NewzIntel.com

Category: Natural Disasters

  • MIL-OSI Security: ‘Machine Gun-Trafficking’ Drug Dealer Sentenced to More Than Fifteen Years in Federal Prison

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    PROVIDENCE – Jose Marrero, 36, of Woonsocket, describe in court documents as a “violent, machine gun-trafficking, kilogram-level drug dealer” was sentenced today to more than fifteen years in federal prison, having pleaded guilty to charges of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, announced acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.

    Court documents illustrate that Jose Marrero, 36, previously convicted twice in Rhode Island state court on drug trafficking charges, freely displayed photographs and videos on social media of himself in possession of drugs and firearms, notably semi-automatic pistols, AR-15 style rifles, and semi-automatic pistols that have been modified with machinegun conversion devices. Marrero displayed himself and others in possession of the weapons in his apartment, while watching TV, playing video games, drinking alcohol, and driving around the streets of Rhode Island. He also made social media posts demonstrating himself and others actively firing the modified fully automatic weapons.

    Additionally, court documents reveal videos of the defendant in possession of multiple kilos of cocaine and of numerous messages between Marrero and others that “not only convey his leadership but just how active, eager, and dangerous of a drug trafficker he is.”  Text messages illustrate conversations between Marrero and a drug supplier, and how he, Marrero, organized people to move two kilograms of drugs per week. In some of his messages, Marrero discusses having drug runners, complaining about their behavior and demanding higher productivity from them, directing them to locations to provide certain quantities of drugs to customers, and discussing debts owed to him.

    Marrero made it well known, to his drug trafficking counterparts and otherwise, that he possessed numerous firearms. He prominently displayed himself and others with an array of firearms on his social media account. Excerpts from Marrero’s text messages demonstrate that he enlisted his girlfriend and other acquaintances to purchase firearms for him, as he was unable to do so himself due to his past felony convictions; that he accepted firearms as payment for drug sales; and that he solicited an associate to obtain guns for him, notably “any glocks” that he could get his hands on.

    Marrero was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr. to 181 months of incarceration to be followed by 5 years of federal supervised release.

    The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Christine D. Lowell, Stacey A. Erickson, and Sandra R. Hebert.

    The matter was investigated by ATF, with the assistance of Massachusetts State Police, Woonsocket Police Department, Central Falls Police Department, and West Warwick Police Department.

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

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Freshia Air Purifier Under Review: Best Home Air Purifier For Dust, Mold & Odor Control

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Helmond, Netherlands, May 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The quality of air that we breathe significantly impacts our overall health, and we are sure that we all agree on this, don’t we? Most of us live with this misconception that only when we step outside our homes and breathe the air is when we are more exposed to contracting airborne illnesses or other respiratory health problems. 

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    What we do not realise is that even the air that we breathe inside our homes, the indoor air quality Also matters. The air that we breathe indoors has become a crucial lookout as more and more people have started working from their homes, run businesses from their homes, or are freelancers. Just because you consider your home to be a safe place does not mean that your home is bacteria or a virus free zone. In fact, the EPA which is the environmental protection agency has claimed that our indoor air quality can be 2 to 5 times worse than the outside air. If you’re wondering how air inside our homes gets polluted, well the answer lies in multiple sources such as construction materials, cooking activities, cleaning products, furniture, and other external pollutants that make their way inside our home. 

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    Nearly 35% of adults in the world are experiencing health related symptoms which are all attributed to the pollution indoors. The symptoms range from dry throat to dry eyes, skin, to much more serious health problems, such as fatigue, headaches, and respiratory issues. And while you sleep, this inflammation can contribute to narrowing of the air passages, which results in Vibration of tissue leading to snoring. There is a very thin line between the relationship of sleep, disturbances and air-quality as it represents breakdown of optimal respiratory function. all of this signals to one single solution and that is the need to have an air purifier at home. We are introducing you to a revolutionary air purifier called Freshia Air Purifier, which is the cutting edge solution launched in the market in the year 2024 to look into the growing concerns of poor indoor air quality. It comes with an effectiveness of 99.97 percent in removing air, harmful particles and this device seamlessly mixes aesthetics with functionality so that your health is looked after and even your living space is still attractive. Let’s read on to understand more about the Freshia air purifier, how it works, what are its primary features, how much does it cost, and much more.

    2025’s best-rated home air purifier for mold and dust? Discover how Freshia outperforms top brands

    What’s Lurking in Your Air?

    Indoor air might seem clean, but it often carries a mix of hidden pollutants. These include chemicals from paints and cleaning products (known as VOCs), dust that builds up in carpets and mattresses, pet hair and dander, pollen brought in from outside, mold in damp corners, and even smoke from cooking.

    While you can’t always see these particles, their effects are very real. Breathing poor-quality air over time can lead to a range of issues — from everyday annoyances like headaches, or itchy eyes, to more serious health problems like respiratory conditions, heart strain, or worse. It’s a reminder that the air inside our homes plays a bigger role in our health than we often realize.

    A short brief introduction to Freshia Air Purifier 

    The Freshia air purifier comes with cutting edge, filtration technology, technology, technology. In the most elegant design, you can transform the air-quality of your homes. It is designed to fight indoor air pollution, to reduce snoring, and helps in creating a healthier environment in your home. Freshia Air Purifier comes with a multi stage, filtration system that helps address almost any type of indoor air pollutant. Unlike the other basic air purifiers that capture only larger particles, Freshia has a very comprehensive approach that captures the tiniest of particles and ensures that the air of your living spaces are truly clean.

    Don’t be the last to switch — Freshia is redefining clean air in Australian homes

    Understanding its working mechanism

    At the core of its technology is a medical grade through HEPA filtration system that impressively captures almost 99.97% of airborne particles. It can capture even the microscopic contaminant effectively and remove them from your indoors. The filtration system is a comprehensive eight stage system that works harmoniously to address every category of air pollutant that is known to humankind in the indoor environment. Each layer of this multi layer filtration system targets different types of contaminant, therefore, creating the ultimate solution for addressing indoor air-quality. While the standard HEPA filters, capture airborne particles that are as small as 0.3 µm, the Freshia air purifier has an enhanced system that traps the most ultra fine particles as small as 0.1 µm, including bacteria, smoke, particles, and even certain viruses. This level of filtration is very important for households with compromised immune systems or respiratory concerns.

    The Freshia air purifier also comes with an air sense monitoring technology that sets it apart from the other air purifiers in the market today. The purifier consists of laboratory grade sensors that continuously analyse the air-quality of your indoors and adjust its operation accordingly. This signals that Freshia is not just filtering air blindly, but it is doing so intelligently Adjusting to the specific conditions of your home and ensuring optimal air-quality. 

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    Benefits of using Freshia Air Purifier

    Now that we know how Freshia air purifier functions, let us explore the benefits that it provides its customers. This air purifier is more than just a filtration system; it recreates healthy air for your health and wellness.

    • Improved well-being, and health: breathing, clear air is crucial, especially if you want to keep yourself fit. The Freshia air purifier has a superior filtration system that removes harmful debris from the air, reducing the exposure of airborne allergies and illnesses. If you are someone who is sensitive to dust, this purifier alleviates the symptoms and signs by filtering out pollen, dust, and mildew. 
    • Asthma and allergy relief: for people who suffer from asthma attacks or are sensitive to allergies, the Freshia air purifier is a must have. The HEPA filter captures the most micro size allergens and ensures that they do not circulate in the air around you inside your home. The activated carbon filter eliminates irritants like smoke, pet dander, imparting relief for individuals with sensitivity to pollution.
    • Improved sleep quality: breathing Fresh air, even as you sleep is something that this air purifier will help you achieve. It ensures that the air inside your bedroom is free from allergens, orders, pollution, and has the right humidity to promote relaxation and deep sleep. This air purifier functions quietly, contributing to peaceful sleep surroundings.
    • Clean and Fresh indoor air: Say your goodbyes to odors inside your home. With Freshia air purifier, you can refresh your indoor air, leaving it smelling clean. Whether you are struggling to manage cooking odors, pet smells, or smoke, the activated carbon filter neutralizes the orders, making your indoor air smell divine.
    • Dual power options: you will seamlessly have the option of transitioning between a wall outlet for power and battery power. This is achievable while maintaining the portability feature of Freshia Air Purifiers.
    • Noise Reduction technology: most of the time we associate home appliances with noise. However, the Freshia Air Purifier operates at a 22 dB, which is quieter than whispering. This ensures that your house space be it your living room or bedroom or drawing room where wherever you place this air purifier, there will be no noise!

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    Why Choose Freshia Air Purifier?

    • Advanced 3-Stage Filtration: Combines mechanical, HEPA, and carbon filters to remove 99.7% of airborne particles.
    • Whisper-Quiet Operation: Ensures a peaceful environment, ideal for bedrooms and offices.
    • Energy Efficient: Purifies air without significantly impacting your electricity bill.
    • Portable Design: Suitable for rooms ranging from 200 to 350 sq. ft.
    • Rechargeable Battery: Built-in 1500mAh battery offers up to 7 hours of cordless operation.
    • Hassle-Free Maintenance: Filter change indicator alerts you when it’s time to replace.

    Who Should Use Freshia Air Purifier?

    Freshia Air Purifier was designed for real homes and real people:

    • ️ Allergy sufferers needing relief
    • Pet owners dealing with dander and smells
    • Parents wanting cleaner air for newborns
    • Remote workers in enclosed rooms
    • Seniors with respiratory sensitivities

    If you breathe — Freshia Air Purifier is for you.
    Where you can buy Freshia Air Purifier & What’s the price?

    We always encourage customers to purchase Freshia air purifier from the official website only. This ensures that 100% authentic product is delivered to your doorstep. Additionally, you will also have an opportunity to enjoy seasonal promotional discounts and offers that might be running on the company’s website. The pricing of Freshia air purifier is as follows:

    • Single Freshia Air Purifier is at a discounted price of $159.95
    • Two Freshia Air Purifier is at a discounted price of $149.95 each
    • Three Freshia Air Purifier is at a discounted price of $124.95 each
    • Four Freshia Air Purifier is at a discounted price of $114.95 each

    Freshia Air Purifier – Exclusive Australian Offers

    Enjoy cleaner air and significant savings with these limited-time deals:

    1x Freshia Air Purifier

    • Original Price: AU$399.95
    • Discounted Price: AU$204.95
    • You Save: AU$195.00 (50% OFF) 

    2x Freshia Air Purifiers

    • Original Price: AU$799.90
    • Discounted Price: AU$379.90
    • Per Unit: AU$189.95
    • You Save: AU$420.00 (55% OFF)

    3x Freshia Air Purifiers

    • Original Price: AU$1,199.85
    • Discounted Price: AU$539.85
    • Per Unit: AU$179.95
    • You Save: AU$660.00 (55% OFF)

    4x Freshia Air Purifiers

    Secure Your Freshia Today

    Stock is limited, and these discounts won’t last forever. Ensure you’re breathing cleaner air by placing your order now through the official Freshia checkout page.

    Note: Prices and availability are subject to change. Please refer to the official website for the most current information.

    The company also provides a 30 days money back guarantee where you can return the product and claim a complete refund if you are not satisfied with the product.

    Is your home’s air really clean? Find out why thousands of Australians are switching to Freshia Air Purifier

    Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

    Q: Can I buy Freshia Air Purifier on Amazon, Walmart, or eBay?
    No. To ensure quality control and keep prices affordable, Freshia Air Purifier is only available through the official website. This avoids third-party markups, counterfeit risks, and unauthorized sellers often found on platforms like Amazon, Walmart, and eBay.

    Q: What are people saying about Freshia Air Purifier on Reddit?
    On Reddit, users praise Freshia Air Purifier for its compact size, whisper-quiet operation, and noticeable air quality improvement. Many Redditors also mention it’s ideal for bedrooms, offices, and homes with pets or kids.

    Q: How does Freshia Air Purifier compare to other purifiers?
    Freshia Air Purifier offers a 3-stage filtration system (Pre-Filter, True HEPA, and Carbon
    Filter), plus ionizer tech, all packed in a portable, stylish unit — at a fraction of the cost of bulky alternatives. It’s highly rated for combining power, silence, and simplicity in one smart device.

    Q: Is it suitable for large rooms?
    Freshia Air Purifier works best in medium-sized rooms between 200–350 sq. ft., such as bedrooms, nurseries, and home offices.

    Q: How long does the battery last?
    Freshia Air Purifier has a built-in 1500mAh battery, providing up to 7 hours of cordless use. It can also operate while plugged in.

    Q: How often do I need to replace the filter?
    For optimal performance, replace the filter every 3–4 months. A filter change indicator notifies you exactly when it’s time.

    Q: What if I’m not satisfied with the product?
    No problem. Freshia Air Purifier comes with a 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee. If you’re not satisfied, simply return it for a full refund — no questions asked.

    Q: Is shipping available in Australia?
    Yes! Fast, tracked shipping is available throughout Australia, with most orders arriving in just a few business days.

    Fresh Air Purifier, Easy Care: Maintenance Tips

    Keeping your Freshia Air Purifier in top shape is easy — no tools, no mess. Here’s how:

    Change Filter Every 3–4 Months
    The smart filter indicator lights up when it’s time to replace — no guesswork.

    Wipe the Exterior Weekly
    Use a soft cloth to remove dust from the outside shell and vents.

    Use Corded or Cordless
    Charge fully for 7 hours of portable use or leave plugged in for continuous air purification.

    Avoid Blocking the Air Vents
    Place on a flat, open surface to ensure optimal airflow.

    Freshia Air Purifier vs. Other Air Purifiers

    Unlike bulky, overpriced machines, Freshia Air Purifier combines portability, power, and affordability. Here’s what makes it different:

    • ✅ No noise, no setup hassle
    • ✅ Rechargeable — use anywhere
    • ✅ 3-stage filtration + ionizer in one compact unit
    • ✅ Stylish design that blends into any room
    • ✅ Priced for everyone — no middlemen markup

    It’s not just another gadget — it’s clean air, simplified.

    Aussie homes are loving Freshia — here’s why it’s 2025’s top air purifier for mold & dust

    Real Customer Reviews
    “Freshia made my allergies vanish!”
    – Olivia R., Sydney, NSW, Australia
    I’ve struggled with seasonal allergies for years. Within days of running Freshia Air Purifier, the sneezing and watery eyes stopped. It’s now a must-have in my bedroom. Absolutely love how quiet and effective it is.
    “Ideal for my small apartment”
    – Daniel T., Melbourne, VIC
    I live in a compact one-bedroom flat and Freshia Air Purifier fits right in — no noise, no fuss. The air smells fresher, and my morning congestion has disappeared. Plus, it looks pretty sleek on the shelf!
    “Peace of mind for my baby’s room”
    – Emma B., Brisbane, QLD
    We bought Freshia Air Purifier for our newborn’s nursery and it’s been amazing. Runs silently all night and keeps the air fresh. I really appreciate the filter indicator — no more guessing when to replace it!
    “Powerful yet energy-friendly”
    – Luke M., Perth, WA, Australia
    Was surprised at how powerful this small purifier is. I use it in my home office and it noticeably improved air quality. Runs quietly, uses very little power, and I barely notice it’s on.
    “A must during bushfire season”
    – Sarah J., Adelaide, SA
    During fire season, the smoke seeps into everything — but Freshia Air Purifier handled it like a pro. Within minutes, the room smells cleaner and breathing feels easier. I’ve now ordered two more for the house!
    Final Conclusion: Freshia Air Purifier

    With Freshia Air Purifier, we will be able to design and experience our living spaces inside our home as the safest space without the presence of any airborne harmful particles. The device will support healthy well-being rather than compromising it. It will ensure that the quality of the air that we breathe is clean and fresh. The air purifier will be a revolutionary addition to your workspace or your home. Its thoughtful design, proven effectiveness, cutting edge technology addresses all the problems of maintaining good quality of air indoors. All the positive customer testimonials that you might find Online will convince you even more about the effectiveness of this air purifier. And the fact that the company provides a 30 days money back guarantee will give you the courage to invest in it.

    Media Contact:
    Company name: Freshia Air Purifier
    Label Products B.V.,
    Steenovenweg 5,
    5708 HN Helmond,
    The Netherlands
    https://get-freshia.com/
    Phone: +448000729935 (UK) +61370356817 (AU)
    E-mail: support@techwidget.co

    Disclaimer: The statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Individual results may vary. Always consult a healthcare professional before taking any dietary supplements.
    Disclosure: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The content may include affiliate links, meaning we may earn a commission if you purchase through recommended links. Always consult a healthcare professional before starting any new supplement regimen.

    Content Accuracy Disclaimer
    Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information presented in this article. However, due to the dynamic nature of product formulations, promotions, and availability, details may change without notice. The publisher makes no warranties or representations as to the current completeness or accuracy of any content, including product claims, pricing, or ingredient lists.
    It is the responsibility of the reader to verify product information directly through the official website or manufacturer prior to making a purchasing decision. Any reliance placed on the information in this article is done strictly at your own risk.

    Affiliate Disclosure
    This article may contain affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service through these links, the publisher may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. These commissions help support the creation of in-depth reviews and educational wellness content.
    The publisher only promotes products that have been independently evaluated and deemed potentially beneficial to readers. However, this compensation may influence the content, topics, or products discussed in this article. The views and opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any affiliate partner or product provider.

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    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Heart Lamp by the Indian writer Banu Mushtaq wins 2025 International Booker prize – a powerful collection of stories inspired by the real suffering of women

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Helen Vassallo, Associate Professor of French and Translation, University of Exeter

    Banu Mushtaq’s quietly powerful collection of short stories, translated by Deepa Bhasthi, shines a light on the lives of Muslim women in rural India. It is the first time that the International Booker prize has been won by a book translated from Kannada, a language of south India spoken by between 50 and 80 million people.

    Mushtaq is a writer who has previously worked as a journalist and lawyer, fighting for women’s rights and speaking out against caste and religious oppression. This comes through in the vignettes collected in Heart Lamp. At the centre of this work is great compassion for the women Mushtaq brings to life in her writing.

    Inspired by encounters with women who came to her for help, each of Mushtaq’s stories introduces us to a different woman from a different family. What the women of Heart Lamp share is that their lives are all dictated by men.

    We meet a young girl forced into wedlock, and a woman whose son arranges a new marriage for her. Elsewhere, an older woman is obliged to accept the indignity of her husband taking a second wife.

    Heart Lamp opens up an intimate world of domestic rituals and family tensions, rife with judgement, suspicion, righteousness and sacrifice. In the quiet of daily life, Mushtaq reveals the enormity of human emotion and experience. She also reveals the resilience of the women who resist the violence – physical, emotional, social and psychological – inflicted on them.

    Women are insulted for not expressing desire when they are forced into the conjugal bed, reproached for bearing girls, and warned repeatedly that any non-compliance is a stain on family honour. They are beaten, and casually replaced with second wives.

    In one horrific instance from the title story, a woman is told in no uncertain terms that “if you had the sense to uphold our family honour, you would have set yourself on fire and died” – a chilling sanction that hangs over the story until its tense dénouement.

    Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. Sign up here.

    Deepa Bhasthi’s bold and memorable translation invites us not to impose our own language and linguistic system on the original work.

    There are several words that are offered as a transliteration of their original Kannada form, without heavy-handed glosses or an attempt to transpose them into something more immediately recognisable to Anglophone readers. In her translator’s note, Bhasthi describes this as “against italics”, where using italics would signal to the reader that a word has been brought across from the Kannada.

    Bhasthi favours a way of translating that aims to respect the culture and language of the original text. This trusts readers to come to that language and culture rather than rendering the text in a blandly comfortable English that might make the setting more familiar but would strip it of its specificity.

    Instead, Bhasthi’s work welcomes Kannada’s evocative phrases, introducing into English lines such as “No matter how many times I tell you, you don’t let it fall inside your ears.” “Is the fruit a burden on the creeper?” And “the snake of arrogance had laid many, many eggs.”

    Bhasthi selected the 12 stories of Heart Lamp from a range of pieces written by Mushtaq over many years, and with her translation of the title story, was a winner of the first issue of PEN Presents, a digital initiative led by English PEN (which stands for poets, playwrights, editors, essayists and novelists).

    This organisation funds and promotes samples of original and diverse literature not yet available in English translation, fostering bibliodiversity by brokering connections between under-represented cultural contexts and UK publishers and readers.

    Following its promotion through PEN Presents, Heart Lamp was acquired by And Other Stories, a Sheffield-based independent publisher that has been at the vanguard of publishing innovative literature in translation over the past 15 years. The award represents multiple important firsts.

    As well as being the first book translated from Kannada to win the International Booker prize, it is the first time the prize has been won by an Indian translator. It is the first time a short story collection has won the award.



    Read more:
    International Booker prize 2025: six experts review the shortlisted novels

    It is also the first time And Other Stories has won the award and the first International Booker prize to be awarded to a PEN Presents winner. That it has received this highest of accolades in the translated literature sector of the publishing industry shows the importance of publishing that takes risks, of representing a broader range of languages and cultures in translation and of initiatives to support translators.

    This striking collection is perhaps best summed up in the final story, “Be a Woman Once, O Lord!”, in which the narrator teasingly implores her creator:

    “If you were to build the world again, to create males and females again, do not be like an inexperienced potter. Come to earth as a woman, Prabhu!”

    With unfailing compassion and humour, Mushtaq and Bhasthi lead us through a society that prioritises masculinity, male dominance, and father-son lineage. In so doing, they invite us – and whichever male deity might be listening – to walk in the shoes of women overlooked by an unquestioned patriarchal and religious hierarchy, and to re-evaluate what we think we know about social dynamics.

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

    – ref. Heart Lamp by the Indian writer Banu Mushtaq wins 2025 International Booker prize – a powerful collection of stories inspired by the real suffering of women – https://theconversation.com/heart-lamp-by-the-indian-writer-banu-mushtaq-wins-2025-international-booker-prize-a-powerful-collection-of-stories-inspired-by-the-real-suffering-of-women-257287

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal Indictment Charges Rockford Man with Arson

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

    ROCKFORD — A Rockford man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly maliciously destroying – by means of fire and explosive materials – a building at 201 15th Ave. in Rockford.

    JAMES PURIFOY, 50, committed the arson on Jan. 22, 2023, according to an indictment returned today in U.S. District Court in Rockford.  Arraignment has not yet been scheduled.

    The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.  The Rockford Fire Department and Rockford Police Department assisted in the investigation.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica S. Maveus.

    The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt.  The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.  The minimum sentence for the arson count is five years in federal prison, while the maximum sentence is 20 years.  If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal sentencing statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Chicago Man Sentenced to 50 Years in Prison for Kidnapping, Carjacking, and Firearm Offenses

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

    CHICAGO — A Chicago man has been sentenced to 50 years in federal prison for kidnapping three drivers and sexually assaulting two of them at gunpoint.

    ANDREW ANANIA, 29, kidnapped an Uber driver on March 8, 2021, in Darien, Ill.  Anania showed the driver a gun and forced her to drive to Chicago and park in alleys, where he sexually assaulted her before fleeing on foot.  On March 10, 2021, Anania and another man, WALTER MORAN, kidnapped a woman who was on her way to work in Cicero, Ill.  Anania pointed a gun at the driver and instructed her to drive to Chicago, where Moran exchanged gunfire with others on the street.  The pair eventually released the victim and took her car.  A jury earlier this year convicted Anania on kidnapping, carjacking, and firearm charges in connection with those incidents.

    Anania pleaded guilty prior to trial to another kidnapping and carjacking.  That incident occurred on Feb. 27, 2021, in Chicago, when Anania got in a vehicle with the driver, claimed he had a gun, and sexually assaulted her.  The woman escaped when the car stopped at an intersection.  Anania fled in the vehicle and crashed it a short time later.

    Anania committed all of the offenses while awaiting trial in a separate, unrelated federal firearm case not assigned to the sentencing judge in this matter.  Anania had been released on bond in that case after multiple court hearings at which the government repeatedly sought pre-trial detention.

    U.S. District Judge Edmond E. Chang imposed the 50-year prison sentence during a hearing on May 13, 2025, in federal court in Chicago.

    The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.  Substantial assistance was provided by the Cicero, Ill. Police Department, Darien, Ill. Police Department, Summit, Ill. Police Department, Stickney, Ill. Police Department, Chicago Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service.  The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cornelius Vandenberg, Megan Donohue, and Hayley Altabef.

    Moran, of Cicero, Ill., pleaded guilty last year to kidnapping and carjacking charges.  Judge Chang sentenced Moran in April to 15 years and eight months in federal prison.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal Judge Sentences Chicago Street Gang Member to 34 Years in Prison for Murdering a Man and Threatening a Witness

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

    CHICAGO — A member of a violent Chicago street gang has been sentenced to 34 years in federal prison for murdering a man to maintain and increase his position in the gang.

    DIONTAE HARPER, 25, of Chicago, admitted in a plea agreement that he murdered Paul Harris on May 13, 2020.  Harper and another man fired multiple shots at Harris as he sat in a vehicle at a gas station in the 8600 block of South Halsted Street in Chicago’s Auburn Gresham neighborhood. Harper stated in the plea agreement that he committed the murder to maintain and increase his position in the Faceworld street gang, a criminal organization based on the South Side of Chicago whose members engaged in violent crimes and trafficked narcotics.

    While Harper was detained in law enforcement custody earlier this year, he made threatening statements directed toward a witness.

    Harper pleaded guilty in January to a federal charge of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, causing Harris’s death.  U.S. District Judge Manish S. Shah imposed the 34-year prison sentence during a hearing on May 8, 2025, in federal court in Chicago.

    Harper’s sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Larry Snelling, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julia Schwartz, Sushma Raju, and Matthew Moyer.

    Two other individuals – the other shooter of Harris and the getaway driver – pleaded guilty to committing murder in aid of racketeering and are awaiting sentencing.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Twelve Years in Prison for Suburban Chicago Man Who Trafficked Fentanyl and Illegally Possessed Handgun

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

    CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago man who trafficked fentanyl and cocaine and illegally possessed a loaded handgun has been sentenced to 12 years in federal prison.

    WILLIAM FILLYAW possessed the drugs and gun on Oct. 28, 2022, in the parking lot of his apartment complex in Gurnee, Ill.  Fillyaw carried a backpack that contained the cocaine packaged in quarter-ounce quantities, the fentanyl wrapped in three square bricks, and the handgun.  Fillyaw intended to sell the fentanyl and cocaine on the streets, and he acknowledged possessing the gun in connection with his drug trafficking activities. The firearm had no serial number and had been assembled from a gun kit, making it an untraceable “ghost gun.”

    Fillyaw, 47, pleaded guilty earlier this year to federal drug and firearm charges.  U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Kennelly imposed the 12-year prison sentence during a hearing on Friday in federal court in Chicago.

    The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Michael E. Hensle, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Milwaukee, Wis., Field Office of the FBI.  Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Milwaukee Police Department, Cudahy, Wis. Police Department, and Wisconsin State Patrol.

    “Narcotics distribution and firearm offenses are serious crimes that adversely impact the people who live and work in the Northern District of Illinois,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirsten Moran and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Niranjan Emani argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum.  “The increased presence of ghost guns in Chicago, and the country in general, is troubling, as they are often used in crimes and are difficult to trace.”

    Holding illegal firearm possessors accountable through federal prosecution is a centerpiece of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).  In the Northern District of Illinois, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and law enforcement partners have deployed the PSN program to attack a broad range of violent crime issues facing the district, particularly firearm offenses.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Baltimore Man Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison for Possession of Firearm and Ammunition by Prohibited Person

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Defendant possessed firearm and ammunition while engaging in drug trafficking activity

    Baltimore, Maryland – Brandon Carroll, 32, of Baltimore, Maryland, was sentenced to five years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of a firearm and ammunition by a prohibited person.

    Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD).

    According to the guilty plea, on April 25, 2023, BPD officers observed Carroll engaging in multiple hand-to-hand drug exchanges. When an arrest team approached Carroll, he attempted to flee on a dirt bike but fell.  Law enforcement then took him into custody.

    While searching Carroll, officers recovered 32 gelcaps — containing a mixture of fentanyl and oxycodone pills — and a key to a nearby Hyundai vehicle. After officers found the vehicle, a trained K-9 detected the presence of narcotics inside.

    A search of the vehicle yielded a Beretta Nano 9mm pistol loaded with five rounds of ammunition; 35 additional rounds of 9mm ammunition; and a Smith & Wesson magazine for a .40 caliber handgun. Additionally, law enforcement discovered 844 units of a fentanyl mixture packaged for distribution; eight units of cocaine packaged for distribution; 14 Suboxone strips; two digital scales with white residue; two plastic bags of packaging material; $2,443 in cash; and mail that belonged to Carroll and the vehicle’s registered owner. Due to a prior felony conviction, Carroll is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.

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

    U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the ATF and BPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney James O’Donohue who prosecuted the case.

    For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Fairfield County man arrested on federal child pornography charges

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Lancaster man was arrested yesterday afternoon on federal child pornography charges and appeared in federal court in Columbus today.

    It is alleged that Carson A. Bigham, 23, possessed, distributed or received child pornography.

    According to charging documents, law enforcement received two separate Cybertips from the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) related to a Columbus man who was charged with federal child pornography crimes in March, including exploitation of a minor.  One report was from Kik messenger regarding the distribution of 13 child pornography files. The second report was from Sniffies LLC, a map-based hookup application for gay, bisexual and bicurious men.

    As part of their investigation, devices were seized from the Columbus man. Law enforcement’s forensic review of the devices revealed conversations between the Columbus man and Bigham. In the conversations, Bigham allegedly uses the screenname “daddy.” The conversations between the two men were sexual in nature and included discussions about engaging in sex with minors. Bigham also allegedly received child pornography during these discussions, including files which depicted prepubescent minors engaged in sex acts with adults.

    Law enforcement officers learned that Bigham is employed as a Columbus firefighter and photographs of Bigham match those sent to the Columbus man during their conversations.

    Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jared Murphey, acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit; Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin; other members of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force; and officials from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Columbus Airport Group and Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorney Emily Czerniejewski is representing the United States in this case.

    A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal Jury Convicts Tampa Felon For Illegally Possessing Firearms

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Tampa, FL –United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that a federal jury has found Cortevious Torrez Crews (31, Tampa) guilty of possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. Crews faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. 

    According to the evidence presented at trial, on May 3, 2024, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of Crews’ car in Clearwater Beach, Florida. When officers searched the car, they located two firearms. Despite knowing he was a felon and that he was prohibited from owning firearms, Crews had purchased one of the recovered firearms off the streets about a week earlier. 

    This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Clearwater Police Department, and the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael R. Kenneth. The forfeiture was handled by Assistant United States Attorney James A. Muench.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kentucky’s Congressional Delegation Supports Gov. Beshear’s Request for a Third Presidential Disaster Declaration in 2025

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kentucky Mitch McConnell
    WASHINGTON, DC – Kentucky’s bipartisan federal delegation, led by Dean of the House Hal Rogers (KY-05), including U.S. Senators Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul, Congressmen Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Andy Barr (KY-06), James Comer (KY-01), Thomas Massie (KY-04) and Morgan McGarvey (KY-03), sent a letter to President Donald Trump expressing their support for Governor Andy Beshear’s request for the third major disaster declaration of the year for the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The request comes as a result of devastating storms, including an EF4 tornado that took the lives of at least 19 individuals in southern Kentucky since May 16, 2025.  
    “This severe weather event has resulted in catastrophic damage, and 19 Kentuckians have lost their lives. Entire neighborhoods have been destroyed or severely damaged, with homes, businesses and essential infrastructure suffering widespread loss. Critical roadways have been washed out, vital utilities disabled, and basic government services disrupted. The storm’s destruction spans more than 600 miles across the Commonwealth,” the letter stated. “We urge your swift approval of federal disaster assistance to help Kentucky communities begin the process of recovering and rebuilding.” 
    The National Weather Service’s final report confirmed an EF4 tornado traveled over 55 miles through Russell, Pulaski and Laurel counties, staying on the ground for an hour and a half with winds reaching a peak of 170 miles per hour.
    President Trump has already approved two major disaster declarations for Kentucky, including: 
    Declaration DR-4860 was approved after a deadly severe storm on February 14, 2025 that caused widespread flooding, resulting in the loss of least 22 lives in Kentucky. More than $43 million have been approved for Individual Assistance, with 6,895 applications approved.
    Declaration DR-4864 was approved after a deadly severe storm, beginning on April 2, 2025, that caused historic flooding, resulting in the loss of at least seven lives in Kentucky. The flooding, landslides, mudslides and tornadoes impacted 85 counties in Kentucky. 
    Click here to download the delegation’s joint letter to President Trump.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: WA Delegation Urges President Trump to Reconsider Denial of WA State’s Request for a Disaster Declaration for November “Bomb Cyclone”

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (7th District of Washington)

    Severe storms resulted in extensive damage to critical infrastructure, parks, cultural sites, schools, public buildings, and more, resulting in over $34 million dollars in damages across six counties

    Letter comes following denial of initial request, WA delegation urges President Trump to reconsider and approve WA state’s pending appeal

    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), U.S. Representatives Suzan DelBene (D, WA-01), Rick Larsen (D, WA-02), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D, WA-03), Dan Newhouse, (R, WA-04), Michael Baumgartner (R, WA-05), Emily Randall (D, WA-06), Pramila Jayapal (D, WA-07), Kim Schrier (D, WA-08), Adam Smith (D, WA-09), and Marilyn Strickland (D, WA-10) SENT a letter last night to President Donald Trump urging him to reconsider the denial of Washington state’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration as a result of the devastating windstorms, heavy rainfall, flooding, and mudslides caused by a bomb cyclone that struck Washington state in November 2024.

    “As representatives of Washington state, we earnestly request that you carefully reconsider this decision and approve the state’s pending appeal without further delay,” the bipartisan, bicameral group of Members wrote.

    “From Grays Harbor, Pacific and Wahkiakum to King, Snohomish, and Walla Walla Counties, the storm’s impact was severe, far-reaching and well-documented. One of the most destructive storms in recent history, it overwhelmed public infrastructure, endangered lives, and left residents across the state grappling with long-term consequences. This is precisely the kind of catastrophic event for which the federal declaration process was designed. The state’s request outlines over $34 million in damages across these six counties—costs that local governments cannot and should not be expected to shoulder alone,” the Members wrote.

    “Disaster declarations are not symbolic, they are critical lifelines for communities in crisis. Washington state’s first responders, local governments, and emergency management professionals have done everything within their means to begin recovery, but the scale of the damage requires federal support through the Public Assistance Program and the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. Anything less unnecessarily places our communities, infrastructure and long-term stability at an unacceptable risk.”

    “We remain committed to working with you to secure the support our constituents urgently need,” the Members concluded.

    Previously, the full group of Members—led by Senator Murray—urged President Biden to grant the request for a Major Disaster Declaration in January.

    The full text of the letter is available HERE and below.

    Dear Mr. President:

    We are writing to express our serious disappointment and growing concern regarding the denial of Washington state’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration following the devastating bomb cyclone that struck between November 17 and November 25, 2024. As representatives of Washington state, we earnestly request that you carefully reconsider this decision and approve the state’s pending appeal without further delay.

    From Grays Harbor, Pacific and Wahkiakum to King, Snohomish, and Walla Walla Counties, the storm’s impact was severe, far-reaching and well-documented. One of the most destructive storms in recent history, it overwhelmed public infrastructure, endangered lives, and left residents across the state grappling with long-term consequences. This is precisely the kind of catastrophic event for which the federal declaration process was designed. The state’s request outlines over $34 million in damages across these six counties—costs that local governments cannot and should not be expected to shoulder alone.

    Disaster declarations are not symbolic, they are critical lifelines for communities in crisis. Washington state’s first responders, local governments, and emergency management professionals have done everything within their means to begin recovery, but the scale of the damage requires federal support through the Public Assistance Program and the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. Anything less unnecessarily places our communities, infrastructure and long-term stability at an unacceptable risk.

    Thank you for your attention to this matter. We remain committed to working with you to secure the support our constituents urgently need.

    Sincerely,

    Issues: Environment, Housing, Transportation, & Infrastructure

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Castro, Salazar, Cherfilus-McCormick, and Lawler Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen U.S.-Caribbean Relations

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Joaquin Castro (20th District of Texas)

    May 22, 2025

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (D-TX), Ranking Member of the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee, Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar (R-FL), Chair of the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee, Congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL), Ranking Member of the Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee, and Mike Lawler (R-NY), Chairman of the Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee, introduced the Strengthening U.S.-Caribbean Partnership Act. This bipartisan bill would improve the relationship between the United States and the Caribbean by designating the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) as an international organization with diplomatic privileges and immunities consistent with the International Organization Immunities Act.  

    The International Organization Immunities Act, enacted in 1945, governs how the United States extends the rights and treaties generally accorded to embassies of countries that have diplomatic relations with the United States to international organizations like CARICOM.  

    “Today’s introduction of this bill demonstrates the bipartisan commitment to a strong U.S.-Caribbean relationship,” said Congressman Joaquin Castro. “This is an important step forward to engage more deeply with the Caribbean and offer our support through CARICOM. We share common interests — by strengthening U.S. ties in the Caribbean, we strengthen our nation’s security, economic well-being, and prosperity.”  

    “I am proud to support this bipartisan legislation extending full diplomatic privileges and immunities to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM),” said Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar. “As the Representative for Miami, the gateway to the Caribbean and home to one of the nation’s largest Caribbean American communities, I witness daily how our island partners’ success powers Miami’s commerce and tourism enriches our culture. Strengthening these bonds is not only good diplomacy; it is sound economic and national security policy. When the Caribbean thrives, the United States prospers!” 

    “The countless contributions of the Caribbean-American community can be felt and seen in communities across South Florida,” said Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick. “By strengthening our diplomatic engagement with CARICOM, we’re laying the necessary foundation for enhanced economic, security, and cultural ties that will yield long-term, strategic benefits.” 

    “The presence of Caribbean-American communities in the Hudson Valley is felt in everything from the food we enjoy to the churches, schools, and small businesses that keep our neighborhoods thriving,” said Congressman Mike Lawler. “By extending privileges and immunities to our partner countries in CARICOM, we can strengthen U.S. ties in the region. I’m eager to support legislation that promotes a foreign policy that reflects the lived experiences of the people I represent.”  

    Read the Strengthening U.S.-Caribbean Partnership Act here. 

    Background:

    Congressman Castro joined a bipartisan delegation of U.S. leaders for the 2023 CARICOM Conference to mark the organization’s 50th anniversary and to meet directly with regional leaders to discuss issues including regional security, economic growth, the climate crisis, and energy. More information on that delegation visit can be found here. 

    Castro has long prioritized U.S. engagement with the Caribbean as a core focus of his work on Western Hemisphere affairs. He previously introduced the bipartisan U.S-Caribbean Strategic Engagement Act, a comprehensive roadmap to modernize U.S. engagement with Caribbean nations that calls on the United States to prioritize regional issues including energy security, climate resilience, democracy, human rights, public health, food security, and illegal firearms trafficking from the U.S. to the Caribbean, as well as the Americas Regional Monitoring of Arms Sales (ARMAS) Act, legislation that seeks to disrupt firearm trafficking from the U.S. to the Caribbean by implementing stronger transparency, accountability, and oversight mechanisms for U.S. small arms exports. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 22 May 2025 Note for Media Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly – Daily update: 22 May 2025

    Source: World Health Organisation

    Health progress despite financial challenges 

    Thursday’s Committee B noted the Results Report 2024, and the financing and implementation of the Programme budget 2024–2025. Member States commended the transparency, and the level of detail provided. At the same time, Member States noted with concern that while some important achievements have been realized, progress is insufficient in reaching the SDG targets. In addition, Member States also advocated for more equitable funding across the Organization. The committee approved decision 78/17 Add.1 and 78/17 Add.2. 

    Delegates welcomed WHO’s Investment Round (IR), which will fund the Organization’s Fourteenth General Programme of Work – 2025–2028 (GPW 14) – its global health strategy for the next four years that has the potential to save 40 million lives if fully funded.  By April 2025, pledges of US$ 1.7 billion had been received. During the Health Assembly at least an additional US $210 million was committed, with further amounts expected. Since the start of the Investment Round, 62 pledges have been made by Member States, with a further 20 pledges by philanthropic organizations. Of the 62 pledgers, 35 had not previously provided voluntary contributions to WHO. 

    The pledges not only assure more sustainable financing but show global solidarity in the face of unprecedented challenges. The committee called for increased efforts to secure predictable, resilient and flexible funding.

    Related Documents:

    •  A78/17 Results report 2024 and financial report and audited financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024
    • A78/17 Add.1 Draft decision: Results report 2024 (Programme budget 2024–2025: performance assessment) and Financial report and audited financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024
    • A78/17 Add.2 Draft decision: Partial and temporary suspension of Financial Regulation VIII, 8.2
    • A78/18 Audited Financial Statements for the year ended
    • A78/36 Results report 2024 (Programme budget 2024–2025: performance assessment) and Financial report and audited financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024
    • A78/INF./3 Voluntary contributions by fund and by contributor, 2024
    •  A78/19 Financing and implementation of the Programme budget 2024–2025
    • A78/20 Financing and implementation of the Programme budget 2024–2025: Reporting on operational efficiencies
    • A78/INF./4 Financing and implementation of the Programme budget 2024–2025 WHO presence in countries, territories and areas
    • A78/21 Sustainable financing: WHO investment round
    • A78/37 Proposed programme budget 2026–2027 – Sustainable financing: WHO investment round (Report of the Programme, Budget and Administration Committee of the Executive Board to the Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly)

    Strengthening health emergency preparedness and response

    On 21–22 May 2025, the World Health Assembly discussed WHO’s work in health emergencies. Over the last year, WHO responded to 51 graded emergencies across 89 countries and territories, including global outbreaks of cholera and mpox – a public health emergency of international concern – as well as multiple humanitarian crises. Working with over 900 partners across 28 health clusters, WHO helped provide health assistance for 72 million people in humanitarian settings. Nearly 60% of new emergencies were climate-related, highlighting the growing health impacts of climate change.

    Member States noted the WHO Director-General’s report on the implementation of the health emergency prevention, preparedness, response and resilience (HEPR) framework. The report outlined progress made in the key areas of collaborative disease surveillance, community protection, safe and scalable care, access to medical countermeasures and emergency coordination, and stressed that insufficient and unpredictable funding poses a significant risk to health systems worldwide.

    Delegates noted the report of the Independent Oversight and Advisory Committee (IOAC) for WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme. The report presents several recommendations to the Director-General aimed at strengthening WHO’s work in emergencies. The chair of the IOAC commended WHO’s leadership – particularly that of Dr Mike Ryan, the outgoing Executive Director of the Health Emergencies Programme, for his pivotal role and contributions to global health.

    The Director-General also reported on Universal Health and Preparedness Review (UHPR) to the Assembly, a unique process for Member States to assess their health emergency preparedness. UHPR was launched in November 2020 as a voluntary, country-led mechanism, in response to early lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Related documents:  

    • A78/13 WHO’s work in health emergencies
    • A78/12 Health emergencies preparedness and response: The Independent Oversight and Advisory Committee for the WHO Health Emergencies Programme
    • A78/9 Strengthening the global architecture for health emergency prevention, preparedness, response and resilience
    • A78/4 Consolidated report by the Director-General (including UHPR)

    International Health Regulations remain a cornerstone of global health security

    Member States noted the Director-General’s report on progress made in implementing the International Health Regulations (2005), which outline the rights and obligations of countries in managing public health events and emergencies that have the potential to cross borders.

    In 2024, WHO assessed over 1.2 million raw signals related to public health risks, identifying and verifying 429 events with potential or actual international public health implications.

    All countries but one provided their self-assessment report to the Assembly. Numerous joint external evaluations, after- and intra-action reviews, and training were conducted to strengthen preparedness and response capacities. 

    Member States recommended to the Assembly the adoption of a decision for the Director-General to notify Palestine of the International Health Regulations (2005). This is a step prior to Palestine expressing interest in becoming a States Party to the Regulations. This follows the resolution approved during the World Health Assembly last year on aligning the participation of Palestine in WHO with its participation in the United Nations.

    The Assembly also noted the Standing Recommendations issued by the Director-General on COVID-19 (valid until April 2026) and mpox (valid until August 2025).

    At last year’s World Health Assembly, Member States adopted historic amendments to the Regulations, drawing on lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic. The amendments are expected to come into force in September 2025.

    Related documents:

    • A78/11 Implementation of the International Health Regulations (2005)
    • A78/A/CONF./4 Notifying the International Health Regulations (2005) to Palestine
    • Resolution WHA77.15 (2024): Aligning the participation of Palestine in the World Health Organization with its participation in the United Nations
    • A78/INF./6 Implementation of the International Health Regulations (2005) Extension of the standing recommendations for mpox
    • A78/INF./7 Implementation of the International Health Regulations (2005) Extension of the standing recommendations for COVID-19

    Member States urge research into public health and social measures to control outbreaks and pandemics

    Member States approved a decision related to public health and social measures, urging the strengthening of the research base on these interventions. Public health and social measures are nonpharmaceutical interventions used to reduce the spread of an infectious disease and lower hospitalizations and death. Examples include screening for diseases, personal hygiene measures and changing the way people gather or travel. These measures played an important role in buying time for countries to develop and distribute treatments, diagnostics and vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the evidence base on the effectiveness of these measures remains limited.

    Related documents:

    WHO’s response to health needs in Ukraine and refugee-hosting countries

    Delegates noted the Director-General’s report on the implementation of a resolution on WHO’s response to the health emergency triggered by the Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine. In 2024, WHO reached an estimated 4.7 million people with health support in Ukraine and more than 400 000 refugees in neighbouring countries. WHO delivered over US$ 32.5 million worth of medicines, medical equipment and supplies to health facilities across Ukraine, and over US$ 4.9 million worth of supplies and equipment to refugee-hosting countries. Since 24 February 2022, a total of 2254 attacks on health care have been verified, resulting in 710 injuries and 208 deaths.

    Member States voted on related decisions. The draft decision proposed by Ukraine and other countries to continue, among other things, to restore and strengthen Ukraine’s health-care system was approved. Suggested amendments to the draft decision proposed by the Russian Federation and other countries were rejected.

    Related documents:

    • A78/14 Implementation of resolution WHA75.11 (2022) 
    • A78/A/CONF./3 Health emergency in Ukraine and refugee-receiving and -hosting countries, stemming from the Russian Federation’s aggression
    • A78/A/CONF./3 Add.1 Amendments proposed by Belarus, China, Nicaragua and the Russian Federation
    • A78/A/CONF./3 Add.2 Financial and administrative implications for the Secretariat of decisions proposed for adoption by the Health Assembly

    Health conditions in the occupied Palestinian territory, including east Jerusalem

    Delegates noted the Director-General’s report on the current health conditions in the occupied Palestinian territory, with the Gaza Strip facing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis, with widespread displacement, destruction and death. The health system has been severely degraded by attacks, critical shortages of medicines, supplies and fuel, and restricted access. The report stated that between 1 January 2024 and 28 February 2025, 376 attacks on health care were reported in the Gaza Strip, resulting in 286 deaths and 591 injuries.

    The health crisis in the West Bank has worsened since January 2025, with escalating violence and stricter restrictions on movement impeding access to health care.

    WHO’s response has focused on providing essential health services, public health surveillance, disease prevention and control, provision of supplies and logistics, and partner coordination. The report stressed the need for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages, unrestricted humanitarian access and protection of health.

    Member States noted the report and commended WHO’s efforts towards the continuity of health services under difficult conditions. Delegates approved an accompanying resolution.

    Related documents:

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 22 May 2025 News release Health system at breaking point as hostilities further intensify in Gaza, WHO warns

    Source: World Health Organisation

    Israel’s intensified military operations continue to threaten an already weakened health system, amidst worsening mass population displacement and acute shortages of food, water, medical supplies, fuel and shelter. 

    Four major hospitals in Gaza (Kamal Adwan Hospital, Indonesia Hospital, Hamad Hospital for Rehabilitation and Prosthetics, and European Gaza Hospital) have had to suspend medical services in the past week due to their proximity to hostilities or evacuation zones, and attacks. WHO has recorded 28 attacks on health care in Gaza during this period and 697 attacks since October 2023.

    Only 19 of Gaza Strip’s 36 hospitals remain operational, including one hospital providing basic care for the remaining patients still inside the hospital, and are struggling under severe supply shortages, lack of health workers, persistent insecurity, and a surge of casualties, all while staff work in impossible conditions. Of the 19 hospitals, 12 provide a variety of health services, while the rest are only able to provide basic emergency care. At least 94% of all hospitals in the Gaza Strip are damaged or destroyed.

    The increased hostilities and new evacuation orders issued across northern and southern Gaza in the past two days threaten to push even more health facilities out of service. This includes 1 hospital, 11 primary care centres, and 13 medical points within the evacuation zones, and an additional 5 hospitals, 1 field hospital, 9 primary care centres, and 23 medical points within 1000 metres of those zones. 

    North Gaza has been stripped of nearly all health care. Al-Awda Hospital is only minimally functional, serving as a trauma stabilization point. It faces an imminent risk of closure due to ongoing insecurity and restricted access. The hospital’s third floor was reportedly attacked on Wednesday, injuring a staff member. Hostilities in the area also damaged the water tank and pipeline. Today, the hospital was attacked again. The third and fourth floors were reportedly hit, injuring two health workers. Patient triage tents, including one provided by WHO, caught fire, which also burned all medical supplies in the warehouse and destroyed vehicles in the basement. A WHO mission attempting to reach the hospital today was impeded.

    The Indonesian Hospital is out of service due to continued military presence since 18 May, making it inaccessible. Yesterday, a WHO mission to the hospital was forced to abort due to the security situation after waiting nearly four hours for clearance to proceed. WHO team had planned to deliver food and water to patients, assess their conditions, and identify critical equipment for transfer. WHO tried to reach the hospital again today, but the mission was impeded.

    Kamal Adwan Hospital, which had the only centre to treat patients with severe acute malnutrition in North Gaza, went out of service on 20 May after intense hostilities in its vicinity, forcing patients to evacuate or be discharged prematurely. 

    In southern Gaza, Nasser Medical Complex, Al-Amal, and Al-Aqsa hospitals are overwhelmed by a surge of injured people, worsened by a new wave of displacement to Deir al Balah and Khan Younis. The European Gaza Hospital remains out of service following an attack on 13 May, cutting off vital services including neurosurgery, cardiac care, and cancer treatment – all unavailable elsewhere in Gaza.

    Currently, across the Gaza Strip, only 2000 hospital beds remain available, for a population of over 2 million people, grossly insufficient to meet the current needs. Of these, at least 40 beds are at risk of being lost as they are in hospitals within newly declared evacuation zones, while an additional 850 could be lost if conditions deteriorate at facilities near these zones.

    Continued hostilities and military presence inhibit patients from accessing care, obstruct staff from providing care, and prevent WHO and partners from resupplying hospitals.

    With each hospital forced out of service, patients lose access to health care, and WHO and partners’ efforts, to sustain Gaza’s health system are undone. The destruction is systematic. Hospitals are rehabilitated and resupplied, only to be exposed to hostilities or attacked again. This destructive cycle must end.

    Amid constant fear and insecurity, health workers, including those from national and international emergency medical teams, continue delivering urgent care in Gaza. WHO salutes their courage and commitment.

    WHO calls for the active protection of health care. Hospitals must never be militarized or targeted.

    WHO calls for aid at scale to be allowed into Gaza through all possible routes, and for unimpeded humanitarian access to reach people wherever they are. Echoing the United Nations’ Relief Chief, WHO reiterates that the UN and its partners have a clear, principled and effective plan to deliver aid with safeguards against diversion, a system that has worked and must be enabled to continue.  

    WHO calls for an immediate and lasting ceasefire.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Ukraine: it’s clear right now there are no serious plans for peace

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

    When it comes to the sincerity, or otherwise, of Vladimir Putin’s apparent willingness to talk peace with Ukraine, the Russian leader has given us plenty of hints. He may insist he wants to see a deal done and an end to the killing. But his insistence that any agreement would have to address the “root causes” of the war is a clear indication that he hasn’t rowed back from his original maximalist war aims. To whit: no Nato membership, a Kremlin-friendly government in Kyiv, ownership of Crimea and control – preferably annexation – of the four provinces of Ukraine presently under Russian occupation.

    Meanwhile his great ally Dmitry Medvedev continues to insist that there are at present no Ukrainian officials who legitimately qualify as partners for negotiation. The Russian national security council secretary claims that Ukraine is a “failed state” whose leaders’ lack of legitimacy, meanwhile, raise “serious questions” about who Russia can conclude any agreement with.

    So when Donald Trump said this week after a two-hour chat with Putin that Russia and Ukraine would “immediately start negotiations” toward a ceasefire, it’s not clear who he thought the Russian president was planning to talk to if, as Putin and his cronies insist, Zelensky and his team are not legitimate. And, from what he had to say about his recent phone call with Putin, it appears that Trump has his eyes more on the sorts of deals that might be done with Russia once this is all cleared up.

    As he posted on his Truth Social platform after talking with Putin: “Russia wants to do largescale [sic] TRADE with the United States when this catastrophic ‘bloodbath’ is over, and I agree. There is a tremendous opportunity for Russia to create massive amounts of jobs and wealth. Its potential is UNLIMITED.”

    Accordingly, he has backed away from his previous willingness to join Europe in imposing fresh sanctions on Russia. Meanwhile Russia continues to hammer Ukraine both on the battlefield and via ever larger drone and missiles attacks against its civilian population.

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

    The real clue to Trump’s attitude, writes Stefan Wolff, is the order of phone calls on Monday. Before settling down to talk with Putin, the US president put in a call to the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky. Reporting back on the call, Zelensky said he had urged Trump that he mustn’t make any decisions about Ukraine “without us”. Having subsequently spoken at length with Putin, Trump emerged saying in his Truth Social post that Russia and Ukraine will “immediately start negotiations” towards a ceasefire and an end to the war.

    The state of the conflict in Ukraine, May 21 2025.
    Institute for the Study of War

    But Wolff, professor of international security at the University of Birmingham who has written regularly here about the conflict, believes that the fact that Trump added the conditions for peace “will be negotiated between the two parties, as it can only be” suggests he is indeed planning to abandon his peacemaking ambitions. The whole deal was taking far longer than the 24 hours he boasted of during the election campaign last year.

    Where this leaves Europe is unclear, writes Wolff. If it can no longer rely on Washington as a security partner (and the signs aren’t good), then this will require a substantial rethink. Indeed there are signs, with the UK’s recent agreement over security and defence, that minds are increasingly focused on a more self-reliant future. In turn, this has implications for US security. If Europe is compelled to rethink its security relationship with the US it could cut both ways as Washington pivots to face an increasingly aggressive China.



    Read more:
    After another call with Putin, it looks like Trump has abandoned efforts to mediate peace in Ukraine

    Of course, it should have been clear to all concerned not to take Putin at face value over his apparent willingness to talk peace with Zelensky when he failed to turn up to talks in Istanbul at the end of last week. As Natasha Lindstaedt writes here, none of the main players attended the talks, despite plans for Putin, Zelensky and Trump to all meet face-to-face.

    Lindstaedt, an expert in international relations at the University of Essex, describes what for all the world seemed like a bizarre game of bluff – certainly as far as Putin and Trump are concerned. All three leaders had promised to be there, but in the end they all sent intermediaries with the result that nothing of any consequence was agreed. Trump’s aides insisted that if Putin attended he would be there. Then the US president said the reason that Putin hadn’t turned up was because he knew Trump wasn’t going to be there.

    “It’s certainly hard to take peace talks seriously when there is an awkward back-and-forth just about who is going to attend,” Lindstaedt concludes. “And while Trump thinks peace is only possible through bilateral meetings between himself and Putin, it’s clear he can’t even influence Putin to show up to peace talks that the Russian president himself suggested.”



    Read more:
    Putin is testing how far he can push Trump by not turning up for Istanbul talks

    Pie in the sky?

    The US president, meanwhile, has announced plans for an ambitious missile defence system to be called “Golden Dome”. It’s a next-generation system, says Trump, “capable even of intercepting missiles launched from the other side of the world, or launched from space”.

    The plan, for which US$25 billion (£18.6 billion) has been set aside in the US president’s “one big beautiful bill”, presently before the US Congress, calls for a network of surveillance satellites complemented by a separate fleet of offensive satellites that would shoot down offensive missiles soon after lift-off. Trump has estimated this will cost US$175 billion and will be completed by the end of his current four-year term. But other estimates are that it will be much more expensive and take far longer to complete.

    “There has never been anything like this”, the US president said. And indeed there hasn’t, writes Matthew Powell, an expert in air power from the University of Portsmouth. In fact, Powell is deeply sceptical that the technology to enable such an ambitious defence system exists at present. He points to Ronald Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative, which became known by critics, with their tongues in their cheeks, as “Star Wars”, which never really got any further than the drawing board.

    It did, however, have the effect of signalling to the Kremlin and the Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, that the sky would be the limit in terms of US willingness to push the boundaries of defence spending. Powell believes it significantly changed the calculations when it came to the feasibility of continuing the nuclear arms race and may have been responsible for the end of the cold war.



    Read more:
    Golden Dome: what Trump should learn from Reagan’s ‘Star Wars’ missile defence system plan

    Incidentally, the US president’s funding bill scraped through the House of Representatives with 215 votes for and 214 against. In addition to setting aside funds for Golden Dome, the bill, which in its current form adds trillions of dollars to the US debt, has been described by Democrat critics as a “tax scam”. A statement from Democrat leaders said: “This fight is just beginning, and House Democrats will continue to use every tool at our disposal to ensure that the GOP Tax Scam is buried deep in the ground, never to rise again.”

    But how much stomach do the Democrats have for the fight? They’ve had a pretty terrible few months since the election. Their approval rating in March was at 29%, the worst since polling began in 1992. Fernando Pizarro, a lecturer in journalism at City St Georges, University of London, who has several Emmys under his belt for his work on US politics, has cast his eye over some of the leading Democrats who he thinks will spearhead the opposition to the Republicans over the next few years and identifies a few players who could vie for the presidential nomination in 2028.



    Read more:
    The top Democrats leading the fight against Trump’s agenda

    Gaza: situation increasingly desperate

    Meanwhile, after 11 weeks of Israeli blockade of aid to the people of Gaza, limited deliveries have now recommenced in the face of pressure from both the US and increasingly outspoken interventions from the likes of the UK, France and Canada.

    But despite reports that up to 100 trucks are now being allowed into the Gaza Strip, human rights agencies and aid organisations have said that there is a desperate threat of widespread starvation unless the amount of food, fuel and medicine getting through increases exponentially. And fast.

    There is talk of a US-administered programme, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which could be up and running by the end of May and could accelerate the delivery of vital supplies to the civilian population while ensuring it does not does not get into the hands of militants or black marketeers.

    But this scheme has its critics, write Sarah Schiffling and Liz Breen, experts in humanitarian logistics and health service operations at Hanken School of Economics and the University of Bradford respectively. They point to a number of flaws, including the plan to concentrate the secure distribution points in southern and central Gaza, forcing large numbers of people to travel considerable distances for supplies.

    The GHF plan also calls for aid distribution to be coordinated with the Israel Defense Forces, which humanitarian organisations says is a “humanitarian cover for a military strategy of control and dispossession”.

    Schiffling and Breen point out that humanitarian organisations have 160,000 pallets of supplies and almost 9,000 aid trucks ready to be dispatched across the border “as soon as Israel allows it”. Whether Israel will allow it is, of course, another question entirely.



    Read more:
    Israel allows a ‘limited’ amount of aid back into Gaza, where the humanitarian situation is desperate

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

    – ref. Ukraine: it’s clear right now there are no serious plans for peace – https://theconversation.com/ukraine-its-clear-right-now-there-are-no-serious-plans-for-peace-257388

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Government reaffirms commitment to water security

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    Water and Sanitation Deputy Minister, David Mahlobo, has reaffirmed government’s unwavering commitment to ensuring long-term water security and sustainability for all South Africans, highlighting the urgent need for cross-sectoral collaboration, innovation, and inclusive development.

    Speaking at the Water Security Africa Conference, held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, on Wednesday, Mahlobo emphasised that addressing water security challenges requires a unified, evidence-based approach grounded in science, technology, and innovation.

    “Siloed thinking must be left behind, and an integrated, multi-sectoral response is essential to ensure equitable water access and effective water management,” Mahlobo said.

    The Deputy Minister underscored the significance of unlocking the full water value chain in alignment with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6, which seeks to ensure universal access to clean water and sanitation.

    He also called for the adoption of a circular water economy, where every drop of water is seen as a valuable resource.

    The Deputy Minister further called for a shift in mindset, urging South Africans to see all water, whether rainwater, stormwater, or wastewater, as a valuable resource.

    “There is no such thing as wastewater, only wasted water. The ‘One Water’ (reduce, reuse, and recycle) approach challenges us to manage all water sources in a holistic and sustainable way. We must embrace reuse, recycling, regeneration, and water-sensitive design as core principles,” Mahlobo said.

    Addressing the pressing need for increased water availability, Mahlobo highlighted the importance of groundwater use and rainwater harvesting, particularly in underserved communities.

    However, he warned of the risks posed by pollution and inadequate sanitation, which threaten these vital sources.

    The Deputy Minister called on stakeholders across all sectors, including government, private sector, academic, and civil society sectors, to join forces and invest in transformative solutions.

    “Water security is not just a national issue; it is a global imperative. We cannot meet today’s challenges with yesterday’s methods. Our National Water and Sanitation Master Plan outlines the way forward driven by technology, innovation, and skilled professionals.

    “This is not a task for the government alone. It demands collective ownership, bold ambition, and strategic investment. This forum is a key step toward building a water-secure future for all South Africans,” he said.

    The Water Security Africa Conference, taking place from 20-21 May 2025, is a focal point for commercial, industrial and public sector operations, bringing together key stakeholders, industry leaders and innovators to address the pressing need for clean, reliable, and sustainable water supply.

    The event is being held under the theme: “Delivering Water Security and Sustainability For All; A Vision of Inclusive Development”. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta Secures Preliminary Injunction to Block Mass Firings, Transfer of Core Functions from Department of Education

    Source: US State of California

    Thursday, May 22, 2025

    Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov

    OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today issued the following statement in response to a decision by the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts granting a preliminary injunction in a multistate lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration’s unlawful mass firing of U.S. Department of Education employees and the transfer of core statutory functions to other departments. These actions have devastated the Department of Education’s ability to meet its statutory obligations across numerous programs — direct funding for K-12 education, student aid, services for students with disabilities, civil rights enforcement, vocational training, and more.      

    “As long as the Trump Administration persists in violating the law, we will continue to hold him accountable,” said Attorney General Bonta. “The firing of Department of Education employees and outsourcing of core statutory functions, like the administration of federal student loans, violate the Administrative Procedure Act and are unconstitutional. I am encouraged by the court’s ruling today restoring fired Education Department employees to their positions while our case progresses. We will continue to fight to ensure the unlawful and absurd dismantling of the Department of Education is reversed — permanently. Our students deserve better.”     

    On March 11, the Department of Education initiated a mass termination impacting nearly 50% of the Department’s employees, as part of the Trump Administration’s “final mission” to dismantle the Department. The mass firings were not accompanied by any reasoning to explain why these employees — and indeed, some whole teams — were targeted. The rationale is nevertheless clear — the Trump Administration believes the Department should not exist and is using these firings as a tool in furtherance of that goal. President Trump’s directive for Education Secretary Linda McMahon to take all necessary steps to dismantle the Department is further evidence that the firings are part of a broader effort to undermine the Department’s ability to carry out its most vital, congressionally-mandated functions. These steps include transferring the administration of federal student loans to the Small Business Administration, which recently fired 40% of its workers, and of special needs and nutritional programs to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.    

    A copy of the decision is available here.

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hawley, Missouri Delegation Urge White House to Issue Federal Disaster Declaration For Late April Storms

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo)

    Today, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) led members of the Missouri Delegation—including Senator Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) and U.S. House Members Ann Wagner, Robert Onder, Mark Alford, Jason Smith, Sam Graves, and Eric Burlison—in sending a letter to President Trump in support of Governor Kehoe’s request for a federal disaster declaration following the severe storms and tornadoes in Missouri on April 29, 2025.

    The Governor made this request on May 19, which, if approved, would unlock federal funds and assistance to restore public infrastructure. 

    “This declaration is vital to providing the resources, technical support, and federal assistance necessary for these communities to repair public infrastructure, address recovery needs, and begin rebuilding after this devastating weather event,” the lawmakers wrote.

    We respectfully urge your immediate consideration and approval of this request. Missourians are resilient and committed to rebuilding, and federal assistance will be a crucial part of helping them move forward,” the delegation concluded.

    Separately, Senator Hawley has been working to unlock federal aid for the more recent tornados in Eastern Missouri and sent a letter today urging approval of a special emergency designation to provide federal reimbursement for first responder activities.

    Read the full letter here or below.

    May 21, 2025

    The Honorable Donald J. Trump
    President of the United States
    The White House
    1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
    Washington, DC 20500

    Dear President Trump, 

    We write in strong support of Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe’s request for a major presidential disaster declaration, pursuant to the Stafford Act, for public assistance in six Missouri counties affected by severe storms and tornadoes on April 29, 2025. This declaration is vital to providing the resources, technical support, and federal assistance necessary for these communities to repair public infrastructure, address recovery needs, and begin rebuilding after this devastating weather event.

    On May 19, 2025, Governor Kehoe formally requested a major disaster declaration following widespread damage caused by a cluster of severe storms and eight confirmed tornadoes that hit Barry, Greene, Lawrence, McDonald, Newton, and Washington counties. Joint assessments conducted by FEMA, the State Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Small Business Administration, and local officials estimate more than $16.5 million in emergency response costs and damage to public infrastructure, including damage to a public elementary school, transportation facilities, utility distribution lines, and roads.

    A major presidential disaster declaration would allow local governments and qualifying nonprofit agencies to seek federal assistance for reimbursement of emergency response and recovery costs, including the repair and replacement of roads, bridges, schools, and other public infrastructure. Prompt federal support is essential to help these communities recover from the storms’ aftermath and resume essential services for their residents.

    We respectfully urge your immediate consideration and approval of this request. Missourians are resilient and committed to rebuilding, and federal assistance will be a crucial part of helping them move forward. Along with our fellow Missourians, we appreciate your immediate attention to this request and stand ready to assist.
                                        
    Sincerely,

    Josh Hawley
    United States Senator

    Eric S. Schmitt                          
    United States Senator              

    Eric Burlison                                                                           
    United States Representative                    

    Sam Graves                             
    United States Representative  

    Jason Smith                                                                            
    United States Representative                  

    Ann Wagner                               
    United States Representative    

    Robert Onder                                                                          
    United States Representative              

    Mark Alford                                   
    United States Representative

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Dangerous and underfunded school buildings – E-001960/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-001960/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Kostas Papadakis (NI)

    The vast majority of school buildings in Greece are in a deplorable condition. 30 % of schools do not comply with any earthquake code at all, and 30 % were built in line with the 1959 code, which is outdated and obsolete. The vast majority of schools are not in line with modern scientific knowledge on earthquake-proofing and protection, leaving pupils and teachers at risk.

    Can the Commission therefore answer the following:

    • 1.What view does it take of the fact that a large number of school buildings – attended by millions of children in Greece and across the EU – remain outdated and unsuitable, that they are not earthquake-resistant and are therefore dangerous, that they lack modern equipment and infrastructure, sports and leisure areas, that new buildings are needed, and that their maintenance and renovation is a matter of life and death?
    • 2.What view does it take of the fact that, although a billion euro treasure trove is being made available for the war economy through ReArm Europe, and while business groups are being supported through the Recovery Fund, the fact remains that, in order to build and renovate schools and to carry out the necessary structural, electrical and fire safety checks, they have to rely on PPPs, sponsorship by large companies and the pittances raised from appeals to private individuals with the aim of passing on costs to the parents themselves?
    • 3.What is its view on immediately meeting the demands of pupils, parents and teachers to carry out the structural, electrical and fire safety checks – necessary for everybody’s safety – and to proceed with all the necessary construction of new school buildings, the maintenance and renovation of older ones, without PPPs or concessions to private parties?

    Submitted: 15.5.2025

    Last updated: 22 May 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: FMQs: Polluters must pay to prevent climate breakdown

    Source: Scottish Greens

    22 May 2025 Climate

    Climate breakdown already costs households in Scotland over £3,000 a year on average.

    More in Climate

    Climate inaction will cost Scottish households and the economy unless big polluters are made to pay, says Scottish Greens Co-Leader Lorna Slater MSP at First Minister’s Questions.

    Research by Global Witness has revealed that the costs of climate breakdown in the UK amount to an estimated £3,000 per household over the course of 2025.

    The cost of wildfires, flooding, crop losses, and more, means higher bills for households, such as insurance and everyday essentials, warns Tax Justice UK.

    Scottish Greens have long called for a windfall tax on the fossil fuel sector to pay for a Just Transition for North East workers, and to fund urgent climate action.

    In the Holyrood chamber, Ms Slater asked the First Minister:

    “Your Government has spent the last year ripping up policies designed to tackle the climate emergency. And I know the First Minister knows that delaying action on climate, actually costs a lot more in the long run.

    “Analysis from Global Witness shows that climate damage is already costing Scottish households £3,000 every year, on average, while multinational fossil fuel giants are still raking in billions of pounds of profit.

    “Unless polluters pay, communities will be worse off and the super rich will keep getting richer.

    “So that we can invest more now, not only to save money later, but to create green jobs and opportunities that we know will benefit Scotland, will the First Minister support policies to tax polluters?”

    Responding to Ms Slater, the First Minister did not set out any clear examples of climate action or attempts to make polluters pay his government would take.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Minister Hodgson to Provide Keynote Address in Calgary

    Source: Government of Canada News

    CALGARY — The Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, the Honourable Tim Hodgson, will provide a keynote address and take part in a fireside chat with the Calgary Chamber of Commerce. 

    Date: Friday, May 23, 2025

    Time: 8 a.m. MT

    Location:
    Fairmont Palliser
    Crystal Ballroom
    133 9th Avenue SW
    Calgary, Alberta T2P 2M3

    All accredited media are asked to pre-register by emailing media@calgarychamber.com.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SBA Offers Disaster Relief to Maryland Small Businesses and Private Nonprofits Affected by March Drought

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    ATLANTA – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the availability of low interest federal disaster loans to small businesses and private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in Maryland who sustained economic losses caused by drought beginning Mar. 4.

    The disaster declaration covers the counties of Anne Arundel, Baltimore County, Carroll, Frederick, Howard and Montgomery, and Prince George in Maryland and District of Columbia, Adam and York in Pennsylvania as well as Arlington, Fairfax and Loudoun in Virginia.  

    Under this declaration, the SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to eligible small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries, and PNPs with financial losses directly related to this disaster. The SBA is unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for aquaculture enterprises. Nurseries are eligible to apply for economic injury disaster loans for losses caused by drought conditions.

    EIDLs are available for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the small business or PNP did not suffer any physical damage. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills not paid due to the disaster.

    “Through a declaration by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, SBA provides critical financial assistance to help communities recover,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “We’re pleased to offer loans to small businesses and private nonprofits impacted by these disasters.”  

    The loan amount can be up to $2 million with interest rates as low as 4% for small businesses and 3.62% for PNPs, with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not accrue, and payments are not due until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.

    To apply online visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

    The deadline to return economic injury applications is Jan. 6, 2026.

    ###

    About the U.S. Small Business Administration

    The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: House Republicans Pass President Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ – U.S. Representative Barry Loudermilk

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Barry Loudermilk (R-GA)

    Rep. Barry Loudermilk (GA-11) issued the following statement on the House of Representatives passage of the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act.

    “Today, my Republican colleagues and I passed President Trump’s One Big, Beautiful Bill Act — a historic win for the American people. An extensive amount of work went into this legislation, which will extend tax cuts for hard-working Americans, unleash American energy stifled by the Democrats’ Green New scam, and provide much-needed support for our brave Border Patrol agents. This bill also gives the administration the tools to investigate, expose and cut fraud, waste, and abuse within federal government agencies, while protecting the core services that many Americans rely upon.

    “This is an historic bill aimed at delivering on the mandate the American people gave us in November. Republicans have ensured that Americans can keep more of what they earn, and pay lower prices for food and gas, as a result of our pro-energy approach. Americans can also expect a return to a safer nation, as we equip Border Patrol and Homeland Security with the tools needed to expel foreign terrorists and criminals — and to keep them from returning. The Big, Beautiful Bill is the pro-family, pro-America policy needed to restore American excellence at home and abroad.”

    Background

    Border Security

    • Provides funding for 10,000 new Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel.
    • Provides funding for detention capacity sufficient to maintain an average daily population of at least 100,000 aliens.
    • Provides funding for at least one million annual removals.
    • Introduces a new series of fees that provide funding and resources to various agencies.
    • Funds the hiring of 10,000 new ICE agents and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) criminal investigators
    • Codifies permanent fees for immigration services, to ensure cost recovery and reduce the federal deficit.

    • Provides $12 billion to reimburse states for actions taken to deter, mitigate, or prevent unlawful or illicit activities related to border security.

    Permanent Extension of Tax Cuts and Jobs Act

    • Makes the 2017 Trump-era tax cuts permanent – protecting the average taxpayer from a 22 percent tax hike.
    • Saves the average American family $1,700 – the equivalent of 9 weeks of groceries.
    • Increases real annual take-home pay for a median-income household with two children by roughly $4,000 to $5,000.
    • Raises annual real wages by $2,100 to $3,300 per worker.
    • Delivers on President Trump’s priorities of no tax on tips, overtime pay, or car loan interest, and provides additional tax relief for our seniors.

    • Repeals the requirement for firearm silencers and takes the manufacturer tax on silencers to $0
    • Locks in and boosts the doubled Child Tax Credit for more than 40 million families, and provides additional tax relief for American families.
    • Supports working families by expanding access to childcare and making the paid leave tax credit permanent.
    • Puts American families in control of their health care by expanding health savings accounts and cementing into law a Trump Administration policy that offers more choice and flexibility for health coverage options.
    • Starts building financial security for America’s children, at birth, with the creation of new savings accounts.

    Unleashes American Energy

    • Reinstates quarterly onshore oil and gas lease sales, generating $12 billion in revenue.
    • Mandates at least thirty lease sales in the Gulf of America over the next fifteen years, and six in the Cook Inlet, generating billions of dollars in new revenue.
    • Returns to reasonable oil and natural gas royalty rates.
    • Requires geothermal lease sales, generating $23 million in new revenue.
    • Resumes leasing for energy production in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, generating over $1 billion in new revenue and savings.
    • Resumes coal leasing on federal lands.
    • Increases timber sales on federal lands and requires long-term timber contracts.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Townsville man fined for illegal dumping

    Source: Tasmania Police

    Issued: 22 May 2025

    The man received a hefty fine for unlawfully dumping the rubbish.

    DETSI investigates every case of illegal dumping.

    A man has received a hefty fine for unlawfully dumping rubbish in bushland in the Townsville Town Common Conservation Park.

    Remote cameras captured a ute with rubbish in the tray entering the conservation park on 16 March 2025. The vehicle was later captured leaving the conservation park with an empty tray.

    Rangers from the Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI) conducted a site inspection and discovered the waste, which included air-conditioning units, empty boxes and other general waste.

    Executive Director Waste and Enforcement Jackie McKeay said officers from DETSI’s Litter and Illegal Dumping Compliance Operations issued a show cause notice to the driver of the vehicle.

    “The man admitted that he dumped the waste in the conservation park, and he went back to clean it up,” Ms McKeay said.

    “He was issued with a Penalty Infringement Notice for $2,580. This fine is a reminder to Queenslanders that our remote cameras can be anywhere at any time.

    “We take a zero-tolerance approach to illegal dumping, and we investigate every report we receive.

    “Recently, the Queensland Government made it easier for people to report illegal dumping with the new Litter and Illegal Dumping Online Reporting System.

    “Unlawfully dumping waste is a pollution risk and a fire hazard, and it can harm our native animals.”

    People can report littering and illegal dumping to their local council or via the online reporting tool: Report it.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: $2 million to extinguish battery fire risk in Queensland

    Source: Tasmania Police

    Issued: 22 May 2025

    Sparked by the recent spike in battery fires, the Queensland Government has committed $2 million to put out the battery fire risk in Queensland by expanding collection points.

    With more than 200 battery-related fires in Queensland in the past year, the Local Government Battery Collection Program is part of the Queensland Government’s three-point plan to tackle battery safety.

    Grants of up to $100,000 are available for Queensland councils or groups of councils to expand battery collection points and provide safer and more convenient disposal of problem batteries that currently have limited options for disposal.

    By supporting Queensland councils to expand the number of collection points, this funding will not only make it safer and easier to properly dispose of batteries; but environmental risks and fires caused by battery combustion in council waste collection trucks and facilities will also be reduced.

    Executive Director at the Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation Claire Andersen said the three-point plan addresses risks to human safety, council infrastructure and the environment.

    “Lithium-ion batteries power our everyday lives – from simple AA batteries to e-scooters to rechargeable toothbrushes.

    “But when disposed of incorrectly they can spark dangerous fires that put lives at risk, shut down essential services and leave councils and ratepayers footing the bill of costly damage and repairs.

    “With the increase in battery fires over the past year, it was clear that urgent action was needed – so we quickly established our three-point plan which is rolling out now.

    “This is an integral aspect of this plan; these grants are available to all Queensland councils or groups of councils to expand their battery collection points.

    “Not only are we funding battery collection expansion, but we are also working with industry to implement strategies and powering up public awareness and education.

    “Our message is simple: don’t bin your batteries.”

    To find your nearest battery collection point visit: www.recyclemate.com.au

    For more information on the Local Government Battery Collection Program or to make an application, click here.

    Media contact:                 DETSI Media Unit on (07) 3339 5831 or media@des.qld.gov.au

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Americus Man Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Possessing Firearms

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Under Investigation for Fentanyl Distribution, Armed Defendant Attempted to Evade Police

    ALBANY, Ga. – An Americus, Georgia, resident who was under investigation for distributing fentanyl in the community was sentenced to federal prison for illegally possessing several firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime as he attempted to evade arrest.

    Juan Antonious Boone, 36, of Americus, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 181 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release by Chief U.S. District Judge Leslie Abrams Gardner on May 21. Boone previously pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime on Oct. 9, 2024. There is no parole in the federal system.

    “Armed repeat felons distributing fentanyl and other dangerous illegal substances will find their cases in federal court,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney C. Shanelle Booker. “We are grateful that no one was injured when the defendant recklessly sped away in his car while attempting to evade arrest. I want to thank the teams from the Americus Police Department, GBI and ATF for helping us hold the defendant accountable for his crimes and their tireless efforts to make our communities safer.”

    “Let me be clear—if you’re a convicted felon pushing fentanyl and carrying illegal firearms, the ATF will find you, and you will face the full force of federal prosecution,” said ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka of the Atlanta Field Division.

    “Fentanyl distribution and armed criminal activity pose a grave threat to public safety,” said GBI Director Chris Hosey. “This sentencing sends a clear message: individuals who choose to traffic deadly drugs and illegally possess firearms will be met with the full force of the law. We remain steadfast in our mission to protect Georgia communities through strong partnerships and relentless investigative work.”

    “The Americus Police Department appreciates the teamwork between local, state and federal law enforcement partners that helps to get dangerous criminals like this off our streets. We are all in the fight together against violent offenders who are flooding our streets with fentanyl and other dangerous narcotics,” said Americus Police Chief Mark Scott.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) utilized a confidential informant (CI) between June 13, 2023, and Aug. 7, 2023, to purchase small quantities of narcotics, including fentanyl, from Boone in the Americus area. On Jan. 8, 2024, GBI conducted surveillance of Boone at the Days Inn in Americus as he departed the hotel. Boone, who was wanted on an active probation warrant, was pulled over by Americus Police Department (APD) officers. Rather than exiting the vehicle as instructed, Boone placed the vehicle in drive and drove away at a high speed, almost striking an APD officer. APD officers pursued Boone to a nearby apartment complex; when he got to a dead-end, he got out of the car and ran away. Boone had a firearm in his hand and one in his waistband; he was safely apprehended. Boone, who has several felony convictions, was illegally possessing two stolen 9mm pistols. Inside his car, police found approximately 24 grams of fentanyl, 79.743 grams of methamphetamine, 251 grams of cocaine, a large quantity of marijuana and a 9mm semiautomatic pistol. Boone has several prior felonies, including two convictions for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and a conviction for possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.

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

    The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) and the Americus Police Department (APD).

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Redavid prosecuted the case for the Government.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Power and Environmental Engineering Faculty Explore Wildfire and Power Grid Nexus in a Changing Climate

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    It’s a harsh irony.

    During a wildfire, firefighters depend on electricity to communicate, power emergency response, and keep hospitals running. But the electric grid is also one of the leading causes of the very fires they are working to contain.

    Junbo Zhao is the Castleman Term Professor in Engineering Innovation and director of the Department of Energy’s Northeast University Cybersecurity Center for Advanced and Resilient Energy Delivery (CyberCARED).

    “Power lines can ignite fires in several ways,” says Junbo Zhao, Castleman Term Professor in engineering innovation and director of the Department of Energy Northeast University Cybersecurity Center for Advanced and Resilient Energy Delivery (CyberCARED). “High winds can knock down poles or cause wires to clash and spark. Overgrown vegetation can brush against live wires. Aging infrastructure, such as decades-old transmission lines, can fail under stress.”

    These events, combined with drought, rising temperatures, fuel buildup, and a surge in ignition sources create a “perfect storm” for fire outbreaks, he says.

    In a recently published

    An article written by several College of Engineering faculty and students appears on the cover of the April 2025 Nature Reviews Electrical Engineering.

    “Strengthening the power grid resilience to storms and wildfires through advanced sensing and AI technology is critical to assuring reliable power during extreme weather and security events, which is more important than ever due to climate change,” says Emmanouil Anagnostou, Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor and executive director of the Institute of Environment and Energy. “Research at the Eversource Energy Center advances leading-edge technology on fire ignition modeling and global monitoring of fire severity from space-based sensors, which can support preparedness and inform near-real-time emergency response.”

    Zhao and Anagnostou, along with Fangni Lei, assistant research professor of civil and environmental engineering; UConn research assistant Soroush Vahedi; Ph.D. candidate Kang He; and other authors from Sandia National Laboratory, the University of California Santa Barbara, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory emphasize the urgent need for a comprehensive and collaborative approach to strengthen power grid resilience against the rising threat of wildfires.

    In Nature Reviews, they suggest a three-phase resilience strategy that involves understanding wildfire risks, developing detailed planning and mitigation strategies, and ensuring effective implementation and ongoing evaluation.

    The initial phase involves identifying high-risk regions and vulnerable infrastructure, integrating climate change data into wildfire models to improve risk assessment and long-term infrastructure planning. Accurate projections of wildfire impacts on system components—such as power lines and transformers—are critical for designing targeted, climate-adaptive responses.

    In the second phase, the focus shifts to developing actionable strategies for prevention, real-time mitigation, and recovery. This includes hardening infrastructure through undergrounding lines, enhancing protection systems, and managing vegetation to reduce ignition risks. Real-time monitoring technologies, remote sensing, and improved situational awareness are central to effective mitigation, while operational enhancements—like optimized grid management and emergency response coordination—support overall system resilience. Planning also incorporates predictive analytics to guide de-energization decisions and firefighting efforts.

    A fallen power line caused a small brush fire recently in Haddam, Connecticut. (Olivia Drake/UConn photo)

    The final phase involves putting strategies into practice through detailed action plans, financial investment, and regular evaluations. Evaluating the effectiveness of resilience measures requires setting clear benchmarks and timelines.

    Looking ahead, the researchers stress the importance of integrating dynamic vegetation and advanced and granular weather models to forecast risk conditions and inform preventive actions.

    “Further investments in R&D and the development of real-time operational risk management systems will be essential to ensure grid stability, safety, and adaptability in an era of increasing wildfire threats,” Zhao says.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Billions of cicadas are emerging, from Cape Cod to north Georgia – here’s how and why we map them

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Chris Simon, Senior Research Scientist of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut

    Three cicadas in North Carolina during the 2003 Brood IX emergence Chris Simon, CC BY-ND

    If they’re in your area, you’ll know it from their loud droning, chirping and buzzing sounds. Cicadas from Brood XIV – one of the largest groups of cicadas that emerge from underground on a 13-year or 17-year cycle – are surfacing in May and June 2025 across 12 states. This large-scale biological event reaches from northern Georgia up into Indiana and Ohio and eastward through the mid-Atlantic, extending as far north as Long Island, N.Y. and Massachusetts.

    Through mid-June, wooded areas will ring with cicadas’ loud mating calls. After mating, each female will lay hundreds of eggs inside small tree branches. Then the adult cicadas will die. When the eggs hatch six weeks later, new cicada nymphs will fall from the trees and burrow back underground, starting the cycle again.

    We are evolutionary ecologists who study periodical cicadas to understand questions about the natural history, genetics and geographic distribution of life. This work starts with mapping where they appear.

    We’ve been doing this for decades, updating a process begun by entomologists in the mid-1800s. Our latest maps are published online and searchable.

    Periodical cicadas emerge on 13- or 17-year cycles in enormous numbers, which increases their odds of finding mates and avoiding predators long enough to reproduce.

    Mapping the presence of such a noisy species might seem straightforward, but it’s actually complex. And accuracy matters because there are seven species of periodical cicadas — four with 13-year life cycles and three with 17-year cycles. Different broods can share boundaries, and some cicadas that emerge this year may be members of broods other than XIV, coming out early or late.

    A lot of work goes into verifying the data in our maps so that they show the status of these unique insects as accurately as possible. Here’s a look at the process, and at how you can contribute:

    Refining past records

    We first started creating our maps on paper by collecting all known specimen records of 13- and 17-year periodical cicadas from past scientific studies and museums large and small across the eastern U.S., where these broods are located. For centuries, museum specimens have been the gold standard for documenting the presence of a species.

    But past standards for labeling specimens were different. Many old museum labels simply noted very approximate locations where specimens were collected. Sometimes they just recorded the city, county or state.

    Today we collect our records along roads. We listen for species-specific songs and then record the cicada species identity on computers, with their GPS locations. Often we’ll stop to examine a patch of forest. If the cicadas are singing, we note whether the chorus is light, moderate, loud or distant.

    If stormy weather damps down the cicada songs, we look for signs of emergence, such as cast-off skins, adult cicadas on plants, or egg scars on branches.

    Dozens of small brown cicadas climb grass stems during a Brood VIII emergence in Rector, Pa.
    Chris Simon, CC BY-ND

    Connecting the data dots

    In some regions, such as the U.S. Midwest, roads are arranged on a grid that reflects land survey lines. Networks like these can be ideal for mapping species distributions. Delineating an area that’s occupied by a specific cicada brood may be as simple as connecting the dots that represent our positive sightings.

    In other places, such as Appalachia, roads often follow ridges or valleys and miss many areas. Here, it’s harder to infer where cicadas are present between data points, especially when those data points are located on different roads.

    Drawing a boundary that contains every data point in a survey area usually will end up overstating the area where periodical cicadas are emerging. We intentionally design our maps to be conservative, so we display our information as point data and do not attempt to draw brood boundaries or generalize our data to counties.

    It’s equally important to record absence points – places where no cicadas are present. Otherwise, an area might be blank either because a species is absent or simply because no one looked for cicadas there.

    A cicada nymph from Brood X sheds its skin during an emergence in Herndon, Va.
    Chris Simon, CC BY-ND

    We have been verifying periodical cicada records and updating maps since the late 1980s. Our more recent maps include geographic information for data collection points.

    Where our maps show the presence of cicadas, a senior member of our project has verified that cicadas were present at that place and date. The insects may have been just emerging, singing loudly, or on their way out.

    Where our maps show the absence of cicadas, that means that one of us or a collaborator visited that location under appropriate conditions and verified that no cicadas were present. Where our maps show no records, we have no information on presence or absence.

    Each color on this map represents a different periodical cicada brood. Brood XIV is the darker green extending from the Midwest to eastern Massachusetts.
    University of Connecticut, used with permission., CC BY-ND

    Crowdsourcing the emergence

    In recent years, citizen scientists – members of the public collecting data for scientific research – have revolutionized mapping efforts, using apps and the internet. Apps such as iNaturalist and Cicada Safari allow users to submit geolocated photos, sounds and videos with a few clicks.

    When we receive these records, our colleague Gene Kritsky, an emeritus entomologist at Mount St. Joseph University, vets them with his team. Then they are uploaded to a map on Cicada Safari.

    Citizen science maps have different biases from those that are created by our expert teams. Members of the public tend to collect their data in areas where residents are familiar with cicadas, there is good internet connectivity and media stories have piqued volunteer reporters’ interest. These maps don’t show absence records or all localities, especially in sparsely populated areas.

    Even records supported by sounds or photographs may not be accurate. They may capture “stragglers” from broods that are not part of the current year’s cycle but are emerging one to four years early or late.

    This phenomenon may become more commonplace in response to changing climates. Warming temperatures create longer growing seasons, which can enable at least some fraction of a periodical cicada population to develop faster and be ready to emerge earlier.

    For this reason, maps based on citizen science reports are most valuable if the same observers report back from the same locations repeatedly over several weeks. The longer-term presence of periodical cicadas indicates that what’s being tallied is a non-straggler population, or a straggler population on its way to permanently shifting the timing of its emergence.

    An evolving story

    Maps are valuable tools for understanding how species fit into their environment, how they interact with other species and how they respond to change. However, it is important to be aware of any map’s biases and limitations when interpreting it. Research requires dedication and repetition over many years.

    Our research suggests that climate warming has resulted in more four-year-early straggling events that are increasingly dense, widespread and likely to leave offspring. The result is a mosaic of broods that makes the jigsaw puzzle of periodical cicada distribution more complicated, but more interesting. Understanding how these four-year shifts are encoded in cicadas’ genes is a mystery that remains to be solved.

    Chris Simon has received funding from The National Science Foundation, The National Geographic Society, The Marsden Fund of New Zealand, and the University of Connecticut.

    John Cooley has received funding in the past from NSF and National Geographic Society. There are no current grants funding this work.

    – ref. Billions of cicadas are emerging, from Cape Cod to north Georgia – here’s how and why we map them – https://theconversation.com/billions-of-cicadas-are-emerging-from-cape-cod-to-north-georgia-heres-how-and-why-we-map-them-255461

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: A decade after the release of ‘The Martian’ and a decade out from the world it envisions, a planetary scientist checks in on real-life Mars exploration

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Ari Koeppel, Postdoctoral Scientist in Earth and Planetary Science, Dartmouth College

    ‘The Martian’ protagonist Mark Watney contemplates his ordeal. 20th Century Fox

    Andy Weir’s bestselling story “The Martian” predicts that by 2035 NASA will have landed humans on Mars three times, perfected return-to-Earth flight systems and collaborated with the China National Space Administration. We are now 10 years past the Hollywood adaptation’s 2015 release and 10 years shy of its fictional timeline. At this midpoint, Mars exploration looks a bit different than how it was portrayed in “The Martian,” with both more discoveries and more controversy.

    As a planetary geologist who works with NASA missions to study Mars, I follow exploration science and policy closely. In 2010, the U.S. National Space Policy set goals for human missions to Mars in the 2030s. But in 2017, the White House Space Policy Directive 1 shifted NASA’s focus toward returning first to the Moon under what would become the Artemis program.

    Although concepts for crewed missions to Mars have gained popularity, NASA’s actual plans for landing humans on Mars remain fragile. Notably, over the last 10 years, it has been robotic, rather than crewed, missions that have propelled discovery and the human imagination forward.

    NASA’s 2023 Moon to Mars Strategy and Objectives Development document lays out the steps the agency was shooting for at the time, to go first to the Moon, and from there to Mars.
    NASA

    Robotic discoveries

    Since 2015, satellites and rovers have reshaped scientists’ understanding of Mars. They have revealed countless insights into how its climate has changed over time.

    As Earth’s neighbor, climate shifts on Mars also reflect solar system processes affecting Earth at a time when life was first taking hold. Thus, Mars has become a focal point for investigating the age old questions of “where do we come from?” and “are we alone?”

    The Opportunity, Curiosity and Perseverance rovers have driven dozens of miles studying layered rock formations that serve as a record of Mars’ past. By studying sedimentary layers – rock formations stacked like layers of a cake – planetary geologists have pieced together a vivid tale of environmental change that dwarfs what Earth is currently experiencing.

    Mars was once a world of erupting volcanoes, glaciers, lakes and flowing rivers – an environment not unlike early Earth. Then its core cooled, its magnetic field faltered and its atmosphere drifted away. The planet’s exposed surface has retained signs of those processes ever since in the form of landscape patterns, sequences of layered sediment and mineral mixtures.

    Layered sedimentary rocks exposed within the craters of Arabia Terra, Mars, recording ancient surface processes. Photo from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment.
    NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

    Arabia Terra

    One focus of scientific investigation over the last 10 years is particularly relevant to the setting of “The Martian” but fails to receive mention in the story. To reach his best chance of survival, protagonist Mark Watney, played by Matt Damon, must cross a vast, dusty and crater-pocked region of Mars known as Arabia Terra.

    In 2022 and 2023, I, along with colleagues at Northern Arizona University and Johns Hopkins University, published detailed analyses of the layered materials there using imagery from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and Mars Odyssey satellites.

    By using infrared imagery and measuring the dimensions of surface features, we linked multiple layered deposits to the same episodes of formation and learned more about the widespread crumbling nature of the terrain seen there today. Because water tends to cement rock tightly together, that loose material indicates that around 3.5 billion years ago, that area had a drying climate.

    To make the discussions about this area easier, we even worked with the International Astronomical Union to name a few previously unnamed craters that were mentioned in the story. For example, one that Watney would have driven right by is now named Kozova Crater, after a town in Ukraine.

    More to explore

    Despite rapid advances in Mars science, many unknowns remain. Scientists still aren’t sure of the precise ages, atmospheric conditions and possible signatures of life associated with each of the different rock types observed on the surface.

    For instance, the Perseverance rover recently drilled into and analyzed a unique set of rocks hosting organic – that is, carbon-based – compounds. Organic compounds serve as the building blocks of life, but more detailed analysis is required to determine whether these specific rocks once hosted microbial life.

    The in-development Mars Sample Return mission aims to address these basic outstanding questions by delivering the first-ever unaltered fragments of another world to Earth. The Perseverance rover is already caching rock and soil samples, including ones hosting organic compounds, in sealed tubes. A future lander will then need to pick up and launch the caches back to Earth.

    Sampling Mars rocks could tell scientists more about the red planet’s past, and whether it could have hosted life.

    Once home, researchers can examine these materials with instruments orders of magnitude more sensitive than anything that could be flown on a spacecraft. Scientists stand to learn far more about the habitability, geologic history and presence of any signs of life on Mars through the sample return campaign than by sending humans to the surface.

    This perspective is why NASA, the European Space Agency and others have invested some US$30 billion in robotic Mars exploration since the 1960s. The payoff has been staggering: That work has triggered rapid technological advances in robotics, telecommunications and materials science. For example, Mars mission technology has led to better sutures for heart surgery and cars that can drive themselves.

    It has also bolstered the status of NASA and the U.S. as bastions of modern exploration and technology; and it has inspired millions of students to take an interest in scientific fields.

    A selfie from NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover with the Ingenuity helicopter, taken with the rover’s extendable arm on April 6, 2021.
    NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

    Calling the red planet home?

    Colonizing Mars has a seductive appeal. It’s hard not to cheer for the indomitable human spirit while watching Watney battle dust storms, oxygen shortages and food scarcity over 140 million miles from rescue.

    Much of the momentum toward colonizing Mars is now tied to SpaceX and its CEO Elon Musk, whose stated mission to make humanity a “multi-planetary species” has become a sort of rallying cry. But while Mars colonization is romantic on paper, it is extremely difficult to actually carry out, and many critics have questioned the viability of a Mars habitation as a refuge far from Earth.

    Now, with NASA potentially facing a nearly 50% reduction to its science budget, the U.S. risks dissolving its planetary science and robotic operations portfolio altogether, including sample return.

    Nonetheless, President Donald Trump and Musk have pushed for human space exploration to somehow continue to progress, despite those proposed cuts – effectively sidelining the robotic, science-driven programs that have underpinned all of Mars exploration to date.

    Yet, it is these programs that have yielded humanity’s richest insights into the red planet and given both scientists and storytellers like Andy Weir the foundation to imagine what it must be like to stand on Mars’ surface at all.

    Ari Koeppel receives funding from NASA.

    – ref. A decade after the release of ‘The Martian’ and a decade out from the world it envisions, a planetary scientist checks in on real-life Mars exploration – https://theconversation.com/a-decade-after-the-release-of-the-martian-and-a-decade-out-from-the-world-it-envisions-a-planetary-scientist-checks-in-on-real-life-mars-exploration-255752

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –