NewzIntel.com

Category: Natural Disasters

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Panasonic Verifies that nanoe(TM) (Hydroxyl Radicals Contained in Water) Technology Inhibits Hazardous Substances Contained in Haze Caused by Air Pollution in Southeast Asia

    Source: Panasonic

    Headline: Panasonic Verifies that nanoe(TM) (Hydroxyl Radicals Contained in Water) Technology Inhibits Hazardous Substances Contained in Haze Caused by Air Pollution in Southeast Asia

    Osaka, Japan – Panasonic Corporation (https://www.panasonic.com/global/home.html) (hereinafter referred to as Panasonic) today announced that it has conducted joint research with the Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology (MJIIT), under the supervision of Professor Sheikh Ahmad Zaki, verifying that nanoe (hydroxyl radicals contained in water) technology inhibits up to 95% of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) contained in PM2.5, a component of smoke pollution (haze) that is worsening in Southeast Asia. In addition to the five types of PAHs already verified,*2 the inhibitory effects of nanoe (hydroxyl radicals contained in water) technology on three types of PAHs have been newly revealed.
    99% of the world’s population lives in areas that do not meet the World Health Organization’s (WHO) air quality guideline levels,*3 and the adverse health effects of air pollution have become a significant issue. In particular, urgent measures are needed to combat haze in Southeast Asian countries. Haze is caused by smoke pollution from large-scale slash-and-burn farming and forest fires in regions like Sumatra Island, and it contains hazardous substances known as PAHs. PAHs are difficult to decompose, making them prone to spread by wind, and it has been reported that they bioaccumulate in crops.*4Furthermore, numerous research findings indicate that certain PAHs can elevate the risk and incidence of adverse events, including reduced lung function, worsened asthma, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer.*5 Note that this joint verification was intended to examine the effects of nanoe on chemical substances that cause these symptoms and does not guarantee effects on the symptoms themselves.
    Under the supervision of Professor Sheikh from MJIIT, the Company conducted tests by irradiating nanoe (hydroxyl radicals contained in water) particles on three types of PAHs (naphthalene, fluorene, and acenaphthene),*6 which account for large proportions in the mass of haze. As a result, inhibitory effects were verified for all three types. Note that these verification results are based on the test conditions described below and do not demonstrate the effectiveness in a real-world environment.

    Panasonic aims to contribute to society by providing safe and secure spaces, and will continue to evolve nanoe (hydroxyl radicals contained in water) technology and pursue its future potential.

    ■Key points of this verification

    Aims to verify the inhibitory effects of nanoe (hydroxyl radicals contained in water) on the three types of PAHs that account for particularly large mass ratios in haze.

    ■Comments of Professor Sheikh Ahmad Zaki from Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology*8

    Haze is a serious social issue in Southeast Asia. As human activities, which had slowed down during the COVID-19 pandemic, begin to pick up again, there is a risk that damage will worsen due to increased haze emissions. Haze contains various substances, and PAHs are considered highly hazardous to both humans and the environment. In this verification, we were able to demonstrate the effectiveness of nanoe (hydroxyl radicals contained in water) technology against the three types of PAHs that are commonly found in haze. Based on these verification results, nanoe  (hydroxyl radicals contained in water) technology is anticipated to be a promising solution for enhancing the living environment in Southeast Asia, which is suffered by haze.

    ■Principle of nanoe (hydroxyl radicals contained in water) generation

    Figure 4 nanoe (hydroxyl radicals contained in water) generator

    nanoe  (hydroxyl radicals contained in water), which is approximately 5 to 20 nanometers in size and contains hydroxyl radicals, is generated by cooling the atomizing electrode with a Peltier element, creating water through the condensation of moisture in the air, and applying a high voltage between the atomizing electrode and the counter electrode (Figure 4).

    Notes:*1: The eight types of PAHs include benzo[a]pyrene, benz[a]anthracene, benzo[b]fluoranthene, indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene, and dibenz[a,h]anthracene, which were previously tested, along with naphthalene, fluorene, and acenaphthene, which were tested this time.*2: [Press release] “Nanoe” effectively breaks down PM2.5 components and inhibits growth of fungi attached to Yellow Sand (January 16, 2014)”Nanoe” effectively breaks down PM2.5 components and inhibits growth of fungi attached to Yellow Sand | Appliances | Products & Solutions | Feature Story | Panasonic Newsroom Global https://news.panasonic.com/global/stories/668*3: Reference: Ambient (outdoor) air pollution. WHO. 2024-09-13*4: Reference: WHO Regional Office for Europe, “Human health effects of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons as ambient air pollutants: report of the Working Group on Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons of the Joint Task Force on the Health Aspects of Air Pollution.”, 2021.*5: Reference: Nor Azura Sulong et al. “Distribution, sources and potential health risks of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in PM2.5 collected during different monsoon seasons and haze episode in Kuala Lumpur,” Chemospher, vol.219, pp. 1-14, 2019.*6: Reference: Jiraporn Chomanee et al. “Physicochemical and toxicological characteristics of nanoparticles in aerosols in southern Thailand during recent haze episodes in lower southeast Asia,” Journal of environmental sciences, vol.94, pp. 72-80, 2020.*7: Calculated by Panasonic*8: Panasonic requested the Professor to provide comments on nanoe (hydroxyl radicals contained in water), which were posted after editing.

    Inquiries:

    Living Appliances and Solutions Company, Panasonic CorporationDevices Products Business Unit, Beauty and Personal Care Business DivisionTelephone: +81-(0)749-27-0485 (available 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays)

    About Panasonic Corporation
    Panasonic Corporation offers products and services for a variety of living environments, ranging from homes to stores to offices and cities. There are five businesses at the core of Panasonic Corporation: Living Appliances and Solutions Company, Heating & Ventilation A/C Company, Cold Chain Solutions Company, Electric Works Company and China and Northeast Asia Company. The operating company reported consolidated net sales of 3,494.4 billion yen for the year ended March 31, 2024. Panasonic Corporation is committed to fulfilling the mission of Life Tech & Ideas: For the wellbeing of people, society and the planet, and embraces the vision of becoming the best partner of your life with human-centric technology and innovation. Learn more about Panasonic: https://www.panasonic.com/global/about/

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Gass fire – Humpty Doo

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    Northen Territory Fire and Rescue Service (NTFRS) responded to a large grass fire in Humpty Doo yesterday afternoon.

    Around 2:50pm, Joint Emergency Services Communication Centre received repots of a large grass fire on Trippe Road, Humpty Doo.

    A short time later, NTFRS members arrived on the fire ground and commenced a response.

    Twelve NTFRS career and 4 Volunteer firefighters attended with 12 appliances including Grassfire Units, as well as 4 waterbombers, 1 helicopter and 5 appliances from Bushfires NT.

    Multiple inoperable vehicles and an uninhabited structure were affected by the blaze.

    Initial reports indicate that the fire was not suspicious, and it ignited from a backfiring exhaust.

    Investigations are ongoing.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Grass fire – Humpty Doo

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    Northen Territory Fire and Rescue Service (NTFRS) responded to a large grass fire in Humpty Doo yesterday afternoon.

    Around 2:50pm, Joint Emergency Services Communication Centre received repots of a large grass fire on Trippe Road, Humpty Doo.

    A short time later, NTFRS members arrived on the fire ground and commenced a response.

    Twelve NTFRS career and 4 Volunteer firefighters attended with 12 appliances including Grassfire Units, as well as 4 waterbombers, 1 helicopter and 5 appliances from Bushfires NT.

    Multiple inoperable vehicles and an uninhabited structure were affected by the blaze.

    Initial reports indicate that the fire was not suspicious, and it ignited from a backfiring exhaust.

    Investigations are ongoing.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Maritime crime and piracy incidents lowest since 1994, but threats to crews remain  

    Source: International Chamber of Commerce

    Headline: Maritime crime and piracy incidents lowest since 1994, but threats to crews remain  

    IMB reported 79 incidents for the period of January-September 2024, down from 99 incidents in the same period last year. This marks a significant overall reduction and the lowest reported numbers since 1994. 

    From January to September, 62 vessels were boarded, six were hijacked while nine faced attempted attacks and two were fired upon. In 86% of incidents, perpetrators successfully gained access to the vessel with most incidents occurring at night.  

    Violence towards crew members remains concerning, with 111 crew taken hostage, 11 kidnapped and three threatened. Perpetrators were armed with weapons, guns, and knives in 45 of the reported incidents.  

    IMB Director Michael Howlett said:  

    “With reported incidents at their lowest since 1994, the decline in reported piracy and armed robbery incidents is encouraging. This is an important time to reinforce our message not to be complacent, and for vessel owners and operators to adhere to IMB guidelines. We commend governments and law enforcement for their excellent work, which has made this improvement possible.” 

    Escalating violence in the Indonesian Archipelago 

    The Indonesian Archipelago remains an area of concern with a steady rise in the number of reported incidents. From January to September 2024, 17 incidents were reported compared to 12 in 2023 and nine in 2022. Weapons were reported in 11 incidents, 27 crew were taken hostage and one crew was threatened. Two hijackings were reported in February and September in nearly the same location South of Tanjung Malatayur, Central Kalimantan where oil cargoes were stolen from barges under tow. IMB calls upon local authorities to increase their on-water presence to act as a deterrent to these crimes.   

    Fewer incidents in Gulf of Guinea, Somalia and Singapore Straits  

    In the first nine months of 2024, 12 incidents were reported in the Gulf of Guinea region, the lowest number of reports since 1996. While the drop in the number of reported incidents is welcome, there remains concern over the safety of crew, with 11 crew kidnapped and 21 taken hostage. 

    Eight incidents have been reported in the waters off Somalia and the Gulf of Aden, with three hijacked vessels and two fired upon. IMB has not received reports of any maritime piracy incidents from vessels transiting these waters between July and September, possibly due to the prevalence of monsoons. 

    Incidents in the Singapore Straits have dropped to 23, compared to 33 over the same period last year. Perpetrators were successful in boarding the vessels in 96% of the cases. Considering the navigational challenges of these waters, IMB warns that even low-level opportunistic incidents on board such large vessels could potentially increase the risk to navigation.  

    IMB urges vessels to continue adhering to the latest Best Management Practices to ensure safety of crew, vessel and cargo.  

    IMB commends local authorities for investigating reported incidents and renews calls for accurate and timely reporting of maritime incidents. 

    The IMB Piracy Reporting Centre  

    Founded in 1991, the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre serves as a crucial, 24-hour point of contact to report crimes of piracy and lend support to ships under threat. Quick reactions and a focus on coordinating with response agencies, sending out warning broadcasts and email alerts to ships have all helped bolster security on the high seas. The data gathered by the Centre also provides key insights on the nature and state of modern piracy. 

    IMB encourages all shipmasters and owners to report all actual, attempted and suspected global piracy and armed robbery incidents to the Piracy Reporting Centre as a vital first step to ensuring adequate resources are allocated by authorities to tackle maritime piracy.    

    Download a copy of the January to September 2024 Piracy and Armed Robbery Against Ships report  here.  

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Two youths arrested over Broadview break-in

    Source: South Australia Police

    Operation Meld is continuing to investigate a break-in at Broadview in July.  Two teenagers have now been arrested.

    Police were called to a home in Beaven Avenue, Broadview after four males wearing balaclavas forced their way inside the address about 11.30pm on Tuesday 23 July.

    The suspects were armed with a firearm and machetes and threatened the four occupants.  There were no reported injuries.

    Following investigations by Operation Meld detectives, a 15-year-old boy from Kilburn was arrested on 30 August and charged with aggravated serious criminal trespass.  He was refused police bail and appeared in the youth court.

    Yesterday, Wednesday 9 October, a second suspect, a 17-year-old boy from Adelaide, was arrested.  He was charged with aggravated serious criminal trespass and firearms offences and appeared in the Adelaide Youth Court today.

    Investigations are continuing to identify and locate the two outstanding suspects.

    Anyone with information that may assist the investigation is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online at http://www.crimestopperssa.com.au

    CO2400189252

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: CHP announces two new confirmed melioidosis infection cases

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    CHP announces two new confirmed melioidosis infection cases
    CHP announces two new confirmed melioidosis infection cases
    ***********************************************************

         The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (October 10) said that two new confirmed melioidosis infection cases had been recorded from October 4 to 9.     The first case involves an 83-year-old female with underlying illness who lives in Sham Shui Po. She developed a fever and cough on September 20 and was admitted to Prince of Wales Hospital on October 1.     The second case involves an 82-year-old male with underlying illness who lives in Kwun Tong. He developed a right neck swelling in August, and a fever, cough and shortness of breath on September 20 and was admitted to Queen Elizabeth Hospital on the same day.     The patients are in stable condition. Their clinical samples were confirmed positive for Burkholderia pseudomallei upon testing.      The CHP is investigating the infection source of the cases. Epidemiological investigations are ongoing. So far, 18 melioidosis infection cases have been recorded in Hong Kong this year. In 2023, 17 melioidosis infection cases were recorded.     A spokesman for the CHP reiterated that person-to-person transmission and animal-to-human transmission are rare, but melioidosis bacteria can survive in the local environment. Melioidosis is an endemic disease in Hong Kong and melioidosis cases have been recorded in Hong Kong each year. According to literature, infection cases are more common after typhoons or storms. The bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei of melioidosis in soil and muddy water may become exposed to the ground after typhoons or storms, and the bacteria could spread more easily with strong winds or storms. As such, the number of melioidosis cases may increase.     The CHP reminded members of the public that melioidosis can be spread by contaminated soil and water during and after typhoons and storms. Where practicable, people should stay indoors during typhoons and storms, avoid travelling to areas with potential flooding, and do not wade in or have contact with muddy water and soil. In addition, high-risk individuals should avoid paths near stormwater drains where aerosols may be generated from contaminated water.     Members of the public should also take the following preventive measures against infection: 

    Avoid contact with contaminated soil;
    Wear appropriate protective clothing or footwear when participating in activities with possible contact with soil or water, e.g. using gloves and wearing boots. High-risk individuals may also consider wearing a surgical mask;
    Wash or shower after exposure to contaminated water or soil;
    Always clean any wounds as soon as possible and cover any cuts or grazes with waterproof dressings;
    Wash hands with liquid soap and water after handling soil or gardening;
    Observe food hygiene and avoid drinking raw water; and
    Travellers can contract the disease through outdoor water sports. Risk of infection can be minimised by avoiding exposure to water sources (such as rivers, ponds or lakes) that might be contaminated.

              ???The CHP appealed to members of the public to seek medical advice if they develop symptoms, in particular people with diabetes or other immunocompromised conditions, in order to receive an appropriate medical diagnosis and treatment. For more information on melioidosis, please visit the website of the CHP at www.chp.gov.hk/en/healthtopics/content/24/101110.html.

     
    Ends/Thursday, October 10, 2024Issued at HKT 17:15

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: NHRC takes suo motu cognizance of the reported death of a boy after falling into an open drain in Alipur area of North West Delhi

    Source: Government of India

    NHRC takes suo motu cognizance of the reported death of a boy after falling into an open drain in Alipur area of North West Delhi

    Observes reports of many such incidents in the recent past as a serious issue indicating negligence of the concerned authorities

    Issues notices to the Delhi Chief Secretary, Police Commissioner, DDA Vice-Chairman, Commissioner, Municipal Corporation of Delhi calling for detailed reports within four weeks

    The reports to include the status of the FIRs registered in such incidents, action taken against the responsible officials, and compensation to the victims’ families

    Posted On: 10 OCT 2024 11:47AM by PIB Delhi

    The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), India has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report that a five-year-old boy died after falling into an open drain in the Alipur area of North West Delhi on 7th October 2024. Reportedly, the contractor, who worked there, had left the drain opened at various places without placing any warning signs. This is the fifth such incident in the national capital in the recent past.

    The Commission has observed the contents of the news report about the instant case and similar incidents in the recent past, if true, raise a serious issue of violation of the human rights of the victims due to apparent negligence of the civic authorities. It is indeed very concerning that such incidents indicating negligence by the public authorities continue to happen in the national capital. Many human lives were reported lost due to drowning and electrocution in Delhi of which it had taken suo motu cognizance and asked the authorities to be vigilant.

    Accordingly, it has issued notices to the Chief Secretary, Government of NCT of Delhi, the Commissioner of Police, Delhi, the Vice-Chairman, Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and the Commissioner, Municipal Corporation of Delhi calling for a detailed report within four weeks.

    The report is expected to include the status of the FIRs in all such cases, action taken against the responsible officials, and compensation if any, paid to the next of kin of the deceased persons. The Commission would also like to know about the steps taken/ proposed by the authorities to stop the recurrence of such incidents.

    According to the media report, carried on 8th October 2024, earlier this month, a two-and-a-half-year-old girl lost her life after falling into an open drain in northeast Delhi’s Khajuri Khas. In September, a 32-year-old man died after falling into an open drain in northeast Delhi’s Bhajanpura. In August, the body of a seven-year-old boy was found in an open drain in northwest Delhi’s Ashok Vihar. Again in August, a man died after falling into a drain in the Paschim Vihar area. In July, the death of a woman and her son in a drain in east Delhi’s Ghazipur created a big storm. Another person died after his car fell into a drain in north Delhi’s Burari in the same month.

    ***

    NSK

    (Release ID: 2063735) Visitor Counter : 48

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: City gets set for a dazzling Diwali Day celebration

    Source: City of Leicester

    PREPARATIONS are well under way for Leicester’s annual Diwali Day celebration, which takes place on Thursday 31 October.

    Displays featuring more than 6,000 LED lights have been put in place along the city’s Golden Mile, and the Wheel of Light – a 35-metre illuminated ferris wheel which takes pride of place on Belgrave Road – will open this Saturday.

    The Diwali Day festivities will kick off at 3pm on 31 October, with the opening of the Diwali Village on Cossington Street Recreation Ground. A children’s funfair and arts and crafts will be among the activities on offer, as well as Indian food and drinks.

    Sponsored by Lidl GB, the Diwali Village will also feature a Fire Garden, offering a peaceful spot amid the hustle and bustle on the park.

    Leicester’s annual Rangoli exhibition will open at 4pm on Diwali Day. Brought to the Belgrave Neighbourhood Centre by the city council and Tilda, it will feature vibrant modern, and traditional Rangoli patterns, celebrating the ancient form of folk-art using bright powders, often seen on doorsteps at Diwali.

    Entertainment including Indian dancing will begin at 5pm on the park’s main stage, with performances organised by the Hindu Festival Council. At the same time, the Red Bull DJ truck will be providing music and energising the Belgrave Road. A family-friendly programme of street art and processions will also take place on the road throughout the evening.

    The finale to the celebrations will be a stunning firework display, starting at around 7.30pm.

    Cllr Vi Dempster, asst city mayor for culture said: “Diwali Day is always a special time in Leicester, and this year will be no exception. As usual, we are extending a warm welcome to everyone who wants to join us, and we look forward to sharing our celebrations with you.

    “We have a wide range of events taking place across the city in the coming weeks, and with lots of fantastic shops and restaurants to enjoy on the Golden Mile, you don’t need to wait for Diwali Day to visit us.”

    This year’s festivities are being sponsored by Malabar Gold & Diamonds, which recently opened its second UK showroom on Leicester’s Golden Mile. Mohammed Ziad, Head of UK Business Operations said: “We are absolutely delighted to be supporting Leicester’s Diwali Day event.

    “As a new business on the Golden Mile, we can’t think of a more fitting way to celebrate our arrival to the city than to give our backing to these wonderful celebrations for the festival of light.”

    Ranked as the 6th largest jewelry retailer globally, Malabar Gold & Diamonds boasts a vast network of more than 360 showrooms across the world, including those in Australia, the Middle East, the Far East, and India. Its other UK showroom is in the East Shopping Centre on London’s Green Street.

    Activities taking place in the build-up to Diwali Day include the opening of the Wheel of Light, an illuminated big wheel, which will be offering visitors a birds-eye view of the area from Saturday 12 October to 2 November.

    Leicester’s Attenborough Arts Centre will be hosting an evening of Hindustani classical music performed by Aayush Mohan and Sanju Sahai on Friday 18 October.

    And John Lewis Leicester has joined with the Baps Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Leicester, to put on cultural performances in the Highcross store on Saturday 19 October; with the Haymarket Shopping Centre offering a puppet making working workshop, and performances from the Nupur Arts Dance Academy on the following Saturday – 25 October.

    A spectacular waterside event featuring a Waterfall of Light will take place at Leicester’s Outdoor Pursuits Centre (OPC) on the evening of Sunday 26 October. The Canal & River Trust, working in partnership with the OPC, will be holding community workshops to create a magical lights trial that will feature at the events, and activities on the water will be among the many on offer on the night.

    As part of Diwali celebrations at Curve Leicester, the Centre for Indian Classical Dance will be presenting a Ramayan storytelling workshop and performance on Saturday 26 October; and at Leicester Cathedral, visitors can enjoy its annual concert of Diwali Indian music, put on in partnership with the Sitar Music Society.

    A guide to all of the activities on offer is available from the Visit Leicester website.

    Diwali is an ancient festival celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains all over the world. Often described as the festival of lights, it celebrates light over darkness and good over evil. It’s a time for exchanging presents and wishing goodwill to all.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney Alerts Public to Charity Scams in Wake of Hurricane Helene

    Source: United States Department of Justice (National Center for Disaster Fraud)

    SAN DIEGO – United States Attorney Tara McGrath issued a public safety alert today advising the public to be vigilant to hurricane relief fraud in the wake of powerful hurricanes causing devastation on the East Coast.

    “During times of crisis, be vigilant, because not all who ask for help have good intentions,” McGrath said. “Be sure to protect yourself by verifying before you donate to ensure your generous support reaches those truly in need.”

    Hurricane Milton is heading for Florida now, less than a week after Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend Region on Sept. 26 and quickly caused major devastation there and across states including Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, and others. As we have seen in the wake of previous national disasters, fraudsters will target victims of the storm along with citizens across the country who want to do what they can to assist individuals affected by the storm. Unfortunately, criminals exploit disasters for their own gain by sending fraudulent communications through email or social media and by creating deceiving websites designed to solicit contributions.

    The public should exercise diligence before giving contributions to anyone soliciting donations or individuals offering to assist those affected by Hurricane Helene. Solicitations can originate from phone calls, texts, social media, e-mail, door-to-door collections, flyers, mailings, and other similar methods. Before making a donation to benefit victims of Hurricane Helene, individuals should adhere to certain guidelines, including:

    • Make contributions directly to known organizations rather than relying on others to make the donation on your behalf.
    • Do not be pressured into making contributions as reputable charities do not use such tactics.
    • Do not respond to any unsolicited communications (e.g., e-mails and texts), and never click links contained within those messages because they may be targeting your personal information, to include bank and credit card account information, and other identifiers such as dates of birth and social security numbers.
    • Rather than clicking on a purported link to a charity, verify its legitimacy by utilizing various Internet-based resources that may assist in confirming whether the organization is a valid charity.
    • Beware of organizations with copy-cat names similar to, but not exactly the same as, those of reputable charities.
    • Avoid cash donations if possible. Pay by credit card or write a check directly to the charity. Do not make checks payable to individuals.
    • Know that legitimate charities do not normally solicit donations via money transfer services, and their website will normally end in .org rather than .com.
    • Be cautious of e-mails that claim to show pictures of the disaster areas in attached files because the files may contain viruses. Only open attachments from known senders.

    The U.S. Department of Justice established the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) in the wake of Hurricane Katrina to deter, investigate, and prosecute fraud in the wake of disasters. More than 50 federal, state, and local agencies participate in the NCDF, which reminds the public to be aware of and report any instances of alleged fraudulent activity related to relief operations and funding for victims. Complaints of fraud may be reported online at http://www.justice.gov/DisasterComplaintForm. Complaints may also be reported to the NCDF at (866) 720-5721, a hotline that is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Sec. Pete Buttigieg: We have personnel on the ground for Hurricane.

    Source: United States of America – Federal Government Departments (video statements)

    This storm is catastrophic. We have hundreds of DOT personnel on the ground supporting life-saving preparations for Hurricane Milton, as well as carrying out response and recovery efforts for communities impacted by Hurricane Helene.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBsxNJ_O2f4

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Lebanon: humanitarian crisis of catastrophic proportions – Press Conference | United Nations

    Source: United Nations (Video News)

    Press conference by Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, and Imran Riza, UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon, briefing reporters on the country.

    The United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, today (9 Oct) said, “Lebanon finds itself facing a conflict and a humanitarian crisis of catastrophic proportions,” and called for a “realistic roadmap for the implementation by both sides of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701.”

    Briefing from Beirut together with the Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon, Imran Riza, Hennis-Plasschaert said, “unrelenting bombardment is now part and parcel of daily life in Lebanon, with the latest blasts not even 30 minutes ago. Far too many people are paying an unimaginable price with over 2,000 killed, many more wounded and hundreds of thousands displaced.”

    Meanwhile, she continued, Hezbollah, “continues to launch rockets and missiles into Israel, preventing tens of thousands of Israelis from returning home.”

    The Special Coordinator said it was “clear that 7th October changed everything, including the threat perception in Israel,” but stressed that “a continuation of the death and destruction we have seen so far will not, cannot bring about safety or security.”

    At the end of the day, she said, “it is the lack or non-implementation even of Resolution 1701 over the past 18 years that led to today’s harsh reality.”

    Riza for his part said, “healthcare and frontline workers have come under attack, as have civil defence centres and water supply systems, pushing essential services to the brink of collapse. The killing of over 100 paramedics, healthcare workers, and public servants impairs Lebanon’s emergency response capacity.”

    He said, “this must stop. Even wars have rules.”

    Responding to a journalist’s question, the Humanitarian Coordinator said, “the trauma, the fear, the anxiety here is very much about Gaza, whether we go on that route, whether that’s where it’s going right now,” adding that “the lessons are to have member states really exert everything they can, on the one hand towards the ceasefire,” but in the meantime, “respecting international humanitarian law, respecting protection of civilians, respecting that, protecting humanitarian workers, frontline workers and the like. And that is what we really need at this time.”

    Asked about whether 1701 was still relevant, Hennis-Plasschaert said, “the question is not whether 1701 is still relevant. The question is how to implement it and how come it was not implemented in the past 18 years. And therefore, I am pushing, or hinting, or suggesting that a serious discussion on the implementation and enforcement mechanisms will take place.”

    “What we would like to avoid,” she continued, is “a period of relatively calm or return to the cessation of hostilities, and then after ten, 15, 18 years, we have a similar situation as we are facing today.”

    More than 2,000 people have been killed in Lebanon in the past year, including at least 100 children and 300 women. At least 1 million people have been directly affected, many of them displaced – often multiple times — enduring the loss of loved ones, homes, livelihoods and their sense of security.

    More than 600,000 people are internally displaced across the country – over half of them women and girls. At least 350,000 children have been displaced in total. Most children remain out of school, with the start of the new year postponed to 4 November as 75 percent of the country’s public schools have been converted into shelters.

    At least 185,000 people have sought refuge in 1,000 shelters – 80 percent of which are already at capacity.

    And over 300,000 people have fled to neighbouring countries, such as Syria, and many of them are also moving to Iraq and Türkiye as well.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EDXZ26j7Kk

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom announces appointments 10.9.24

    Source: US State of California 2

    Oct 9, 2024

    SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:

    Jennifer Troia, of Sacramento, has been appointed Director at the California Department of Social Services. Troia has served as Chief Deputy Director at the California Department of Social Services since 2020. She was a Principal Consultant for the Joint Legislative Budget Committee from 2018 to 2019. Troia was a Policy Advisor in the Office of California State Senate President pro Tempore Kevin de Leon from 2014 to 2017. She held several roles for the California State Senate Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review from 2009 to 2014, including Deputy Staff Director and Principal Consultant. Troia was a Principal Consultant for the California State Assembly Committee on Human Services from 2008 to 2009. She was Director of Advocacy at the California Court Appointed Special Advocate Association from 2006 to 2008. Troia was an Equal Justice Works Fellow and Attorney at the Youth Law Center from 2004 to 2006. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from the University of Florida. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $244,572. Troia is a Democrat.  

    Nathan Williams, of Washington, D.C., has been appointed Chief, Immigration Integration Branch of the Office of Equity at the California Department of Social Services. Williams has been Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Affairs at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security since September 2024. He held several roles at the National Security Council in the Executive Office of the President of the United States from 2023 and 2024, including Director for Refugees and Director for Hemispheric Migration. Williams was a Senior Policy Advisor in the Office of International Affairs at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security from 2022 to 2023. He served in several roles, including several overseas assignments, at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees from 2010 and 2022, including Senior Liaison Officer, Digital Case Management Officer, Protection Officer, Associate Field Officer, Associate Protection Officer and Associate Resettlement Officer. Williams was an Emergency Officer at the Office of Emergency Programmes of the United Nations Children’s Fund in 2015. He earned a Master of International Affairs degree from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Anthropology from Santa Clara University. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $142,008. Williams is a Democrat.

    Daphne Hunt, of Fair Oaks, has been appointed Chief Deputy Director at the California Department of Community Services and Development. Hunt has served as Deputy Director of Programs at the California Department of Community Services and Development since 2021. She was Deputy Secretary of Legislative Affairs at the California Health and Human Services Agency from 2019 to 2021. Hunt held several roles at the California State Assembly’s Human Services Committee from 2015 to 2019, including Chief Consultant and Senior Consultant. She held several roles at the California State Senate Office of Research from 2012 to 2015, including Deputy Director and Policy Consultant. She held several roles at SEIU Local 1000 from 2007 to 2012, including Senior Research Analyst and Research Analyst. Hunt earned a Master of Arts degree in Social Policy from Brandeis University, a Master of Science degree in Community Development from the University of California, Davis and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology and English Literature from the University of Iowa. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $176,808.  Hunt is a Democrat.  

    Roy Bucton, of Duarte, has been reappointed to the California State Independent Living Council, where he has served since 2021. Bucton has been an Independent Contractor and Producer for music and performance since 1983. He was a Disability Advocacy Coordinator for Painted Brain from 2021 to 2024. Bucton was Director and Founder of the Filipino Artists Network from 2001 to 2011. He is Chair of the Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness Advisory Council and a member of the Board of Directors of Disability Rights California. Bucton earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in World Music from the California Institute of the Arts. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Bucton is registered without party preference.

    Susan DeMarois, of Sacramento, has been reappointed to the California State Independent Living Council, where she has served since 2022. DeMarois has been Director of the California Department of Aging since 2021. She was a Member of the Master Plan for Aging Stakeholder Advisory Committee from 2019 to 2020. DeMarois held several positions at the Alzheimer’s Association from 1999 and 2021, including Director of Public Policy and Advocacy, California Government Affairs Director and California State Policy Director. She was Assistant Director of Government and Community Relations at the University of California, Davis Health System from 2002 to 2009. DeMarois was Associate Director of Public Policy at LeadingAge California from 1993 to 1999. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Arts from California State University, Chico. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. DeMarois is a Democrat. 

    Ariana “Rian” Dindzans, of San Ramon, has been reappointed to the California State Independent Living Council, where they have served since 2023. Dindzans has been a Volunteer Writer and Outreach Representative for the Bay Area Outreach and Recreation Program since 2023. They have been a Research Assistant for Dr. Christina Chin-Newman at California State University, East Bay since 2023.  Dindzans is a member of the Disability Justice Club and the Bay Area Outreach and Recreation Program. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Dindzans is a Democrat. 

    Anisa Escobedo, of Eureka, has been reappointed to the California State Independent Living Council, where she has served since 2023. Escobedo has been Owner and Designer at Escobedo Design since 2016. She held several roles at Tri-County Independent Living from 2019 to 2024, including Systems Change & Special Projects Coordinator, Advocacy and Fund Development Coordinator and Advocacy & Outreach Specialist. Escobedo was Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer at the Arcata Chamber of Commerce in 2022. She was Executive Director of the Ravenna Chamber of Commerce in 2020. Escobedo is a member of Kiwanis International. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Escobedo is a Democrat.

    M. Lisa Hayes, of Bellflower, has been reappointed to the California State Independent Living Council, where she has served since 2016. Hayes has been Executive Director at Rolling Start Inc. since 2018. She held several positions at Molina Healthcare between 2007 and 2017, including Associate Vice President of Managed Long-Term Services and Supports, Director of Disability and Senior Access Services, Manager of Senior Disability Programs and Manager of Provider Contract Review. Hayes was a Project and Contract Manager at United Health PacifiCare from 2000 to 2007. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Organizational Leadership from Biola University. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Hayes is a Democrat. 

    Recent news

    Oct 9, 2024

    News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced his appointment of 18 Superior Court Judges, which include one in Colusa County; one in Contra Costa County; five in Los Angeles County; two in Orange County; three in Sacramento County; one in San Bernardino…

    Oct 8, 2024

    News What you need to know: The California Highway Patrol recently conducted two enforcement stops leading to the seizure of nearly $1.7 million of illegal fentanyl and multiple illegally possessed firearms and the arrests of three out-of-state suspects in the Central…

    Oct 8, 2024

    News What you need to know: The state is awarding $206 million in new funding to expand bus and rail services in disadvantaged communities, which face disproportionate impacts from pollution.  SACRAMENTO — Governor Gavin Newsom today announced that Caltrans will award…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: News story: What does the Employment Rights Bill mean for you?

    Source: United Kingdom – Prime Minister’s Office 10 Downing Street

    Our Employment Rights Bill will ban exploitative zero-hours contracts, end fire and rehire, and introduce basic employment rights from day one.

    We’re introducing new workplace rights to end unfair employment practices and help deliver economic growth.  

    Our Employment Rights Bill will ban exploitative zero-hours contracts, end fire and rehire, and introduce basic employment rights from day one – like paternity and parental leave, and protection from unfair dismissal. It also introduces right to bereavement leave from day one. 

    It will replace out-of-date employment laws, helping to boost pay and productivity with legislation fit for a modern economy.  

    This is the biggest upgrade to workers’ rights in a generation, and a significant step towards delivering this government’s plan to make work pay.   

    Basic rights from day one  

    We’re putting in place measures to give employees basic rights from their first day in a new job.   

    Our new Bill will give greater protection against unfair dismissal from day one, ensuring that the feeling of security at work is no longer a luxury for the privileged few.  

    We are also bringing in a new statutory probation period for companies’ new hires. This will allow for a proper assessment of an employee’s suitability for a role as well as reassuring employees that they have rights from day one. We will consult on the length of the period; the government’s preference is 9 months. 

    The Bill will establish rights to bereavement and paternity and parental leave from day one, and strengthen statutory sick pay, removing the lower earnings limit for all workers and cutting out the waiting period before sick pay kicks in.

    Our new Bill and measures will:   

    • Give protection against unfair dismissal from day one, while allowing employers to operate probation periods

    • Establish parental and bereavement leave from day one  

    • End exploitative zero hour contracts   

    • End unscrupulous practices of fire and rehire and fire and replace  

    • Make flexible working the norm where practical  

    • Deliver stronger dismissal protections for pregnant women and new mothers  

    • Establish a new Fair Work Agency with new powers to enforce holiday pay  

    • Strengthen statutory sick pay

    Ending unfair practices   

    Our new laws will end exploitative zero hours contracts and unscrupulous fire and rehire practices.   

    While workers can stay on zero hours contracts if they’d prefer to, our new Bill means they’ll have the right to a guaranteed hours contract if they work regular hours over a defined period.   

    Ending unscrupulous employment practices is a priority for this government. And this Bill will shut down the loopholes that allow bullying fire and rehire and fire and replace to continue.   

    A fairer and more flexible workplace   

    As part of the Bill, we’ll introduce new measures to help make the workplace more compatible with people’s lives. This includes making flexible working the default where practical.   

    Large employers will be required to create action addressing gender equality, including supporting employees through the menopause, and protections against dismissal will be strengthened for pregnant workers and those returning from maternity leave.   

    This is all with the intention of keeping people in jobs for longer, reducing recruitment costs for employers by increasing staff retention and helping the economy grow.  

    We’ll also establish a new Fair Work Agency bringing together existing enforcement bodies to enforce rights such as holiday pay, and support employers looking for guidance on how to comply with the law.

    Updates to this page

    Published 10 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: What does the Employment Rights Bill mean for you?

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Our Employment Rights Bill will ban exploitative zero-hours contracts, end fire and rehire, and introduce basic employment rights from day one.

    We’re introducing new workplace rights to end unfair employment practices and help deliver economic growth.  

    Our Employment Rights Bill will ban exploitative zero-hours contracts, end fire and rehire, and introduce basic employment rights from day one – like paternity and parental leave, and protection from unfair dismissal. It also introduces right to bereavement leave from day one. 

    It will replace out-of-date employment laws, helping to boost pay and productivity with legislation fit for a modern economy.  

    This is the biggest upgrade to workers’ rights in a generation, and a significant step towards delivering this government’s plan to make work pay.   

    Basic rights from day one  

    We’re putting in place measures to give employees basic rights from their first day in a new job.   

    Our new Bill will give greater protection against unfair dismissal from day one, ensuring that the feeling of security at work is no longer a luxury for the privileged few.  

    We are also bringing in a new statutory probation period for companies’ new hires. This will allow for a proper assessment of an employee’s suitability for a role as well as reassuring employees that they have rights from day one. We will consult on the length of the period; the government’s preference is 9 months. 

    The Bill will establish rights to bereavement and paternity and parental leave from day one, and strengthen statutory sick pay, removing the lower earnings limit for all workers and cutting out the waiting period before sick pay kicks in.

    Our new Bill and measures will:   

    • Give protection against unfair dismissal from day one, while allowing employers to operate probation periods

    • Establish parental and bereavement leave from day one  

    • End exploitative zero hour contracts   

    • End unscrupulous practices of fire and rehire and fire and replace  

    • Make flexible working the norm where practical  

    • Deliver stronger dismissal protections for pregnant women and new mothers  

    • Establish a new Fair Work Agency with new powers to enforce holiday pay  

    • Strengthen statutory sick pay

    Ending unfair practices   

    Our new laws will end exploitative zero hours contracts and unscrupulous fire and rehire practices.   

    While workers can stay on zero hours contracts if they’d prefer to, our new Bill means they’ll have the right to a guaranteed hours contract if they work regular hours over a defined period.   

    Ending unscrupulous employment practices is a priority for this government. And this Bill will shut down the loopholes that allow bullying fire and rehire and fire and replace to continue.   

    A fairer and more flexible workplace   

    As part of the Bill, we’ll introduce new measures to help make the workplace more compatible with people’s lives. This includes making flexible working the default where practical.   

    Large employers will be required to create action addressing gender equality, including supporting employees through the menopause, and protections against dismissal will be strengthened for pregnant workers and those returning from maternity leave.   

    This is all with the intention of keeping people in jobs for longer, reducing recruitment costs for employers by increasing staff retention and helping the economy grow.  

    We’ll also establish a new Fair Work Agency bringing together existing enforcement bodies to enforce rights such as holiday pay, and support employers looking for guidance on how to comply with the law.

    Updates to this page

    Published 10 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: California deploys additional Urban Search and Rescue personnel to support response to Hurricane Milton

    Source: US State of California 2

    Oct 9, 2024

    In total, California has now deployed 354 highly specialized personnel to support recent hurricane response efforts

    SACRAMENTO – With Hurricane Milton making landfall in Florida tonight, Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the deployment of an additional 70 California-based firefighters to assist with search and rescue efforts. This additional aid follows the deployment of 144 California Urban Search and Rescue personnel earlier this week who are currently prepositioned in Florida.

    The Governor previously deployed California Urban Search and Rescue resources to support the response to Hurricane Helene, including 140 firefighters and support personnel.

    In total, California has now deployed 354 personnel to support hurricane response efforts. Together, the teams can provide support for search and rescue operations around the clock when conditions permit.

    “In times of crisis, Americans unite to lend a helping hand. California is sending hundreds of emergency personnel to aid Florida as the state endures devastating hurricanes. Floridians, please stay safe and follow all emergency guidance.”

    Governor Gavin Newsom

    In close coordination with FEMA, the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) has deployed the additional 70 Task Force members from Orange County and Menlo Park. These highly specialized personnel are trained in structural collapse and swift water/flood environments.

    This deployment has no impact on California’s emergency response and firefighting capabilities.
     
    “California is dedicated to helping those in the path of this major storm,” said Cal OES Director Nancy Ward. “With the deployment of these additional resources, we can help bolster ongoing response and recovery efforts as Hurricane Milton impacts communities across Florida.”
     
    Last month, Governor Newsom deployed California support to Florida to bolster the response to Hurricane Helene. California also sent aid to Texas in July and Georgia in August in response to tropical storms. In the past two years, California has also deployed firefighters to New Mexico, Hawaii, Oregon and Montana. 

    Recent news

    Oct 9, 2024

    News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:Jennifer Troia, of Sacramento, has been appointed Director at the California Department of Social Services. Troia has served as Chief Deputy Director at the California Department of…

    Oct 9, 2024

    News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced his appointment of 18 Superior Court Judges, which include one in Colusa County; one in Contra Costa County; five in Los Angeles County; two in Orange County; three in Sacramento County; one in San Bernardino…

    Oct 8, 2024

    News What you need to know: The California Highway Patrol recently conducted two enforcement stops leading to the seizure of nearly $1.7 million of illegal fentanyl and multiple illegally possessed firearms and the arrests of three out-of-state suspects in the Central…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Press release – MEPs debate Hungary’s Presidency programme with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán

    Source: European Parliament 3

    On Wednesday, MEPs discussed Hungary’s priorities for its six-month Council Presidency, which started on 1 July, with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

    European Parliament President Roberta Metsola noted in her opening statement that the Hungarian Presidency comes at a time when the EU is taking “significant steps forward” including “supporting Ukraine, strengthening European competitiveness, and building a more stable, secure Europe”. She recalled that the Parliament is the house of democracy, “where the rule of law and freedom of expression are sacrosanct”, and where “we may not always agree, but we will always give space for the respectful sharing of views”.

    “The EU needs to change,” Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said, adding that the Hungarian Presidency aims to be the voice and catalyst for change. According to Mr Orbán, the situation of the EU is far more serious than in 2011, during the first Hungarian EU Presidency, citing the war in Ukraine, escalating conflicts in the Middle East and Africa, migration, risks to the Schengen area, and Europe losing its global competitiveness.

    Mr Orbán pledged that Hungary would be an honest and constructive broker holding the rotating presidency of the EU Council, including on the pending 52 legislative files that need to be finalised, and is ready to start inter-institutional negotiations with the Parliament.

    He highlighted competitiveness as a key issue for the Presidency, noting that the EU’s economic growth in the last two decades has been significantly lower than in China and US, with the EU’s share of global trade also decreasing. Pointing to energy prices as a key obstacle, Mr Orbán said that “as a result of moving away from Russian energy sources, the EU has lost significant GDP growth”. “We should not fall into the illusion that the green transition in itself offers a solution to the problem,” he argued, adding that decarbonisation has led to slowing down of productivity and the loss of jobs.

    On migration, Mr Orbán warned that “without external hotspots we cannot protect Europeans from illegal migration”. “The EU asylum system is simply not working. Illegal migration has led to increasing anti-semitism, violence against women and homophobia,” he claimed. He proposed holding regular “Schengen summits”, and insisted that Bulgaria and Romania should become full members of the free-movement area by the end of the year.

    On enlargement, Mr Orbán called for accelerating the accession of the Western Balkan countries and stressed that “without Serbia joining, we cannot stabilise the Balkans”.

    The Hungarian Prime Minister argued for an EU defence industry, a farmer-friendly, competitive agriculture sector, and for the importance of the EU cohesion policy. “Cohesion funds are not charity nor a donation, it is one of the biggest forms of investment policy in the EU, and it is a pre-requisite to balance out the single market,” he said.

    Response by the European Commission President

    Replying to Prime Minister Orbán, Ms von der Leyen affirmed the EU’s commitment to support Hungary after the recent floods and outlined three key priorities: Ukraine, competitiveness, and migration. She criticised Hungary’s stance on Russia, deploring that “one member state in particular” is still trying to buy fossil fuels from Russia despite the EU’s commitment to be energy independent. On migration, she condemned Hungary’s decision to release convicted smugglers and questioned its visa policies, such as inviting Russian nationals into the EU without additional checks, warning these “make Hungary a security risk, not only for Hungary but for all member states.” Emphasising the country’s potential within the EU, she urged it to “serve the cause of European unity” rather than diverging from shared values. (Her full speech is available here.)

    Speakers from political groups

    A majority of speakers in Parliament criticised the Hungarian Prime Minister for his record since the country assumed the presidency of the Council, as well as for turning Hungary into a hybrid regime, undermining Ukraine’s fight against Russian aggression, and collaborating with illiberal regimes in Moscow and Beijing. Most speakers expressed their concern about the complete lack of regard for EU values demonstrated by the Hungarian Prime Minister, as well as allegations of rampant corruption in Hungary. Many MEPs expressed their solidarity with the Hungarian people suffering from their government’s restrictions on judicial independence, media freedom, and civil society. Several argued that it was a mistake to give the rotating presidency to Hungary and called for a suspension of its voting rights in the Council under the Article 7 procedure.

    Other speakers disagreed, commending the Hungarian government for its stance on migration and for placing competitiveness at the top of its priorities. They lauded Hungary as a defender of traditional values and took the opportunity to argue that the green transition policies and cumbersome EU rules are destroying Europe’s economy.

    You can catch up with the debate here.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SPC Tornado Watch 690

    Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

    Note:  The expiration time in the watch graphic is amended if the watch is replaced, cancelled or extended.Note: Click for Watch Status Reports.
    SEL0

    URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
    Tornado Watch Number 690
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    815 AM EDT Wed Oct 9 2024

    The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

    * Tornado Watch for portions of
    Central and South Florida
    Coastal Waters

    * Effective this Wednesday morning and evening from 815 AM until
    900 PM EDT.

    * Primary threats include…
    Several tornadoes likely
    Isolated damaging wind gusts to 70 mph possible

    SUMMARY…Supercells in the outer rain bands of Hurricane Milton
    will pose a threat for several tornadoes today across the central
    and southern Florida Peninsula. The forecast maximum wind gusts and
    mean cell motion apply to severe thunderstorms outside the eyewall.

    The tornado watch area is approximately along and 85 statute miles
    east and west of a line from 35 miles east northeast of Saint
    Petersburg FL to 10 miles south southwest of Marathon FL. For a
    complete depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline
    update (WOUS64 KWNS WOU0).

    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

    REMEMBER…A Tornado Watch means conditions are favorable for
    tornadoes and severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch
    area. Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for
    threatening weather conditions and listen for later statements
    and possible warnings.

    &&

    AVIATION…Tornadoes and a few severe thunderstorms with hail
    surface and aloft to 0.5 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind
    gusts to 60 knots. A few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean
    storm motion vector 17040.

    …Gleason

    Note: The Aviation Watch (SAW) product is an approximation to the watch area. The actual watch is depicted by the shaded areas.
    SAW0
    WW 690 TORNADO FL CW 091215Z – 100100Z
    AXIS..85 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST OF LINE..
    35ENE PIE/SAINT PETERSBURG FL/ – 10SSW MTH/MARATHON FL/
    ..AVIATION COORDS.. 75NM E/W /31ENE PIE – 38E EYW/
    HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT..0.5 INCH. WIND GUSTS..60 KNOTS.
    MAX TOPS TO 500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 17040.

    LAT…LON 28118075 24597976 24598246 28118354

    THIS IS AN APPROXIMATION TO THE WATCH AREA. FOR A
    COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE WOUS64 KWNS
    FOR WOU0.

    Watch 690 Status Report Message has not been issued yet.

    Note:  Click for Complete Product Text.Tornadoes

    Probability of 2 or more tornadoes

    High (80%)

    Probability of 1 or more strong (EF2-EF5) tornadoes

    Low (20%)

    Wind

    Probability of 10 or more severe wind events

    Low (20%)

    Probability of 1 or more wind events > 65 knots

    Low (10%)

    Hail

    Probability of 10 or more severe hail events

    Low ( 2 inches

    Low (

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SPC Oct 9, 2024 Day 4-8 Severe Weather Outlook

    Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

    Day 4-8 Severe Weather Outlook Issued on Oct 9, 2024

    Updated: Wed Oct 9 08:32:03 UTC 2024

     .

    D4
    Sat, Oct 12, 2024 – Sun, Oct 13, 2024
    D7
    Tue, Oct 15, 2024 – Wed, Oct 16, 2024

    D5
    Sun, Oct 13, 2024 – Mon, Oct 14, 2024
    D8
    Wed, Oct 16, 2024 – Thu, Oct 17, 2024

    D6
    Mon, Oct 14, 2024 – Tue, Oct 15, 2024
    (All days are valid from 12 UTC – 12 UTC the following day)

    Note: A severe weather area depicted in the Day 4-8 period indicates 15%, 30% or higher probability for severe thunderstorms within 25 miles of any point.

    PREDICTABILITY TOO LOW is used to indicate severe storms may be possible based on some model scenarios. However, the location or occurrence of severe storms are in doubt due to: 1) large differences in the deterministic model solutions, 2) large spread in the ensemble guidance, and/or 3) minimal run-to-run continuity.

    POTENTIAL TOO LOW means the threat for a regional area of organized severe storms appears unlikely (i.e., less than 15%) for the forecast day.

     Forecast Discussion

    ZCZC SPCSWOD48 ALL
    ACUS48 KWNS 090830
    SPC AC 090830

    Day 4-8 Convective Outlook
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    0330 AM CDT Wed Oct 09 2024

    Valid 121200Z – 171200Z

    …DISCUSSION…
    Overall upper pattern across the central and eastern CONUS is
    expected to undergo significant amplification from D4/Saturday into
    D7/Tuesday as a series of shortwave troughs move through
    progressively deeper troughing. By early D7/Tuesday, upper troughing
    is expected to extend from the primary cyclone over the Canadian
    Maritimes into the central Plains.

    A cold front is expected to accompany the first shortwave trough,
    moving across the eastern CONUS on D4/Saturday and D5/Sunday.
    Limited buoyancy should keep the thunderstorm potential along this
    front low. Strong ridging will follow in the wake of this front,
    with dry and stable conditions precluding thunderstorms across the
    majority of the CONUS. The only exception is along the Gulf
    Coast/Florida, where enough low-level moisture may be in place to
    support some thunderstorms.

    ..Mosier.. 10/09/2024

    CLICK TO GET WUUS48 PTSD48 PRODUCT

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: The Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages, to make a series of announcements regarding the Jasper wildfire recovery effort.

    Source: Government of Canada News

    The Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages, to make a series of announcements regarding the Jasper wildfire recovery effort.

    October 9, 2024                            Jasper, Alberta                                    Parks Canada

    The Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages will make a series of announcements related to the Jasper wildfire recovery effort that will positively impact visitors and citizens, as well as lessees and licensees of Jasper.

    Richard Ireland, Mayor of Jasper and Tyler Riopel, CEO of Tourism Jasper will also be in attendance.

    Please note that this advisory is subject to change without notice.

     

    The details are as follows:

    Date:               October 10, 2024 
    Time:              1:30 p.m. MT 
    Location:       Marmot Basin
                            1 Marmot Rd.
                            Jasper, Alberta

    An area closure is currently in effect on Highway 93A and Marmot Road. To gain access, please RSVP to the email below by 8 a.m. MT on Thursday, October 10, 2024. Media access details, including a tour through an area closure before the announcements, will be provided via email.

                                                                                                                                     -30-

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI: WTW launches partnership with the University of Colorado Boulder to harness the climate prediction revolution

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LONDON, Oct. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — WTW (NASDAQ: WTW), a leading global advisory, broking, and solutions company today announced a new scientific partnership with the University of Colorado Boulder to transfer scientific advances in seasonal climate prediction to the insurance and risk management industries. Through this collaboration, WTW and its clients will be able to anticipate how weather events will affect their operations and portfolios over the next quarter and prepare for forecasted climate risks.

    Natural fluctuations in the Pacific Ocean – known as El Niño and La Niña – are the leading cause of year-over-year changes in the global climate. The reach of these patterns extends far beyond the Pacific and affects the odds of drought, wildfire, heatwaves, and hurricanes across much of the world. Because meteorological agencies are now able to predict El Niño and La Niña episodes several months ahead of time, these forecasts provide advance warning of severe weather events and likely climate impacts over large parts of the globe.

    Historically, the state of the tropical Pacific has cost trillions of dollars in direct damages and reduced economic growth. But most businesses have only begun to take advantage of the strong predictability offered by El Niño and La Niña. WTW has teamed with the University of Colorado Boulder to harness the ongoing ‘climate prediction revolution’ for business use and improve our ability to predict global climate for the coming season, year, and decade. At CU Boulder, the collaboration will be led by Prof. Pedro DiNezio, a leading expert in long-term climate forecasts, the effects of El Niño, and climate extremes under global warming.

    Scott St. George, Head of Weather and Climate Research for the WTW Research Network, said, “What happens in the tropical Pacific certainly does not stay in the tropical Pacific. El Niño and La Niña can reach across the entire globe to affect local weather and the risks of catastrophic perils. We are excited to work together with Prof. DiNezio so our clients know well in advance how to prepare their business when El Niño and La Niña are on the horizon. These insights will be especially valuable for sectors that depend strongly on natural resources, such as energy producers, food and beverage, and transportation.”

    Pedro DiNezio, Associate Professor in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences at CU Boulder, added, “Making predictions is one of the most thrilling parts of my work. Every prediction tests our understanding of the inner workings of the climate system. In addition, El Niño and La Niña happen every several years, therefore we do not fully know everything about these complex, sometimes chaotic phenomena, keeping our research fresh and exciting. This collaboration with WTW adds a new layer to this challenge as we learn how to produce predictions that are useful for the insurance sector and vulnerable communities around the world”.

    About WTW

    At WTW (NASDAQ: WTW), we provide data-driven, insight-led solutions in the areas of people, risk and capital. Leveraging the global view and local expertise of our colleagues serving 140 countries and markets, we help organizations sharpen their strategy, enhance organizational resilience, motivate their workforce and maximize performance.

    Working shoulder to shoulder with our clients, we uncover opportunities for sustainable success—and provide perspective that moves you.

    Learn more at wtwco.com.

    About the University of Colorado Boulder

    At the foot of the Rocky Mountains, the University of Colorado Boulder is nationally recognized as one of only 38 AAU public research universities. Established in 1876, CU Boulder is an R1 public research university with five Nobel laureates, nine MacArthur fellows and is the No. 1 public university recipient of NASA awards. CU Boulder is a leader in many fields, including aerospace engineering, earth and environmental science, physics, and environmental law. The school partners with many notable federal research labs, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Learn more.

    Media contact

    Sarah Booker: +44 7917 722040
    Sarah.booker@willistowerswatson.com

    CU Boulder Media Relations:
    cunews@colorado.edu

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta Pledges Support For Hurricane Helene Relief and Recovery

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ATLANTA, Oct. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta (FHLBank Atlanta) is supporting recovery and relief efforts for those affected by Hurricane Helene, donating $250,000 to the American Red Cross and making up to $2 million available through its Community Rebuild and Restore Product to assist with the rehabilitation of homes damaged by the storm.

    “Across the Southeast, many of the communities that our members serve have been severely impacted by Hurricane Helene and devastating floods,” said Kirk Malmberg, president and CEO of FHLBank Atlanta. “These funds will provide critical support for both immediate relief and rebuilding efforts, helping to ease the burden on local communities.”

    FHLBank Atlanta offers the Community Rebuild and Restore Product through its Affordable Housing Homeownership Set-aside Program in partnership with its member financial institutions, providing up to $10,000 to impacted homeowners for the rehabilitation of homes in “major disaster” areas, as designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Funding is available on a first-come, first-served basis for eligible homeowners.

    “Our mission is to promote housing opportunity and homeownership, and there is never a more important time to take action than when a natural disaster damages the places people call home,” Malmberg said. “With these contributions we join many others in supporting recovery initiatives and helping our communities as they rebuild.”

    About the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta
    FHLBank Atlanta is a member-owned cooperative that offers competitively-priced financing, community development grants, and other banking services to assist its member financial institutions make affordable home mortgages and provide economic development credit to neighborhoods and communities. The Bank’s members are commercial banks, credit unions, savings institutions, community development financial institutions, and insurance companies located in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. FHLBank Atlanta is one of 11 district banks in the Federal Home Loan Bank System. Since 1990, the FHLBanks have awarded approximately $9.1 billion in Affordable Housing Program funds, assisting more than 1.2 million households.

    For more information, visit our website at http://www.fhlbatl.com.

    CONTACT:
    Sheryl Touchton
    Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta
    stouchton@fhlbatl.com
    404.888.8105

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Blitz of political attack ads in Pennsylvania and other swing states may be doing candidates and voters more harm than good

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Heather LaMarre, Associate Professor of Media and Communication, Temple University

    Nearly $11 billion is projected to be spent on political advertising in the 2024 fall election season. PM Images/DigitalVision Collection via Getty Images

    For Pennsylvania residents like me, there is no escape from the record-breaking number of political attack ads disrupting our favorite shows and filling our social media feeds.

    A projected US$10.7 billion is being spent nationwide – but particularly in battleground states – on political ads this election season.

    For those who are feeling election fatigue and just want to stream in peace: Buckle in, because it’s about to get worse.

    As of late August 2024, over $1.7 billion in political ads had been reserved nationwide to run between Labor Day and Election Day. Over $400 million of that is just for presidential election ads in seven key battleground states.

    With Pennsylvania widely considered the most decisive state in the 2024 presidential election, it may be no surprise that the Keystone State has the most presidential ad reservations, totaling $137 million.

    And the Philadelphia market alone is the top market in the country, with $125 million in ad reservations. Democrats are spending about 25% more than Republicans on presidential ads in Philly.

    As a political communication expert and professor of media and social influence who lives in Philadelphia, I am often asked: “Why are there so many political ads, why are they so negative, and more importantly, how do we make it stop?”

    I’ll answer the first two below. For the last, the truth is we don’t.

    A billboard in Philadelphia purchased by the Trump campaign.
    Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images

    Voters feel exhausted, angry, stressed

    If campaigns are spending all this money on political attack ads, they must work, right? Surely they sway at least undecided voters?

    In a word: no. Research suggests deluges of negative political advertising do little to change voters’ minds.

    They can even backfire on candidates.

    When voters perceive ads as unfair or manipulative, they are less likely to vote for the candidate or party producing the ads. And when subjected to repeated unwanted exposure to political ads, they can experience “psychological reactance” and behave opposite of what the ads intended.

    Some studies also suggest that negative ads create election stress, which can reduce voter turnout among the less politically interested.

    In a 2023 Pew Research Center survey, 65% of U.S. adults reported that they always or often feel “exhausted” when they think about U.S. politics. More than half reported that they always or often feel “angry” with U.S. politics.

    More concerning, research suggests our elections are harming voters’ mental health. This is marked by lost sleep, increased anxiety and chronic stress.

    ‘Daisy’ and the birth of ad wars

    Historically, political advertising was considered an effective tool for educating voters, building momentum and engaging the politically uninterested.

    Although the research is mixed, past studies have shown that advertising increased election turnout and influenced voter behavior.

    The infamous 1964 “Daisy” ad run by President Lyndon Johnson’s campaign shocked audiences with the potential horrors of nuclear war. While the ad never mentioned Johnson’s opponent, Arizona Sen. Barry Goldwater, it is largely credited as a turning point in presidential political advertising, ushering in an era of political attack ads.

    LBJ’s “Daisy” ad played on American’s Cold War fears.

    However, political ad wars have been a feature of U.S. presidential elections since the 1800s, with attack ads on TV starting in the early 1950s.

    But why the constant barrage now?

    Citizens United unleashes flood of dark money

    Political ad spending has monumentally increased over the past several election cycles, and hit the billions after the landmark 2010 Citizens United case.

    In that ruling, the Supreme Court decided that limiting spending from corporations or outside groups violated those groups’ First Amendment right to free speech. Prior to Citizens United, corporations and other groups like nonprofits and labor unions were subject to prohibitions on campaign donations. Individual campaign contribution limits, which currently stand at $3,300 per candidate per election, kept spending relatively level across the electorate.

    Following the ruling, however, the influx of corporate and outside money completely changed the campaign finance landscape.

    In 2010, political ad spending reached $3.3 billion – an 11% increase from the 2008 election that took place pre-Citizens United. A decade later, total spending on political ads soared to $9 billion in the 2020 election.

    Significant portions of this spending come from political action committees that are not bound by traditional campaign contribution limits as long as they do not donate the money directly to a candidate or coordinate with a candidate’s campaign.

    These groups, known as super PACs, can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money from undisclosed donors. While super PACs have to disclose identities of people who donate over $200 in a year, donors can use shell companies to hide their identities.

    This web of secret money, known as dark money, exceeded $1 billion in 2020.

    During the 2024 election cycle, over $2.4 billion has been raised by super PACs. This is where much of the funding for the political ad barrage that voters experience in the weeks leading up to the election comes from.

    But why are the ads so negative?

    Attack ads lose appeal

    These days, most political ads are negative, according to a 2020 Pew Research Center study.

    For example, in the weeks following President Joe Biden leaving the race, 95% of pro-Trump ads focused on attacking Vice President Kamala Harris rather than promoting policy, according to the Wesleyan Media Project, which tracks political advertising.

    Americans are a deeply divided electorate. Political violence is on the rise, misinformation floods the system, and trust in media is at an all-time low.

    Research shows that fear-based negative messaging leads to stress and anxiety, elicits more bias and entrenches attitudes.

    Knowing this, it is reasonable to ask why campaigns continue down the path of negative advertising. The answer likely rests in old beliefs.

    Prior studies have shown that people pay closer attention to negative information than to positive information. And infamous ad effects like Johnson’s easy win after the airing of the Daisy ad contribute to the commonly held belief that negative ads still win elections.

    But the media environment has changed drastically, and voters are growing resentful.

    Voters resent microtargeting

    Unlike traditional voter segmentation where an entire group of voters would receive similar messages, campaigns now use data analytics to microtarget messages for specific voters.

    Microtargeting enlists the help of social monitoring companies to identify voters’ psychometric data – their hopes, fears, likes, dislikes and so on – so that campaigns can finely tune messages to target them on social media.

    Not only are these microtargeted messages manipulative, but they can be an unwelcome disruption and invasion of privacy, especially among the politically uninterested.

    A 2020 Pew survey found that over half of voters believe tech companies should not allow political ads on social media. Three-quarters oppose campaigns using their personal data to target them with political ads.

    Some evidence suggests that political microtargeting even reduces citizens’ trust in democracy.

    After record-breaking amounts of advertising this election cycle, the latest polls remain very tight, and most are within the margin of error. The reality is that Americans are already divided and steadfast in their voting decisions, and it is difficult to change entrenched political attitudes.

    Put simply, the political ad barrage coupled with microtargeting strategies is not an effective campaign strategy that sways voters’ minds. Meanwhile, there is growing evidence that this level of negativity is harming the electorate and undermining trust in democracy.

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

    – ref. Blitz of political attack ads in Pennsylvania and other swing states may be doing candidates and voters more harm than good – https://theconversation.com/blitz-of-political-attack-ads-in-pennsylvania-and-other-swing-states-may-be-doing-candidates-and-voters-more-harm-than-good-239034

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Misspoke: The long and winding road to becoming a political weasel word

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Valerie M. Fridland, Professor of Linguistics, University of Nevada, Reno

    Democratic candidate Tim Walz, during the vice presidential debate in which he said he ‘misspoke’ about being in Hong Kong during Tiananmen Square protests. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

    During the Sept. 24, 2024, debate, Democratic vice presidential hopeful Tim Walz said he “misspoke” when asked to clarify his story of being in Hong Kong during the Tiananmen Square crackdown in June 1989.

    To many, Walz’s use of the word misspoke came across as an attempt to weasel out of what was at best an embellishment and at worst an outright lie.

    The word misspoke has certainly long been used to politically backpedal after verbal inaccuracies or blunders, as Ronald Reagan learned in 1981 after he said that Syrian surface-to-air missiles placed in Lebanon were “offensive weapons,” when they were in fact defensive weapons. Both Presidents Bill Clinton and the much “misunderestimated” George W. Bush likewise were deemed to have misspoken after making mistakes, big and small.

    For instance, a spokesperson for Clinton claimed he had misspoken when the then-president said that North Korea would not be allowed to develop a nuclear bomb – after there was reason to believe they had already developed them. During George W. Bush’s term in office, verbal errors were so common they earned a nickname of their own: “Bushisms.”

    But misspoke’s extension to factual fabrication is one step further down the semantic road. In using it in this way, Walz joined other “misspoken” politicians, such as Hillary Clinton, who used it after falsely recollecting having landed in Bosnia under sniper fire.

    As a sociolinguist who writes about how language changes over time, misspoke’s euphemistic recasting of lying as an inadvertent mistake calls for deeper linguistic scrutiny.

    Tim Walz, being pressed on a statement he made and whether it was true, during the vice presidential debate.

    From mumble to mea culpa

    To understand how and why words morph like this, linguists like to trace them to their very beginnings.

    According to the Oxford English Dictionary, “misspeaking” is quite old in the history of English, appearing as “missprecon” in a Northumbrian text dating before the 11th century. Its original sense was one of “to grumble” or “to mumble,” a meaning now obsolete.

    But after the 11th century, its meaning shifted from inarticulateness to that of speaking amiss or disparagingly, often mentioned in reference to saying something improper or upsetting. Chaucer makes use of this sense in the “Miller’s Tale”: “And therfore if that I mysspeke or seye, Wyte it the ale of Southwerk, I you preye,” where the Miller handily blames a bit too much ale for whatever impropriety might fall from his mouth.

    Around the time Chaucer was composing “The Canterbury Tales” in the late 14th century, the word “misspeak” branched off down yet another semantic path, taking on the meaning of “to speak incorrectly or misleadingly.” It is this sense that gave birth to the modern political mea culpa used when backtracking on a misleading prior statement, such as by Sen. John McCain after he claimed President Barack Obama was directly responsible for terrorist attacks on Americans.

    Expanding meaning

    These shifts in the meaning of a word over time fall under what linguists refer to as “semantic broadening.” Semantic broadening, which means expansion of a word’s meaning, is incredibly common, generally occurring when a word becomes used more frequently and across more situations. As a result, its core sense can expand to take on supplemental or tangential meanings.

    Semantic shift like this is constantly at work, pushing and pulling senses in related but new directions to stay relevant to the needs of speakers.

    The word “soon,” for instance, at first carried a meaning of “immediately,” but human nature being what it is, its meaning began to creep in the direction of “as immediately as possible” as people took their merry time.

    Some new meanings, such as the nonliteral use of “literally” and Walz’s use of “misspeak,” are sites of contest, with multiple meanings at play.

    The semantic broadening of misspeaking to cover not just misleading but knowingly false information didn’t start with Walz, nor did it begin with Clinton. In fact, this politically expedient expansion seems to go back at least to the Nixon administration.

    There’s been a lot of misspeaking by politicians over the years, as these stories show.
    The Guardian US; The Hill; Wall Street Journal; Politico; Washington Post.

    ‘I misspoke myself’

    In 1973, Nixon and his advisers were called to task in a Time article accusing them of a tendency to “make flat statements one day, and the next day reverse field with the simple phrase, ‘I misspoke myself.’” Given the Watergate scandal, it’s safe to say that misspoke as used by his administration had already shifted into deceptive speech territory.

    Perhaps misspeaking’s semantic slippery slope started even further back, when the prefix “mis,” with its sense of “badly,” combined with “speaking.”

    Consider other potentially weaselly words that are also formed by “mis” prefixation: misunderstood, misinterpret, mishear, mistake. These are all examples of words, like misspeak, that can and have been used by politicians to avoid taking responsibility for the false or “misleading” things they say.

    Even if led astray by its prefix, from a linguistic perspective, the broadening of misspeak to cover not just incorrect but fabricated statements turns out to be not such a surprising development given the tendency of words to take on new senses over time, particularly in the world of political doublespeak.

    The bigger surprise might be how this new meaning translates with voters, but that’s one surprise that will have to wait for the ballot box.

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

    – ref. Misspoke: The long and winding road to becoming a political weasel word – https://theconversation.com/misspoke-the-long-and-winding-road-to-becoming-a-political-weasel-word-240533

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Though home to about 50 white extremist groups, Ohio’s social and political landscape is undergoing rapid racial change

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Paul J. Becker, Associate Professor of Sociology, University of Dayton

    Members of the white militia group Proud Boys march on the Ohio state capitol in Columbus on Jan. 6, 2024. Paul Becker, CC BY

    The first time many Americans heard about Springfield, Ohio, came during the September 2024 presidential debate when Donald Trump falsely claimed that Haitian immigrants in the city were eating other residents’ cats and dogs.

    Though shocking, these harmful rumors had been spreading on social media since the beginning of the summer and had gained more notoriety when JD Vance, a U.S. senator from Ohio and Trump’s running mate, made similar statements on X, the social media platform formerly called Twitter.

    But what has gone mostly overlooked is the effect these racist lies have had on energizing Ohio’s nearly 50 white extremist groups.

    Members of the white supremacist group Blood Tribe marched through Springfield on Aug. 10, 2024, with with swastikas on their signs.

    Since then, members of the Ku Klux Klan and the right-wing extremist group Proud Boys have each marched in separate demonstrations through Springfield.

    As scholars of extremism who live in Ohio and work at the University of Dayton, we have seen these events unfold at a time when city officials have received multiple bomb threats targeting local government offices and schools since Trump’s false and racist claims against Haitian immigrants.

    The changing landscape

    In our research, we have found that the rapidly changing social conditions in Ohio have played a significant role in the growth of extremism.

    Between 1990 and 2019, for instance, manufacturing jobs shrank from 21.7% of all employment in the state to 12.5%, a loss of nearly 360,000 jobs. As a result, income disparities between the professional and working classes have widened – as has the heightened sense among some alienated white men that white conservatives are the real victims of bias in a society growing more racially and culturally diverse.

    A neo-Nazi group speaks under heavy police protection at a 2005 rally sponsored by the National Socialist Movement at City Hall in Toledo, Ohio.
    Bill Pugliano/Getty Images

    For many of these alienated men, particularly those in rural areas that lack significant numbers of Black and Hispanic residents, extremist ideologies offer easy answers to complex questions that involve their sense of disenfranchisement.

    In 2020, for example, the population of Springfield was about 60,000. But over the past three years, city officials estimate that the population has grown by about 25%, partly fueled by the arrival of as many as 15,000 Haitian immigrants during that time. Many of them are legally living in the U.S. under a special federal program.

    Similar demographic shifts are occurring throughout the state. Between 2010 and 2022, the percentage of the white population dropped from 81.2% to 77.3%, a loss of about 250,000, putting the state’s white population at about 9.1 million. During the same time, the Hispanic population, for instance, grew from about 357,000 in 2010 to nearly 525,000.

    For some of these white extremists, these population changes will lead to an inevitable race war between white people and nonwhite people. We have found that the attraction of belonging to a group that promises strength, protection and a source of identity can be particularly compelling.

    The Ohio connection

    In recent years, white extremism in Ohio has received attention as a result of the extremist rhetoric of and often violent crimes committed by white men who call the state home. Consider just a few examples:

    Born and raised in Ohio, Andrew Anglin founded the Daily Stormer, a popular neo-Nazi website, in 2016.

    James Alex Fields Jr. of Maumee, Ohio, poses for a mug shot after he drove his car into a crowd of counterprotesters in Charlottesville, Va., on Aug. 12, 2017.
    Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail via Getty Images

    James Alex Fields Jr., a white nationalist from the Toledo area, was sentenced to life in prison in 2019 for the murder of Heather Heyer in Charlottesville, Virginia. Fields was convicted of driving his car into a crowd of counterprotesters during the white nationalist Unite the Right Rally in August 2017.

    Prior to the attack, Fields frequently posted the hashtag #Hitlerwasright on his social media accounts and called for violence against nonwhites and Jews.

    In the summer of 2022, Ohio law enforcement officers shot and killed Ricky Shiffer after the armed Navy veteran fired a nail gun at the FBI field office in Cincinnati. On his social media accounts, Shiffer had called for violence against federal law enforcement officials after the FBI searched Donald Trump’s residence at Mar-a-Lago as part of the federal probe into Trump’s handling of classified documents.

    Tres Genco, a self-described incel – short for “involuntary celibate” – who hated women and believed he was owed sex from them, was from the Cincinnati area and pled guilty in 2022 to plotting a mass shooting of women at Ohio State University. Law enforcement officials in Ohio stopped the planned attack before it happened.

    On April 21, 2023, Christopher Brenner Cook, 20, of Columbus, Ohio, and others were sentenced to nearly eight years in prison for his plan to attack power grids across the U.S. Cook and his accomplices believed that they were starting a race war and used neo-Nazi propaganda and white supremacist ideology to recruit young people to join their group.

    Online recruitment tactics

    Leaders of white supremacist and militia groups often use both traditional outreach and digital platforms to recruit people to their groups. Traditional outreach includes recruitment in conversations, attending events, and sharing books, pamphlets, flyers and posters.

    At the same time, social media has become a critical tool for extremist groups to spread their message, recruit members and organize events.

    These online platforms create echo chambers that reinforce extremist beliefs in debunked conspiracy theories, such as the assumption that the federal government is part of a plot to eliminate the white race.

    In addition to the increased traffic on social media, we have seen a rise of extremist groups in Ohio known as active clubs, where members engage in physical fitness, combat training and emotional support that encourages the development of a warrior mentality in preparation for what followers believe is an inevitable race war.

    Countering extremism in Ohio

    Though the emergence of white extremist groups goes far beyond the borders of Ohio, we have found that community-based, educational initiatives are effective in understanding and ultimately eradicating the root causes of racial and ethnic hatred on the local level.

    In our view, community engagement that emphasizes dialogue and understanding across different racial groups is crucial for demonstrating the dangers of intolerance – and the benefits of diversity.

    Paul J. Becker is part of a team at The University of Dayton that received funding from the Department of Homeland Security for the Preventing Radicalization to Extremist Violence through Education, Network-Building and Training in Southwest Ohio (PREVENTS-OH) project. Funded by the Department of Homeland Security under the Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention (TVTP) Grant Program, PREVENTS-OH recognizes that domestic violent extremism and hate movements pose a serious threat to the realization of human rights.

    Art Jipson is part of a team at The University of Dayton that received funding from the Department of Homeland Security for the Preventing Radicalization to Extremist Violence through Education, Network-Building and Training in Southwest Ohio (PREVENTS-OH) project. Funded by the Department of Homeland Security under the Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention (TVTP) Grant Program, PREVENTS-OH recognizes that domestic violent extremism and hate movements pose a serious threat to the realization of human rights.

    – ref. Though home to about 50 white extremist groups, Ohio’s social and political landscape is undergoing rapid racial change – https://theconversation.com/though-home-to-about-50-white-extremist-groups-ohios-social-and-political-landscape-is-undergoing-rapid-racial-change-239997

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Buyer beware: Off-brand Ozempic, Zepbound and other weight loss products carry undisclosed risks for consumers

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By C. Michael White, Distinguished Professor of Pharmacy Practice, University of Connecticut

    In just a few years, brand-name injectable drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound have rocketed to fame as billion-dollar annual sellers for weight loss as well as to control blood sugar levels and reduce the risk of heart disease.

    But the price of these injections is steep: They cost about US$800-$1,000 per month, and if used for weight loss alone, they are not covered by most insurance policies. Both drugs mimic the naturally occurring hormone GLP-1 to help regulate blood sugar and reduce cravings. They can be taken only with a prescription.

    The Food and Drug Administration announced an official shortage of the active ingredients in these drugs in 2022, but on Oct. 2, 2024, the agency announced that the shortage has been resolved for the medicine tirzepatide, the active ingredient in Mounjaro and Zepbound.

    Despite the soaring demand and limited supply of these drugs, there are no generic versions available. This is because the patents for semaglutide – the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, which is still in shortage – and tirzepatide don’t expire until 2033 and 2036, respectively.

    As a result, nonbrand alternatives that can be purchased with or without a prescription are flooding the market. Yet these products come with real risks to consumers.

    I am a pharmacist who studies weaknesses in federal oversight of prescription and over-the-counter drugs and dietary supplements in the U.S. My research group recently has investigated loopholes that are allowing alternative weight loss products to enter the market.

    High demand is driving GLP-1 wannabes

    The dietary supplement market has sought to cash in on the GLP-1 demand with pills, teas, extracts and all manner of other products that claim to produce similar effects as the brand names at a much lower price.

    Products containing the herb berberine offer only a few pounds of weight loss, while many dietary supplement weight loss products contain stimulants such as sibutramine and laxatives such as phenolphthalein, which increase the risk of heart attacks, strokes and cancer.

    Poison control centers have seen a steep rise in calls related to off-brand weight loss medications.

    The role of compounding pharmacies

    Unlike the dietary supplements that are masquerading as GLP-1 weight loss products, compounding pharmacies can create custom versions of products that contain the same active ingredients as the real thing for patients who cannot use either brand or generic products for some reason.

    These pharmacies can also produce alternative versions of brand-name drugs when official drug shortages exist.

    Since the demand for GLP-1 medications has far outpaced the supply, compounding pharmacies are legally producing a variety of different semaglutide and tirzepatide products.

    These products may come in versions that differ from the brand-name companies, such as vials of powder that must be dissolved in liquid, or as tablets or nasal sprays.

    Just like the brand-name drugs, you must have a valid prescription to receive them. The prices range from $250-$400 a month – still a steep price for many consumers.

    Compounding pharmacies must adhere to the FDA’s sterility and quality production methods, but these rules are not as rigorous for compounding pharmacies as those for commercial manufacturers of generic drugs.

    In addition, the products compounding pharmacies create do not have to be tested in humans for safety or effectiveness like brand-name products do.

    Proper dosing can also be challenging with compounded forms of the drugs.

    Companies that work the system

    For people who cannot afford a compounding pharmacy product, or cannot get a valid prescription for semaglutide or tirzepatide, opportunistic companies are stepping in to fill the void. These include “peptide companies,” manufacturers that create non-FDA approved knockoff versions of the drugs.

    From November 2023 to March 2024, my team carried out a study to assess which of these peptide companies are selling semaglutide or tirzepatide products. We scoured the internet looking for these peptide companies and collected information about what they were selling and their sales practices.

    We found that peptide sellers use a loophole to sell these drugs. On their websites, the companies state that their drugs are for “research purposes only” or “not for human consumption,” but they do nothing to verify that the buyers are researchers or that the product is going to a research facility.

    By reading the comments sections of the company websites and the targeted ads on social media, it becomes clear that both buyers and sellers understand the charade. Unlike compounding pharmacies, these peptide sellers do not provide the supplies you need to dissolve and inject the drug, provide no instructions, and will usually not answer questions.

    Peptide sellers, since they allegedly are not selling to consumers, do not require a valid prescription and will sell consumers whatever quantity of drug they wish to purchase. Even if a person has an eating disorder such as anorexia nervosa, the companies will happily sell them a semaglutide or tirzepatide product without a prescription. The average prices of these peptide products range from $181-$203 per month.

    Skirting regulations

    Peptide sellers do not have to adhere to the rules or regulations that drug manufacturers or compounding pharmacies do. Many companies state that their products are 99% pure, but an independent investigation of three companies’ products from August 2023 to March 2024 found that the purity of the products were far less than promised.

    One product contained endotoxin – a toxic substance produced by bacteria – suggesting that it was contaminated with microbes. In addition, the products’ promised dosages were off by up 29% to 39%. Poor purity can cause patients to experience fever, chills, nausea, skin irritation, infections and low blood pressure.

    In this study, some companies never even shipped the drug, telling the buyers they needed to pay an additional fee to have the product clear customs.

    If a consumer is harmed by a poor-quality product, it would be difficult to sue the seller, since the products specifically say they are “not for human consumption.” Ultimately, consumers are being led to spend money on products that may never arrive, could cause an infection, might not have the correct dose, and contain no instructions on how to safely use or store the product.

    Will prices for brand-name products come down?

    To combat these alternative sellers, pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly began offering an alternative version of its brand-name Zepbound product for weight loss in September 2024.

    Instead of its traditional injection pen products that cost more than $1,000 for a month’s supply, this product comes in vials that patients draw up and inject themselves. For patients who take 5 milligrams of Zepbound each week, the vial products would cost them $549 a month if patients buy it through the company’s online pharmacy and can show that they do not have insurance coverage for the drug.

    After a grilling on Capitol Hill in September 2024, pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk came under intense pressure to offer patients without prescription coverage a lower-priced product for its brand-name Wegovy as well.

    In the next few years, additional brand-name GLP-1 agonist drugs will likely make it to market. As of October 2024, a handful of these products are in late-phase clinical trials, with active ingredients such as retatrutide, survodutide and ecnoglutide, and more than 18 other drug candidates are in earlier stages of development.

    When new pharmaceutical companies enter this market, they will have to offer patients lower prices than Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk in order to gain market share. This is the most likely medium-term solution to drive down the costs of GLP-1 drugs and eliminate the drug shortages in the marketplace.

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

    – ref. Buyer beware: Off-brand Ozempic, Zepbound and other weight loss products carry undisclosed risks for consumers – https://theconversation.com/buyer-beware-off-brand-ozempic-zepbound-and-other-weight-loss-products-carry-undisclosed-risks-for-consumers-239480

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Columbus who? Decolonizing the calendar in Latin America

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Elena Jackson Albarrán, Associate Professor of History and Global and Intercultural Studies, Miami University

    Demonstrators make graffiti reading ‘Columbus Out, Long Live the People’ on a fence protecting a statue of Christopher Columbus in Mexico City on Oct. 12, 2020. Pedro Pardo/AFP via Getty Images

    This is the season of patriotism in Latin America as many countries commemorate their independence from colonial powers. From July to September, public plazas in countries from Mexico to Honduras and Chile fill with crowds dressed and painted in national colors, parades feature participants costumed as independence heroes, fireworks fill the skies, and schoolchildren reenact historical battles.

    Beneath these nationalist displays ripples an uneasy tide: the colonial legacies that still tie the Americas to their Iberian conquerors. And as the calendar turns to October, another holiday highlights similar tensions – Columbus Day.

    Since 1937, the U.S. has observed the holiday on the second Monday of the month, commemorating the explorer’s 1492 arrival in the New World. It remains a federal holiday, even as many states and cities rename it “Indigenous Peoples’ Day,” rejecting Christopher Columbus as a symbol of imperialism.

    Indigenous groups protest in front of a statue of Christopher Columbus on Oct. 12, 1997, during marches in Mexico against ‘Dia de la Raza’ celebrations.
    David Hernandez/AFP via Getty Images

    Most Latin Americans, meanwhile, know Oct. 12 as “Día de la Raza,” or Day of the Race, which also celebrates Columbus’ arrival in the New World and the tide of Iberian conquistadors that followed. But commemorating the event is all the more charged in these countries, home to the Spanish Empire’s most lucrative territorial assets and sweeping spiritual conquests. Days before taking office in September 2024, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum reiterated her predecessor’s demand that the king of Spain apologize for the genocide and exploitation of the conquest 500 years ago.

    As a historian of Latin America, I’ve paid attention to the ways calendars signal a nation’s “official” values and how countries wrestle with these holidays’ meanings.

    Día de la Raza

    The first encounter between Aztec emperor Montezuma and conquistador Hernando Cortés took place on Nov. 8, 1519 – the latter backed by an entourage of 300 Spaniards, thousands of Indigenous allies and slaves, and hundreds of Africans, free or otherwise.

    This moment of contact began Mexico’s 500-year transformation into a “mestizo” nation: a hybrid identity with largely European and Indigenous roots. During the colonial period, racial differences were codified into law, and those with “pure” Spanish bloodlines enjoyed legal privileges over the racially mixed categories that fell below them. The 19th century ushered in independence from Spain and liberal ideas that promoted racial equality – in principle – but in reality, European influence prevailed.

    It was Spain that first proposed the Día de la Raza, held on Oct. 12, 1892, to commemorate the 400-year anniversary of Columbus’ arrival in the Americas – implying a celebration of Spain’s contributions to the mestizo racial mixture.

    The celebration was part of a bid to fortify nationalism in Spain, as the waning colonial power continued its retreat from the hemisphere it controlled for the better part of four centuries. Spain also hoped to export the invented holiday to the Americas, strengthening trans-Atlantic cultural affinities tested by the United States’ growing sway. Across the Americas, Día de la Raza came to be synonymous with celebrating European influence.

    Decorations for ‘Día de la Raza,’ in the Monserrat neighborhood of Buenos Aires in 1929.
    Archivo General de la Nación/Wikimedia Commons

    In Mexico, the 1892 commemoration empowered members of the political elite who promoted European investments and culture as the model for modernizing the country. They used the occasion to extol the civilizing influence of the “madre patria,” or motherland, justifying the conquest and colonialism as a period of benevolent rule.

    Mestizo nationalism

    Only a few years later, however, the U.S. victory in the Spanish-American War swept the last vestiges of Spanish empire from the hemisphere. Spain’s exit made way for dual – and dueling – phenomena: rising patriotic spirit in Latin American countries, even amid increasing economic pressure and cultural influence from the U.S.

    The 1910 Mexican Revolution ignited mestizo nationalism, which soon extended to other countries. In 1930s Nicaragua, Augusto Sandino started a revolution to oust the occupying U.S. Marines while calling for the unification of the “Indo-Hispanic Race.” Meanwhile, Peruvian intellectual José Mariátegui envisioned a modern nation built upon the ideals of a collective, reciprocal society, modeled by the Incan ayllu system. And in Mexico, beauty pageants celebrating native features gained popularity among the social classes accustomed to perusing department stores for Parisian imports.

    Yet a tendency to emphasize Spanish cultural ancestry rather than Indigenous ones persisted. In the late 1930s, for example, October issues of Mexican children’s magazine Palomilla celebrated Columbus’ arrival as a heroic entry that provided the region with a common language and religion.

    Pan American Day

    Meanwhile, the U.S viewed Pan-Hispanic sentiments as a threat: Spanish economic goals, cloaked in racial and cultural solidarity.

    To help shore up hemispheric allegiances, Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed a new holiday on April 14, 1930: Pan American Day, or Día de las Américas. The holiday sought to offset the narratives of both Columbus Day and Día de la Raza and marked the U.S. administration’s Good Neighbor Policy pivot toward Latin America – a softer form of imperialism that promoted solidarity and brotherhood, at least on the surface.

    The Pan American Union, an inter-American organization headquartered in Washington, saw the new date as an opportunity to forge common traditions across the hemisphere. It vigorously promoted Pan American Day celebrations, primarily among schoolchildren, exhorting teachers to implement games, puzzles, pageants and songs created in Pan American Union offices.

    Students at Parkway Public School in New York present a pageant for Pan American Day in 1943.
    Bettmann/CORBIS/Bettmann Archive via Getty Images

    The holiday met enthusiastic reception in the United States. Midwesterners donned sombreros for parades, and Spanish language clubs in California hosted pageants celebrating the flags of American nations.

    But Latin American commemoration was tepid at best. The Organization of American States, the successor to the Pan American Union, still recognizes Pan American Day. However, it never gained traction in Latin America and faded in the U.S. during World War II.

    Recent shift

    Latin America’s ambivalence toward holidays to commemorate the colonizers has taken a turn since 1992. The 500-year anniversary of Columbus’ arrival corresponded with yet another form of colonialism, in many Latin Americans’ eyes, as a new wave of multinational corporations colluded with heads of state to tap the continent’s oil, lithium, water and avocados.

    Activists used the commemoration to call attention to lingering economic, social, racial and cultural inequities. In particular, the anniversary inspired Indigenous rights movements – some of which commemorated an “anti-quincentenary” to celebrate “500 years of resistance.”

    The Día de la Raza has since been renamed to reflect anti-colonial sentiments, similar to Columbus Day in the United States. Ecuador calls Oct. 12 the Day of Interculturalism and Ethnic Identity; Argentina celebrates it as Day of Respect for Cultural Diversity; Nicaragua now refers to it as the Day of Indigenous, Black and Popular Resistance; in Colombia it is the Day of Ethnic and Cultural Diversity; and the Dominican Republic celebrates it as Intercultural Day.

    A statue in honor of ‘women who fight’ has replaced an effigy of Christopher Columbus on Paseo de la Reforma Avenue in Mexico City.
    Pedro Pardo/AFP via Getty Images

    In some places, renaming the holiday has drawn attention to Indigenous rights and culture. Bolivians, for example, draped a statue of a European monarch in a traditional “aguayo” garment, transforming her into an Indigenous woman. However, critics suggest that removing the holiday’s reference to the colonizers erases an important reminder of the conquest and its painful legacy.

    As in the U.S., monuments to colonizers are coming down – including the monument to Columbus that occupied a conspicuous spot on La Reforma, one of Mexico City’s most-traversed thoroughfares.

    In its place is a new installation: a purple silhouette of a girl with her fist raised, in honor of Latin America’s women activists. She heralds a new era of statues lining La Reforma, and heroes for the future – not mired in the colonial legacies of the past.

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

    – ref. Columbus who? Decolonizing the calendar in Latin America – https://theconversation.com/columbus-who-decolonizing-the-calendar-in-latin-america-233307

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: FEMA Is Contacting People Affected by Tropical Storm Debby and Hurricane Helene

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: FEMA Is Contacting People Affected by Tropical Storm Debby and Hurricane Helene

    FEMA Is Contacting People Affected by Tropical Storm Debby and Hurricane Helene

    ATLANTA – Georgians who apply for disaster assistance for Tropical Storm Debby or Hurricane Helene may be eligible for assistance for both disasters. FEMA is placing calls to survivors in Bryan, Bulloch, Chatham, Effingham, Evans, Liberty, Long, and Screven counties who only registered for one of the disasters to inform them that they can apply for assistance for both disasters if they sustained damaged from both storms. 

    These calls may come from unfamiliar area codes or phone numbers. FEMA may also send a text message if they are unable to reach you by phone. If you are concerned about verifying if it is FEMA, you can call 800-621-3362. FEMA representatives never charge applicants for disaster assistance, inspections or help in filling out applications. Their services are free.

    Applications for both storms must be submitted separately. Eligible survivors affected by both storms may receive funds for food, water, baby formula and other emergency needs as well as money to help pay for a temporary place to stay. Federal grant funds may help with survivors’ immediate housing needs and can be used for the cost of staying with friends and family or hotel/motel lodging. If applicants already created a Login.gov account, they may use that same account in accessing both applications.

    Go online to DisasterAssistance.gov, use the FEMA App or call 800-621-3362 to apply for FEMA assistance. The telephone line is open every day and help is available in most languages. If you use a relay service, such as Video Relay Service (VRS), captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA your number for that service. To view an accessible video on how to apply visit Three Ways to Apply for FEMA Disaster Assistance – YouTube.

    When applying, people will need to describe what damage occurred and on what date, to ensure federal disaster assistance from the two storms is not duplicated. Keep all receipts for expenses associated both disasters, including:

    • Home repairs
    • Repairs to a septic system, water well or private road
    • Purchase of a generator or chainsaw
    • Replacement of personal property items such as appliances
    • Vehicle repairs or replacement
    • Insurance settlement or denial

    For the latest information about Georgia’s recovery, visit fema.gov/disaster/4821 and fema.gov/disaster/4830. Follow FEMA on X at x.com/femaregion4 or on Facebook at facebook.com/fema.

    sandra.habib

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Students of SPbGASU attended a lecture by a representative of the company “ROCKWOOL”

    MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Students at a lecture

    Leading specialist in training development at ROCKWOOL Natalia Pakhomova gave a lecture to students of SPbGASU on improving the energy efficiency of buildings and fire safety using building materials. The company representative explained that these issues are very relevant, and therefore will be interesting and useful for senior students both for writing final qualifying papers and in general for improving their professional competencies.

    ROCKWOOL is the largest manufacturer of insulation materials and solutions made of stone wool. 25 years ago, the company launched its first production in Russia. Today, ROCKWOOL heat and sound insulation is manufactured in the Moscow region, Vyborg, Chelyabinsk region and Tatarstan. Speaking about the advantages of stone wool products and solutions, designs and their application, Natalia Pakhomova drew the students’ attention to the fact that the raw materials and components of the materials are exclusively Russian, which increases their availability.

    “Our company has developed a series of lectures on various topics: energy efficiency, fire safety, technology of production of building materials, including stone wool. Therefore, we have something to tell to any faculty, course of specialized universities. We have accumulated quite a lot of experience related to the production and use of stone wool, and we want to share our expertise, promote safe, energy-efficient, fire-safe solutions and products. We closely cooperate with SPbGASU and, for our part, are interested in joint training of sought-after specialists,” explained Natalia Pakhomova.

    Associate Professor of the Department of Metal and Wooden Constructions of SPbGASU, PhD in Engineering Stefania Mironova suggested expanding cooperation and, if possible, jointly developing the topic of master’s theses. It turned out that the company “ROCKWOOL” also has experience of such cooperation, and it is ready to increase it. In addition, the company practices organizing internships.

    Fourth-year student of the Department of Construction Technology Anita Agzamova has heard about this company. In the construction of the building, which she plans to take as an object for her final qualifying work, the insulation for walls “ROCKWOOL” is used.

    “During this lecture, I clearly saw how this is applied in practice. The format of such lectures is very interesting and effective, since we are not familiar with educational and theoretical projects, but with practical solutions. It is useful to learn about them, about what new technologies are being implemented in the industry. The opportunity for an internship is also inspiring, motivating and opens the way to the professional sphere,” Anita said.

    Alla Kadyrova, a specialist at the Center for Student Entrepreneurship and Career at SPbGASU, reminded students that such meetings with industry representatives will continue, but this is not the only option for assistance in employment from our university. Thus, at the Center for Student Entrepreneurship and Career, students are helped to write a resume, consulted on job search issues, and offered vacancies in their specialty from the university’s partners.

    “If you are not considering a job but intend to engage in entrepreneurship, we invite you to take part in hackathons, accelerators, incubators – federal projects, within the framework of which, on the way to implementing your idea, you will be able to assemble a team, develop an economic model, meet partners and even receive funding. We also help implement the “Startup as a Diploma” program. This is an alternative to the traditional final qualifying work or master’s thesis, where students prepare their business project,” explained Alla Kadyrova.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    http://www.spbgasu.ru/nevs-and-events/nevs/students-spbgasu-attended-a-lecture-by-a-representative-of-the-rockwool-company/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to Hurricane Milton

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Scientists comment on Hurricane Milton in the Gulf of Mexico. 

    Prof Ilan Kelman, Professor of Disasters and Health, University College London, said:

    “Florida should have been braced for catastrophic impacts from Hurricane Milton, especially storm surge and rainfall flooding. The possible disaster is sadly unsurprising, since Florida sits in the usual hurricane zone and it is now hurricane season. Yet the state permitted building development in dangerous locations and does not always support people who need help over the long-term to be ready for hazards.

    “Human-caused climate change is strengthening hurricanes while reducing their frequency. Hurricane Milton shows exactly the climate change influence we would expect from higher storm intensity.

    “Given Florida’s hurricane history including previous storms in this area in 1848, 1921, and 1946, they should have been much more prepared over the long-term. Planning decisions creating dangers and long-term lack of services to assist people who cannot help themselves for known hazards are all about choices to make disasters.”

    Prof Liz Stephens, Professor in Climate Risks and Resilience, University of Reading, said:

    “The wide area of intense winds and rainfall from Hurricane Milton will mean that many communities in Florida who are still recovering from the impacts of Hurricane Helene will be affected again by this latest storm, even though Milton is expected to make landfall further south.

    “Hurricane Milton is forecasted to track across Florida and out into the North Atlantic Ocean. This means that we are not expecting to see the same flash flooding and mudslide impacts as Helene in areas such as the Appalachian mountains, caused by Helene decaying over land.

    “Rising sea surface temperatures as a result of climate change are fuelling the intensity of hurricanes, and the warmer atmosphere can carry more water. This means that the storms which do form are becoming more impactful.

    “Further research is needed to understand how the risk of consecutive hurricanes is changing, as these clusters of events can greatly stretch resources for emergency preparedness and response.”

    Prof Hannah Cloke, Professor of Hydrology, University of Reading, said:

    “Hurricane winds grab people’s attention, but flooding is probably the biggest concern with Milton. Winds of 150mph can easily destroy buildings and cause injuries and fatalities if people are caught out in the open by flying debris. 

     “There are three types of floods that cause the biggest damage – storm surge causing coastal flooding, flash floods from the extremely heavy rain, and river floods as all that water rushes down channels and onto floodplains. 

     “People’s attention may be turned to the sky, but emergency planners will be worried about what is coming from below.”

    Prof John Marsham, Professor of Atmospheric Science, University of Leeds, said:

    How does climate change impact extreme weather?

    “Weather extremes increase rapidly for even apparently small increases in global temperature – this is true for heatwaves, floods, droughts and intensity of hurricanes.

    Is climate change making hurricanes more common/worse?

    “Many aspects of Helene and Milton are absolutely what we expect from climate change – hurricanes need warm oceans to form, and record-breaking ocean temperatures are fuelling these devastating storms. Warm air holds more water, giving heavier rain and more flooding. Increased sea-levels from climate change give more coastal flooding when hurricanes create a temporary “storm surge” rise in sea level. Finally, climate change can give shorter gaps between extreme events allowing less time to recover – we’re now seeing people affected by Helene now having to prepare for Milton. If we rapidly phase out fossil fuels, we can stop these extremes getting much worse but will have to continue to cope with the new climate we have created and will likely have to cope with rising sea levels for centuries.

    What is particularly worrying about this hurricane?

    “As a climate scientist, and a parent, every extreme weather event is now a reminder of the catastrophe we will face if we do not rapidly phase out fossil fuels. The tragedy is that climate scientists have been warning of this for decades. Rapid action is critical. Most people in the UK want more action on climate change and underestimate how much other people do. We have solutions and rapid action will save trillions.”

    Declared interests:

    Prof Ilan Kelman: No interests to declare

    Prof Liz Stephens: “I also work for the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre”

    Prof John Marsham: “I receive funding from UKRI, FCDO and the Met Office”

    For all other experts, no reply to our request for DOIs was received.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Tobique First Nation — One individual arrested following firearm and drug trafficking investigation

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    A 51-year-old man from Tobique First Nation, has been arrested in connection with a firearm and drug trafficking investigation in Tobique First Nation, N.B.

    On October 3, 2024, the Western Valley Region RCMP executed a search warrant at a residence on New Road, in Tobique First Nation. During the search, police seized firearms, a quantity of suspected cocaine and drug trafficking paraphernalia.

    The 51-year-old man was arrested at the scene and later released. He is scheduled to appear in court at a later date.

    Members of the West District Crime Reduction Unit, Police Dog Services, and Emergency Response Team assisted with the search.

    The public plays an important role in helping to reduce, prevent and solve crime, including the trafficking of illegal drugs. Anyone with information about, or who suspects, illegal drug activity in their neighbourhood is asked to contact their local police. Information can also be provided anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), by downloading the secure P3 Mobile App, or by Secure Web Tips at http://www.crimenb.ca.

    The investigations are ongoing.

    MIL Security OSI –