 225 Dobson Units that was typical of the ozone cover above the Antarctic in 1979,” said NOAA research chemist Bryan Johnson. “So, there’s still a long way to go before atmospheric ozone is back to the levels before the advent of widespread CFC pollution.”
    View the latest status of the ozone layer over the Antarctic with NASA’s ozone watch.
    By James RiordonNASA’s Earth Science News Team
    Media Contact:Jacob RichmondNASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.jacob.richmond@nasa.gov

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senate Natural Resources and Environment: Disaster Mitigation and Resilience Subcommittee to Hold First Meeting

    Source: US State of Georgia

    ATLANTA (October 30, 2024) — On Monday, November 4, at 9:00 a.m., the Senate Natural Resources and Environment Subcommittee on Disaster Mitigation and Resilience, chaired by Sen. Lee Anderson (R–Grovetown), will hold its first meeting in Newnan.

    EVENT DETAILS:                      

    • Date: Monday, November 4, 2024
    • Time: 9:00 a.m.
    • Location: Newnan High School, 190 Lagrange St, Newnan, GA 30263
    • This event is open to the public and will be live-streamed on the Georgia General Assembly website here.

    ABOUT THE MEETING:         

    The Senate Committee on Natural Resources and the Environment has general jurisdiction over issues related to the development, regulation and conservation of the state’s public lands and its natural resources, which includes water, energy and wildlife. Additional Senate members appointed to serve on the subcommittee include Sen. Jason Anavitarte (R–Dallas), Sen. Matt Brass (R–Newnan), Sen. Frank Ginn (R–Danielsville), Majority Leader Sen. Steve Gooch (R–Dahlonega), Sen. Russ Goodman (R–Cogdell), Sen. Marty Harbin (R–Tyrone), Sen. Freddie Powell Sims (D–Dawson) and Sen. Sam Watson (R–Moultrie). More information on the subcommittee can be found here.

    MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES:

    We kindly request that members of the media confirm their attendance in advance by contacting Jantz Womack at SenatePressInquiries@senate.ga.gov.

    # # # #

    Sen. Lee Anderson serves as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and the Environment. He represents the 24th Senate District, which includes Elbert, Greene, Hart, Lincoln, Oglethorpe, and Wilkes County, as well as most of Columbia County. He can be reached at 404.656.5114 or via email at lee.anderson@senate.ga.gov

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Joint Statement of the U.S. Department of Justice and the United Kingdom Home Office on a Multilateral Meeting to Address State-Sponsored High-Harm Physical Threats and Other Forms of Transnational Repression

    Source: United States Attorneys General 7

    On Oct. 10, the U.S. Department of Justice and the United Kingdom Home Office convened a multilateral meeting at the U.S. Embassy in London to address the urgent challenge of state-sponsored high-harm physical threats and other forms of transnational repression. The meeting was co-chaired by Matthew G. Olsen, Assistant Attorney General for National Security from the U.S. Department of Justice, and Chloe Squires, Director General for Homeland Security from the U.K. Home Office.

    The meeting brought together senior government officials from partner nations that are confronting increasing levels of transnational violence perpetrated by state actors, particularly authoritarian regimes, and their proxies. This meeting included representatives from intelligence, law enforcement, prosecutorial, and policy organizations to share disruption strategies for countering the alarming rise in transnational assassination plots, kidnappings, and other acts of violence and repression.

    The engagement was designed to achieve a common understanding of the threat landscape, share operational and strategic approaches to counter the threat, and identify opportunities for ongoing collaboration and partnership. At the conclusion, participants agreed to establish a regular working group to maintain shared visibility into the threat in member countries and to review and develop strategies to increase the capacity of the partner nations to deter and disrupt state-sponsored violence and repression.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Orrön Energy AB’s Nomination Committee

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Orrön Energy AB (“Orrön Energy”) is pleased to announce the composition of the Nomination Committee for the 2025 Annual General Meeting (“AGM”) to be held on 5 May 2025.

    The Nomination Committee has been formed with the following members:

    • Aksel Azrac (Nemesia S.à.r.l.)
    • Sussi Kvart (Handelsbanken Fonder AB)
    • Richard Ollerhead (JNE Partners LLP)

    At the Nomination Committee’s first meeting, Aksel Azrac was elected as Chair of the Nomination Committee.

    The Nomination Committee shall make recommendations to the 2025 AGM regarding:

    • Election of the Chair of the 2025 AGM
    • Remuneration of the members of the Board of Directors, distinguishing between the Chair and other members, and remuneration for Board Committee work
    • Election of members of the Board of Directors, including number of members
    • Election of the Chair of the Board of Directors
    • Remuneration of the auditor
    • Election of the auditor
    • Nomination Committee Process for the 2026 AGM, if any amendments are proposed to the Process for the 2025 AGM

    Shareholders who wish to present a motion to the Nomination Committee regarding the above-mentioned matters, should contact the Chair of the Nomination Committee, Aksel Azrac, at nomcom@orron.com no later than 31 January 2025.

    For further information, please contact:

    Robert Eriksson
    Director Corporate Affairs and Investor Relations
    Tel: +46 701 11 26 15
    robert.eriksson@orron.com

    Jenny Sandström
    Communications Lead
    Tel: +41 79 431 63 68
    jenny.sandstrom@orron.com

    Orrön Energy is an independent, publicly listed (Nasdaq Stockholm: “ORRON”) renewable energy company within the Lundin Group of Companies. Orrön Energy’s core portfolio consists of high quality, cash flow generating assets in the Nordics, coupled with greenfield growth opportunities in the Nordics and Europe. With significant financial capacity to fund further growth and acquisitions, and backed by a major shareholder, management and Board with a proven track record of investing into, leading and growing highly successful businesses, Orrön Energy is in a unique position to create shareholder value through the energy transition.

    Forward-looking statements
    Statements in this press release relating to any future status or circumstances, including statements regarding future performance, growth and other trend projections, are forward-looking statements. These statements may generally, but not always, be identified by the use of words such as “anticipate”, “believe”, “expect”, “intend”, “plan”, “seek”, “will”, “would” or similar expressions. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that could occur in the future. There can be no assurance that actual results will not differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements due to several factors, many of which are outside the company’s control. Any forward-looking statements in this press release speak only as of the date on which the statements are made and the company has no obligation (and undertakes no obligation) to update or revise any of them, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: AppFolio Unleashes Realm-X AI Capabilities, Previews FolioSpace, and Unveils Cutting-Edge Property Management Solutions at FUTURE 2024

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN DIEGO, Oct. 30, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — AppFolio (NASDAQ: APPF), the technology leader powering the future of the real estate industry, today concludes FUTURE: The Real Estate Conference by AppFolio, capping off three days of industry-leading innovation and customer impact. During the conference, AppFolio announced the general availability of its embedded generative AI AppFolio Realm-X capabilities to its customers. Attendees also explored innovations in automating property operations, student and affordable housing, and resident experience, while connecting with industry leaders and discovering new solutions to transform their team’s productivity, elevate the resident experience, and increase performance.

    AppFolio Realm-X Revolutionizes Property Management
    Since its beta launch in June, Realm-X’s AI-powered solutions have created significant value for property managers, enabling them to automate routine tasks, streamline communication, and enable property managers to focus on improving performance. On average, Realm-X users save over 10 hours per week on tasks on their to-do lists. And in the last 30 days, customers have sent almost half a million Realm-X-generated messages, saving 26 seconds on average compared to a message composed without its help — equivalent to three full work weeks every year.

    • Realm-X Assistant is a modern co-pilot experience that handles ad hoc tasks like generating reports, managing vendor interactions, and drafting personalized emails and text messages for streamlined communication.
    • Realm-X Messages is a reimagined inbox that helps property managers sort through resident communications, offering quick, clear, personalized responses.
    • Realm-X Flows is a workflow automation engine that helps teams standardize processes and increase the speed, efficiency, and consistency of how they are executed.

    “The impact of Realm-X on our day-to-day operations has been remarkable. What used to take my team over 18 hours weekly—manually combing through data and responding to resident communications—now feels effortless, like we’ve been handed a magic wand,” said Maliyah Williams, Property Operations Specialist at Fairlawn. “It’s given us more time to focus on what truly matters—enhancing the resident experience and driving our business forward.”

    AppFolio Realm-X Assistant and Messages are now available to all customers, and Realm-X Flows is available to customers on AppFolio Property Manager Plus and Max plans.

    FolioSpace Is About to Transform the Resident Experience
    Last week, AppFolio announced FolioSpace™, the next-generation resident experience that redefines how property managers and residents connect throughout the entire resident journey. FolioSpace will enable AppFolio’s 20,000 property management customers to create a unified and elevated experience for the millions of residents they serve — from application through renewal. Learn more about FolioSpace.

    Additional Innovations Unveiled at FUTURE
    AppFolio introduced a host of key product innovations designed to streamline property management operations and enhance flexibility for customers managing mixed portfolios. These new features provide property managers with enhanced tools to improve efficiency, drive revenue, and better serve residents.

    • For accounting, the new Bill Approval Flows process allows customizable workflows for approvals based on vendor type, GL account, or amount. Additionally, the Budgeting Leasing Assumptions tool helps users input projected leasing metrics to better inform property budgets.
    • In maintenance, Smart Maintenance Billing empowers in-house maintenance teams to improve profitability, save hours of manual work, and ensure consistency. Smart Maintenance Scheduling reduces the hassle of coordinating maintenance technicians through integrated scheduling features, enhancing operational efficiency and boosting profitability.
    • For leasing management, Box Score Report provides at-a-glance visibility into leasing and occupancy activity across unit types, properties, and portfolios, so managers can identify areas of friction and make smarter performance optimization decisions.
    • Within student housing, Flexible Leasing capabilities, announced earlier this year, enable operators to lease by the bed or for groups (joint & several), allowing them to fill vacancies during pre-leasing. For affordable housing, Waitlist facilitates oversight of critical waitlist requirements and key application details in Property Manager, essential for managing HUD units.
    • In reporting and budgeting, Modern Reports Interface makes it easier to customize, analyze, and share data reports – ranging from standard features, such as sorting, multi-sorting and row filters, to advanced features, such as pivot tables and charts, available with Plus and Max plans. All new customers will gain access to this feature during FUTURE.
    • With the rise of fraud cases, Document Verification detects content tampering and tests the authenticity of the pay stubs applicants submit. Additionally, ID Verification authenticates an applicant’s identity in real time.

    During FUTURE, nearly 2,000 attendees gathered to feel confident in the future, better their business, and be inspired by transformative keynotes from New York Times #1 Best-Selling Author Daniel Pink and Three-Time Olympic Gold Medalist Kerri Walsh Jennings. To watch a replay of the opening mainstage session click here.

    “Our FUTURE conference has been an incredible journey, bringing together the most forward-thinking leaders in real estate,” said Lisa Horner, SVP of Marketing at AppFolio. “From our immersive training and certification sessions to insightful presentations from our AppFolio Stack Partners, we’ve seen firsthand how innovation is shaping the industry today. We’re deeply grateful to our long-time customers, our Customer Advisory Board, and industry advocates like NAA, NMHC, and IREM for making this event unforgettable. Together, we’re not just envisioning the future of real estate—we’re building it.”

    About AppFolio
    AppFolio is the technology leader powering the future of the real estate industry. Our innovative platform and trusted partnership enable our customers to connect communities, increase operational efficiency, and grow their business. For more information about AppFolio, visit appfolio.com.

    For more information, please contact:
    Mission North for AppFolio
    appfolio@missionnorth.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Razor Energy Corp. Announces Sale Transaction

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES. ANY FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THIS RESTRICTION MAY CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF U.S. SECURITIES LAW.

    CALGARY, Alberta, Oct. 30, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Razor Energy Corp. (and together with its wholly-owned subsidiaries, Blade Energy Services Corp. and Razor Holdings GP Corp., collectively (unless the context requires otherwise), the “the Corporation” or “Razor”) announces its intention to complete a sale transaction and ancillary steps (collectively, the “Transaction”) pursuant to a Subscription Agreement, dated October 27, 2024 (the “Subscription Agreement”), between the Corporation, as vendor, and Texcal Energy Canada Inc. (the “Purchaser”). The Subscription Agreement was entered into in connection with the Corporation’s proceedings under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (Canada) (the “CCAA Proceedings”) and the related sales and investment solicitation process (the “SISP”) approved by the Court of King’s Bench of Alberta (the “Court”), whereby the Purchaser was selected as the successful bidder under the SISP.

    The Transaction, as contemplated by the Subscription Agreement, includes, among other things, that: (i) the Purchaser will subscribe for certain common shares in the capital of the Corporation; (ii) all other equity interests in the Corporation shall be retracted and cancelled, for nominal consideration of $0.00001 per common share; and, (iii) upon the closing of the Subscription Agreement, the Purchaser shall obtain and hold one hundred percent (100%) of all issued and outstanding common shares of the Corporation, all on and subject to the terms and conditions of the Subscription Agreement.

    The Transaction is a result of the implementation of the SISP, is conditional upon the approval of the Court, and is to be given effect by way of a reverse vesting order and certain ancillary relief, to be granted within the CCAA Proceedings.

    The Corporation intends to appear before the Court on November 8, 2024, or as soon as possible thereafter, to seek orders approving the Subscription Agreement and the Transaction. A copy of the Subscription Agreement and more information related to the CCAA Proceedings can be found on the Court-appointed Monitor’s website at http://cfcanada.fticonsulting.com/razor-blade.

    If you have any questions regarding the foregoing or require further information, please consult the Monitor’s website at http://cfcanada.fticonsulting.com/razor-blade or by contacting the Monitor at:

    Phone: 1-403-454-6037

    Email: Cameron.Browning@FTIConsulting.com

    READER ADVISORIES

    FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS: This press release contains certain statements that may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Such statements relate to possible future events, including, but not limited to: the anticipated structure of the Transaction; the ability of the Corporation and the Purchaser to satisfy the conditions to, and to complete, the Transaction; and the anticipated timing of closing of the Transaction and the required Court approvals. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as “anticipate”, “believe”, “expect”, “plan”, “estimate”, “potential”, “will”, “should”, “continue”, “may”, “objective” and similar expressions. The forward-looking statements are based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by Razor. Although Razor believes that the expectations and assumptions on which the forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements because Razor can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks. Please also refer to the risk factors identified in the most recent annual information form and management discussion and analysis of Razor which are available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date hereof and Razor undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws.

    Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Secretary-General’s remarks at the Ministerial Breakfast on the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to end Plastic Pollution [as delivered]

    Source: United Nations – English

    xcellencies, Friends,

    We are here today as we enter the last stretch of a crucial negotiation.

    Next month, Member States will meet in Busan, Republic of Korea to negotiate a multilateral solution to end plastic pollution.

    A solution that is vital for people, planet and prosperity alike.

    My thanks to the Government of Colombia for bringing us together today.

    And I commend you for leading by example – with ambitious national measures to reduce single-use plastics.

    Excellencies, dear Friends,

    We are here because we know the obvious.

    Plastic pollution is everywhere – all around us and even inside us – from our seas to our blood, to our brains.

    We are choking on plastic.

    Every year, people may ingest the equivalent of up to 50 plastic bags due to microplastics in food.

    Each year, humanity produces over 460 million metric tonnes of plastic.

    Half of it is designed for single-use purposes – used once and tossed away.

    By 2050, there could be more plastic in the ocean than fish.

    And so, it is clear that we need action, and fortunately, people are now demanding it.

    Excellencies, dear Friends,

    We would not be here today but for the historic step taken by Peru and Rwanda in introducing a joint proposal that paved the way for the adoption, in 2022, at the UN Environment Assembly, of a landmark resolution to begin the process to end plastic pollution.

    Since then, solidarity has been the hallmark of these negotiations.

    We see this solidarity enshrined in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework that has reinforced the importance of addressing pollution from all sources to reduce the impacts of pollution on ecosystems and biodiversity.

    And we see this solidarity in the Pact for the Future, through which Member States recommitted to work towards the conclusion of a plastics agreement “with the ambition of completing negotiations by the end of 2024”.

    In Busan, Member States will have the chance to deliver on these promises and agree on a global treaty to end plastic pollution – once and for all.

    This has not been a road without challenges, but it has been a journey of progress.

    I thank the Chair of the International Negotiating Committee, Luis Vayas Valdivieso, as well as his predecessor Gustavo Meza-Cuadra, for getting us through five rounds of complex negotiations.

    This is an opportunity to demonstrate that multilateralism, while not always easy, can deliver for people, health and the environment.

    The ball is now in the court of Member States to land an agreement that is ambitious, credible and just.  

    An agreement that addresses the life cycle of plastic – tackling single-use and short-lived plastics;

    An agreement that responds to the needs of people and communities and that unleashes a just transition for all – including 20 million waste pickers around the world. 

    Excellencies, dear Friends,

    As the Montreal Protocol demonstrated almost forty years ago, international cooperation underpinned by meaningful legally binding agreements remains the most fruitful avenue to address global environmental challenges.

    I urge you to step up for human health, equity and justice.

    To step up for the future of people and planet.

    An ambitious agreement is the only way to end plastic pollution.

    Thank you.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and South Korean Defense Minister Brief the Media

    Source: United States Department of Defense (video statements)

    Lloyd J. Austin III and South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun hold a joint press conference at the Pentagon on October 30, 2024.
    —————
    Your military is an all-volunteer force that serves to protect our security and way of life, but Service members are more than a fighting force. They are leaders, humanitarians and your fellow Americans. Get to know more about the men and women who serve, who they are, what they do, and why they do it.

    For more on the Department of Defense, visit: http://www.defense.gov
    —————
    Keep up with the Department of Defense on social media!

    Like the DoD on Facebook: http://facebook.com/DeptofDefense
    Follow the DoD on Twitter: http://twitter.com/DeptofDefense
    Follow the DoD on Instagram: http://instagram.com/DeptofDefense
    Follow the DoD on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/DeptofDefense

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtiMF0VKZ34

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI USA: CONGRESSMAN PAT RYAN, GOVERNOR KATHY HOCHUL, AND MAYOR YVONNE FLOWERS ANNOUNCE LANDMARK FUNDING TO TACKLE CITY’S LEAD PIPE CRISIS

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Pat Ryan (New York 18th)

    Congressman Pat Ryan, Governor Kathy Hochul, and Mayor Yvonne Flowers Announce Landmark Funding to Tackle City’s Lead Pipe Crisis

    Lead pipes can leach the toxin into drinking water, exposing families to the extreme health hazard; Nearly $12M will help Poughkeepsie remove the toxic pipes from the city’s drinking water infrastructure

    Announcement builds on Ryan’s record of fighting for clean water for Hudson Valley families and his commitment to eliminating sources of lead exposure from NY-18 communities

    POUGHKEEPSIE, NY  –  Today, Congressman Pat Ryan, Governor Kathy Hochul, and Mayor Yvonne Flowers announced $11,869,472 in funding to tackle Poughkeepsie’s lead pipe crisis and remove the toxic service lines from the city’s drinking water system. The funding from New York State will help the city identify the locations of lead service lines, inventory the extent of the city’s lead pipe crisis, and fund the beginning of lead pipe removal projects. Congressman Ryan has fought for federal resources to help Poughkeepsie address its lead pipe crisis, including bringing Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) leadership to the city last year. 

    “Freedom means every American has the right to breathe clean air and drink clean water, and that’s why I’m pushing relentlessly to remove every last toxic lead pipe from the Hudson Valley,” said Congressman Pat Ryan. “Today’s funding is a huge step towards ensuring that parents in Poughkeepsie never have to worry if the water coming out of the faucet is safe for their kids. I’m proud to work alongside Governor Hochul and Mayor Flowers in this fight – we will not rest until our communities are free from toxic lead pipes for good.”

    “When it comes to New York’s water infrastructure, we’re getting the lead out,” Governor Hochul said. “We’re continuing to give municipalities the resources and support they need to replace lead water pipes and protect public drinking water.”

    “I thank Governor Hochul and Congressman Ryan for their tremendous efforts on this critically important public health issue,” said City of Poughkeepsie Mayor Yvonne Flowers. “The city recognizes it cannot complete this work without strong state and federal partners. We need their financial resources to address the significant costs it will take to replace thousands of lead pipes throughout our city to reduce our residents’ risk of lead poisoning. The city intends to methodically move forward with the allotted money and will continue to aggressively seek more funds.”

    There is no safe blood lead level for children. The corrosion of aging and outdated lead water pipes can cause toxic lead to leach into the drinking water supply, which is linked to significant adverse health effects including permanent neurological damage and impaired cognitive abilities, especially in children, as well as fertility and renal issues in adults.

    Today’s announcement comes only weeks after the Biden-Harris Administration announced that all lead pipes in drinking water systems across the country must be removed within the next ten years. Ryan applauded the announcement as a major step towards his goal of removing all lead pipes in Hudson Valley communities. The Biden Administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) will deliver $15 billion towards these efforts.

    The $11,869,472 announced today comes from state funding designated to help cover the costs of lead service line replacement projects that received financing through the federal BIL but whose costs were not fully covered by BIL grants. This funding comes in addition to the funding already allocated through the BIL and the State’s Water Infrastructure grant program. This unprecedented move takes the fiscal pressure off communities, allowing them to replace more lead service lines without incurring additional costs. The State’s comprehensive approach continues to provide communities with the resources they need to improve their water infrastructure. Last year, the City of Poughkeepsie was deemed eligible to receive $3.2 million in BIL funding to identify and inventory the locations of lead service lines and begin replacement projects. 

    Ryan has built a record of fighting for clean water for Hudson Valley families and has prioritized removing sources of toxic lead exposure from Hudson Valley communities. Ryan has especially targeted his efforts to addressing the City of Poughkeepsie’s lead pipe crisis and delivering the federal resources needed to eliminate all lead pipes from the city’s drinking water system. On August 1, 2023, Ryan brought EPA leadership to Poughkeepsie to assist the city in securing resources for lead pipe removal projects. Ryan had pressed the EPA to commit to visiting the city in a July 13, 2023 House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing and for it to work closely with the city to usher in the federal resources needed to protect Poughkeepsie families from lead exposures. On July 14, 2023, Ryan also announced his plan to remove all lead pipes in Poughkeepsie. Ryan and his team have worked closely with the city and the EPA to provide technical guidance in helping the city apply for federal funds for lead service line replacements, resulting in the city announcing in April of 2024 that it was eligible for millions in federal funding and assistance for projects.

    Ryan has been at the forefront of combatting the lead contamination crisis in the Hudson Valley, immediately sounding the alarm when the Wall Street Journal reported that major telecommunications companies are allowing a network of decrepit, lead-sheathed aerial cables to shed the toxin into the environment, including at a playground in Wappingers Falls. He has repeatedly demanded that multi-billion dollar telecommunications companies Verizon and AT&T take responsibility and pay for the cleanup of their cables. Earlier this year, Ryan brought together local officials and community advocates to call on the corporations to publicly disclose the locations of the cables after Hudson Valley families reported finding them discarded across the region.

    Ryan has amassed a record of taking on big corporations that pollute Hudson Valley water, air, and soil. He spoke at the Save the River Rally, demanding that Holtec halt its plan to dump radioactive waste into the River and introduced legislation banning additional barges, carrying toxic materials like asphalt, from anchoring on the Hudson. Earlier this year, the bill was passed in the House of Representatives with overwhelming bipartisan support. Last fall, Ryan organized a coalition of local government officials, community leaders, and organizations to temporarily halt the Coast Guard’s plan to begin allowing barges to anchor on the Hudson River.

    Congressman Ryan has also spearheaded efforts to combat PFAS “forever chemical” pollution, including introducing the landmark PFAS Action Act and cosponsoring the Department of Defense PFAS Discharge Prevention Act.  The EPA has recently implemented many of the components of the PFAS Action Act, including issuing a national standard for PFAS in drinking water. Ryan has made repeated calls for the Department of Defense (DoD) to hasten its cleanup of PFAS pollution at Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Ukraine: Switzerland adopts new sanctions against Belarus

    Source: Switzerland – Federal Council in English

    On 30 October, the Federal Council decided to adopt further sanctions against Belarus. This brings Switzerland in line with the measures adopted by the European Union on 29 June and reaffirms Switzerland’s close partnership with the EU with regard to sanctions. The changes will come into effect on 31 October.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Kosovo and Serbia must show their commitment to cooperation and dialogue: UK statement at the UN Security Council

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Statement by Fergus Eckersley, UK Minister Counsellor, at the UN Security Council meeting on UNMIK.

    Location:
    United Nations, New York
    Delivered on:
    (Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered)

    Let me begin by thanking the Special Representative for the work she and her team are doing to promote stability and respect for human rights in Kosovo.

    The UK is a long-standing supporter of Kosovo’s sovereignty and independence. We remain committed to supporting an inclusive, diverse and multi-ethnic democracy in Kosovo.

    We welcome, for example, Kosovo’s efforts to recruit police officers from non-majority communities, and its commitment to tackling Conflict Related Sexual Violence including through its leadership of the International Forum for Women, Peace and Security.

    Yet for many years the absence of a normal relationship between Kosovo and Serbia has negatively impacted the lives of individuals living in both countries and impacted regional stability.

    In recent weeks we’ve seen positive steps towards greater cooperation. This includes easing restrictions on Serbian imports into Kosovo, and the agreement securing Kosovo representation in the Central European Free Trade Agreement. 

    We are, however, concerned that progress in the EU-facilitated dialogue has been faltering. We call upon both parties to reaffirm their commitment to the EU-facilitated dialogue and we echo the Secretary-General’s call for greater participation of women in the process.

    It is important that both sides demonstrate the political will and the courage to fully implement existing agreements under the dialogue, including the establishment of an Association of Serb-Majority Municipalities.

    At the same time, it is important for all sides to avoid actions which could jeopardise such progress. We urge Kosovo to carefully consider the impact of its decisions on all its citizens including those from non-majority communities and to work with its partners.

    And we urge Serbia to play its part in supporting efforts to ensure justice and accountability for the perpetrators of last year’s shocking attack in Banjska and to play a constructive role in reducing tensions and promoting positive relations in the region.

    I would like to end by expressing the UK’s gratitude to the Special Representative and all Mission staff who have contributed to UNMIK’s work over the last 25 years.

    Promoting dialogue and trust-building between Kosovo’s communities is and remains vital.

    However, it has been over sixteen years since Kosovo’s independence and the situation is unrecognisable from 1999. It is therefore time for this Council to review UNMIK’s role to reflect conditions on the ground.

    Updates to this page

    Published 30 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Three ways the Budget will put more money in working people’s pockets

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    We are raising the living wage, expanding the Help to Save scheme and limiting reductions to Universal Credit awards.

    Working people are the lifeblood of our economy. The government is not increasing the basic, higher or additional rates of Income Tax, National Insurance, or VAT.  

    Here are just some of the measures announced at the Autumn Budget 2024 that will help put more money into your pocket.  

    1. Savings boost from the government for low earners 

    The Help to Save scheme has been extended and widened. The scheme offers lower earners a savings account where they can save a maximum of £50 a month for 4 years and receive a 50% government boost at the end of year 2 and year 4. This helps workers kickstart a lifelong savings habit and offers up to £1,200 over the 4 years.  

    The scheme was due to end in April 2025 but has been extended by 2 years until April 2027. Eligibility for the scheme will widen from April 2025. It will be open to all working Universal Credit claimants earning at least £1 a month.   

    2. Increased National Living Wage  

    In her statement, the Chancellor announced that from 1 April 2025, the National Living Wage will increase from £11.44 to £12.21 an hour for employees aged 21 and over. That’s an increase of 6.7% from 2024.  

    For 18 to 20 year olds, it will increase by £1.40 an hour, to £10.00 an hour. This is the first step towards the government’s plan to remove discriminatory age bands and deliver a genuine living wage that all adults can benefit from. 

    3. Capping how much Universal Credit can be taken for debt repayment 

    The government is creating a new Fair Repayment Rate which caps deductions made through Universal Credit at 15% of the standard allowance. Before this Budget, it was 25%.

    This means approximately 1.2 million households will keep more of their Universal Credit payment each month, with households expected to be better off by an average of over £420 a year.   

    Other financial support available 

    These are just some of the ways the government is protecting working people. The Autumn Budget 2024 also includes further support for pensioners, those in crisis and those struggling most with the cost of essentials. Read the Budget in full to find out more.

    Answer a few questions to find out what support you might be able to get to help with living costs. Check benefits and financial support you can get.

    Updates to this page

    Published 30 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Autumn Budget 2024 speech

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Autumn Budget 2024 speech as delivered by Chancellor Rachel Reeves.

    Delivered on:
    (Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered)

    Madam Deputy Speaker…

    [redacted political content]

    This government was given a mandate. 

    To restore stability to our economy… 

    … and to begin a decade of national renewal. 

    To fix the foundations… 

    … and deliver change. 

    Through responsible leadership in the national interest.  

    That is our task.  

    And I know that we can achieve it. 

    My belief in Britain burns brighter than ever.  

    And the prize on offer is immense.  

    As my Right Honourable Friend the Prime Minister said on Monday – change must be felt. 

    More pounds in people’s pockets.  

    An NHS that is there when you need it.  

    An economy that is growing, creating wealth and opportunity for all…  

    … because that is the only way to improve living standards.   

    And the only way to drive economic growth… 

    … is to invest, invest, invest.  

    There are no shortcuts. 

    And to deliver that investment… 

    … we must restore economic stability…

    [redacted political content]

    INHERITANCE

    [redacted political content]

    … it is the first Budget in our country’s history to be delivered by a woman.  

    I am deeply proud to be Britain’s first ever female Chancellor of the Exchequer.  

    To girls and young women everywhere, I say:  

    Let there be no ceiling on your ambition, your hopes and your dreams.  

    And along with the pride that I feel standing here today… 

    … there is also a responsibility… 

    … to pass on a fairer society and a stronger economy to the next  

    generation of women.

    [redacted political content]

    A black hole in the public finances… 

    Public services on their knees…. 

    A decade of low growth. 

    And the worst parliament on record for living standards. 

    Let me begin with the public finances. 

    In July, I exposed a £22bn black hole

    [redacted political content]

    The Treasury’s reserve, set aside for genuine emergencies… 

    … spent three times over… 

    … just three months into the financial year.  

    Today, on top of the detailed document that I have provided to the House in July… 

    … the government is publishing a line by line breakdown of the £22bn black hole that we inherited… 

    It shows hundreds of unfunded pressures on the public finances… 

    … this year, and into the future too.  

    The Office for Budget Responsibility have published their own review of the circumstances around the Spring Budget forecast.  

    They say that the previous government – and I quote – “did not provide the OBR with all the [available] information to them”… 

    … and – had they known about these “undisclosed spending pressures that have since come to light”… 

    … then their Spring Budget forecast for spending would have been, and I quote again: “materially different”.  

    Let me be clear: that means any comparison between today’s forecast and the OBR’s March forecast is false… 

    … because the party opposite hid the reality of their public spending plans. 

    Yet at the very same budget… 

    … they made another ten billion pounds worth of cuts to National Insurance.

    [redacted political content]

    That’s why today, I can confirm that we will implement in full… 

    … the 10 recommendations from the independent Office for Budget Responsibility’s review. 

    But, the country has inherited not just broken public finances… 

    … but broken public services too. 

    The British people can see and feel that in their everyday lives. 

    NHS waiting lists at record levels. 

    Children in portacabins as school roofs crumble. 

    Trains that do not arrive. 

    Rivers filled with polluted waste.  

    Prisons overflowing. 

    Crimes which are not investigated… 

    … and criminals who are not punished.  

    That is the country’s inheritance

    Since 2021, there had been no detailed plans for departmental spending set out beyond this year.  

    And [redacted political content] plans relied on a baseline for spending this year which we now know was wrong… 

    … because it did not take into account the £22bn black hole.  

    The previous government also failed to budget for costs which they knew would materialise.  

    That includes funding for vital compensation schemes…  

    … for victims of two terrible injustices…

    [redacted political content]

    … the infected blood scandal… 

    … and the Post Office Horizon scandal.  

    The Leader of the Opposition rightly made an unequivocal apology for the injustice of the infected blood scandal on behalf of the British state… 

    … but he did not budget for the costs of compensation.  

    Today, for the very first time, we will provide specific funding to compensate those infected and those affected, in full… 

    … with £11.8bn in this budget. 

    And I am also today setting aside £1.8bn to compensate victims of the Post Office Horizon scandal… 

    … redress that is long overdue for the pain and injustice that they have suffered.

    [redacted political content]

    … and we will restore stability to our country again. 

    The scale and seriousness of the situation that we have inherited cannot be underestimated. 

    Together, the hole in our public finances this year, which recurs every year… 

    … the compensation schemes that they did not fund… 

    … and their failure to assess the scale of the challenges facing our public services… 

    … means this budget raises taxes by £40bn. 

    Any Chancellor standing here today would have to face this reality. 

    And any responsible Chancellor would take action. 

    That is why today, I am restoring stability to our public finances… 

    … and rebuilding our public services.  

    FISCAL RULES / OBR FORECASTS 

    Economy forecast/growth 

    As a former economist at the Bank of England, I know what it means to respect our economic institutions.  

    I want to put on record my thanks to the Governor of the Bank, Andrew Bailey…  

    … and to the independent Monetary Policy Committee. 

    Today, I can confirm that we will maintain the MPC’s target of two per cent inflation, as measured by the 12-month increase in the Consumer Prices Index. 

    I want to thank James Bowler, the Permanent Secretary to the Treasury, and my team of officials. 

    Madam Deputy Speaker, I would also like to thank my predecessors as Chancellor of the Exchequer… 

    … for their wise counsel as I have prepared for this Budget.

    [redacted political content]

    Finally, I want to thank Richard Hughes and his team at the Office for Budget Responsibility for their work in preparing today’s economic and fiscal outlook. 

    Let me now take the House through that forecast. 

    The cost of living crisis under the last government stretched household finances to their limit, with inflation hitting a peak of above 11%.  

    Today, the OBR say that CPI inflation will average 2.5% this year, 2.6% in 2025, then 2.3% in 2026, 2.1% in 2027, 2.1% in 2028 and 2.0% in 2029.  

    Next, I move on to economic growth.  

    Today’s budget marks an end to short-termism.  

    So I am pleased, that for the first time, the OBR have published not only five year growth forecasts… 

    … but a detailed assessment of the growth impacts of our policies over the next decade, too… 

    … and the new Charter for Budget Responsibility, which I am publishing today, confirms that this will become a permanent feature of our framework. 

    The OBR forecast that real GDP growth will be 1.1% in 2024, 2.0% in 2025, 1.8% in 2026, 1.5% in 2027, 1.5% in 2028 and 1.6% in 2029. 

    And the OBR are clear: this Budget will permanently increase the supply capacity of the economy…

    [redacted political content]

    … boosting long-term growth. 

    Every Budget I deliver will be focused on our mission to grow the economy. 

    And underpinning that mission are the seven key pillars of our growth strategy… 

    … developed and delivered alongside business…  

    … all driven forward by our Financial Secretary to the Treasury.   

    First, and most important, is to restore economic stability. That is my focus today. 

    Second, increasing investment and building new infrastructure is vital for productivity, so we are catalysing £70bn of investment through our National Wealth Fund… 

    … and we are transforming our planning rules to get Britain building again. 

    Third, to ensure that all parts of the UK can realise their potential… 

    … we are working with the devolved governments… 

    … and partnering with our Mayors to develop local growth plans.  

    Fourth, to improve employment prospects and skills we are creating Skills England, delivering our plans to Make Work Pay and tackling economic inactivity.  

    Fifth, we are launching our long-term modern industrial strategy and expanding opportunities for our small and medium sized businesses to grow. 

    Sixth, to drive innovation we are protecting record funding for research and development to harness the full potential of the UK’s science base.  

    And finally, to maximise the growth benefits of our clean energy mission, we have confirmed key investments such as Carbon Capture and Storage to create jobs in our industrial heartlands. 

    Our approach is already having an impact. 

    Just two weeks ago – we delivered an International Investment Summit which saw businesses commit £63.5bn of investment into this country… 

    … creating nearly 40,000 jobs across the United Kingdom.

    [redacted political content]

    Economic growth will be our mission for the duration of this parliament.  

    Stability rule 

    Madam Deputy Speaker, in our manifesto, we set out the fiscal rules that would guide this government. 

    I am confirming those today… 

    Our stability rule… 

    And our investment rule… 

    The “stability rule” means that we will bring the current budget into balance… 

    … so that we do not borrow to fund day to day spending. 

    We will meet this rule in 2029-30, until that becomes the third year of the forecast.  

    From then on, we will balance the current budget in the third year of every budget, held annually each autumn. 

    That will provide a tougher constraint on day to day spending… 

    … so difficult decisions cannot be constantly delayed or deferred.  

    The OBR say that the current budget will be in deficit by £26.2bn in 2025-26 and £5.2bn in 2026-27… 

    … before moving into surplus of £10.9bn in 2027-28, £9.3bn in 2028-29 and £9.9bn in 2029-30… 

    … meeting our stability rule… 

    … two years early.  

    Monthly public sector finances data shows that government borrowing in the first six months of this year… 

    … was already running significantly higher than the OBR’s March forecast. 

    And so the OBR confirmed today, that borrowing in this financial year is now £127bn…

    [redacted political content]

    The increase in the net cash requirement in 24-25 is lower than the increase in borrowing, at £22.3bn higher than the spring forecast.  

    Because of the action that we are taking… 

    … borrowing falls from 4.5% of GDP this year to 2.1% of GDP by the end of the forecast. 

    Public sector net borrowing will be £105.6bn in 2025-26, £88.5bn in 2026-27, £72.2bn in 2027-28, £71.9bn in 2028-29 and £70.6bn in 2029-2930. 

    FIXING THE FOUNDATIONS 

    Spending  

    Madam Deputy Speaker, before I come to tax… 

    … it is vital that we are driving efficiency and reducing wasteful spending. 

    In July, to begin delivering, and dealing with our inheritance… 

    … I made £5.5bn of savings this year.  

    Today we are setting a 2% productivity, efficiency and savings target for all departments to meet next year… 

    … by using technology more effectively and joining up services across government 

    As set out in our manifesto, I will shortly be appointing our Covid Corruption Commissioner, they will lead our work to uncover those companies that used a national emergency to line their own pockets. 

    Because that money belongs in our public services. And taxpayers want that money back.  

    And I can confirm today that David Goldstone has been appointed as the Chair of the new Office for Value for Money…  

    … to help us realise the benefits from every pound of public spending. 

    Welfare 

    Today, I am also taking three steps to ensure that welfare spending is more sustainable.  

    First, we inherited [redacted political content] plans to reform the Work Capability Assessment.  

    We will deliver those savings…  

    …as part of our fundamental reforms to the health and disability benefits system that my Right Honourable Friend the Work and Pensions Secretary will bring forward. 

    Second, I can today announce a crackdown on fraud in our welfare system… 

    … often the work of criminal gangs.  

    We will expand DWP’s counter-fraud teams.. 

    … using innovative new methods to prevent illegal activity…  

    … and provide new legal powers to crackdown on fraudsters… 

    … including direct access to bank accounts to recover debt. 

    This package saves £4.3bn a year by the end of the forecast. 

    Third, the government will shortly be publishing the “Get Britain Working” white paper…  

    … tackling the root causes of inactivity with an integrated approach across health, education and welfare.  

    … and we will provide £240m for 16 trailblazer projects… 

    … targeted at those who are economically inactive and most at risk of being out of education, employment or training… 

    … to get people into work and reduce the benefits bill.  

    Tax avoidance 

    Before a government could consider any change to a tax rate or threshold… 

    … it must ensure that people pay what they already owe. 

    So we will invest to modernise HMRC’s systems using the very best technology… 

    … and recruit additional HMRC compliance and debt staff. 

    We will clamp down on those umbrella companies who exploit workers… 

    … increase the interest rate on unpaid tax debt to ensure that people pay on time… 

    … and go after promoters of tax avoidance schemes. 

    These measures to reduce the tax gap raise £6.5bn by the end of the forecast… 

    … and I want to thank the Exchequer Secretary for his outstanding work on this agenda. 

    PROTECTING WORKING PEOPLE 

    Madam Deputy Speaker, I know that for working people up and down our country… 

    … family finances are stretched… 

    … and pay checks don’t go as far as they once did. 

    So today, I am taking steps to support people with the cost of living. 

    Cost of living

    [redacted political content]

    As promised in our manifesto, we asked the Low Pay Commission to take account of the cost of living for the first time.  

    I can confirm that we will accept the Low Pay Commission recommendation to increase the National Living Wage by 6.7% to £12.21 an hour… 

    … worth up to £1,400 a year for a full-time worker. 

    And for the first time, we will move towards a single adult rate…  

    … phased in over time…  

    … by initially increasing the National Minimum Wage for 18-20 year olds by 16.3% as recommended by the Low Pay Commission… 

    … taking it to £10 an hour.

    [redacted political content]

    Second, I have heard representations from colleagues across this house about the Carer’s Allowance… 

    … and the impact of the current policy on carers looking to increase the hours they work… 

    … including from the Honourable member for Shipley, the Honourable member for Scarborough and Whitby and the Rt Hon Member for Kingston and Surbiton, too. 

    Carer’s allowance currently provides up to £81.90 per week to help those with additional caring responsibilities.  

    Today, I can confirm that we are increasing the weekly earnings limit to the equivalent of 16 hours at the National Living Wage per week… 

    … the largest increase in Carer’s Allowance since it was introduced in 1976.  

    That means a carer can now earn over £10,000 a year while receiving Carer’s Allowance… 

    … allowing them to increase their hours where they want to… 

    … and keep more of their money. 

    I am also concerned about the cliff-edge in the current system and the issue of overpayments. 

    My Right Honourable Friend the Work and Pensions Secretary has announced an independent review to look at the issue of overpayments, and we will work across this house to develop the right solutions. 

    Third, we will provide £1bn from next year to extend the Household Support Fund and Discretionary Housing Payments, to help those facing financial hardship with the cost of essentials.  

    Fourth, having heard representations from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Trussell and others… 

    … to reduce the level of debt repayments that can be taken from a household’s Universal Credit payment each month… 

    … by reducing it from 25% to 15% of their standard allowance. 

    This means that 1.2 million of the poorest households will keep more of their award each month… 

    … lifting children out of poverty…  

    … and those who benefit will gain an average of £420 a year. 

    Madam Deputy Speaker, our Plan to Make Work Pay will also protect working people.

    [redacted political content]

    It is right that we protect those who have worked their whole lives.  

    In our manifesto, we promised to transfer the Investment Reserve Fund in the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme to members… 

    … and I have listened closely to my Honourable Friends for Easington, Doncaster Central, Blaenau Gwent, and Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock on this issue. 

    Today we are keeping our promise…  

    … so that working people who powered our country receive the fair pension that they are owed. 

    Our manifesto committed to the Triple Lock… 

    … meaning spending on the State Pension is forecast to rise by over £31bn by 2029-30… 

    … to ensure that our pensioners are protected in their retirement.  

    This commitment means that while working age benefits will be uprated in line with CPI, at 1.7%… 

    … the basic and new State Pension… 

    … will be uprated by 4.1% in 2025-26. 

    This means that over 12 million pensioners will gain up to £470 next year… 

    … up to £275 more than if uprated by inflation.  

    The Pension Credit Standard Minimum Guarantee will also rise by 4.1%…  

    … from around £11,400 per year to around £11,850 for a single pensioner.  

    Fuel duty 

    While I have sought to protect working people with measures to reduce the cost of living… 

    … I have had to take some very difficult decisions on tax. 

    I want to set out my approach to fuel duty.  

    Baked into the numbers that I inherited from the previous government… 

    … is an assumption that fuel duty will rise by RPI next year… 

    … and that the temporary 5p cut will be reversed.  

    To retain the 5p cut… 

    … and to freeze fuel duty again… 

    … would cost over £3bn next year.  

    At a time when the fiscal position is so difficult…  

    … I have to be frank with the House that this is a substantial commitment to make. 

    I have concluded… 

    … that in these difficult circumstances… 

    … while the cost of living remains high… 

    … and with a backdrop of global uncertainty… 

    … increasing fuel duty next year… 

    … would be the wrong choice for working people. 

    It would mean fuel duty rising by 7p per litre. 

    So, I have today decided to freeze fuel duty next year… 

    … and I will maintain the existing 5p cut for another year, too. 

    There will be no higher taxes at the petrol pumps next year.

    Madam Deputy Speaker, the last government made cuts of £20bn to employees’ and self-employed national insurance in their final two budgets.

    [redacted political content]

    Because we now know they were based on a forecast which the OBR say would have been “materially different”… 

    … had they known the true extent of the last government’s cover-up.   

    Since July, I have been urged on multiple occasions to reconsider these cuts.  

    To increase the taxes that working people pay and see in their payslips. 

    But I have made an important choice today: 

    To keep every single commitment that we made on tax in our manifesto.  

    So I say to working people: 

    I will not increase your National Insurance… 

    …I will not increase your VAT… 

    …And I will not increase your income tax. 

    Working people will not see higher taxes in their payslips as a result of the choices I make today. 

    That is a promise made – and a promise fulfilled. 

    TAX 

    But any responsible Chancellor would need to take difficult decisions today. 

    To raise the revenues required to fund our public services. 

    And to restore economic stability.  

    So in today’s Budget, I am announcing an increase in Employers’ National Insurance Contributions.  

    We will increase the rate of Employers’ National Insurance by 1.2 percentage points, to 15%, from April 2025.  

    And we will reduce the Secondary Threshold – the level at which employers start paying national insurance on each employee’s salary – from £9,100 per year to £5,000.  

    This will raise £25bn per year by the end of the forecast period.  

    I know that this is a difficult choice. 

    I do not take this decision lightly.  

    We are asking business to contribute more… 

    … and I know that there will be impacts of this measure felt beyond businesses, too… 

    … as the OBR have set out today. 

    But in the circumstances that I have inherited, it is the right choice to make.  

    Successful businesses depend on successful schools. 

    Healthy businesses depend on a healthy NHS.  

    And a strong economy depends on strong public finances.

    [redacted political content]

    That is the choice our country faces too.  

    As I make this choice, I know it is particularly important to protect our smallest companies.  

    So having heard representations from the Federation of Small Businesses and others… 

    … I am today increasing the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500. 

    This means 865,000 employers won’t pay any National Insurance at all next year… 

    … and over 1 million will pay the same or less than they did previously. 

    This will allow a small business to employ the equivalent of 4 full time workers on the National Living Wage… 

    … without paying any National Insurance on their wages. 

    Madam Deputy Speaker, let me come now to capital gains tax. 

    We need to drive growth, promote entrepreneurship, and support wealth creation… 

    … while raising the revenue required to fund our public services… 

    … and restore our public finances.  

    Today, we will increase the lower rate of Capital Gains Tax from 10% to 18%, and the Higher Rate from 20% to 24%… 

    … while maintaining the rates of capital gains tax on residential property at 18% and 24%, too.  

    This means the UK will still have the lowest Capital Gains Tax rate of any European G7 economy. 

    Alongside these changes to the headline rates of Capital Gains Tax… 

    … we are maintaining the lifetime limit for Business Asset Disposal Relief at £1m… 

    … to encourage entrepreneurs to invest in their businesses.   

    Business Asset Disposal Relief will remain at 10% this year… 

    … before rising to 14% in April 2025… 

    … and 18% from 2026-27… 

    … maintaining a significant gap compared to the higher rate of Capital Gains Tax.  

    Together, the OBR say these measures will raise £2.5bn by the end of the forecast. 

    In a sign of this government’s commitment to supporting growth and entrepreneurship… 

    …we have already extended the Enterprise Investment Scheme and Venture Capital Trust schemes to 2035… 

    … and we will continue to work with leading entrepreneurs and venture capital firms… 

    … to ensure our policies support a positive environment for entrepreneurship in the UK. 

    Next, inheritance tax. 

    Only 6% of estates will pay inheritance tax this year. 

    I understand the strongly held desire to pass down savings to children and grandchildren. 

    So I am taking a balanced approach in my package today. 

    First, the previous government froze inheritance tax thresholds until 2028. I will extend that freeze for a further two years, until 2030. 

    That means the first £325,000 of any estate can be inherited tax-free… 

    … rising to £500,000 if the estate includes a residence passed to direct descendants…. 

    … and £1m when a tax free allowance is passed to a surviving spouse or civil partner. 

    Second, we will close the loophole created by the previous government… 

    … made even bigger when the Lifetime Allowance was abolished… 

    … by bringing inherited pensions into inheritance tax from April 2027. 

    Finally, we will reform Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief.  

    From April 2026, the first £1m of combined business and agricultural assets will continue to attract no inheritance tax at all… 

    … but for assets over £1m, inheritance tax will apply with 50% relief, at an effective rate of 20%. 

    This will ensure we continue to protect small family farms… 

    … and three-quarters of claims will be unaffected by these changes. 

    I can also announce that we will apply a 50% relief, in all circumstances, on inheritance tax for shares on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) and other similar markets… 

    … setting the effective rate of tax at 20%. 

    Taken together, these measures raise over £2bn in the final year of the forecast. 

    Next, I can confirm that the government will renew the Tobacco Duty escalator for the remainder of this Parliament at RPI+2%… 

    … increase duty by a further 10% on hand-rolling tobacco this year… 

    … introduce a flat rate duty on all vaping liquid from October 2026… 

    … alongside an additional one off- increase in tobacco duty to maintain the incentive to give up smoking. 

    And we will increase the Soft Drinks Industry Levy to account for inflation since it was introduced… 

    …  as well as increasing the duty in line with CPI each year going forward. 

    These measures will raise nearly £1bn per year by the end of the forecast period. 

    Madame Deputy Speaker, we want to support the take-up of electric vehicles. 

    So I will maintain incentives for electric vehicles in Company Car Tax from 2028… 

    … and increase the differential between fully electric and other vehicles in the first year rates of Vehicle Excise Duty from April 2025. 

    These measures will raise around £400m by the end of the forecast period. 

    Madam Deputy Speaker let me update the House on our plans for Air Passenger Duty…

    [redacted political content]

    Air Passenger Duty has not kept up with inflation in recent years… 

    … so we are introducing an adjustment… 

    … meaning an increase of no more than £2 for an economy class short-haul flight.  

    But I am taking a different approach when it comes to private jets…  

    … increasing the rate of Air Passenger Duty by a further 50%.

    [redacted political content]

    These measures will raise over £700m by the end of the forecast period. 

    Madam Deputy Speaker, let me turn now to our high street businesses.  

    I know that for them, a major source of concern is business rates.  

    From 2026-27, we intend to introduce two permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality and leisure properties which make up the backbone of high streets across the country… 

    … and it is our intention that is paid for by a higher multiplier for the most valuable properties.

    [redacted political content]

    So I will today provide 40% relief on business rates for the retail, hospitality and leisure industry in 2025-26… 

    … up to a cap of £110,000 per business. 

    Alongside this, the small business tax multiplier will be frozen next year.  

    Next, I can confirm that alcohol duty rates on non-draught products will increase in line with RPI from February next year… 

    … but nearly two-thirds of alcoholic drinks sold in pubs are served on draught. 

    So today, instead of uprating these products in line with inflation… 

    … I am cutting draught duty by 1.7%… 

    … which means a penny off a pint in the pub. 

    Alongside the changes I am making today, I am publishing a Corporate Tax Roadmap.. 

    … providing the business certainty called for by the CBI, British Chambers of Commerce and the Institute for Directors. 

    This confirms our commitment to cap the rate of Corporation Tax at 25% – the lowest in the G7 –  for the duration of this parliament…. 

    … while maintaining full expensing and the £1 million Annual Investment Allowance… 

    …and keeping the current rates of research and development reliefs, to drive innovation. 

    Manifesto 

    Madam Deputy Speaker, in our manifesto we made a number of commitments to raise funding for our public services.  

    First, I have always said that if you make Britain your home, you should pay your tax here. 

    So today, I can confirm… 

    … we will abolish the non-dom tax regime… 

    … and remove the outdated concept of domicile from the tax system from April 2025. 

    We will introduce a new, residence based scheme… 

    … with internationally competitive arrangements for those coming to the UK on a temporary basis… 

    … while closing the loopholes in the scheme designed by the party opposite. 

    To further encourage investment into the UK, we will also extend the Temporary Repatriation Relief to three years and expand its scope… 

    … bringing billions of pounds of new funds into Britain. 

    The independent Office for Budget Responsibility say that this package of measures will raise £12.7bn over the next five years.  

    Next, the fund management industry provides a vital contribution to our economy… 

    …  but as our manifesto set out, there needs to be a fairer approach to the way carried interest is taxed.  

    So we will increase the Capital Gains Tax rates on carried interest to 32% from April 2025… 

    … and – from April 2026 – we will deliver further reforms to ensure that the specific rules for carried interest are simpler, fairer and better targeted. 

    In our manifesto we committed to reforming stamp duty land tax to raise revenue while supporting those buying their first home.  

    We are increasing the stamp-duty land tax surcharge for second-homes… 

    …known as the “Higher Rate for Additional Dwellings”… 

    … by 2 percentage points, to 5%, which will come into effect from tomorrow.  

    This will support over 130,000 additional transactions from people buying their first home, or moving home over, the next five years. 

    Next, we committed to reform the Energy Profits Levy on oil and gas companies. 

    I can confirm today that we will increase the rate of the levy to 38%, which will now expire in March 2030… 

    … and we will remove the 29% investment allowance. 

    To ensure the oil and gas industry can protect jobs and support our energy security… 

    … we will maintain the 100% first year allowances and the decarbonisation allowances too.  

    Finally, 94% of children in the UK attend state schools. 

    To provide the highest quality of support and teaching that they deserve… 

    … we will introduce VAT on private school fees from January 2025… 

    … and we will shortly introduce legislation to remove their business rates relief from April 2025, too.  

    We said in our manifesto that these changes… 

    … alongside our measures to tackle tax avoidance… 

    … would bring in £8.5bn by the final year of the forecast. 

    I can confirm today that they will in fact raise over £9bn… 

    … to support our public services and restore our public finances. 

    That is a promise made – and a promise fulfilled. 

    Madam Deputy Speaker, I have one final decision to take on tax today. 

    The previous government froze income tax and National Insurance thresholds in 2021… 

    … and then they did so again after the mini-budget. 

    Extending their threshold freeze for a further two years raises billions of pounds.  

    Money to deal with the black hole in our public finances…  

    … and repair our public services.  

    Having considered this issue closely… 

    … I have come to the conclusion… 

    … that extending the threshold freeze… 

    … would hurt working people. 

    It would take more money out of their payslips.

    I am keeping every single promise on tax that I made in our manifesto. 

    So there will be no extension of the freeze in income tax and National Insurance thresholds beyond the decisions of the previous government.  

    From 2028-29, personal tax thresholds will be uprated in line with inflation once again.

    When it comes to choices on tax, this government chooses to protect working people every single time.  

    SPENDING 

    Madam Deputy Speaker, these are the choices I have made. 

    To restore economic stability. 

    And to protect working people.  

    The next choice I make is to begin to repair our public services.  

    In recent months, we have conducted the first phase of the Spending Review… 

    … to set departmental budgets for 2024-25 and 2025-26… 

    … and I want to thank my Right Honourable Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury for his tireless work with colleagues from across government.  

    Because I have taken difficult decisions on tax today… 

    … I am able to provide an injection of immediate funding over the next two years… 

    … to stabilise and to support our public services.  

    The next phase of the Spending Review will report in late Spring, and I have set the overall envelope today. 

    Day to day spending from 2024-25 onwards will grow by 1.5% in real terms… 

    … and total departmental spending, including capital spending, will grow by 1.7% in real terms. 

    At the election we promised there would be no return to austerity.  

    Today we deliver on that promise. 

    But given the scale of the challenges that are facing our public services… 

    … that means there will still be difficult choices in the next phase of the Spending Review. 

    Just as we cannot tax and spend our way to prosperity… 

    … nor can we simply spend our way to better public services.  

    So we will deliver a new approach to public service reform… 

    … using technology to improve public services… 

    … and taking a zero-based approach… 

    … so that taxpayers’ money is spent as effectively as possible…  

    … and so that we focus on delivering our key priorities.  

    Spending Review: Phase 1 

    In the first phase of the Spending Review… 

    … I have prioritised day-to-day funding to deliver on our manifesto commitments. 

    I want every child to have the best start in life… 

    … and the best possible start to the school day, too… 

    … and I know my Right Honourable Friend the Education Secretary shares my ambition.  

    So I am today tripling investment in breakfast clubs to fund them in thousands of schools.  

    I am increasing the core schools budget by £2.3bn next year… 

    … to support our pledge to hire thousands more teachers into key subjects.   

    So that our young people can develop the skills that they need for the future… 

    … I am providing an additional £300m for further education. 

    And finally, this government is committed to reforming special educational needs provision… 

    … to improve outcomes for our most vulnerable children and ensure the system is financially sustainable. 

    To support that work, I am today providing a £1bn uplift in funding, a 6% real terms increase from this year.  

    There is no more important job for government than to keep our country safe, and we are conducting a Strategic Defence Review to be published next year. 

    And as set out in our manifesto, we will set a path to spending 2.5% of GDP on defence at a future fiscal event. 

    Today, I am announcing a total increase to the Ministry of Defence’s Budget of £2.9bn next year… 

    … ensuring the UK comfortably exceeds our NATO commitments…  

    … and providing guaranteed military support to Ukraine of £3bn per year, for as long as it takes. 

    Last week, alongside my Right Honourable Friend the Defence Secretary, I announced, in addition to this, further support to Ukraine – on top of our NATO commitment…  

    … through our £2.26bn contribution to the G7’s Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration agreement… 

    … repaid using profits from immobilised Russian sovereign assets. 

    And as we approach Remembrance Sunday…  

    … it is vital that we take time to remember those who have served our country so bravely.  

    So I am today announcing funding to commemorate the 80th anniversary of VE and VJ day next year… 

    … to honour those who have served at home and abroad. 

    We must also remember those who experienced the atrocities of the Nazi regime first hand.  

    I would like to pay tribute to Lily Ebert, the Holocaust Survivor and educator who passed away aged 100 earlier this month.  

    I am today committing a further £2m to holocaust education next year… 

    … so that charities like the Holocaust Educational Trust, can continue their work to ensure these vital testimonies are not lost and are preserved for the future. 

    Madam Deputy Speaker, to repair our public services we also need to work alongside our mayors and our local leaders. 

    We will deliver a significant real-terms funding increase for local government next year…  

    … including £1.3bn of additional grant funding to deliver essential services… 

    … with at least £600m in grant funding for social care…  

    … and £230m to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping 

    We are today confirming that Greater Manchester and the West Midlands will be the first mayoral authorities to receive integrated settlements from next year… 

    … giving Mayors meaningful control of the funding for their local areas. 

    * 

    And to support our local high streets… 

    … we are taking action to deal with the sharp rise in shoplifting we have seen in recent years. 

    We will scrap the effective immunity for low-value shoplifting introduced by the party opposite. 

    And having listened closely to organisations like the British Retail Consortium and USDAW… 

    … I am providing additional funding to crack down on the organised gangs which target retailers… 

     … and to provide more training to our police officers and retailers to help stop shoplifting in its tracks.  

    Finally, I am today providing funding to support public services and drive growth across Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.  

    Having discussed the matter with the First Minister of Wales, Eluned Morgan, and my HFs for Llanelli and Pontypridd… 

    … I am providing a £25m to the Welsh Government next year for the maintenance of coal tips to ensure we keep our communities safe.  

    And to support growth, including in our rural areas, we will proceed with City and Growth Deals in Northern Ireland… 

    … in Causeway Coast and Glens; and Mid-South West.

    And we will drive growth in Scotland [redacted political content] including a City and growth Deal in Argyll and Bute.

    This budget provides the devolved governments with the largest real-terms funding settlement since devolution… 

    … delivering an additional £3.4 billion for the Scottish Government through the Barnett formula… 

    … funding which must now be spent effectively to improve public services in Scotland.  

    This budget also provides £1.7 billion to the Welsh Government… 

    …  and £1.5 billion to the Northern Ireland Executive in 2025-26. 

    I said there would be no return to austerity, and that is the choice I have made today.  

    REBUILDING BRITAIN 

    Madam Deputy Speaker, to rebuild our country we need to increase investment. 

    The UK lags behind every other G7 country when it comes to business investment as a share of our economy. 

    That matters.  

    It means the UK has fallen behind in the race for new jobs… 

    … new industries… 

    … and new technology.  

    By restoring economic stability… 

    … and by establishing the National Wealth Fund to catalyse private funding… 

    … we have begun to create the conditions that businesses need to invest.  

    But there is also a significant role for public investment.

    Hospitals without the equipment they need.  

    School buildings not fit for our children.  

    A desperate lack of affordable housing. 

    Economic growth held back at every turn.  

    Under the plans I inherited… 

    … public investment was set to fall from 2.5% to 1.7% of GDP.  

    But in Washington last week, the International Monetary Fund were clear:  

    More public investment is badly needed in the UK.  

    So today, having listened to the case made by the former Governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney… 

    … former Treasury Minister, Jim O’Neill… 

    … and the former Cabinet Secretary, Gus O’Donnell… 

    … among others…  

    … I am confirming our investment rule.  

    As set out in our manifesto, we will target debt falling as a share of the economy. 

    Debt will be defined as Public Sector net Financial Liabilities, or “net financial debt”, for short… 

    … a metric that has been measured by the Office for National Statistics since 2016… 

    … and forecast by the Office for Budget Responsibility since that date too. 

    “Net financial debt” recognises that government investment delivers returns for taxpayers…  

    … by counting not just the liabilities on a government’s balance sheet, but the financial assets too. 

    This means that we count the benefits of investment, not just the costs… 

    And we free up our institutions to invest… 

    … just as they do in Germany, France and Japan.  

    Like our stability rule, our investment rule will apply in 2029-2030… 

    … until that becomes the third year of the forecast. 

    From that point onwards, net financial debt will fall in the third year of every forecast. 

    Today, the OBR say that we are already meeting our target two years early… 

    … with “net financial debt” falling by 2027-28…  

    … with £15.7bn of headroom in the final year. 

    So that we drive the right incentives in government investments… 

    … we will introduce four key guardrails to ensure capital spending is good value for money and drives growth in our economy.  

    First, our portfolio of new financial investments will be delivered by expert bodies like the National Wealth Fund which must, by default, earn a rate of return at least as large as that on gilts.  

    Second, we will strengthen the role of institutions to improve infrastructure delivery.  

    Third, we will improve certainty, setting capital budgets for five years and extending them at every spending review every two years. 

    Finally, we will ensure there is greater transparency for capital spending, with robust annual reporting of financial investments… 

    … based on accounts audited by the National Audit Office… 

    … and made available to the Office for Budget Responsibility at every forecast. 

    Taken together with our stability rule… 

    …these fiscal rules will ensure that our public finances are on a firm footing… 

    … while enabling us to invest prudently alongside business. 

    Growth projects  

    The capital plans I now set out… 

    … to drive growth across our country… 

    … and repair the fabric of our nation… 

    … are only possible because of our investment rule.  

    Let me set out those investment plans. 

    Industrial strategy 

    Today we are confirming our plans to capitalise the National Wealth Fund… 

    … to invest in the industries of the future… 

    … from gigafactories, to ports to green hydrogen. 

    Building on these investments, my Right Honourable Friend the Business Secretary is driving forward our modern industrial strategy… 

    … working with businesses and organisations like Make UK… 

    … to set out the sectors with the biggest growth potential. 

    Today, we are confirming multi-year funding commitments for these areas of our economy, including… 

    … nearly £1bn for the aerospace sector to fund vital research and development, building on our industry in the East Midlands, the South-West and Scotland… 

    … over £2 billion for the automotive sector… 

    …  to support our electric vehicle industry and develop our manufacturing base… 

    … building on our strengths in the North East and the West Midlands… 

    And up to £520m for a new Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund. 

    For our world-leading creative industries…  

    … we will legislate to provide additional tax relief for visual effect costs in TV and film… 

    .. and we are providing £25m for the North East Combined Authority… 

    … which they plan to use to remediate the Crown Works Studio site in Sunderland… 

    … creating 8,000 new jobs.  

    Research & Development 

    To unlock these growth industries of the future, we will protect government investment in research and development with more than £20bn worth of funding. 

    This includes at least £6.1bn to protect core research funding for areas like engineering, biotechnology and medical science… 

    …through Research England, other research councils, and the National Academies. 

    We will extend the Innovation Accelerators programme in Glasgow, in Manchester and in the West Midlands.  

    And with over £500m of funding next year, my Right Honourable Friend the Science, Technology and Innovation Secretary, will continue to drive progress in improving reliable, fast broadband and mobile coverage across our country, including in rural areas. 

    Housing 

    We committed in our manifesto to build 1.5 million homes over the course of this parliament… 

    … and my Right Honourable Friend the Deputy Prime Minister is driving that work forward across government. 

    Today, I am providing over £5bn of government investment to deliver our plans on housing next year. 

    We will increase the Affordable Homes Programme to £3.1bn…  

    … delivering thousands of new homes.  

    We will provide £3bn of support in guarantees… 

    … to boost the supply of homes and support our small housebuilders. 

    And we will provide investment to renovate sites across our country… 

    … including at Liverpool Central Docks… 

    … where we will deliver 2,000 new homes… 

    … and funding to help Cambridge realise its full growth potential.  

    Alongside this investment, we will put the right policies in place to increase the supply of affordable housing.  

    Having heard representations from local authorities, social housing providers and from Shelter…  

    … I can today confirm that the government will reduce Right to Buy Discounts… 

    … and local authorities will be able to retain the full receipts from any sales of social housing… 

    … to reinvest back into the housing stock, and into new supply.. 

    … so that we give more people a safe, secure and affordable place to live.  

    We will provide stability to social housing providers, with a social housing rent settlement of CPI+1 percent for the next five years.  

    And we will deliver on our manifesto commitment to hire hundreds of new planning officers, to get Britain building again.  

    We will also make progress on our commitment to accelerate the remediation of homes following the findings of the Grenfell Inquiry… 

    … with £1bn of investment to remove dangerous cladding next year.  

    Transport

    Working with my Right Honourable Friend the Transport Secretary, I am changing that.  

    We are today securing the delivery of the Trans-Pennine upgrade to connect York, Leeds, Huddersfield and Manchester…  

    … delivering fully electric local and regional services between Manchester and Stalybridge by the end of this year… 

    … with a further electrification of services between Church Fenton and York by 2026.… 

    … to help grow our economy across the North of England… 

    … with faster and more reliable services.  

    We will deliver East-West Rail to drive growth between Oxford, Milton Keynes and Cambridge…  

    … with the first services running between Oxford, Bletchley and Milton Keynes next year… 

    … and trains between Oxford and Bedford running from 2030.  

    We are delivering railway schemes which improve journeys for people across our country… 

    … including upgrades at Bradford Forster Square…  

    … improving capacity at Manchester Victoria… 

    … and electrifying the Wigan-Bolton line. 

    My Right Honourable Friend the Transport Secretary has also set out a plan for how to get a grip of HS2. 

    Today, we are securing delivery of the project between Old Oak Common and Birmingham… 

    … and we are committing the funding required to begin tunnelling work to London Euston station… 

    … This will catalyse private investment into the local area. 

    I am also funding significant improvements to our roads network.  

    For too long, potholes have been an all too visible reminder of our failure to invest as a nation. 

    Today, that changes… 

    … with a £500m increase in road maintenance budgets next year… 

    … more than delivering on our manifesto commitment to fix an additional one million potholes each year. 

    We will provide over £650m of local transport funding to improve connections across our country… 

    … in our towns like Crewe and Grimsby… 

    … and in our villages and rural areas, from Cornwall to Cumbria.

    … we understand how important bus services are for our communities… 

    …so we will extend the cap for a further year, setting it at £3 until December 2025. 

    Finally we will deliver £1.3bn of funding to improve connectivity in our city regions, funding projects like…  

    … the Brierley Hill Metro extension in the West Midlands… 

    … the renewal of the Sheffield Supertram… 

    … and West Yorkshire Mass Transit, including in Bradford and Leeds.  

    Energy 

    Madam Deputy Speaker, to bring new jobs to Britain and drive growth across our country… 

    … we are delivering our mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower, led by my Right Honourable Friend the Energy Secretary. 

    Earlier this month, we announced a significant multi-year investment between government and business into Carbon Capture and Storage… 

    … creating 4,000 jobs across Merseyside and Teesside. 

    Today, I am providing funding for 11 new green hydrogen projects across England, Scotland and Wales – they will be among the first commercial scale projects anywhere in the world… 

    … including in Bridgend, East Renfrewshire and in Barrow-in-Furness 

    We are kickstarting the Warm Homes Plan by confirming an initial £3.4bn over the next three years… 

    … to transform 350,000 homes… 

    … including a quarter of a million low-income and social homes. 

    And we will establish GB Energy… 

    … providing funding next year to set up GB Energy at its new home in Aberdeen. 

    Overall, we will invest an additional £100bn over the next five years in capital spending… 

    … only possible because of our investment rule.  

    The OBR say today that this will drive growth across our country in the next five years… 

    … and in the longer term increase GDP by up to 1.4%. 

    It will crowd in private investment… 

    … meaning more jobs, and more opportunities… 

    … in every corner of the UK.  

    That is the choice that I have made.  

    To invest in our country… 

    … and to grow our economy. 

    Today, I am setting out two final areas in which investment is so badly needed… 

    … to repair the fabric of our nation. 

    Schools

    [redacted political content]

    … schools roofs are crumbling….  

    … and millions of children are facing the very same backdrop as I did. 

    I will be the Chancellor that changes that.  

    So today, I am providing £6.7bn of capital investment to the Department for Education next year… 

    … a 19% real-terms increase on this year. 

    That includes £1.4bn to rebuild over 500 schools in the greatest need… 

    … including St Helen’s Primary School in Hartlepool, and Mercia Academy in Derby… 

    … and so many more across our country. 

    And we will provide a further £2.1bn to improve school maintenance, £300m more than this year… 

    … ensuring that all our children can learn somewhere safe… 

    … including dealing with RAAC affected schools in the constituencies of my HFs the members for Watford, Stourbridge, Hyndburn, and beyond.   

    Alongside investment in new teachers… 

    … and funding for thousands of new breakfast clubs… 

    … this government is giving our children and young people the opportunities that they deserve.   

    NHS 

    Madam Deputy Speaker, I come to our most cherished public service of all: our NHS.

    [redacted political content]

    In our first week in office, he commissioned an independent report into the state of our health service by Lord Darzi.  

    Its conclusions were damning.  

    While our NHS staff do a remarkable job, and we thank them for it… 

    … it is clear that, that in so many areas… 

    … we are moving in the wrong direction.  

    100,000 infants waited over 6 hours in A&E last year.  

    350,000 people are waiting a year for mental health support. 

    Cancer deaths here are higher than in other countries.  

    It is simply unforgiveable. 

    In the Spring, we will publish a 10 year plan for the NHS… 

    … to deliver a shift from hospital to community… 

    … from analogue to digital… 

    … and from sickness to prevention. 

    Today, we are announcing a downpayment on that plan…  

    …  to enable the NHS to deliver 2% productivity growth next year. 

    These reforms are vital.  

    But we should be honest.  

    The state of the NHS we inherited… 

    … after – and I quote Lord Darzi – “the most austere decade since the NHS was founded” –  

    … means reform must come alongside investment. 

    So today… 

    … because of the difficult decision that I have taken on tax, welfare and spending… 

    … I can announce… 

    … that I am providing a £22.6bn increase in the day to-day health budget… 

    … and a £3.1bn increase in the capital budget… 

    … over this year and next year. 

    This is the largest real-terms growth in day to day NHS spending outside of Covid since 2010.  

    Let me set out what this funding is delivering.  

    Many NHS buildings have been left in a state of disrepair. 

    So we will provide £1 billion of health capital investment next year to address the backlog of repairs and upgrades across the NHS.  

    To increase capacity for tens of thousands more procedures next year… 

    … we will provide a further £1.5bn… 

    … for new beds in hospitals across the country…  

    … new capacity for over a million additional diagnostic tests… 

    … and new surgical hubs and diagnostic centres … 

    … so that those people waiting for their treatment can get it as quickly as possible. 

    My Right Honourable Friend the Health Secretary will be announcing the details of his review into the New Hospital Programme in the coming weeks… 

    … and publishing in the new year… 

    … but I can tell the House today… 

    … that work will continue at pace to deliver those seven hospitals affected including… 

    … West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds… 

    … and Leighton Hospital in Crewe.  

    And finally… 

    … because of this record injection of funding… 

    … because of the thousands of additional beds that we have secured… 

    … and because of the reforms that we are delivering in our NHS…  

    … we can now begin to bring waiting lists down more quickly… 

    … and move towards our target for waiting times no longer than 18 weeks… 

    … by delivering our manifesto commitment for 40,000 extra hospital appointments a week.

    [redacted political content]

    CLOSING 

    Madam Deputy Speaker, the choices that I have made today are the right choices for our country.  

    To restore stability to our public finances. 

    To protect working people. 

    To fix our NHS. 

    And to rebuild Britain.  

    That doesn’t mean these choices are easy. 

    But they are responsible.

    [redacted political content]

    This is a moment of fundamental choice for Britain.  

    I have made my choices.  

    The responsible choices. 

    To restore stability to our country. 

    To protect working people.  

    More teachers in our schools.  

    More appointments in our NHS.  

    More homes being built.  

    Fixing the foundations of our economy. 

    Investing in our future.  

    Delivering change.  

    Rebuilding Britain.

    We on these benches commend those choices… 

    … and I commend this Statement to the House.

    Updates to this page

    Published 30 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Celebrate International Games Week with our Games Library | Westminster City Council

    Source: City of Westminster

    International Games Week runs from 7 to 14 November. The week aims to reconnect communities through their libraries around the educational, recreational, and social value of all types of games.

    Last year, our Library service launched its Games Library during International Games Week, but this year, we want to go bigger and better, hosting a range of events across all our libraries in Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea. 

    International Games Week events

    Date, time, location and game information for events across the week.
    Date Time Location Game
    Wednesday 6 November 6pm to 8pm  Paddington Library Board Games Bonanza
    Thursday 7 November 3:30pm to 7:30pm Chelsea Library Candela Obscura with William
    Thursday 7 November 4:30pm to 7:30pm Brompton Library Role Play Haven D&D 
    Thursday 7 November 4:45pm to 6:45pm Church Street Library  Miniature painting with Everstromn
    Thursday 7 November  4:45pm to 6:45pm Church Street Library  Tabletop Games with Michaela 
    Thursday 7 November   5 to 7pm Victoria Library Role Play Haven D&D
    Saturday 9 November  2pm to 4pm Maida Vale Library Role Play Haven D&D 
    Saturday 9 November  3pm to 4pm Kensington Central Library History of Games talk by James Wallis
    Sunday 10 November   1:30pm to 4:30pm  Marylebone Library D&D with Casper 
    Monday 11 November   5pm to 7pm Pimlico Library Miniature painting with Everstromn
    Monday 11 November   5:30pm to 8pm Westminster Reference Library Sherlock Holmes mystery game with Lucy 
    Tuesday 12 November  5pm to 7pm  North Kensington Library Miniature painting with Everstromn
    Tuesday 12 November 5pm to 7pm St. John’s Wood Role Play Haven D&D
    Tuesday 12 November 6pm to 8m  Paddington Library Role Play Haven D&D
    Tuesday 12 November 6pm to 10pm  Charing Cross Library MTG Commander Night with Bowie
    Wednesday 13 November 5pm to 7pm  Queens Park Library Role Play Haven D&D

    Events taking place in Westminster libraries require registration. You can register to attend on Eventbrite.

    What is the Games Library?

    Library members can borrow a variety of tabletop board games to play at home. Games can be borrowed directly from Kensington Central and Pimlico libraries, or reserved for collection at any branch free of charge.

    Tabletop gaming is a fun and sociable way to spend time with family and friends. It can help young people and adults develop social skills, collaboration, creative thinking, strategic thinking, and more.

    The Games Library has over 150 games available for people to borrow and take home. These include Catan, Ticket to Ride, Azul, and many more. A full list of the games can be found in our online catalogue.

    In Westminster, the Games library is based at Pimlico Library only, while at Kensington and Chelsea, Kensington Central Library. However, library members can reserve games to pick up from any of the Westminster Libraries. Please note that library members must be aged 10 or older to reserve and borrow games. 

    Borrowing a game

    What to know when borrowing a game:

    • games are free of charge to borrow 
    • you can borrow one game at a time  
    • the loan period is three weeks 
    • games can be renewed twice, each time for a further three weeks 
    • any library member aged 11 and over can borrow a game 

    For more information on your local Games Library, contact [email protected]  

    Come along to our weekly game events

    Pimlico Library: Dungeons and Dragons club 

    • every Wednesday 
    • from 4pm to 6pm
    • ages 11 to 16
    • advanced booking is required; please get in touch with the library

    Kensington Central Library: Role-play gaming 

    • every Thursday 
    • from 5:30pm to 7:30pm
    • ages 16 to 25
    • advanced booking is required; please get in touch with the library

    Kensington Central Library: tabletop board gaming 

    • every Thursday 
    • from 5:30pm to 7:30pm
    • for ages 11 and over
    • no booking is required, just drop in

    Other ways to get involved

    • If you’d like to become a games volunteer, please get in touch with [email protected]
    • Would your group enjoy visiting the library to play board games? Please contact the selected libraries above. We can arrange a suitable time and advise on the best games for your group’s needs.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Nine in a row for Aberdeen

    Source: Scotland – City of Aberdeen

    Aberdeen City Council’s catering team is celebrating after it was awarded its Food for Life Served Here Bronze certification for the ninth time by adding more local and climate-friendly peas to the school menu.

    The Council, which first received the award for its primary school meals in 2015, and for secondary schools in 2017, now serves more than 13,500 nutritious, sustainable and locally-sourced Food for Life meals across 61 sites every day.

    This achievement reflects the hard work and dedication of the council’s school catering team, as well as the commitment to scratch cooking and local sourcing. These values are on display through the Give Peas a Chance! pilot project, a collaboration between Soil Association Scotland and Aberdeen City Council to get locally-grown organic dried split peas into school meals.

    Councillor Martin Greig, the Convener of the Education and Children’s Services Committee, Aberdeen City Council, said: “Good quality food is an important way to nourish and support young people’s health and wellbeing. School meals should be nutritious and contain as much fresh, local and sustainable food as possible. It is testament to the ongoing commitment and hard work of our catering and procurement teams that the Council has received the Food for Life Served Here Bronze award for the ninth year. It is a great achievement and congratulations to everyone involved.

    “Being part of the Give Peas a Chance pilot programme has enabled us to bring more local, organic produce into the menu. This is great for our young people, the local economy and the environment. It has also given catering staff an opportunity to develop new recipes and menus.”

    The 12-month Give Peas a Chance pilot project is opening up a new route to market for this local, organic, nutritious and climate friendly plant protein, allowing pupils to access healthy and sustainable food. It is a partnership between Soil Association Scotland, Aberdeen City Council catering and procurement teams, pea producer Phil Swire of Balmakewan Farm, the Royal Highland Education Trust (RHET) and the Royal Northern Countryside Initiative (RNCI).

    Sarah Gowanlock, Partnerships Manager, Food for Life Scotland, said: “Aberdeen City Council’s ninth year of the Food for Life Served Here award is a huge achievement. It shows that staff are dedicated to providing pupils with a meal that’s healthy, freshly prepared and sustainably produced. We’re proud to be working in partnership with the council to deliver even more good food to Aberdeen City pupils through the Give Peas a Chance! pilot project, which is a fantastic example of how public procurement can have a positive impact on our food systems. Congratulations to all involved.”

    With an updated menu launched after the October break, pupils can now enjoy pea-based recipes that are part of the council’s new school meals menu, including lemon and pea risotto, sweet potato and pea curry, split pea meatballs with bolognaise sauce, and even a pea-based muffin and cookie.

    The council’s school meals service is certified by the widely respected and independently assessed scheme led by Soil Association Scotland and funded by Scottish Government. The Food for Life Scotland programme provides a framework through which local authorities can ensure they are serving food that’s good for health, the environment and the economy. This is done by following a set of standards to achieve the Food for Life Served Here award at Bronze, Silver or Gold level.

    The Bronze award recognises that a minimum of 75 percent of dishes are freshly prepared from unprocessed ingredients. Meals are also free from undesirable trans fats, sweeteners, additives and all genetically modified ingredients. Catering teams also use free range eggs, higher welfare meat and ingredients from sustainable and ethical sources.

    Photo caption: Councillor Martin Greig receives the Food for Life Served Here Bronze Award certificate from Food for Life Scotland’s Partnerships Manager Sarah Gowanlock, at a celebration with the Council’s schools catering team at Culter School. 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Read More (Van Hollen, Cardin, Trone Announce $7.7 Million for Airport Infrastructure Projects in Western Maryland)

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative David Trone

    October 30, 2024

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    October 30, 2024

    Van Hollen, Cardin, Trone Announce $7.7 Million for Airport Infrastructure Projects in Western Maryland

    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressman David Trone (all D-Md.) announced $7,705,850 in federal funding for infrastructure and expansion projects at the Hagerstown Regional Airport and Garrett County Airport. The funding, provided through the Department of Transportation (DOT) Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Airport Improvement Program and Airport Terminal Program, will increase the airports’ capacities to meet operational needs and safety standards.

    “Hagerstown Regional and Garrett County airports help connect Western Maryland with greater economic opportunity. We fought for these investments to provide both airports with resources to continue to serving Maryland’s businesses, residents, and visitors in the years to come,” said the lawmakers.

    The federal grants have been awarded as follows:

    • $6,786,262 to Hagerstown Regional Airport to remove a building and relocate fencing identified as obstructions by the FAA and to renovate and expand the existing terminal building to accommodate existing and projected airline passenger demand
    • $919,588 to Garrett County Airport to rehabilitate 7,300 square yards of the existing Terminal Apron pavement

    The Airport Improvement Program (AIP) funds various types of airport infrastructure projects across the country, including repairs and upgrades to runways, taxiways, airport signage, lighting and markings – all while creating thousands of good-paying, local jobs. The members have consistently fought to provide funds for airports and terminal operators, including through the fiscal year 2024 appropriations process, which makes $3.35 billion available from the Airport and Airway Trust Fund and an additional $532 million from the general fund for AIP projects.

    The Airport Terminal Program was created in 2021 through the lawmakers’ efforts to pass the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Funded at $1 billion in fiscal year 2024, the Airport Terminal Program supports safe, sustainable, and accessible airport terminals, on-airport rail access projects, and airport-owned airport traffic control towers.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Researcher Melissa Gish Bridges Chemistry and Physics To Improve Solar Energy Technologies

    Source: US National Renewable Energy Laboratory

    Researchers Bryon Larson, Melissa Gish, Ross Larsen, and Reilly Seban (left to right) are collecting and analyzing data on organic solar cells in the NREL Energy Systems Integration Facility’s Insight Center. Their research is part of a large-scale effort to quantify organic photovoltaics for incorporation into machine learning tools. Photo by Joe DelNero, NREL

    Melissa Gish approaches physics and chemistry problems like puzzles: Control this or that variable, and work out how the jigsaw pieces fit together.

    “I didn’t really like biology because I felt like there were too many variables to adequately control,” said Gish, a chemistry researcher at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

    The journal Trends in Chemistry recently honored Gish in a special issue designed to highlight emerging leaders in chemistry who are innovating in their respective fields, as well as to celebrate Trends in Chemistry’s fifth anniversary and Cell Press’ 50th anniversary.

    That inclination toward controlling variables to chart a path to discovery led her from high school biology experiments on the breeding behavior of mosquitoes to majoring in chemistry in college. In her senior year, Gish studied quantum mechanics and worked in a physical chemistry lab—and that work led her to pursue a Ph.D. in experimental physical chemistry.

    “The intersection of physics and chemistry just made sense to me in a way that other disciplines hadn’t,” she said. “It just clicked.”

    At the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), Gish immediately started working in ultrafast spectroscopy, where pulsed lasers are used to study ultrafast events after a system absorbs light—within solar energy research—and her renewable energy research interests then led her to NREL, first as a postdoctoral researcher and now as a chemistry researcher.

    “NREL has world-class fundamental research and amazing physical chemists,” she said, “so I could continue working with ultrafast spectroscopy and solar energy research.”

    Leading on Transient Spectroscopy

    Gish began her work in transient spectroscopy—studying the properties of short-lived excited states of molecules and materials—at UNC and continues that work at NREL.

    “We were studying dye-sensitized photoelectrosynthesis cells, which involved the absorption of light to kick off an electron transfer cascade that would lead to catalysis to generate solar fuels,” she said. “These systems often had two-to-three-plus components, each with its own photophysics that needed to be parsed out with careful control experiments. These problems are puzzles—each puzzle is unique and fun to solve, with the added bonus of working toward new renewable energy technologies.”

    At NREL, Gish has become a leader in using transient spectroscopy to study pathways to more efficient solar cells and solar energy production and uncovering the photophysics of complicated molecular and materials systems, often connecting that information to photochemical reactions. Her work spans much of the periodic table, from organic molecules and polymers to transition and rare earth metal-organic complexes to silicon nanoparticles to semiconductor materials and more. Gish’s recent investigations extend across the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Science Basic Energy Sciences research portfolio at NREL and have targeted the short excited-state lifetimes of conjugated polymers, tuning of singlet fission at mesoporous interfaces, and development of a strategy to differentiate rare earth elements.

    Gish is presently interested in connecting ultrafast photophysics on the very small scale—femtoseconds, picoseconds, and nanoseconds—to photochemical transformations on the seconds-to-hours time scale.

    “Understanding the initial processes after light absorption that may affect the photochemistry or photocatalysis that happens many decades later can help us design better systems for solar energy harvesting or light-induced separations,” Gish said. “I’ve been working on in situ methods to spectroscopically determine intermediates and products on longer time scales to connect the ultrafast experiments.”

    As she looks to the immediate future in her research, Gish is thinking about the photophysics of product selectivity in photocatalysis, in which solar energy is converted to chemical energy.

    “To make usable, storable solar fuels, we need to be able to generate the product that we want—for example, methanol—and there’s a lot we don’t understand about how to drive solar fuel production and photocatalysis to the final product of our choosing,” she said.

    Gish’s work extends to safety in the lab. She is a technical and safety leader for laser-based spectroscopy at NREL, stewarding several ultrafast laser systems and mentoring users of all experience levels in best safety practices for alignment, designing experiments, and operating systems to obtain high-quality data and rigorous data analysis. She has also played an integral part in NREL’s Laser Safety Panel, helping improve the laser operator qualification process and defining the laser system supervisor’s roles and responsibilities.

    Kyle Crabb, Rob Hammond, and Melissa Gish (left to right) pose for a photo in front of the Pride flag at NREL’s South Table Mountain Campus in 2023 after the second annual Full Spectrum Network-organized Pride flag raising at NREL. Photo by Joe DelNero, NREL

    Supporting and Mentoring Others

    Good leaders give back to their communities, and Gish gives back through mentorship and building community.

    At NREL, Gish cofounded two employee resource groups for NREL staff: the Full Spectrum Network (LGBTQIA+ employees and allies) and the Postdoc and Graduate Student Network.

    “My involvement in Full Spectrum and, in particular, my role in starting Pride Month events at NREL means a lot to me,” Gish said. “What I’m most proud of is how the group has continued as I and the initial steering committee passed the torch to the current leadership. Running an employee resource group is a lot of work and requires a lot of dedication and passion, and it’s amazing to see how each iteration of Full Spectrum continues our initial traditions and builds on them. For example, the annual Pride flag raising at the South Table Mountain Campus is something that started after my time and was extended to the Flatirons Campus this year.”

    Full Spectrum has helped bring together the LGBTQIA+ community at NREL and helped them feel seen and embraced.

    “I think it’s important for NREL to show LGBTQIA+ staff that our contributions are recognized and celebrated, which is a legacy I am proud of,” Gish said. “I have had new employees reach out to me and say that our work in Full Spectrum and the visibility it has provided to LGBTQIA+ staff has influenced their decision to come work at NREL because of the safe space that has been created.”

    Gish is also proud of her work with the Postdoc and Graduate Student Network, where she mentors early-career researchers from undergraduate and graduate students to postdoctoral researchers.

    “Postdocs and students are in a unique position where they are actively looking for their next job while producing high-quality scientific research and learning the advanced techniques we have here at NREL,” she said. “We wanted the network to provide professional development opportunities, soft-skills workshops, and networking opportunities to alleviate some of that stress that these early-career folks feel. I have also had opportunities to mentor postdocs, grad students, and undergrads as a staff scientist.

    “I really enjoy watching students and postdocs grow and become confident scientists,” Gish continued. “As the NREL principal investigator of a Reaching a New Energy Sciences Workforce (RENEW) project in collaboration with Metropolitan State University of Denver, I’ve had the pleasure of mentoring undergraduate students with limited lab experience who are motivated and passionate about learning spectroscopy as well as what it is like to be a scientist and explore this career as an option.”

    Gish’s RENEW project focuses on understanding spin dynamics of first row transition metal photosensitizers.

    She is continuing her career trajectory by actively solving chemistry puzzles—developing spectroscopic capabilities to answer new questions about next-generation solar energy technologies—and building her portfolio as a principal investigator while mentoring and serving her community.

    “Melissa has developed quickly into a key team member of several of our DOE Office of Science Basic Energy Sciences projects and was recently successful as an NREL principal investigator on a RENEW project focused on harnessing spin physics to drive photochemical reactions,” said NREL’s Andrew Ferguson, spectroscopy and photoscience group manager. “I have been particularly impressed by her resilience, exemplified by her response to the restrictions imposed by the COVID pandemic on her postdoctoral work; her vision to develop the spectroscopic tools to connect ultrafast photophysical processes to much slower photochemical reactivity; and her commitment to effective training and mentoring of early-career researchers. She is certainly worthy of recognition as an emerging leader in chemistry, and I am excited to see where her career goes from here.”

    Learn more about Melissa Gish’s research and NREL’s solar energy research.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Are Carbon-Free Energy Systems Possible? NREL Has a Way To Find Out

    Source: US National Renewable Energy Laboratory

    Live Power Experiments Using NREL’S ARIES Platform Solve Future Energy Challenges in the Present

    Aerial view of NREL’s Flatirons Campus, where researchers demonstrate clean energy solutions for large-scale systems using the ARIES platform. Photo by Josh Bauer and Taylor Mankle, NREL

    Renewable energy generation has risen for years, now supplying 22% of U.S. electricity. But the next gains will not come easy. Looming obstacles include a lack of energy storage, increasing cybersecurity threats and outages, possible electrical instabilities, and sectors that are hard to electrify.

    It’s a heavy list, but those exact obstacles are well known within NREL’s Advanced Research on Integrated Energy Systems (ARIES) platform. In fact, researchers replicate these obstacles in both physical and virtual environments every day to vet large-scale energy solutions in action.

    Like constellations that once guided explorers, ARIES helps users to orient their clean energy decisions. Following recent expansions in grid control, hydrogen, and cyber resilience, the platform can help researchers explore the greatest challenges to achieving a clean energy transformation.

    Fine Control Over Experimental Power

    One challenge for clean energy is the integration of diverse technologies. Power systems are becoming hybrid, distributed mixtures of solar, wind, storage, and many other energy resources. Electrically, they are nothing like we’ve had in the past, especially at the sub-second timescales.

    To develop solutions with enough detail, engineers need the real deal for experiments: electricity like it exists in homes, between cities, and during disasters. They need to customize electricity to recreate the big research questions.

    ARIES has that customizability, thanks to the controllable grid interface (CGI), which acts as an envelope on incoming power, shaping it according to scenarios, such as an oil-fired generator failing on an island full of renewables or faults affecting a wind-powered microgrid.

    Past uses include:

    • Validating next-generation transformers that add transmission flexibility in the U.S. Department of Energy project Grid Application Development, Testbed, and Analysis for MV SiC (GADTAMS)
    • Piloting a grid-forming wind turbine with an industry partner
    • Exploring hybrid power plants that mix water, wind, storage, and solar in the multi-laboratory project FlexPower.

    In 2024, the CGI quadrupled in power, and it is better able to answer the many unknowns of clean energy deployed at scale.

    With ARIES, researchers construct fully realistic energy systems to explore solutions for clean energy integrations, both near term and long term. This photo shows a photovoltaic array at right, and just above the array is the CGI, which customizes power flow throughout the research platform. The trailers and boxes in the center are batteries, hydrogen tanks, electrolyzers, fuel cells, direct current devices, and more. Photo by Josh Bauer and Taylor Mankle, NREL

    Clean Energy Demonstrations Get Larger and More Integrated

    With the CGI upgrade, the interface can run two custom scenarios in parallel at 7 megavolt-amperes and 20 megavolt-amperes, and the researchers are taking advantage.

    “It’s bigger, a little faster, and it gives us bandwidth,” said Przemyslaw Koralewicz, an architect of the interface. Prior to CGI2’s completion, projects were bottlenecked by the interface’s availability. Now researchers can switch between two different machines when experiments stack up, or they can even use both in the same experiment.

    “In one interesting experiment as part of the SuperFACTS project, we placed a battery on one interface and a photovoltaic array on the other. Artificially, they were made to act as if they were 1,000 miles away, individually contributing to stability on the same electric grid,” Koralewicz described.

    Przemek Koralewicz, third from left, and colleagues present the latest additions to the CGI. The CGI is housed in a trailer full of power electronic switches that allow researchers to customize real energy system scenarios. Photo by Josh Bauer, NREL

    A top research goal of ARIES is to successfully integrate diverse technologies. The CGI is designed for this purpose, making it possible to catch problems of instability or unreliability within uncommon energy combinations. One example is direct current (DC) microgrids.  

    “It’s becoming popular to explore DC microgrids. I’m pretty excited about the possibility,” Koralewicz said. “DC microgrids could avoid transformers and inject power directly into the grid bus. The CGI uniquely allows us to try this.”

    The DC bus could charge heavy-duty vehicles directly from solar or wind resources, and it could power electrolyzers directly to produce hydrogen, possibilities that ARIES researchers are eager to study for their simpler architectures and unique pathways.

    Although a DC bus is not yet available, other pathways are ready for research at ARIES. Thanks to additional infrastructure, hydrogen energy integration research is underway in a big way.

    From Clean Electricity to Gas and Back

    Hydrogen could singly abate several challenges in future energy systems. It’s a solution for energy storage, a force for grid flexibility, and an energy-dense fuel to rival carbon compounds. It’s a resource with real potential to integrate clean power, but it is lacking in experimental run time. That’s why the ARIES integrated hydrogen capabilities have expanded.

    NREL research technicians Tavis Hanna and Daniel Leighton tighten flanges on a pump for integrated cooling systems. This hardware helps make ARIES a hub for large-scale hydrogen-grid research. Photo by Werner Slocum, NREL

    From storage tanks to fuel cells, and from water deionizers to electrolyzers, ARIES features a full circle of clean hydrogen assets. These capabilities are set apart by their close integration with other renewable assets. At a megawatt capacity, ARIES is also the proper size to pilot hydrogen pathways before going to the full grid scale, the target of the U.S. Department of Energy’s H2@Scale initiative.

    This capability appeals to mining companies and downstream ore processing facilities that want to decarbonize their operations, as well as to automotive companies that are curious about stationary power from fuel cells as an opportunity to enlarge their customer base.

    “We commissioned and built this new equipment, and now we want to answer questions about electrolysis at the relevant scale,” Daniel Leighton, NREL technical lead, said in a public presentation.

    Leighton and colleagues added the new assets so that researchers can explore the options around renewably produced hydrogen.  

    “We’ll have a pipeline that will connect to future underground storage, and we are currently validating a metal hydride storage system for low-pressure hydrogen. To validate electrolysis technologies and how they support other areas, we’re building out a full balance of plant at 6 megawatts for partners to do drop-in validation,” Leighton said.

    Of course, none of this—neither the hybrid power plants nor the underground hydrogen caverns—means anything if integrated energy systems are not secure. It might not be as visible as pipelines, but as another core aim of ARIES, cybersecurity is increasingly everywhere and for good reason.

    Sharper Cybersecurity: Attacking a Wind Turbine, Cloud Security, and Microgrid Communications

    Modern organizations face a daily barrage of cyberattacks and scams, and the situation is similarly problematic for energy systems.

    “We’re seeing hacking software become very cheap and nation states facilitating attacks. At the same time, we see our energy systems becoming much more complex—for example, an increase in the quantity of devices operating as part of the grid,” said Dane Christensen, manager of the Cyber System Assessment group at NREL.

    “A loss of exclusive utility ownership over grid-interactive devices. Less tractable supply chains. A mix of legacy and modern hardware,” Christensen explained. “How do we retain the benefits of all this connectivity and achieve mutual cybersecurity?”

    It’s a question that Christensen and colleagues are answering using the ARIES Cyber Range, which virtualizes, cosimulates, and visualizes energy system experiments.

    An early demonstration of the ARIES Cyber Range was, logically, to attack a wind turbine on NREL’s Flatirons Campus.

    NREL researchers staged a self-cyberattack on a research wind turbine to show a confluence of ARIES capabilities, including cyber-physical emulation, real-time interactivity, power hardware-in-the-loop, and visualization. Photo by NREL

    In front of a live industry audience, NREL researchers established a facsimile of a distribution utility, transmission utility, and independent wind power producer, which the researchers disabled by accessing the wind power plant’s control center through vulnerabilities.

    Using ARIES, they launched an attack to shut down one full-scale turbine at NREL’s Flatirons Campus and an emulated wind power plant. This triggered automated safeties to impact the surrounding transmission system.

    In seconds, NREL’s mock attackers reduced the plant production to zero, cutting power to thousands of (simulated) people, showcasing what consequences could occur if vulnerabilities are left unpatched in energy systems and showing the usefulness of ARIES tools in addressing those vulnerabilities.

    “We leverage the cyber range to employ much more realistic systems and to be able to scale our research,” Christensen said. “We couple the physical and virtual in real time and track it visually. In this way, we can help mitigate the risk inherent in both newly adopted technologies and in the trusted relationships that exist across the energy sector.”

    The cyber-physical union at ARIES has redefined clean energy research. This is evident in a 5G microgrid platform, where utilities can assess wireless operations, and in CloudZero, where they can assess the cloud management of complex energy systems.

    Like all challenges ahead for clean energy systems, cybersecurity becomes surmountable when researchers can have the real systems right in front of them, using ARIES.

    Stay Tuned, Reach Out, Learn More

    New opportunities continually appear for clean energy, which suits the underlying build of ARIES: Its hardware is reconfigurable and with digital simulators, scalable. ARIES researchers have a versatile electric grid at their fingertips, and they are just breaking the surface of what is possible on this research platform.

    Variability in the physical size of new energy technologies being added to the system

    Securely controlling (millions to tens of millions of) interconnected devices

    Integrating multiple diverse technologies that have not previously worked together

    Three key technical challenges guide ARIES research. Partners facing these same challenges can use the ARIES capabilities to evaluate and explore their options.

    Nearing five years of being online, ARIES is equipped for another generation of experiments, and it continues to grow. If you are interested in partnering with NREL, contact ARIES@nrel.gov. These partnering examples are open now:

    Visit nrel.gov/aries to learn more.

    The ARIES platform is supported by the Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NIH-funded scientists uncover clues to precancer and tumor biology

    Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 2

    Media Advisory

    Wednesday, October 30, 2024

    A collection of new papers highlight discoveries from the Human Tumor Atlas Network, a Cancer Moonshot℠ initiative.

    What

    New insights from multiple studies provide critical information on how cancer tumors develop, spread, and respond to treatments. The 10 studies from the Human Tumor Atlas Network (HTAN), a National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded Cancer Moonshot℠ initiative to construct three-dimensional maps of human tumors, will be published Oct. 31, 2024, across several Nature journals.

    Several studies explore the role of the tumor microenvironment and the immune system in promoting the spread of cancer and its resistance to treatment. Three studies map the trajectory of precancerous colorectal tissues toward cancer by measuring the contributions of multiple molecular and cellular events. Multiple new HTAN papers describe the development of innovative single-cell technology and analysis platforms. An accompanying research briefing by W. Kimryn Rathmell, M.D., Ph.D., director of NIH’s National Cancer Institute (NCI), and Dinah Singer, Ph.D., NCI deputy director for scientific strategy and development, discusses the history, progress, and future of HTAN.

    Launched in 2018, HTAN constructs three-dimensional maps of human tumors that capture their molecular features and surrounding microenvironments over time. The work is being done by teams of investigators from research institutions across the country using a variety of technologies and computational approaches to study tumors at the single-cell level. This comprehensive, publicly available resource aims to help researchers better understand the development and progression of cancer to inform its prevention and treatment. The first tumor atlas studies from this initiative were published in 2020 and 2021.

    Who

    Shannon Hughes, Ph.D., Division of Cancer Biology, NCI; Sean Hanlon, Ph.D., Center for Strategic Scientific Initiatives, NCI; Sudhir Srivastava, Ph.D., M.P.H., Division of Cancer Prevention, NCI

    The Studies

    The collection page is available at https://www.nature.com/collections/fihchcjehc.

    About the National Cancer Institute (NCI): NCI leads the National Cancer Program and NIH’s efforts to dramatically reduce the prevalence of cancer and improve the lives of cancer patients and their families, through research into prevention and cancer biology, the development of new interventions, and the training and mentoring of new researchers. For more information about cancer, please visit the NCI website at cancer.gov or call NCI’s contact center, the Cancer Information Service, at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237).

    About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation’s medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

    NIH…Turning Discovery Into Health®

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Murphy Joins NJ TRANSIT to Showcase Brand New Multilevel Rail Car

    Source: US State of New Jersey

    174 New Rail Cars Will Help Mechanical Reliability

    Vehicle Maximum Speed Will Increase to 110 Miles Per Hour

    Latest Generation Features New Customer Amenities Such as USB Charging Ports

    KEARNY, NJ – Governor Phil Murphy and NJ TRANSIT President & CEO Kevin S. Corbett today previewed the next generation of multilevel rail cars, modernizing the fleet which will significantly improve reliability, capacity and customer comfort. The latest generation of multilevel rail cars was unveiled at an event at NJ TRANSIT’s Meadows Maintenance Complex (MMC) in Kearny.

    “Providing modern, reliable equipment is a critical component to improving New Jersey’s infrastructure, particularly with regard to public transit,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “These multilevel rail cars are equipped with innovative features that meet the everyday needs of our commuters. Upon their completion, these upgraded rail cars will expand access to reliable and comfortable transportation for NJ TRANSIT riders.”

    “These 174 new multilevel rail cars being unveiled today will enhance the experience for NJ TRANSIT riders by increasing capacity, utilizing cutting-edge technology, and ensuring the safety and reliability of New Jersey’s transportation system,” said Senator Cory Booker. “This investment to modernize our transit system along the busiest rail corridor in the country will encourage more New Jerseyans to opt for public transit over driving, resulting in reduced congestion and lower emissions across our state.” 

    “Since day one of his administration, Governor Murphy has been committed to improving NJ TRANSIT to ensure New Jersey residents have a reliable public transit experience. Today marks another milestone in that mission,” said Senator George Helmy. “These Multilevel III cars propel us into a new generation of NJ TRANSIT. The modern, state-of-the-art fleet will ensure customers who rely on this service daily have a faster, more comfortable, and convenient experience.” 

    “With the purchase of these new multilevel rail cars, we’re taking another step toward a more reliable, efficient, and modernized public transit system,” said Congressman Rob Menendez. “Commuters deserve the best possible experience when traveling through our region, and I’m grateful that our federal and state leaders will continue partnering with NJ Transit to help make that a reality.” 

    “The FTA is proud to support NJ TRANSIT as it introduces 174 new multi-level railcars into service,” said Michael Culotta, Regional Administrator of the Federal Transit Administration. “The new fleet, supported by $567.5 million in federal funds, includes state-of-the-art technologies providing improved accessibility, safety, and efficiency, which will leave an indelible mark on riders and align seamlessly with the goals of the FTA and the Biden-Harris Administration.” 
     
    “As we unveil NJ TRANSIT’s new Multilevel III rail cars, we are taking a significant step forward in sustainable transportation and government efficiency,” said Assemblyman Clinton Calabrese, Chair of the Assembly Transportation and Independent Authorities Committee. “These electric, self-propelled vehicles should not only enhance capacity and comfort for commuters but also significantly enhance mechanical reliability. Their energy efficiency and reduced emissions underscore our commitment to sustainability and minimizing environmental impact. By embracing this advanced technology, we are positioning New Jersey as a national leader in clean energy transportation, addressing both the immediate and long-term goals of a greener, more efficient, and more connected state.” 

    “NJ TRANSIT is committed to improving every aspect of the customer journey, and the 174 new multilevel rail cars will help achieve that by significantly improving reliability, increasing capacity and enhancing the onboard experience,” said NJ TRANSIT President & CEO Kevin S. Corbett. “NJ TRANSIT is grateful to Governor Murphy, the New jersey legislators and our partners at the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) for delivering the necessary funding to ensure our system continues to meet the growing demands of our region, and the expectations of our customers.” 

    “Alstom is proud to help meet the vision and leadership of Governor Murphy and NJ TRANSIT President & CEO Kevin Corbett to provide transit users in New Jersey with a more modern and comfortable ride,” said Alstom Vice President, Head of Rolling Stock David Van der Wee. “Innovative new trains with 21st century amenities will give commuters, students, sports fans, every kind of NJ TRANSIT customer, the high-quality experience they have been demanding and deserve. Our employees in Upstate New York couldn’t be prouder to deliver these new trains.” 

    Governor Murphy and Corbett previewed the first of 174 Multilevel III cars during an event at the agency’s Governor Murphy and Corbett previewed the first of 174 Multilevel III cars during an event at the agency’s MMC in Kearny. They highlighted many of the new car’s amenities, including USB charging ports and onboard information displays. The new cars, manufactured by Alstom Transportation in Plattsburgh, NY, will offer a range of benefits over the older, 40+ year-old single level cars they will replace, including dramatic improvement in mechanical reliability. The vehicle maximum speed will increase to 110 miles per hour. The cars, which will begin entering service mid-next year, will be compliant with the latest federal regulations, including Positive Train Control.

    The Multilevel III Power Cars are Electric Multiple Units (EMUs), meaning they are self-propelled and don’t require a separate locomotive. Electric motors are incorporated within one or a number of the vehicles on the train. They are the first of their kind in North America.

    In December of 2018, the NJ TRANSIT Board of Directors approved a rail rolling stock vehicle procurement award to Bombardier Transit Corporation (now Alstom Transportation Inc.) for 113 Multilevel III rail vehicles to replace the single-level, self-propelled Arrow III rail vehicles manufactured more than 40 years ago. In February 2022, the NJ TRANSIT Board approved the purchase of an additional 25 Multilevel III vehicles. In July 2024, the Board approved the purchase of an additional 36 Multilevel III vehicles, bring the total number of new cars to 174 since 2018.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Joint Statement of the U.S. Department of Justice and the United Kingdom Home Office on a Multilateral Meeting to Address State-Sponsored High-Harm Physical Threats and Other Forms of Transnational Repression

    Source: US State of California

    On Oct. 10, the U.S. Department of Justice and the United Kingdom Home Office convened a multilateral meeting at the U.S. Embassy in London to address the urgent challenge of state-sponsored high-harm physical threats and other forms of transnational repression. The meeting was co-chaired by Matthew G. Olsen, Assistant Attorney General for National Security from the U.S. Department of Justice, and Chloe Squires, Director General for Homeland Security from the U.K. Home Office.

    The meeting brought together senior government officials from partner nations that are confronting increasing levels of transnational violence perpetrated by state actors, particularly authoritarian regimes, and their proxies. This meeting included representatives from intelligence, law enforcement, prosecutorial, and policy organizations to share disruption strategies for countering the alarming rise in transnational assassination plots, kidnappings, and other acts of violence and repression.

    The engagement was designed to achieve a common understanding of the threat landscape, share operational and strategic approaches to counter the threat, and identify opportunities for ongoing collaboration and partnership. At the conclusion, participants agreed to establish a regular working group to maintain shared visibility into the threat in member countries and to review and develop strategies to increase the capacity of the partner nations to deter and disrupt state-sponsored violence and repression.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Justice Department Releases Information on Efforts to Protect the Right to Vote, Prosecute Election Fraud, and Secure Elections

    Source: US State of California

    Consistent with longstanding Justice Department practices and procedures, the department today is providing information about its efforts, through the Civil Rights Division, Criminal Division, National Security Division (NSD), and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country, to ensure that all qualified voters have the opportunity to cast their ballots and have their votes counted free of discrimination, intimidation, or criminal activity in the election process, and to ensure that our elections are secure and free from foreign malign influence and interference.

    Civil Rights Division

    The department’s Civil Rights Division is responsible for ensuring compliance with the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the right to vote and with the criminal provisions of federal statutes prohibiting discriminatory interference with that right. This work is often performed in partnership with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices.

    The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of a wide range of federal statutes that protect the right to vote including: the Voting Rights Act; National Voter Registration Act; Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act; Help America Vote Act; and Civil Rights Acts. Among other things, collectively, these laws:

    • Prohibit election practices that have either a discriminatory purpose or a discriminatory result on account of race, color, or language minority status;
    • Prohibit intimidation of voters;
    • Allow voters who need assistance in voting because of disability or inability to read or write to receive assistance from a person of their choice (other than agents of their employer or union);
    • Require minority language election materials and assistance in certain jurisdictions;
    • Require accessible voting systems for voters with disabilities;
    • Require that provisional ballots be offered to voters who assert they are registered and eligible to vote in the jurisdiction, but whose names do not appear on poll books;
    • Require states to provide for absentee voting for uniformed service members serving away from home, their family members also away from home due to that service, and U.S. citizens living abroad; and
    • Require covered states to offer the opportunity to register to vote through offices that provide driver licenses, public assistance, and disability services, as well as through the mail, and to take steps regarding maintaining voter registration lists.

    The Civil Rights Division’s Disability Rights Section enforces the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which prohibits discrimination in voting based on disability. The ADA applies to all aspects of voting, including voter registration, selection and accessibility of voting facilities, and the casting of ballots on Election Day or during early voting, whether in-person or absentee.

    The Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section enforces federal criminal statutes that prohibit voter intimidation and voter interference based on race, color, national origin, or religion.

    • Throughout the election cycle, Civil Rights Division attorneys in the Voting, Disability Rights, and Criminal Sections in Washington, D.C., will be ready to receive complaints of potential violations of any of the statutes the Civil Rights Division enforces. The Civil Rights Division will work closely with counterparts at U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and other department components to review and take appropriate action concerning these complaints.
    • Individuals with complaints related to possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can call the Justice Department’s toll-free telephone line at 800-253-3931, and can also submit complaints at www.civilrights.justice.gov.
    • Individuals with questions or complaints related to the ADA may call the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA information line at 800-514-0301 or 833-610-1264 (TTY) or submit a complaint through a link on the department’s ADA website at www.ada.gov.

    Complaints related to violence, threats of violence, or intimidation at a polling place should always be reported immediately to local authorities by calling 911. They should also be reported to the department after local authorities are contacted.

    Criminal Division and the Department’s 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices

    The department’s Criminal Division oversees the enforcement of federal laws that criminalize certain forms of election fraud and vindicate the integrity of the federal election process.

    The Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices are responsible for enforcing the federal criminal laws that prohibit various forms of election crimes, such as destruction of ballots, vote-buying, multiple voting, submission of fraudulent ballots or registrations, alteration of votes, and malfeasance by postal or election officials and employees. See Justice Manual 9-85.210 (discussing requirements regarding election crime matters); 9-85.300 (discussing approach to ballot fraud); 9-85.400 (discussing application of 18 U.S.C. § 592); 9-85.500 (discussing timing of actions).

    The Criminal Division and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices are also responsible for enforcing federal criminal law prohibiting unlawful threats of violence against election workers, and prohibiting voter intimidation and voter suppression for reasons other than race, color, national origin, or religion (as noted above, voter intimidation and voter suppression that has a basis in race, color, national origin, or religion is addressed by the Civil Rights Division often in partnership with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices).

    U.S. Attorneys’ Offices around the country designate Assistant U.S. Attorneys who serve as District Election Officers (DEOs) in their respective districts. DEOs are responsible for overseeing potential election-crime matters in their districts, and for coordinating with the department’s election-crime experts in Washington, D.C.

    The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices work with specially trained FBI personnel in each district to ensure that complaints from the public involving possible election crimes are handled appropriately. Specifically:

    • In consultation with federal prosecutors at the Public Integrity Section in Washington, D.C., the DEOs in U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, FBI officials at headquarters in Washington, D.C., and FBI special agents serving as Election Crime Coordinators in the FBI’s 56 field offices will be on duty while polls are open to receive complaints from the public.
    • Election-crime complaints should be directed to the local U.S. Attorney’s Office or the local FBI field office. A list of U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and their telephone numbers can be found at www.justice.gov/usao/districts. A list of FBI field offices and accompanying telephone numbers can be found at www.fbi.gov/contact-us.
    • Public Integrity Section prosecutors are available to consult and coordinate with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the FBI regarding the handling of election-crime allegations.

    All complaints related to violence, threats of violence, or intimidation at a polling place should be reported first to local police authorities by calling 911. After alerting local law enforcement to such emergencies by calling 911, the public should contact the Justice Department.

    National Security Division

    The department’s National Security Division (NSD) supervises the investigation and prosecution of cases affecting or relating to national security, including any cases involving foreign malign influence and interference in elections or violent extremist threats to elections. In this context:

    • NSD oversees matters involving a range of malign influence activities that foreign governments may attempt.
    • NSD’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section oversees matters involving covert information operations (e.g., to promulgate disinformation through social media); covert efforts to support or denigrate political candidates or organizations; and other covert influence operations that might violate various criminal statutes.
    • NSD’s National Security Cyber Section oversees such matters when they are cyber-enabled (i.e., when online platforms, such as social media and other online services, are central to the commission of the offense), as well as those involving computer hacking of election or campaign infrastructure.
    • NSD’s Counterterrorism Section oversees matters involving international and domestic terrorism and supports law enforcement in preventing any acts of terrorism that impact Americans, including any violent extremism that might threaten election security.

    As in past elections, the National Security Division will work closely with counterparts at the FBI and our U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to protect our nation’s elections from any national security threats. Attorneys from National Security Division sections will be partnered with FBI Headquarters components to provide support to U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and FBI field offices to counter any such threats. The Department of Homeland Security also plays its own important role in safeguarding critical election infrastructure from cyber and other threats.

    Complaints related to violence, threats of violence, or intimidation at a polling place should always be reported immediately to local authorities by calling 911 and, after local authorities are contacted, then should be reported also to the department.

    Protecting the right to vote, prosecuting election crimes, and securing our elections are all essential to maintaining the confidence of all Americans in our democratic system of government. The department encourages anyone with information regarding concerns in these subject areas to contact the appropriate authorities.

    For more information about the department’s work to ensure compliance with federal civil and criminal laws related to voting, please visit www.justice.gov/voting and www.justice.gov/criminal/criminal-pin/election-crimes-branch.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Two Members of Transnational Money Laundering Organization Plead Guilty to Laundering Millions of Dollars in Drug Proceeds

    Source: US State of California

    A Georgia man pleaded guilty today to his involvement in a conspiracy to launder tens of millions of dollars in drug proceeds on behalf of foreign drug trafficking organizations, including the Sinaloa Cartel and Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (the Jalisco Cartel). Earlier this year, on Aug. 5, a foreign national residing in Illinois pleaded guilty for his role in the same money laundering scheme.

    According to court documents, Li Pei Tan, 46, of Buford, and Chaojie Chen, 41, a Chinese national residing in Chicago, worked for an organization that laundered millions of dollars in proceeds related to the importation of illegal drugs into the United States, primarily through Mexico, and the unlawful distribution of these drugs. Tan, Chen, and their co-conspirators traveled throughout the United States to collect proceeds derived from trafficking in fentanyl, cocaine, and other drugs. They communicated and coordinated with co-conspirators in China and other foreign countries to arrange for the laundering of these proceeds through financial transactions that were designed to conceal the illicit source of the drug proceeds, including through a sophisticated trade-based money laundering scheme involving the purchasing of bulk electronics in the United States and the shipping of these electronics to co-conspirators in China.

    On multiple occasions prior to Chen’s May arrest, law enforcement seized hundreds of thousands of dollars in bulk cash drug proceeds from Chen at locations across the United States. Additionally, Tan was intercepted by law enforcement in South Carolina while attempting to transport over $197,000 in drug proceeds.

    According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)’s National Drug Threat Assessment, the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels are at the heart of the fentanyl crisis in the United States.

    Tan and Chen pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering. As part of their pleas, Tan and Chen agreed to forfeit numerous assets to the government, including a residence, a firearm, body armor, and more than $270,000 in seized currency. Additionally, they agreed to the imposition of money judgments totaling over $23 million. Chen is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 14 and Tan is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 7, 2025. Chen and Tan each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia; and DEA Administrator Anne Milgram made the announcement.

    The DEA’s Special Operations Division, Bilateral Investigations Unit is investigating the case, with assistance from the DEA’s Office of Special Intelligence, Document and Media Exploitation Unit; DEA offices in Chicago, Atlanta, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Charleston, South Carolina; and the Anderson County, South Carolina, Sheriff’s Office.

    Trial Attorney Mary K. Daly of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Edgardo J. Rodriguez for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.

    MIL OSI USA News –