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Category: Pandemic

  • MIL-Evening Report: No more card surcharges: what the Reserve Bank’s proposed changes mean for your wallet

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Angel Zhong, Professor of Finance, RMIT University

    That extra 10c on your morning coffee. That $2 surcharge on your taxi ride. The sneaky 1.5% fee when you pay by card at your local restaurant. These could all soon be history.

    The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has proposed a sweeping reform: abolishing card payment surcharges. The central bank says it’s in the public interest to scrap the system and estimates consumers could collectively save $1.2 billion annually.

    But like all major financial reforms, the devil is in the detail.

    The 20-year experiment is over

    Surcharging was introduced more than two decades ago to expose the true cost of different payment methods. In the early 2000s, card fees were high, cash was king, and surcharges helped nudge consumers toward lower-cost options.

    But fast-forward to 2025, and the payments ecosystem has changed dramatically. Cash now accounts for just 13% of in-person transactions, and the shift to contactless payments, accelerated by the pandemic, has made cards the default for most Australians.

    When there’s no real alternative, a surcharge becomes less a useful price signal and more a penalty for convenience.

    After an eight month review, the bank’s Payments System Board has concluded the surcharge model no longer works in a predominantly cashless economy. The proposal now on the table is to phase out surcharges and instead push for simplified, all-inclusive pricing.

    Who saves – and who pays?

    At first glance, removing surcharges looks like a win for consumers. Every household could save about $60 per year, based on the RBA’s estimates. But payment costs don’t vanish – they shift.

    This is where the Reserve Bank’s proposal is more sophisticated than it may appear. Alongside banning surcharges, it plans to lower interchange fees (the fees merchants pay to card networks like Visa and Mastercard) and introduce caps on international card transactions.

    These changes aim to reduce the burden on merchants, which in turn limits the pressure to raise prices.

    Could prices still rise?

    Some worry that without surcharges, businesses will simply embed the costs into product prices. That’s possible. However, the bank estimates this would result in only a 0.1 percentage point increase in consumer prices overall.

    There are three reasons for that:

    1. most merchants already don’t surcharge, especially small businesses. Of them, 90% may have included card costs in their pricing

    2. competition keeps pricing in check. Retailers in competitive markets can’t raise prices without risking customers

    3. transparency is coming. The reforms will require payment providers to disclose fees more clearly, allowing merchants to compare and switch – fostering more competition and lower costs.

    That said, the effects won’t be felt evenly. Merchants in sectors that do currently surcharge, like hospitality, transport, and tourism, will need to rethink their pricing strategies. Some may absorb costs; others may pass them on.

    The winners

    Consumers stand to benefit most. They’ll avoid surprise fees at checkout, won’t need to switch payment methods to dodge surcharges, and won’t have to report excessive fees to the Australian Consumer and Competition Commission. Combined with lower interchange fees, this means consumers should face less friction and more predictable pricing.

    About 90% of small businesses don’t currently surcharge and would gain around $185 million in net benefits. These businesses often pay higher interchange fees, so the reform will reduce their costs. New transparency requirements will also make it easier to find better deals from payment service providers (PSPs).

    Large businesses already receive lower domestic interchange rates, but they’ll benefit from new caps on foreign-issued card transactions, which is a win for those in e-commerce and tourism.

    The losers

    Banks that issue cards stand to lose about $900 million in interchange revenue under the preferred reform package. Some may respond by raising cardholder fees or cutting rewards, especially on premium credit cards. But they may also gain from increased credit card use as surcharges disappear.

    The 10% of small and 12% of large merchants who currently surcharge will have to adjust. They may face retraining costs and need to revise their pricing strategies.
    Most will be able to adapt, but the transition won’t be cost-free.

    Payment service providers will face about $25 million in compliance costs to remove surcharges and provide clearer fee breakdowns. For some, this may involve significant system changes, though one-off in nature.

    Will it work?

    The Reserve Bank’s proposal tackles real problems: an outdated surcharge model, opaque pricing by payment service providers, and bundling of unrelated services into payment fees. Its success depends on how well these reforms are implemented and whether they deliver real price transparency and lower costs.

    Removing visible price signals may create cross-subsidisation, where users of low-cost debit cards subsidise those who use high-cost rewards credit cards. Some economists argue this could reduce overall efficiency in the system.

    International experience offers mixed lessons. While the European Union and United Kingdom banned most surcharges years ago, outcomes have varied depending on market conditions. Efficiency gains haven’t always followed, and small business concerns persist.

    The road ahead

    The Reserve Bank is seeking feedback until August 26, with a final decision due by year-end. If adopted, the reform will be phased in, allowing time for businesses to adapt.

    For consumers, this may mark the end of hidden payment fees. But for the broader system, success will depend on more than just eliminating surcharges. It will require meaningful competition, transparency, and vigilance during the transition.

    While not a major omission, mobile wallets (such as Apple Pay) and Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) services represent a missing component in the broader payments ecosystem that the current reforms do not yet address.

    These platforms operate outside the traditional regulatory framework, often imposing higher merchant fees and lacking the transparency applied to card networks.

    Their growing popularity, especially among younger consumers, means they increasingly shape payment behaviour and merchant cost structures. To build a truly future-ready and equitable payments system, these emerging models may need to be brought into the regulatory fold.

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

    – ref. No more card surcharges: what the Reserve Bank’s proposed changes mean for your wallet – https://theconversation.com/no-more-card-surcharges-what-the-reserve-banks-proposed-changes-mean-for-your-wallet-261165

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 15 July 2025 Turkmenistan strengthens its influenza vaccination programme

    Source: World Health Organisation

    Building pandemic response capacities through seasonal vaccination 

    Strong national influenza vaccination programmes are the foundation for the vaccination component of the pandemic response. With support from the World Health Organization (WHO) Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) Framework’s Partnership Contribution (PC), Turkmenistan is enhancing its national seasonal influenza vaccination programme and through this, is strengthening its preparedness for future pandemics. This collaboration is part of a broader effort to build resilient health systems capable of responding to influenza epidemics and pandemics. 

    Over the past eight years, the Ministry of Health has expanded access to influenza vaccines for WHO-recommended priority groups, including health workers, older adults, people with chronic conditions, and pregnant women. The annual influenza vaccination programme not only protects vulnerable populations but also serves as a foundation for pandemic response.

    Reviewing the influenza vaccination programme  

    In May 2025, Turkmenistan became the first country in the WHO European Region to use the Facilitated Assessment of Influenza Vaccination Programme Review (FAIR) tool. During the review and an interactive workshop, WHO technical experts collaborated with the Ministry of Health to evaluate best practices and identify priority actions to strengthen the national vaccination programme. 

    Using the FAIR tool, WHO experts conducted informational interviews with national stakeholders responsible for policy development, evidence generation, cold chain and supply management, risk communication, community engagement, integrated service delivery, and data management. In addition, WHO experts and national counterparts visited Turkmenistan’s main vaccine storage facilities and a local polyclinic administering influenza vaccines.

    From assessment to action 

    During the workshop, WHO experts presented FAIR findings and facilitated group discussions with national focal points. Together, they developed a list of priority actions, including:

    • Developing a national seasonal influenza vaccination policy aligned with WHO guidance 
    • Reviewing and updating coverage data 
    • Conducting studies to assess the impact of influenza vaccination

    The workshop also emphasized the role of seasonal influenza vaccination as a platform for broader pandemic preparedness. In this context, WHO and national focal points conducted a simulation exercise focused on planning and deploying pandemic vaccines, drawing on lessons from the COVID-19 response. Participants from emergency vaccination, logistics, regulatory affairs, and communications identified areas for improvement in the national deployment and vaccination plan (NDVP). 

    Commitment to resilience 

    Turkmenistan is committed to advancing its national influenza preparedness and strengthening its health system’s resilience. By addressing both seasonal and pandemic influenza, the country is taking important steps to protect its population and enhance its capacity to respond to emergencies.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: President Xi Jinping tells Albanese China ready to ‘push the bilateral relationship further’

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

    Chinese President Xi Jinping has told Anthony Albanese China stands ready to work with Australia “to push the bilateral relationship further”, in their meeting in Beijing on Tuesday.

    During the meeting, Albanese raised Australia’s concern about China’s lack of proper notice about its warships’ live fire exercise early this year.

    The prime minister later told journalists Xi had responded that “China engaged in exercises, just as Australia engages in exercises”.

    The government’s proposed sale of the lease of the Port of Darwin, now in the hands of a Chinese company, was not raised in the discussion.

    On Taiwan, Albanese said he had “reaffirmed […] the position of Australia in support for the status quo”.

    This was the fourth meeting between Xi and Albanese. The prime minister is on a six-day trip to China, accompanied by a business delegation. He is emphasising expanding trade opportunities with our biggest trading partner and attracting more Chinese tourists, whose numbers are not back to pre-pandemic levels.

    Albanese has come under some domestic criticism because this trip comes before he has been able to secure a meeting with United States President Donald Trump.

    In his opening remarks, while the media were present, Xi said the China-Australia relationship had risen “from the setback and turned around, bringing tangible benefits to the Chinese and Australian peoples”.

    “The most important thing we can learn from this is that a commitment to equal treatment, to seeking common ground while sharing differences, pursuing mutually beneficial cooperation, serves the fundamental interests of our two countries and two peoples.

    “No matter how the international landscape may evolve, we should uphold this overall direction unswervingly,” he said.

    “The Chinese side is ready to work with the Australian side to push the bilateral relationship further and make greater progress so as to bring better benefits to our two peoples.”

    Responding, Albanese noted Xi’s comments “about seeking common ground while sharing differences. That approach has indeed produced very positive benefits for both Australia and for China.

    “The Australian government welcomes progress on cooperation under the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement, which has its 10th anniversary year. As a direct result, trade is now flowing freely to the benefit of both countries and to people and businesses on both sides, and Australia will remain a strong supporter of free and fair trade.”

    Albanese told the media after the meeting his government’s approach to the relationship was “patient, calibrated and deliberate”.

    “Given that one out of four Australian jobs depends on trade and given that China is overwhelmingly by far the largest trading partner that Australia has, it is very much in the interest of Australian jobs, and the Australian economy, to have a positive and constructive relationship with China.

    “Dialogue is how we advance our interests, how we manage our differences, and we guard against misunderstanding.

    “President Xi Jinping and I agreed dialogue must be at the centre of our relationship. We also discussed our economic relationship, which is critical to Australia. We spoke about the potential for new engagement in areas such as decarbonisation”.

    Xi did not bring up China’s complaints about Australia’s foreign investment regime.

    Albanese said he raised the issue of Australian writer Yang Jun, who is incarcerated on allegations of espionage, which are denied.

    Premier Li Qiang was hosting a banquet for Albanese on Tuesday night.

    An editorial in the state-owned China Daily praised the Albanese visit, saying it showed “the Australian side has a clearer judgement and understanding of China than it had under previous Scott Morrison government”.

    “The current momentum in the development of bilateral relations between China and Australia shows that if differences are well managed, the steady development of ties can be guaranteed , even at a time when the political landscape of the world is becoming increasingly uncertain and volatile,” the editorial said.

    Australian journalists had a brush with Chinese security, when they were taking shots of local sights in Beijing. Security guards surrounded them and told them to hand over their footage. The incident was resolved by Australian officials.

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

    – ref. President Xi Jinping tells Albanese China ready to ‘push the bilateral relationship further’ – https://theconversation.com/president-xi-jinping-tells-albanese-china-ready-to-push-the-bilateral-relationship-further-261094

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Direct flights to connect capitals of Russia and North Korea — media

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    Moscow, July 15 /Xinhua/ – The first flight from Moscow to the capital of the DPRK Pyongyang is scheduled for July 27, RIA Novosti reports, citing the Russian Ministry of Transport.

    The report says that the flight time on this route will be about eight hours. Flights will be operated once a month. In early July, Rosaviatsiya issued Nordwind permission to fly to the DPRK.

    Currently, North Korean airline Air Koryo operates direct flights between Vladivostok and Pyongyang. Direct flights between the two countries resumed in August 2023 after being interrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. –0–

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Director’s public health report draws parallels with Leicester’s past

    Source: City of Leicester

    LEICESTER’S public health journey since the Victorian era is captured in a powerful new report by the city’s director of public health.

    In his annual report for 2024-2025, Rob Howard looks back at the challenges of the last 12 months within the context of the city’s past, from deadly outbreaks of smallpox in the 19th century to the slum clearance programme of the 20th century and the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020.

    Using records from the city council’s archives, he highlights how issues faced by the public health pioneers of the past – such as vaccine resistance, housing quality, fuel poverty and inequality – remain challenges today.

    “The past holds vital clues to the present,” said Mr Howard.

    “By drawing lessons from history, we can see that effective public health depends not just on medical advances, but on earning the trust of the people we serve.

    “Resistance to the smallpox vaccination in the 1850s, for example, echoes the public debates of today – but thanks to good communication and an approach that’s culturally sensitive, we are now getting our message across, encouraging the take-up of vaccines and helping to reduce the spread of infectious disease.”

    Other key themes in the report include the ongoing impact of poverty and poor housing on health outcomes, and the resurgence of diseases such as tuberculosis (TB) and measles.

    A significant measles outbreak in 2024 and the highest TB notification rate in England highlight Leicester’s persistent public health challenges.

    “Over the past year, Leicester’s health landscape has been shaped by a combination of enduring inequalities, a resurgence of infectious diseases and the continuing impacts of deprivation,” said Mr Howard.

    “Life expectancy remains below the national average, with residents living more years in ill health – particularly in the most deprived communities.

    “Fuel poverty continues to affect a large proportion of households, contributing to poor physical and mental health outcomes.

    “But despite these pressures, the city has demonstrated the strength of community-led responses – from mobile vaccination campaigns to energy advice outreach – and continues to invest in tackling health disparities through targeted, culturally sensitive public health strategies.”

    As well as looking to the past, the 40-page report also looks ahead, with a vision for public health in Leicester that blends evidence, compassion and collaboration. Those reading the report to its conclusion will find a twist in the final chapter, providing – perhaps – a hint of the future ahead.

    The History, Present and Future of Public Health in Leicester City is now available to download.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UTIs cost NHS hospitals over £600m last year

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    News story

    UTIs cost NHS hospitals over £600m last year

    New data from UKHSA reveals that treating urinary tract infections (UTIs) cost NHS hospitals in England an estimated £604 million in 2023 to 2024.

    New data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has revealed that treating urinary tract infections (UTIs) cost NHS hospitals in England an estimated £604 million in 2023-24.

    UTIs occur when bacteria enter the urinary system including the urethra, bladder or kidneys. Most lower urinary tract infections (those in the urethra or bladder) cause mild discomfort and go away on their own, or may require a short course of antibiotics, but for some can progress to more serious infections, including upper urinary tract infections affecting the kidneys, leading to bloodstream infections and sepsis.

    Analysing data from the Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) database using the records of patients with a UTI-related primary diagnosis for the 2023 to 2024 financial year in England, there were nearly 200,000 UTI-related patients. This includes infections acquired in both community and hospital settings. Those admissions resulted in 1.2 million bed days, averaging 6 bed days per infection.

    However, one-third of UTI patients were in hospital for less than a day, indicating that other treatment pathways could be considered for these patients.

    The findings reflect the well-documented burden of UTIs on older people and women. 52.7% of admissions were patients aged over 70 and 61.8% were female. While females were nearly 5 times more likely to require hospital treatment for a UTI in people under 50 years old (24.7% female compared to 5.3% male), this levelled out in age groups over 50 (37.1% female compared to 32.9% male). This highlights the need for men over 50 to also pay early attention to urinary symptoms and seek treatment that may prevent hospitalisation.

    Hospitalisations for UTIs were at their lowest in 2020 to 2021 – possibly influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, admissions have increased, climbing by 9% in 2023 to 2024 compared to the previous year.  

    The data highlights the clear need to reduce UTIs acquired in the community to help reduce hospitalisations. People can reduce their risk of catching a UTI in the first place by:

    • drinking enough fluids regularly, especially in hot weather – more trips to the toilet may be needed, but that shouldn’t stop you drinking
    • avoiding holding pee – go to the toilet as soon as possible when you need to
    • washing, or shower daily where possible especially if you suffer from incontinence* keep the genital area clean and dry, and check and change leakage of urine pads often
    • wiping from front to back after using the toilet to prevent bacteria from spreading
    • washing genitals before and after sex
    • talking to your healthcare professional if you have frequent UTIs, as they may be able to suggest treatments that could help

    Detecting and treating a UTI early is also important. Some of the early symptoms of UTI include:

    • needing to pee more frequently or urgently than usual
    • passing lots of urine at night
    • pain or a burning sensation when peeing
    • having cloudy-looking urine
    • new pain in the lower tummy
    • severe kidney pain or pain in the lower back
    • blood in the pee
    • for some people it can include changes in behaviour, such as acting agitated or confused

    UKHSA also recently published updated diagnostic flowcharts to help healthcare professionals manage symptoms and infections.

    Dr Colin Brown, Deputy Director at UKHSA responsible for antibiotic resistance, said:

    Urinary Tract Infections are a major cause of hospitalisations in this country, but many could be prevented.

    We know that the most serious consequences that come from UTIs are more common in people over the age of 50 so we are reminding this group in particular to be aware of the ways they can help reduce their risk of getting poorly. Drinking enough fluids is so important, as well as avoiding holding onto pee. If you have frequent UTIs, talk to your healthcare provider about treatments that may help prevent further infections. If you have a UTI and your symptoms get worse, please call your GP or 111, or go to your nearest A&E to seek assistance as UTIs can develop into more serious, life-threatening infections.

    Preventing UTIs is also important in our fight against antibiotic resistance as they are often treated with antibiotics, which drives resistance in bacteria. Reducing the number of UTI infections means bacteria has less chance to develop this resistance, helping to keep antibiotics working for longer.

    Dr Joanna Harris RGN PhD, Head of Infection Prevention and Control at UKHSA, said:

    UTIs are a significant cause of avoidable harm, particularly among older adults and those with long-term conditions, and can lead to serious complications, including sepsis and death. It’s really important that nurses, midwives and social care workers, have the knowledge and tools to reduce the risk of UTIs occurring. When a UTI is suspected, their promotion of early and accurate diagnosis can enable timely and appropriate treatment, helping to limit the impact of the infection.

    Professor Matt Inada-Kim, National Clinical Director for Infections Management and Antimicrobial Resistance at NHS England, said:

    Urinary tract infections are an increasingly common reason for becoming ill at home and in hospitals. They are more serious in older patients and, in particular, those with catheters, but they can occur at any age and are not often related to poor hygiene.

    Antimicrobial resistance continues to grow and it is vital that we do everything we can to manage urinary infections through prevention, education and providing easy access to healthcare – including diagnostic tests and appropriate treatment.

    UTIs are typically caused by bacteria, most commonly Escherichia coli (E. coli), and often require antibiotics to treat the infection. As UTIs are so common, there are concerns that the volume of antibiotics prescribed is contributing to the growing risk of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). This is because every antibiotic taken makes the development of resistance more likely. More targeted prescribing of antimicrobials for UTIs is essential as part of the National Action Plan for AMR 2024-2029. However, preventing infections where possible would also decrease antibiotic prescribing and the selective pressure that antibiotics have on bacteria, helping reduce antibiotic resistance.

    Patient and campaigner, Caroline Sampson, explains how a chronic UTI has impacted her life:

    For 9 years, I have had a chronic UTI. No form of antibiotics has successfully treated it. It has derailed by life in every possible way. The daily symptoms are debilitating and painful. Trying to accomplish the smallest task takes a huge amount of effort. The impact on my mental health has been enormous and I live with daily anxiety that the infection could develop into Urosepsis. The threat of antibiotic-resistant infections to us all cannot be underestimated.

    Updates to this page

    Published 15 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-Evening Report: A person in the US has died from pneumonic plague. It’s not just a disease of history

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thomas Jeffries, Senior Lecturer in Microbiology, Western Sydney University

    Corona Borealis Studio/Shutterstock

    A person in Arizona has died from the plague, local health officials reported on Friday.

    This marks the first such death in this region in 18 years. But it’s a stark reminder that this historic disease, though rare nowadays, is not just a disease of the past.

    So what actually is “plague”? And is it any cause for concern in Australia?

    There are 3 types of ‘plague’

    The word “plague” is often used to refer to any major disease epidemic or pandemic, or even to other undesirable events, such as a mouse plague. Naturally, the word can evoke fear.

    But scientifically speaking, plague is a disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis.

    Plague has three main forms: bubonic, septicemic and pneumonic.

    Bubonic is the most common and is named after “buboes”, which are the painful, swollen lymph nodes the infection causes. Other symptoms include fever, headache, chills and weakness.

    Bubonic plague is typically spread by fleas living on animals such as rats, prairie dogs and marmots. If an infected flea moves from their animal host to bite a human, this can cause an infection.

    People can also become infected through handling an animal infected with the disease.

    Septicemic plague occurs if bubonic plague is left untreated, or it can occur directly if the disease enters the bloodstream. Septicemic plague causes bleeding into the organs. The name comes from septicemia, which refers to a serious blood infection.

    The recent death in the United States was due to a case of pneumonic plague, which is the most severe form. Bubonic plague can in some cases spread to the lungs, where it becomes pneumonic plague. However, pneumonic plague can also spread from person to person via tiny respiratory droplets, in a similar way to COVID. Symptoms are similar to the other forms but also include severe pneumonia.

    Some 30–60% of people who contract bubonic plague will die, while the fatality rate can be up to 100% for pneumonic plague if left untreated.

    Animals such as rats can carry the bacterium that causes plague.
    marcus_photo_uk/Shutterstock

    Plague: a potted history

    This disease is one of the most important in history. The Plague of Justinian (541–750CE) killed tens of millions of people in the western Mediterranean, heavily impacting the expansion of the Byzantine Empire.

    The medieval Black Death (1346–53) was also seismic, killing tens of millions of people and up to half of Europe’s population.

    Spread by the growing trade networks of the British empire, the third and most recent plague pandemic spanned the years 1855 until roughly 1960, peaking in the early 1900s. It was responsible for 12 million deaths, primarily in India, and even reached Australia.

    It’s believed the bubonic plague was largely behind these pandemics.

    Plague in the modern day

    First introduced into the US during the third pandemic, plague infects an average of seven people a year in the west of the country, due to being endemic in groundhog and prairie dog populations there. The last major outbreak was 100 years ago.

    Deaths are very rare, with 14 deaths in the past 25 years in the US.

    Globally, there have been a few thousand cases of plague over the past decade.

    The countries with the most cases currently include the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar and Peru, with cases also occurring in India, central Asia and the US. Cases usually occur in rural and agricultural areas.

    Plague can be treated

    Plague can easily be treated with common antibiotics, typically a course of 10–14 days, which can include both oral and intravenous antibiotics. But it must be treated quickly.

    The recent death is concerning, as it involves the airborne pneumonic form of the disease, the only form that spreads easily from person to person. But there’s no evidence of further spread of the disease within the US at this stage.

    As Y. pestis is not found in Australian animals, there is little risk here. Plague has not been reported in Australia in more than a century.

    But plague, like many diseases, is influenced by environmental conditions. The risk of climate change causing an expansion in the habitat of animal hosts means public health experts around the world should continue to monitor it closely.

    The plague, though often perceived as a disease of history, is still with us and can pose a major health threat if not treated early.

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

    – ref. A person in the US has died from pneumonic plague. It’s not just a disease of history – https://theconversation.com/a-person-in-the-us-has-died-from-pneumonic-plague-its-not-just-a-disease-of-history-261088

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: UN report shows insufficient progress on SDGs

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

    UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (C) speaks at the launch of the Sustainable Development Goals Report 2025 at the UN headquarters in New York, on July 14, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    With only five years to go, merely 35 percent of the targets of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are on track, while nearly half are stalling and 18 percent have regressed, according to a UN report released on Monday.

    In the past decade since the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was adopted, notable global achievements have been made in health, education, energy and digital connectivity, said “The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2025.”

    New HIV infections have declined by nearly 40 percent since 2010. Malaria prevention has averted 2.2 billion cases and saved 12.7 million lives since 2000. Social protection now reaches over half the world’s population, up significantly from a decade ago. Since 2015, 110 million more children and youth have entered school. Child marriage is in decline, with more girls staying in school and women gaining ground in parliaments around the world, the report said.

    In 2023, 92 percent of the world’s population had access to electricity. Internet use has surged from 40 percent in 2015 to 68 percent in 2024. Conservation efforts have doubled protection of key ecosystems, contributing to global biodiversity resilience, the report said.

    However, the pace of change remains insufficient to meet the SDGs by 2030.

    More than 800 million people still live in extreme poverty. Billions still lack access to safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene services. Climate change pushed 2024 to be the hottest year on record. Conflicts caused nearly 50,000 deaths in 2024. By the end of that year, over 120 million people were forcibly displaced. Low- and middle-income countries faced record-high debt servicing costs of 1.4 trillion U.S. dollars in 2023, according to the report.

    The document called for action across six priority areas — food systems, energy access, digital transformation, education, jobs and social protection, and climate and biodiversity action.

    “We are in a global development emergency — an emergency measured in the over 800 million people still living in extreme poverty, in intensifying climate impacts, and in relentless debt service, draining the resources that countries need to invest in their people,” said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at the launch of the report.

    “Today’s report shows that the Sustainable Development Goals are still within reach. But only if we act — with urgency, unity, and unwavering resolve,” he said.

    When introducing the report, UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Li Junhua called for “urgent multilateralism” to address the lack of progress in the SDGs.

    “The challenges we face are inherently global and interconnected. No country, regardless of its wealth or capacity, can address climate change, pandemic preparedness or inequality alone. The 2030 Agenda represents our collective recognition that our destinies are intertwined and that sustainable development is not a zero-sum game, but a shared endeavor that benefits all,” said Li.

    “This moment demands what I call ‘urgent multilateralism’ — a renewed commitment to international cooperation based on evidence, equity and mutual accountability. It means treating the SDGs not as aspirational goals but as non-negotiable commitments to current and future generations,” he said. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Is there any hope for the internet?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Aarushi Bhandari, Assistant Professor of Sociology, Davidson College

    Hate and mental illness fester online because love and healing seem to be incompatible with profits. Ihor Lukianenko/iStock via Getty Images

    In 2001, social theorist bell hooks warned about the dangers of a loveless zeitgeist. In “All About Love: New Visions,” she lamented “the lack of an ongoing public discussion … about the practice of love in our culture and in our lives.”

    Back then, the internet was at a crossroads. The dot-com crash had bankrupted many early internet companies, and people wondered if the technology was long for this world.

    The doubts were unfounded. In only a few decades, the internet has merged with our bodies as smartphones and mined our personalities via algorithms that know us more intimately than some of our closest friends. It has even constructed a secondary social world.

    Yet as the internet has become more integrated in our daily lives, few would describe it as a place of love, compassion and cooperation. Study after study describe how social media platforms promote alienation and disconnection – in part because many algorithms reward behaviors like trolling, cyberbullying and outrage.

    Is the internet’s place in human history cemented as a harbinger of despair? Or is there still hope for an internet that supports collective flourishing?

    Algorithms and alienation

    I explore these questions in my new book, “Attention and Alienation.”

    In it, I explain how social media companies’ profits depend on users investing their time, creativity and emotions. Whether it’s spending hours filming content for TikTok or a few minutes crafting a thoughtful Reddit comment, participating on these platforms takes work. And it can be exhausting.

    Even passive engagement – like scrolling through feeds and “lurking” in forums – consumes time. It might feel like free entertainment – until people recognize they are the product, with their data being harvested and their emotions being manipulated.

    Blogger, journalist and science fiction writer Cory Doctorow coined the term “enshittification” to describe how experiences on online platforms gradually deteriorate as companies increasingly exploit users’ data and tweak their algorithms to maximize profits.

    For these reasons, much of people’s time spent online involves dealing with toxic interactions or mindlessly doomscrolling, immersed in dopamine-driven feedback loops.

    This cycle is neither an accident nor a novel insight. Hate and mental illness fester in this culture because love and healing seem to be incompatible with profits.

    Care hiding in plain sight

    In his 2009 book “Envisioning Real Utopias,” the late sociologist Erik Olin Wright discusses places in the world that prioritize cooperation, care and egalitarianism.

    Wright mainly focused on offline systems like worker-owned cooperatives. But one of his examples lived on the internet: Wikipedia. He argued that Wikipedia demonstrates the ethos “from each according to ability, to each according to need” – a utopian ideal popularized by Karl Marx.

    Wikipedia still thrives as a nonprofit, volunteer-ran bureaucracy. The website is a form of media that is deeply social, in the literal sense: People voluntarily curate and share knowledge, collectively and democratically, for free. Unlike social media, the rewards are only collective.

    There are no visible likes, comments or rage emojis for participants to hoard and chase. Nobody loses and everyone wins, including the vast majority of people who use Wikipedia without contributing work or money to keep it operational.

    Building a new digital world

    Wikipedia is evidence of care, cooperation and love hiding in plain sight.

    In recent years, there have been more efforts to create nonprofit apps and websites that are committed to protecting user data. Popular examples include Signal, a free and open source instant messaging service, and Proton Mail, an encrypted email service.

    These are all laudable developments. But how can the internet actively promote collective flourishing?

    What if Wikipedia were less the exception, and more the norm?
    Andriy Onufriyenko/Moment via Getty Images

    In “Viral Justice: How We Grow the World We Want,” sociologist Ruha Benjamin points to a way forward. She tells the story of Black TikTok creators who led a successful cultural labor strike in 2021. Many viral TikTok dances had originally been created by Black artists, whose accounts, they claimed, were suppressed by a biased algorithm that favored white influencers.

    TikTok responded to the viral #BlackTikTokStrike movement by formally apologizing and making commitments to better represent and compensate the work of Black creators. These creators demonstrated how social media engagement is work – and that workers have the power to demand equitable conditions and fair pay.

    This landmark strike showed how anyone who uses social media companies that profit off the work, emotions and personal data of their users – whether it’s TikTok, X, Facebook, Instagram or Reddit – can become organized.

    Meanwhile, there are organizations devoted to designing an internet that promotes collective flourishing. Sociologist Firuzeh Shokooh Valle provides examples of worker-owned technology cooperatives in her 2023 book, “In Defense of Solidarity and Pleasure: Feminist Technopolitics in the Global South.” She highlights the Sulá Batsú co-op in Costa Rica, which promotes policies that seek to break the stranglehold that negativity and exploitation have over internet culture.

    “Digital spaces are increasingly powered by hate and discrimination,” the group writes, adding that it hopes to create an online world where “women and people of diverse sexualities and genders are able to access and enjoy a free and open internet to exercise agency and autonomy, build collective power, strengthen movements, and transform power relations.”

    In Los Angeles, there’s Chani, Inc., a technology company that describes itself as “proudly” not funded by venture capitalists. The Chani app blends mindfulness practices and astrology with the goal of simply helping people. The app is not designed for compulsive user engagement, the company never sells user data, and there are no comments sections.

    No comments

    What would social media look like if Wikipedia were the norm instead of an exception?

    To me, a big problem in internet culture is the way people’s humanity is obscured. People are free to speak their minds in text-based public discussion forums, but the words aren’t always attached to someone’s identity. Real people hide behind the anonymity of user names. It isn’t true human interaction.

    In “Attention and Alienation,” I argue that the ability to meet and interact with others online as fully realized, three-dimensional human beings would go a long way toward creating a more empathetic, cooperative internet.

    When I was 8 years old, my parents lived abroad for work. Sometimes we talked on the phone. Often I would cry late into the night, praying for the ability to “see them through the phone.” It felt like a miraculous possibility – like magic.

    I told this story to my students in a moment of shared vulnerability. This was in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, so the class was taking place over videoconferencing. In these online classes, one person talked at a time. Others listened.

    It wasn’t perfect, but I think a better internet would promote this form of discussion – people getting together from across the world to share the fullness of their humanity.

    Efforts like Clubhouse have tapped into this vision by creating voice-based discussion forums. The company, however, has been criticized for predatory data privacy policies.

    What if the next iteration of public social media platforms could build on Clubhouse? What if they brought people together and showcased not just their voices, but also live video feeds of their faces without harvesting their data or promoting conflict and outrage?

    Raised eyebrows. Grins. Frowns. They’re what make humans distinct from increasingly sophisticated large language models and artificial intelligence chatbots like ChatGPT.

    After all, is anything you can’t say while looking at another human being in the eye worth saying in the first place?

    Aarushi Bhandari 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. Is there any hope for the internet? – https://theconversation.com/is-there-any-hope-for-the-internet-259251

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta Announces Arrests and Arraignment in $1 Million Pizza Franchise Scam

    Source: US State of California

    Monday, July 14, 2025

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

    OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced the arrest and arraignment of two defendants for a complex fraud scheme, in which the defendants allegedly defrauded victims of more than $1 million in investments into franchises or stock options for a company offering pizza restaurant franchises. The defendants were recently arraigned in San Diego Superior Court on felony charges including eleven counts of Franchise Fraud in violation of California Corporations Code, nine counts of Security Fraud, one count of Fraudulent Securities Scheme, and two counts of Grand Theft and a special allegation of aggravated white-collar crimes with losses over $500,000.

    “The white-collar crime scheme perpetrated by these defendants stole money from Californians who were attempting to become entrepreneurs or make investments into business. At the California Department of Justice, we won’t stand idly by if individuals cause financial harm to hardworking Californians to enrich themselves,” said Attorney General Bonta. “My office will continue to fight to hold bad actors accountable, and protect Californians’ pocketbooks.”

    Between 2020 and 2023, the two defendants solicited and received money from investors who believed they were either purchasing public stock options or franchises of a pizza restaurant chain. The scheme victimized many individuals with little to no business investment experience, leading victims to believe they were becoming legitimate business owners or stockholders, including some victims who were over the age of 65, and two military veterans. The financial commitment of the victims ranged from $5,000 to $150,000 and the defendants secured nearly $1 million in funds from their victims. Within months of receiving funds from victims, the defendants began closing off communications with them, and ultimately stopped all communication. After the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the defendants also obtained multiple loans aimed to assist small businesses post pandemic, totaling $287,000. These loans were never paid back.

    Following a lengthy investigation by the California Department of Justice’s Special Prosecution Section (SPS) Investigators and the Bureau of Investigations (BI) White Collar Investigations Team (WCIT), the defendants were arrested and extradited from Florida with the assistance of the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office and United States Marshals Service.

    It is important to note that a criminal complaint contains charges that must be proven in a court of law. Every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

    A copy of the complaint is available here. 

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Joe Wicks and government join forces to get children moving

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Joe Wicks and government join forces to get children moving

    New animated series for kids, known as Activate, will get more children across the country moving more and encouraging a healthier lifestyle.

    • Children to be inspired to get physically active over summer as Joe Wicks, MBE, launches Activate, a new animated series for kids
    • Created by Joe and produced by Studio AKA, Activate aims to tackle inactivity among children through fun, five-minute workouts – led by Joe as an animated character
    • Programme backed by government funding as part of Plan for Change to give children the best start in life

    Children across the country are being inspired to move more this summer following the launch of a new series from fitness coach, Joe Wicks MBE, backed by the government as part of a new partnership to reach schools and families across the country.

    The innovative animated Activate series features five-minute episodes which combine animation with upbeat music, courtesy of Universal Music UK, encouraging children to enjoy short bursts of movement that easily fit into their day and can be transformational for their physical and mental health. The government will be backing the programme to fund a further ten episodes.

    The series has been co-created by Joe and BAFTA award-winning Studio AKA (creators of Hey Duggee), bringing the nation’s favourite fitness coach to life through animation for the first time.

    Activate is backed by the government’s 10 Year Health Plan, which is already hitting the ground running with its pledge to work with influencers and changemakers across society to shift the NHS from treating illness to preventing it.

    The new animated series was unveiled at Ripple Primary School in Barking, east London, where Joe Wicks and Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting, met teachers and parents to discuss keeping kids moving over the summer holidays and beyond.

    Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: 

    Childhood obesity robs our young people of their future, and inactivity is one of the biggest culprits. That’s why it’s crucial to start building healthy habits from a young age.

    Our 10 Year Health Plan sets out how we would tackle obesity through prevention and today demonstrates how we’re taking action. In the spirit of mission-driven government, we’re building a coalition of the willing to tackle the obesity epidemic head-on. 

    This initiative directly supports our focus on giving children the best start in life—a cornerstone of our Plan for Change. By investing in prevention today, we’re building a healthier generation for tomorrow.” 

    Being physically active is good for physical and mental health and helps relieve pressure on the NHS, preventing an additional £10.5 billion worth of treatment a year. Despite that, inactivity levels remain stubbornly high for adults and children, with huge inequalities across the country. The Activate programme represents a collaborative approach to tackling this growing health challenge. 

    The first episode is now available on Joe Wicks’ The Body Coach YouTube channel, with further episodes set to be released weekly over the summer holidays. 

    The series is released five years after Wicks united the nation with PE With Joe, which received over 100 million views online. Now, Joe is on a renewed mission to get children moving through this series.

    Joe Wicks said:

    Activate is the natural next step in everything I’ve worked towards over the past decade. From my early YouTube workouts, to ‘PE with Joe’ during the pandemic, my goal has always been to get children moving and feeling good – physically and mentally.

    This project brings together everything I am most passionate about, and everything I’ve learned on my journey – going back to my own childhood where I discovered movement as a way to cope with the challenges of living with parents with drug addiction and mental health issues.

    Activate is designed to make movement fun and inclusive for every child, with short, high-energy workouts that fit into everyday life – these can be enjoyed in the living room, the garden, in the classroom, or anywhere else!

    As a dad, I know how important it is to make movement something kids enjoy, not something they have to do. That’s exactly what Activate is all about so I hope it can be a real support for busy families, this summer and beyond.

    Earlier this month, the government launched its 10 Year Health Plan, which outlined how a shift from sickness to prevention will safeguard the nation’s health and put forward a range of measures to tackle growing rates of childhood obesity. 

    Obesity rates have doubled since the 1990s, including among children. A forthcoming report by the Chief Medical Officer will show that more than 1 in 5 children are living with obesity by the time they leave primary school, rising to almost 1 in 3 in areas with higher levels of poverty and deprivation. 

    Measures included in the 10 Year Health Plan include:

    • Launching a world-first partnership with food retailers and manufacturers to help families make healthier choices
    • Restricting junk food advertising targeted at children
    • Reforming the soft drinks industry levy to drive reformulation 

    This two-pronged approach of encouraging active lifestyles and healthy diets aims to tackle the UK’s most preventable chronic illnesses, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease, whilst tackling the £11.4 billion bill that obesity costs the NHS a year.     

    Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Lisa Nandy, said:

    I know what a difference sport and physical activity make in shaping a young person’s life. It’s why we’re investing £400 million in grassroots facilities for all, joining up schools with sports clubs across the country and backing major events that inspire.

    For too long, it has felt as if we have hit a ceiling on participation in this country, and for too long the dial on inactivity has gone unmoved. Together, through initiatives like this, we will put that right and deliver on our Plan for Change.

    With Universal Music UK as the exclusive music partner, each episode features upbeat tunes from UK artists, including Becky Hill and Bastille. Each track has been chosen for its appeal to parents and children alike.

    Sue Goffe, Chief Executive at Studio AKA, said:

    We’re thrilled to bring the world of Activate to life through animation. Collaborating with Joe Wicks has been a joy, and we’re proud to be part of this creative project to inspire movement and wellbeing in children.

    Sarah Boorman, General Manager, Youth Strategies at Universal Music UK, said:

    Our shared goal with Joe was to make being active feel like something children genuinely want to do, powered by great music which is appropriate for them and loved by families too.

    Alison Lomax, Managing Director for YouTube UK & Ireland, said:  

    We’re so excited that Joe Wicks is bringing his new kids’ fitness show Activate to YouTube just in time for the holidays. Joe’s fun, energetic approach to getting kids moving has already made a huge impact on our platform, and Activate is set to become a go-to for families looking to keep active over the summer. It’s great to see YouTube being used in such a positive way – bringing free, accessible, and family-friendly fitness to homes everywhere.

    About the programme

    Created by Studio AKA, the BAFTA-winning creators of Hey Duggee, the Activate series sees Joe Wicks brought to life through animation alongside six loveable new characters, ‘The Activators’, accompanied by upbeat music from top UK artists. Together, they make movement feel personal, playful, and inclusive – so every child can find a character to connect with.

    Joe and the Activators lead children through fun, five-minute bursts of movement, that can be easily integrated into their day – whether at home, at summer clubs or on the go.

    With Wicks appearing as an animated character (a first for the family fitness coach), each short episode offers a burst of movement, fun, and energy to get kids’ hearts pumping and minds engaged. These include easy-to-follow exercises like jogging, squats, and burpees, wrapped up in a playful, gamified format that can keep kids active over the summer holidays and beyond.

    But Activate isn’t just for the summer holidays. It will also be available to schools during term time, to help build confidence, support mental wellbeing, and help children develop healthy habits for life.

    Joe added:

    Being turned into an animated character has been a surreal and wonderful experience, and my dream is that it connects with millions of kids and families across the UK and beyond.

    Updates to this page

    Published 15 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Dmitry Grigorenko: The number of inspections is at a historical minimum.

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – Government of the Russian Federation –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Reducing the number of inspections while maintaining the level of security, confirming the effectiveness of the risk-oriented approach and new digital tools for remote control – the Government presented a report on the state of the state and municipal control system in the Russian Federation to the State Duma and the Federation Council.

    The State Duma and the Federation Council reviewed the Government’s annual report on state control (supervision) and municipal control in the Russian Federation for 2024.

    “The government is consistently improving the control and supervisory sphere in Russia. We have abandoned unnecessary inspections and are introducing digital forms of control. This allows us to reduce the administrative burden on businesses and remain on guard of the rights of our citizens. Now the number of inspections is at a historical minimum: in 2024, there were fewer of them than in the COVID-19 year of 2020,” commented Deputy Prime Minister – Chief of the Government Staff Dmitry Grigorenko.

    According to the data presented, during the reporting period, the number of inspections decreased by 8.2% compared to 2023 and by more than 23% compared to 2020, when temporary restrictions related to the pandemic were in effect. Thus, in 2024, about 312 thousand inspections were carried out, in 2023 – 340 thousand, in 2020 – 408 thousand.

    It is important that, despite the multiple reduction in the number of inspections, the overall level of safety is maintained. This became possible due to the introduction of a risk-oriented approach, including inspections by regulatory authorities based on the triggering of risk indicators.

    Traditionally, risk indicator checks are among the most effective. In 2024, their effectiveness was 87.3%. For comparison, in 2023, this figure was 76.6%.

    Special attention in 2024 was paid to the development of digitalization and the introduction of remote forms of control. An experiment was conducted on remote inspections of companies using the Inspector mobile application. Since this year, the use of the mobile application has been enshrined in law.

    Another digital tool is also growing in popularity: the pre-trial appeal service on the public services portal. It enables entrepreneurs to challenge decisions of regulatory bodies without resorting to legal procedures and proceedings. In 2024, more than 7.5 thousand complaints were received from businesses, and the number of petitions more than doubled. These appeals serve as feedback for the Government on the quality of the state’s control and supervisory function.

    The Government also receives feedback from citizens through various surveys. Thus, in 2024, RANEPA conducted a survey among citizens on the level of protection of legally protected assets. The survey is conducted on those risks that are controlled by control bodies operating within the framework of the Law on Control. According to the survey results, the level of protection is growing.

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Deputy Secretary-General’s remarks at the opening of the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development 2025 [as prepared for delivery]

    Source: United Nations secretary general

    In 2015, the world made a landmark commitment to achieve sustainable development and ensure that no one is left behind.

    The 2030 Agenda built on previous decades of development efforts and carried forward the vision and lessons of the Millenium Development Goals.

    It framed the Sustainable Development Goals around a paradigm shift that integrates the three core dimensions of sustainable development — economic growth, social inclusion, and environmental sustainability — and underscored the vital role of effective governance and strong institutions.

    It carried a promise to everyone, everywhere, to live in dignity, on a safe and healthy planet. 

    Today, a decade later, we meet again as the world grapples with conflicts and deepening geopolitical tensions.

    The fabric of multilateralism is fading, and the SDGs seem out of reach. Hard-won development gains are at serious risk, as a multitude of challenges, exacerbated by the chronic shortfall in adequate financing.

    Alarmingly, half of the world’s poorest countries have yet to return to their pre-pandemic income levels.

    Inequalities have amplified.

    Trade tensions are escalating.

    The climate crisis is worsening.

    Democracy is under threat.

    And the debt crisis continues to tighten its grip on the world’s poorest countries.

    The situation is truly sobering.

    Yet, the latest data show that while progress on SDGs has been uneven and limited, there is reason for hope. 

    Social protection and health systems are expanding, especially in middle-income countries, where they are reaching more people.

    More mothers are surviving childbirth, and more children are living beyond their fifth birthday.

    Education access is broadening, creating new pathways for young people.

    The number of girls who are in school and studying STEM subjects is higher than ever before.

    Countries are investing in better data and technology, for policies to reach the furthest behind.

    There are promised investments in digital connectivity and clean energy, to serve those in the most remote areas.

    Meanwhile, the world has united behind an ambitious global agreement to confront deep-seated structural challenges and unlock faster, more inclusive progress.

    The Pact for the Future, adopted last September, builds on existing reforms and commitments and charts a bold way forward to revive multilateralism and collective action, anchored in peace, solidarity and cooperation.

    The Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development renewed our commitment to deliver on the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, take forward debt solutions, and tackle the international financial architecture.

    The Ocean Conference in Nice generated important consensus on critical issues, from marine protected areas to plastic pollution, illegal fishing and maritime security.

    The 30th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women and the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (Beijing+30) and the 25th anniversary of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda, reignited political drive for gender equality and women’s empowerment.

    And there are many more opportunities this year to push our agenda forward:

    The Second Stocktake of the UN Food System Summit.

    The Second World Summit on Social Development.

    The Biennial Summit on Finance.

    COP 30, and ahead of that, new, updated and economy-wide Nationally Determined Contributions to get our climate goals back on track. 

    Excellencies,

    We must build on these achievements. Make the most of the momentum and drive action – particularly through this High-Level Political Forum.

    We are under pressure because the truth is: expectations are high, trust is eroding and crises are deepening, as we strive to deliver on our promise of the 2030 Agenda.

    This Forum is an important opportunity to reflect, exchange and course correct.

    It is our space to amplify the momentum, share lessons and good practice, deepen partnerships, and reignite our collective ambition to fulfill the promise of the Sustainable Development Goals.

    Over the coming days, we must reflect honestly and constructively on progress. Particularly on:

    SDG3 on health and wellbeing, SDG5 on gender equality and women’s empowerment, SDG8 on decent work and economic growth, SDG14 on life below water, and SDG 17 on partnerships and means of implementation – this all with human rights at the centre of everything we do and hope to achieve.

    And we must focus on the theme of this year’s meeting: “Inclusive solutions, based in science- and evidence,” and take heed of key findings of the Secretary-General’s Report on the SDGs.

    We need solutions that address persistent challenges.

    That can be adapted and applied across diverse contexts.

    And that improve the lives of billions of people who are left behind:

    The 800 million people living in extreme poverty…

    The 2.2 billion people without safe drinking water…

    The 2.3 billion suffering food insecurity…

    The 3.4 billion without safely managed sanitation…

    And the countless women, Indigenous Peoples, smallholder farmers, and other marginalized groups unable to access formal health and protection systems. 

    Excellencies,

    This Forum will also welcome the tenth set of voluntary national reviews, or VNRs. They present a temperature check of every country’s journey.

    Since 2016, a total of 190 countries have conducted close to 400 VNRs.

    This voluntary national exercise has been almost universally adopted:

    A heartening sign of commitment to the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs…

    And evidence that the SDGs are now deeply woven into national plans, policies, and monitoring frameworks.

    These reviews are powerful roadmaps to achieve the SDGs and mobilize all stakeholders.

    Across regions, we have seen civil society’s engagement deepen – driving progress nationally and locally.  

    VNRs have helped build knowledge and data and offered practical pathways to dismantle structural barriers that hold us back.

    Over the past decade, they have inspired action through inclusive, scalable approaches, grounded in local realities.

    I look forward to the 37 VNR presentations at this Forum,

    And I encourage other countries to engage and foster a meaningful exchange of experiences.

    Excellencies, Friends,

    It is up to all of us to build on our successes, and make this Forum count.

    We have come far. And have even further to go.

    But we have much further to go if we are to honor the promise of the SDGs.

    The pathway to 2030 is narrowing.

    And the decisions we take now – where we invest, what we prioritize, and where we reform – will shape development trajectories for decades to come.

    With five years to go, the Secretary-General’s UN80 initiative marks a historic step to build on recent reforms and ensure that the United Nations remains a trusted, agile partner, ready to tackle today’s challenges and tomorrow’s uncertainties, and drive our collective push for the 2030 Agenda nationally, regionally and globally.

    Thank you.
     

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: GG Mothai: Aid cuts are putting LGBTIQ+ lives at risk in rural Botswana

    Source: Amnesty International –

    The Trump administration’s abrupt and sweeping suspension of US foreign aid is placing the lives and human rights of millions at risk. The cuts have ended critical programmes across the globe, including vital grassroots LGBTIQ+ organizations in Botswana which challenge entrenched homophobia and provide safety and support for LGBTIQ+ people.

    Gagotheko (GG/Gybian) Mothai is a non-binary human rights advocate based in Maun, Botswana, and director of the Pink Triangle LGBTQ Support Group.

    Below, GG shares the profound impact of grassroots organizations on LGBTIQ+ people’s lives and raises serious concerns about the welfare and safety of LGBTIQ+ people due to funding cuts.

    Maun is a deeply traditional and conservative place, more so than Gaborone, the capital of Botswana, where people are more aware. Maun is smaller and harmful cultural values still dominate.

    People here see LGBTIQ+ people as “un-African” or “possessed”. Homophobia is normalized, and being open about our identities puts us at constant risk of violence. We are rejected by our families, forced into unwanted marriages (especially LBQ women) and are cast out by our religious leaders. It feels harsher and more personal because it comes from people who are close to us: our families, chiefs and neighbours.

    I was disowned by my family in 2020, amid the pandemic.

    Activism here is survival work. It can feel powerful, we’ve seen real shifts: families starting to understand their queer children, churches slowly opening to dialogues on spirituality and sexuality, and queer people beginning to heal. But it’s also painful and emotionally draining. You may see progress on one side of town whilst violent incidents are increasing on the other.

    This is my hometown. I keep doing this work here because I hope one day to have a hometown that is kind, understanding and accepting.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI USA: CBO’s Economic Forecasting Record: 2025 Update

    Source: US Congressional Budget Office

    In this report, the Congressional Budget Office assesses its economic forecasts over the first two years and five years of each baseline period from as early as 1976. (The baseline period is the time frame covered by the agency’s annual baseline projections of the federal budget.) CBO then compares its forecasts with those of the Administration, the Survey of Professional Forecasters (SPF), and the Blue Chip consensus.

    • CBO’s forecasts of important economic variables (output growth, the unemployment rate, inflation, interest rates, and wages and salaries) tend to be more accurate than those of the Administration and the Blue Chip consensus, and roughly half of CBO’s two-year forecasts are more accurate than those produced by the SPF.
    • On average, CBO’s forecasts are too high by small amounts, and the accuracy of the agency’s two-year and five-year forecasts is similar.

    Forecasts from all four sources failed to anticipate certain key economic developments, resulting in significant forecast errors. The main sources of those errors are turning points in the cycle of economic activity, changes in labor productivity trends and crude oil prices, the downward trend in interest rates, the decline in labor income as a share of output, data revisions, and effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • President Droupadi Murmu addresses 5th annual convocation of AIIMS Bhubaneswar

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The President of India, Droupadi Murmu, addressed the 5th Annual Convocation Ceremony of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Bhubaneswar today.

    Addressing the graduating students and faculty, the President noted that AIIMS Bhubaneswar, established under the vision of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2003, has emerged as a trusted centre for quality healthcare and social welfare not just in Odisha but also in neighbouring states like West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand.

    Highlighting the institute’s achievements, the President stated that in the last year alone, AIIMS Bhubaneswar treated over 10 lakh outdoor patients, conducted 17 lakh diagnostic tests and carried out 25,000 surgeries. She added that the institute’s specialty and super-specialty services have enabled it to deliver holistic healthcare across departments.

    President Murmu lauded the institute’s recognition by the World Health Organization under the Asia Safe Surgical Implant Consortium Quality Improvement Programme for its standards in surgical instrument and implant reprocessing. She also mentioned the National Kayakalp Award that AIIMS Bhubaneswar has won for five consecutive years for excellence in sanitation and hospital services.

    Appreciating the dedication of the faculty and students, the President described doctors as “representatives of God” and urged the graduating students to continue serving society with commitment and compassion.

    Speaking on the occasion, the Governor of Odisha, Hari Babu Kambhampati, said that the establishment of AIIMS institutions was a visionary step towards building an equitable healthcare system. He underlined that AIIMS Bhubaneswar has emerged as a leading centre for medical education and research in eastern India, second only to AIIMS New Delhi. He also commended the institute’s contribution during the pandemic as a centre for testing, treatment and vaccination.

    Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi highlighted the Prime Minister’s focus on digital transformation and modernization of healthcare services. He mentioned that initiatives like e-payment facilities at AIIMS Bhubaneswar align with the vision of a Digital India.

    He further said that the recognition of AIIMS Bhubaneswar as a centre of excellence for tackling diseases like sickle cell anaemia reflects the government’s commitment to strengthening healthcare. He urged the students to “heal with empathy” and assured continued support for quality healthcare through strengthened infrastructure and schemes like Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana and Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana, covering over 3.5 crore people in the state.

    Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, in his address, described good health as the foundation of human progress. Referring to the Prime Minister’s vision of making India a developed nation by 2047, he expressed hope that Odisha would contribute by becoming a developed state by 2036.

    Highlighting the institute’s ranking — 15th overall in NIRF, 12th among medical colleges and 2nd among emerging AIIMS — Shri Pradhan said that Bhubaneswar has the potential to become a global MedTech hub. He called on the young doctors to take up the responsibility of addressing health challenges in vulnerable communities.

    A total of 643 students were awarded degrees during the convocation, including 196 MBBS graduates, 158 MS, 49 MDs, 116 post-doctoral fellows, 62 B.Sc. Nursing and 41 M.Sc. Nursing graduates. Fifty-nine gold medals were also awarded to meritorious students across disciplines.

  • President Droupadi Murmu addresses 5th annual convocation of AIIMS Bhubaneswar

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The President of India, Droupadi Murmu, addressed the 5th Annual Convocation Ceremony of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Bhubaneswar today.

    Addressing the graduating students and faculty, the President noted that AIIMS Bhubaneswar, established under the vision of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2003, has emerged as a trusted centre for quality healthcare and social welfare not just in Odisha but also in neighbouring states like West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand.

    Highlighting the institute’s achievements, the President stated that in the last year alone, AIIMS Bhubaneswar treated over 10 lakh outdoor patients, conducted 17 lakh diagnostic tests and carried out 25,000 surgeries. She added that the institute’s specialty and super-specialty services have enabled it to deliver holistic healthcare across departments.

    President Murmu lauded the institute’s recognition by the World Health Organization under the Asia Safe Surgical Implant Consortium Quality Improvement Programme for its standards in surgical instrument and implant reprocessing. She also mentioned the National Kayakalp Award that AIIMS Bhubaneswar has won for five consecutive years for excellence in sanitation and hospital services.

    Appreciating the dedication of the faculty and students, the President described doctors as “representatives of God” and urged the graduating students to continue serving society with commitment and compassion.

    Speaking on the occasion, the Governor of Odisha, Hari Babu Kambhampati, said that the establishment of AIIMS institutions was a visionary step towards building an equitable healthcare system. He underlined that AIIMS Bhubaneswar has emerged as a leading centre for medical education and research in eastern India, second only to AIIMS New Delhi. He also commended the institute’s contribution during the pandemic as a centre for testing, treatment and vaccination.

    Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi highlighted the Prime Minister’s focus on digital transformation and modernization of healthcare services. He mentioned that initiatives like e-payment facilities at AIIMS Bhubaneswar align with the vision of a Digital India.

    He further said that the recognition of AIIMS Bhubaneswar as a centre of excellence for tackling diseases like sickle cell anaemia reflects the government’s commitment to strengthening healthcare. He urged the students to “heal with empathy” and assured continued support for quality healthcare through strengthened infrastructure and schemes like Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana and Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana, covering over 3.5 crore people in the state.

    Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, in his address, described good health as the foundation of human progress. Referring to the Prime Minister’s vision of making India a developed nation by 2047, he expressed hope that Odisha would contribute by becoming a developed state by 2036.

    Highlighting the institute’s ranking — 15th overall in NIRF, 12th among medical colleges and 2nd among emerging AIIMS — Shri Pradhan said that Bhubaneswar has the potential to become a global MedTech hub. He called on the young doctors to take up the responsibility of addressing health challenges in vulnerable communities.

    A total of 643 students were awarded degrees during the convocation, including 196 MBBS graduates, 158 MS, 49 MDs, 116 post-doctoral fellows, 62 B.Sc. Nursing and 41 M.Sc. Nursing graduates. Fifty-nine gold medals were also awarded to meritorious students across disciplines.

  • President Droupadi Murmu addresses 5th annual convocation of AIIMS Bhubaneswar

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The President of India, Droupadi Murmu, addressed the 5th Annual Convocation Ceremony of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Bhubaneswar today.

    Addressing the graduating students and faculty, the President noted that AIIMS Bhubaneswar, established under the vision of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2003, has emerged as a trusted centre for quality healthcare and social welfare not just in Odisha but also in neighbouring states like West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand.

    Highlighting the institute’s achievements, the President stated that in the last year alone, AIIMS Bhubaneswar treated over 10 lakh outdoor patients, conducted 17 lakh diagnostic tests and carried out 25,000 surgeries. She added that the institute’s specialty and super-specialty services have enabled it to deliver holistic healthcare across departments.

    President Murmu lauded the institute’s recognition by the World Health Organization under the Asia Safe Surgical Implant Consortium Quality Improvement Programme for its standards in surgical instrument and implant reprocessing. She also mentioned the National Kayakalp Award that AIIMS Bhubaneswar has won for five consecutive years for excellence in sanitation and hospital services.

    Appreciating the dedication of the faculty and students, the President described doctors as “representatives of God” and urged the graduating students to continue serving society with commitment and compassion.

    Speaking on the occasion, the Governor of Odisha, Hari Babu Kambhampati, said that the establishment of AIIMS institutions was a visionary step towards building an equitable healthcare system. He underlined that AIIMS Bhubaneswar has emerged as a leading centre for medical education and research in eastern India, second only to AIIMS New Delhi. He also commended the institute’s contribution during the pandemic as a centre for testing, treatment and vaccination.

    Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi highlighted the Prime Minister’s focus on digital transformation and modernization of healthcare services. He mentioned that initiatives like e-payment facilities at AIIMS Bhubaneswar align with the vision of a Digital India.

    He further said that the recognition of AIIMS Bhubaneswar as a centre of excellence for tackling diseases like sickle cell anaemia reflects the government’s commitment to strengthening healthcare. He urged the students to “heal with empathy” and assured continued support for quality healthcare through strengthened infrastructure and schemes like Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana and Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana, covering over 3.5 crore people in the state.

    Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, in his address, described good health as the foundation of human progress. Referring to the Prime Minister’s vision of making India a developed nation by 2047, he expressed hope that Odisha would contribute by becoming a developed state by 2036.

    Highlighting the institute’s ranking — 15th overall in NIRF, 12th among medical colleges and 2nd among emerging AIIMS — Shri Pradhan said that Bhubaneswar has the potential to become a global MedTech hub. He called on the young doctors to take up the responsibility of addressing health challenges in vulnerable communities.

    A total of 643 students were awarded degrees during the convocation, including 196 MBBS graduates, 158 MS, 49 MDs, 116 post-doctoral fellows, 62 B.Sc. Nursing and 41 M.Sc. Nursing graduates. Fifty-nine gold medals were also awarded to meritorious students across disciplines.

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Feeling confident and in control when they’re active boosts children’s wellbeing

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Michaela James, Research Officer at Medical School, Swansea University

    Anna Kraynova/Shutterstock

    The wellbeing of children is under the spotlight in the UK, after a 2025 report from Unicef ranked the UK at 21 out of 36 wealthy countries on child wellbeing. With growing concerns about mental health, rising screen time, and fewer chances to play – as well as the well-known links between physical activity and better mood – one solution seems obvious. Get kids moving more.

    But our new research suggests that it’s not just about more activity. It’s about better experiences. Feeling safe, capable and free to choose matters is more important for children than just the number of minutes they spend running around.

    Our findings from a national study of over 16,000 children aged seven to 11 across Wales found that while physical activity is clearly important, its benefits for mental health were more connected to how children felt while moving than to how much they moved.

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    We found that children who thought that they had control over how they were active, felt confident taking part in physical activity and believed they were good at it scored higher on wellbeing scales. These factors – autonomy, confidence and competence – were stronger predictors of wellbeing than more traditional measures like deprivation (normally we’d expect deprivation to positively or negatively affect wellbeing) or even total time spent being active.

    We also found that children who felt safe where they lived, no matter how wealthy or deprived the area, were more likely to feel happy and well.

    Yet too often, their chances to play and move are limited. Sometimes it’s because adults worry about safety, and so don’t permit children to roam or play in the potentially risky ways they might prefer. Other times, it’s because the places around them just aren’t built with children in mind.

    Rethinking what we tell children

    Interestingly, we found that knowledge of why activity is good for you – often taught in schools or health campaigns – was associated with lower wellbeing. This suggests that top-down, adult-led messaging that focuses on why physical activity leads to physical fitness or maintaining a healthy weight might be missing the mark.

    For some children, it could even feel like pressure. Messaging from schools and organisations may be harmful if they focus on outcomes rather than experience.

    The feeling of control or choice was strongly associated with better mental health and fewer behavioural issues. These findings echo what young people have previously told us: they want more opportunities to play, to choose how they move, and to enjoy being active without pressure.

    Being able to choose how they are active matters for children’s wellbeing.
    chomplearn/Shutterstock

    That’s not to say movement doesn’t matter. Children who moved more and sat less generally felt better about themselves. Less sedentary time was consistently associated with better wellbeing and lower emotional and behavioural difficulties.

    But again, it wasn’t just the behaviour — it was the feeling behind it that mattered. Our analysis showed that the most significant predictor of low emotional difficulties was feeling safe. For behavioural difficulties it is feelings of autonomy and competence that played a key role.

    We also found that girls were more likely to report emotional difficulties (trouble controlling emotions or acting on feelings), while boys were more likely to experience behavioural ones (trouble controlling behaviour). This suggests a gendered difference in how wellbeing challenges show up.

    This tells us that supporting wellbeing isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. The more we can listen to and work with children to shape activity around their needs, the more likely we are to reach those who might otherwise miss out.

    How we move matters

    For schools and youth organisations, this means rethinking how physical activity is promoted. Rather than more sports, more drills and more rules, children need inclusive, safe spaces where they feel confident to participate and free to choose.

    A simple solution to this could include longer breaks between lessons and more free time to play, or varied activities that cater to different interests and skill levels.

    It also means listening to what children say they need. In our previous research during the pandemic, children consistently asked for more time, safer spaces and permission to be active in ways that feel good to them.

    If we want to support children’s wellbeing, we must shift from performance to participation. It’s not just about how fast they can run or how long they can play. It’s about whether they feel safe, capable, and in control.

    Michaela James receives funding from ADR Wales.

    Mayara Silveira Bianchim receives funding from Cystic Fibrosis Trust.

    – ref. Feeling confident and in control when they’re active boosts children’s wellbeing – https://theconversation.com/feeling-confident-and-in-control-when-theyre-active-boosts-childrens-wellbeing-258327

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: ‘Pig butchering’ scams have stolen billions from people around the world. Here’s what you need to know

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Bing Han, Lecturer in Economic Crime, University of Portsmouth

    thanun vongsuravanich / Shutterstock

    At the beginning of 2025, panic about fraud and human trafficking erupted on Chinese social media. It started when a Chinese actor called Wang Xing was tricked into travelling to Thailand for an audition, where he was abducted by criminals and taken to a scam centre in Myanmar.

    Wang was reported missing and, within three days, the Thai police had located and returned him to Thailand. Details of the operation were not revealed, leading to speculation that withholding more information was part of a deal that led to Wang’s release.

    Inside the compound, Wang’s head was shaved and he told the police he was forced to undergo the first phase of training on how to carry out scams.



    Read more:
    Scam Factories: the inside story of Southeast Asia’s brutal fraud compounds

    One such scam is known as “pig butchering”. This type of scam began attracting attention in China around 2019, and is typically carried out by Chinese organised crime groups. Scammers establish fake romantic and trusting relationships with victims before luring them into fraudulent investments or other financial traps.

    Pig-butchering scammers have stolen billions of dollars from victims worldwide. In one notable example from 2023, a banker from Kansas in the US called Shan Hanes embezzled US$47 million (£34.6 million) from his bank to cover his losses after falling victim to a pig butchering scam. Hanes was subsequently sentenced to more than 24 years in prison. So, what do we know about how pig butchering scams work?

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    A pig butchering scam consists of three stages: hunting, raising and killing. These stages correspond to scammers finding victims online, talking with them to build trust and then getting them to invest large amounts of money in fraudulent schemes.

    There are some similarities between a pig butchering scam and a traditional romance scam. Scammers may, as in a traditional scam, approach their victims by posing as a possible romantic partner on a dating app or a friend on social media.

    But the key difference lies in how the scam is executed. In a traditional romance scam, trust is based on the victim’s desire to maintain a romantic relationship with the scammer. Because of this, traditional romance scams can sometimes last for years.

    Pig butchering scams, in comparison, generally take place over a shorter time frame. Rather than focusing on extracting money solely through emotional manipulation, they lean heavily on the victim’s desire to make money together with the scammer. They often involve just a few months of talking with the victim.

    The scammers present themselves as financially successful and confident people with broad networks and attractive investment opportunities. Once a victim makes a small initial investment, scammers rapidly escalate the process and push them into making much larger financial commitments.

    In one example from 2024, a woman in the US state of Connecticut called Jacqueline Crenshaw met a man on an online dating site. He was posing as a widower with two children and frequently spoke with Crenshaw over the phone. Within two months, they began discussing investing in cryptocurrency.

    Crenshaw sent him US$40,000 (£29,500) initially and received screenshots from him showing supposedly huge profits from the cryptocurrency investment. The scammer soon encouraged Crenshaw to invest much more, which ultimately led to her losing nearly US$1 million (£738,000).

    Organised crime groups

    Pig butchering scams are typically run by highly organised criminal groups. These groups have management teams, provide training to new recruits and often hire people as models who occasionally interact with victims.

    The Chinese government has taken several steps to combat fraud in recent years. It enacted the Anti-Telecom Fraud Law in 2022, which was designed specifically to prevent and punish the use of telecommunications and internet technologies to defraud individuals and organisations. It was introduced in response to the growing prevalence of pig butchering scams in China.

    The Chinese Ministry of Public Security has also developed a mobile application called the National Anti-Fraud Center App. The app allows the public to report scams and access real-time risk alerts related to fraud. Alongside the work of other government departments, it has helped intercept 4.7 billion scam calls and 3.4 billion fraudulent text messages since the beginning of 2024.

    The crackdown on fraud within China has made it more difficult for criminal groups to operate domestically, prompting many to relocate their bases abroad. South-east Asian countries – particularly Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar – have become a preferred destination for such groups.

    Regions of northern Myanmar, such as Kokang and Wa State, have become breeding grounds for organised fraud over the past few years. Chinese is widely spoken in both of these areas and local customs closely resemble those in China.

    This has been exacerbated by persistent corruption in border areas, poor governance and instability. The collapse of the illegal online gambling industry in south-east Asia following the pandemic has also led crime groups to search for new sources of revenue. These conditions have together facilitated the proliferation of large-scale fraudulent operations.

    Organised fraud has evolved into a key pillar of the local economy in certain parts of south-east Asia. The profits generated from online scams are estimated to amount to 40% of the combined GDP of Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.

    Criminal leaders have established tightly controlled compounds that serve as hubs for online scams, with their primary activities centred on pig butchering. These compounds are frequently presented as “technology parks”, which helps recruit workers. However, many people are forced to work in the scam centres.

    Pig butchering scams can inflict severe financial harm on victims. But are also closely tied to violent crime, human trafficking and other forms of organised criminal activity. They pose a growing threat to regional and global security.

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

    – ref. ‘Pig butchering’ scams have stolen billions from people around the world. Here’s what you need to know – https://theconversation.com/pig-butchering-scams-have-stolen-billions-from-people-around-the-world-heres-what-you-need-to-know-252774

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Plant theft is often overlooked – that’s why it’s on the rise

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jenni Cauvain, Senior Lecturer in Sociology, Nottingham Trent University

    More than 180 plants were stolen from a well-loved public park in Nottingham called Arboretum in May 2025. This incident took place just days after volunteers had re-planted flowers and shrubs to repair damage from a previous theft in March. In April 2025, the nearby Forest Recreation Ground community garden was also targeted – roses and crops grown by volunteers were stolen, even a pond went missing.

    Plant theft may seem trivial, but environmental and wildlife crime tend to be overlooked. This is precisely one of the reasons why it is on the rise. Research suggests an annual growth rate in environmental crime of 5%-7%, making it the third largest criminal sector in the world.

    Globally, environmental crime has been valued at US$70-213 billion (£52-158 billion) annually. As with most crime, its true scale is difficult to estimate as it remains hidden. This is even more true for environmental crime that goes undetected.

    Plant thefts in Nottingham where I am based are small in comparison, but they tell the same story of lucrative illicit opportunities for criminals where law enforcement and potential sanctions are low. It’s most likely that people steal local plants to sell on for profit.

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    Another reason for overlooking this growing trend in wildlife crime is that perpetrators, as well as much of society, may feel that this is a “victimless crime”. Where plants, animals, watercourses or soil are “the victim”, people don’t feel as strongly because our ethics and value systems generally prioritise fellow humans and do not recognise non-humans as victims.

    People may be more likely to care about mammals such as elephants targeted in illegal ivory trade, but environmental crime permeates every community in the UK, as the recent Nottingham cases indicate.

    Stolen benefits

    As a researcher in environmental sociology, I believe wildlife crime and environmental damage should gain higher priority in terms of public attention, law enforcement and potential sanctions. Not only because of the intrinsic value that non-human nature has in its own right, but because of the value nature brings to us humans.

    Parks and green spaces known as “green infrastructure” are central to our wellbeing in cities. They bring environmental and social benefits in terms of air quality, urban heat island effect, surface flooding, carbon storage, biodiversity and health.

    After the COVID pandemic, the importance of accessing quality green spaces for our mental and physical wellbeing became even more apparent. Visits to parks can reduce loneliness and anxiety, as well as foster a sense of belonging and community.

    This has the potential to benefit the public purse too. Nottingham is currently involved in a national green social prescribing test and learn programme to demonstrate the benefits of nature-based activity.

    Public parks are often also significant in terms of cultural heritage. This is not a new discovery. Historically, public parks were introduced in cities to improve living conditions, quality of life and as educational resources. The Arboretum – the city centre park recently targeted by thieves – was the first such public park to open in Nottingham in 1845.

    When valued green spaces are the victim of crime, this is not a mere aesthetic problem. Wider social and environmental harms are inflicted upon communities and nature that depend on open green spaces to thrive.

    This matters in cities like Nottingham that suffer from high levels of deprivation and poor health outcomes. My own research has shown that while Nottingham is often celebrated for leadership in green initiatives, it suffers from deep-seated social inequality and deprivation that are long-term challenges.

    Social inequality is associated with crime and disorder in urban areas that creates a vicious cycle when the crimes target community assets such as public parks. It is beyond doubt that public parks being ransacked will negatively impact the quality of life in Nottingham.

    It is likely that these crimes get dismissed as a minor nuisance because “only plants” were stolen, but this attitude serves to mask the broader trend of growing environmental crime and the damage this brings to communities. Unfortunately, this will further contribute to the likelihood of such crimes spreading in future.

    Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?

    Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 45,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

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

    – ref. Plant theft is often overlooked – that’s why it’s on the rise – https://theconversation.com/plant-theft-is-often-overlooked-thats-why-its-on-the-rise-259334

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: How soup might soothe symptoms and support recovery from colds and flu – new research

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Sandra Lucas, Senior Lecturer, School of Health Sciences, University of the West of Scotland

    New Africa/Shutterstock

    For generations, chicken soup has been a go-to remedy for people feeling under the weather. It holds a cherished place in many cultures as a comforting treatment for colds and flu. But is there any real science behind the idea that soup can help us recover from respiratory infections?

    Alongside colleagues, I conducted a systematic review to explore this question, which examined the scientific evidence on the role of soup in managing acute respiratory tract infections, such as the common cold, influenza and COVID-19.

    Out of more than 10,000 records, we identified four high-quality studies involving 342 participants. These studies tested a variety of soups, including traditional chicken broth, barley soup and herbal vegetable blends. While still early-stage, the evidence was promising.

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    One study found that people who ate soup recovered up to 2.5 days faster than those who didn’t. Symptoms such as nasal congestion, sore throat and fatigue were milder. Some participants also showed reduced levels of inflammation-related markers: substances in the blood that rise when the immune system is fighting an infection.

    Specifically, levels of IL-6 and TNF-α – two proteins that help trigger inflammation – were lower in those who consumed soup. This suggests that soup may help calm an overactive immune response, potentially making symptoms less severe and recovery more comfortable.

    However, none of the studies examined how consuming soup influenced everyday outcomes of acute respiratory tract infections, such as whether people took fewer days off work or were less likely to end up in hospital. That’s a major gap in the evidence, and one that future research needs to address.

    There are several reasons soup may help. It’s warm, hydrating and typically nutrient-rich. Ingredients like garlic, onion, ginger and leafy greens have anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and immune-supportive properties. The warmth can also help loosen mucus, soothe sore throats and promote overall comfort during illness.

    Not just nourishment

    There’s also a strong cultural and behavioural aspect to food-based self-care: when people use food not just for nourishment, but as an intentional part of managing illness and promoting recovery.

    In many households, food becomes medicine not only because of its ingredients, but because it symbolises care, routine and reassurance.

    My previous research found that parents, in particular often turn to traditional remedies, like soup, as a first line of defence when illness strikes, often well before seeking professional medical advice.

    This reflects a growing interest in home remedies and the importance of culturally familiar treatments: remedies that feel safe, trusted and emotionally resonant because they’re part of a person’s upbringing or community norms. These kinds of treatments can increase confidence and comfort when self-managing illness at home.

    Food-based self-care may become increasingly important as pressure on healthcare systems continues to grow. With rising concerns about antimicrobial resistance, overstretched services, and lingering trauma from global pandemics, simple, evidence-informed home treatments can play a crucial role.

    They help people manage mild illness, reduce unnecessary antibiotic use and avoid placing additional strain on GPs or emergency departments for minor ailments that can be safely treated at home. Even a simple phone message about the common cold – “Most common colds get better in a few days and don’t need treatment from your GP” – has been shown to reduce appointment demand by 21%, highlighting how low-cost, home-based care could ease pressure across the system.

    The Local Government Association (LGA) reports that GPs handle approximately 57 million cases of minor conditions such as coughs and colds annually, costing the NHS over £2 billion a year. It argues that educating people about effective self-care could help save GPs an hour a day on average.

    Soup fits the bill

    So chicken soup is easy to prepare, affordable, safe for most people and widely recognised as a comforting, familiar home remedy for minor illness.

    Still, our review highlighted a clear need for more research. Future studies could examine standardised soup recipes and investigate whether particular combinations of nutrients or herbs work best: does chicken soup have the same effect as barley broth or vegetable potage? Is there a difference if it’s homemade versus canned?

    Just as importantly, future research needs to measure meaningful outcomes: how quickly people return to work or school, how well they sleep during illness, how they rate their comfort and energy levels, for example.

    Soup isn’t a replacement for medicine. But alongside rest, fluids and paracetamol, it might offer a simple way to ease symptoms and help people feel better.

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

    – ref. How soup might soothe symptoms and support recovery from colds and flu – new research – https://theconversation.com/how-soup-might-soothe-symptoms-and-support-recovery-from-colds-and-flu-new-research-260960

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NIST Shares Preliminary Findings From Hurricane Maria Investigation

    Source: US Government research organizations

    NIST Hurricane Maria Program | Technical Update (July 2025)

    The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has released a video update and press release on its study of Hurricane Maria’s impacts on Puerto Rico. 

    Hurricane Maria, which struck Puerto Rico on Sept. 20, 2017, was one of the most devastating and costly hurricanes in U.S. history. The storm caused nearly 3,000 deaths and more than $90 billion in damages. While nature cannot be controlled, communities can reduce the impacts of natural hazards by making their buildings and infrastructure more resilient, upgrading emergency preparedness plans for critical facilities, and strengthening evacuation and communication protocols.

    In 2018, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) launched an investigation into Hurricane Maria’s impacts to learn what went wrong and to take steps to make Americans safer from future hurricanes.

    “Our goal is to learn from that event to recommend improvements to building codes, standards and practices that will make communities more resilient to hurricanes and other hazards, not just in Puerto Rico but across the United States,” said NIST’s lead Hurricane Maria investigator Joseph Main.

    The investigation has been an enormous undertaking. NIST experts have conducted hundreds of surveys and interviews, analyzed dozens of buildings, conducted laboratory experiments, and more. As NIST’s National Construction Safety Team nears the end of its investigation, it has released a video update that highlights significant milestones and preliminary findings.

    What Made Hurricane Maria So Dangerous?

    Hurricane Maria set off a cascade of building and infrastructure failures across Puerto Rico that had lasting impacts on society, including health care, business and education. The storm itself was a Category 4 hurricane, with peak gusts as high as 140 mph over flat terrain, strong enough to topple trees and lift roofs off houses. The wind was even stronger along the ridges of hills and mountains, where power lines and cellphone towers were located. Those lines and towers were damaged or destroyed, knocking out electric, phone and internet service for almost the entire island.

    The steep mountains of Puerto Rico also intensified the rainfall, resulting in extensive flooding and more than 40,000 landslides. This destroyed roads and bridges, blocking routes to hospitals and shelters for those who badly needed them. The hospitals and shelters themselves were heavily damaged by the storm, lifesaving medical equipment was destroyed, and parts of the buildings became uninhabitable. Each of these impacts intensified others. For example, the loss of electricity made it more difficult to move patients and supplies within some hospitals because elevators stopped working.

    Why NIST?

    NIST has a long history of studying disasters and building failures. Under the National Construction Safety Team (NCST) Act, NIST is authorized to establish teams “to assess building performance and emergency response and evacuation procedures in the wake of any building failure that has resulted in substantial loss of life or that posed significant potential of substantial loss of life.”

    Additionally, the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Act gives NIST responsibility for “carrying out research and development to improve model building codes, voluntary standards, and best practices for the design, construction, and retrofit of buildings, structures, and lifelines” with the purpose of achieving “measurable reductions in the losses of life and property from windstorms.”

    Previous NIST investigations have led to building code improvements for tornadoes and fires that can save lives in communities across the country.

    Responding to Hurricane Maria, NIST created a team of experts in structural and civil engineering, public health, epidemiology, medicine, anthropology, communications, sociology and economics. These experts came from NIST, other federal agencies and universities, including outside experts based in Puerto Rico.

    “Having a local presence has been critical in carrying out this work, especially during the pandemic,” said Maria Dillard, investigation associate lead.

    The Investigation So Far

    The investigation is wide-ranging and has included reconnaissance of the island, creation of a detailed map of wind speeds during the hurricane, long-term measurements of wind speeds at cell towers, and wind tunnel tests. The NIST team conducted hundreds of interviews with emergency communicators; family members of the deceased; hospital, school and shelter staff members; shipping and transportation sector representatives; infrastructure officials; and others impacted by the storm. They also surveyed more than 1,500 households, 450 businesses, 300 schools and 16 hospitals for the project.

    Understanding the impact on hospitals and emergency shelters was a high priority for the investigators, who conducted detailed evaluations of five hospitals and five shelter facilities.

    This information went into computer models to understand how the hurricane and the long recovery process unfolded.

    During the course of the investigation, Puerto Rico was buffeted by more disasters, including a series of earthquakes that started in 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Hurricane Fiona in 2022, and Tropical Storm Ernesto in 2024. These events made the recovery from Hurricane Maria more difficult and presented additional challenges for the investigation.

    Importance of NIST’s Hurricane María Investigation

    Preliminary Findings

    The complete report will not be released until 2026, so these findings may change before the report is finalized. However, in the video Main and Dillard share the following major preliminary findings, which they anticipate will be included in the final version.

    While peak wind speeds over flat terrain reached as high as 140 mph (225 kmh), those winds were accelerated to over 200 mph (322 kmh) in some areas by the shape of steep hills and mountains. The mountains also intensified the rainfall. The most extreme rainfall reached 30 inches (76 centimeters) in some areas.

    A major challenge for the investigation was that many weather-measuring devices were damaged during the storm. Only three out of 22 weather stations were fully functional throughout the hurricane. A Doppler weather radar site was destroyed by high winds, and the majority of rain gauges failed during the storm.

    Surveys with family members of those who died in the two weeks following the hurricane showed that only about one-tenth of the deaths occurred on the day of landfall and that only a small fraction of the deaths were caused by storm-related injuries. Reduced access to health care was found to be a significant factor in the deaths that occurred. The most common causes of death were noncommunicable medical conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and kidney disease, as those who suffered from these conditions had difficulty obtaining the medical care they needed.

    Landslides, collapsed bridges and fallen trees blocking roads kept people from getting help. Such road disruptions were estimated to have cut off hospital access for just over half of the population immediately following the hurricane. Many patients sought medical care at multiple places before receiving treatment. After arriving at hospitals, patients encountered additional disruptions in care from hospital buildings that were damaged, flooded and without electrical power.

    The investigation also found that 95.3% of schools lost power, for an average of over 100 days. Lack of potable water was also an issue for school recovery. One school emphasized that students needed to bring their own water because the school’s water was not safe to drink.

    Success Stories

    One important preliminary finding from the study is that emergency preparations work. Businesses, schools and hospitals that prepared before Hurricane Maria were able to resume operations more quickly afterward. Preparations included preestablished emergency plans, designated risk mitigation funds, and backup power sources.

    Preliminary findings also showed that financial assistance was effective. Statistically, businesses, schools and hospitals that received financial assistance were able to recover more quickly than those that did not.

    Anticipated Recommendations

    Through the National Construction Safety Team (NCST) Act, NIST has a responsibility to use investigation findings to create recommendations and help implement them.

    Recommendations from the Hurricane Maria Program are anticipated to result in:

    • New building standards to account for faster winds caused by mountains and hills.
    • New standards for storm shelters and refuge areas.
    • Measures that will help hospitals and other critical facilities maintain services during and after hurricanes, such as requiring standby generators for elevators and air-conditioning.
    • Guidance on recording damage to communications systems in a way that will prioritize recovery.
    • More robust tools for measuring wind, rainfall and flooding.
    • New standards for creating death certificates during an emergency.

    These changes will be important for hurricane-prone regions throughout the U.S., not just Puerto Rico. Hurricane Helene, which carved a destructive path from Florida through North Carolina in 2024, shared many similarities with Hurricane Maria, such as significant rainfall in mountainous areas that led to flooding and landslides; neighborhoods and communities being cut off from road access; massive infrastructure failure; and at least one hospital requiring evacuation.

    By applying the lessons of Hurricane Maria, this investigation can help the increasing number of communities that are experiencing intense hurricanes prepare for, respond to, and recover from them.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: How soup might soothe symptoms and support recovery from colds and flu – new research

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Sandra Lucas, Senior Lecturer, School of Health Sciences, University of the West of Scotland

    New Africa/Shutterstock

    For generations, chicken soup has been a go-to remedy for people feeling under the weather. It holds a cherished place in many cultures as a comforting treatment for colds and flu. But is there any real science behind the idea that soup can help us recover from respiratory infections?

    Alongside colleagues, I conducted a systematic review to explore this question, which examined the scientific evidence on the role of soup in managing acute respiratory tract infections, such as the common cold, influenza and COVID-19.

    Out of more than 10,000 records, we identified four high-quality studies involving 342 participants. These studies tested a variety of soups, including traditional chicken broth, barley soup and herbal vegetable blends. While still early-stage, the evidence was promising.

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

    One study found that people who ate soup recovered up to 2.5 days faster than those who didn’t. Symptoms such as nasal congestion, sore throat and fatigue were milder. Some participants also showed reduced levels of inflammation-related markers: substances in the blood that rise when the immune system is fighting an infection.

    Specifically, levels of IL-6 and TNF-α – two proteins that help trigger inflammation – were lower in those who consumed soup. This suggests that soup may help calm an overactive immune response, potentially making symptoms less severe and recovery more comfortable.

    However, none of the studies examined how consuming soup influenced everyday outcomes of acute respiratory tract infections, such as whether people took fewer days off work or were less likely to end up in hospital. That’s a major gap in the evidence, and one that future research needs to address.

    There are several reasons soup may help. It’s warm, hydrating and typically nutrient-rich. Ingredients like garlic, onion, ginger and leafy greens have anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and immune-supportive properties. The warmth can also help loosen mucus, soothe sore throats and promote overall comfort during illness.

    Not just nourishment

    There’s also a strong cultural and behavioural aspect to food-based self-care: when people use food not just for nourishment, but as an intentional part of managing illness and promoting recovery.

    In many households, food becomes medicine not only because of its ingredients, but because it symbolises care, routine and reassurance.

    My previous research found that parents, in particular often turn to traditional remedies, like soup, as a first line of defence when illness strikes, often well before seeking professional medical advice.

    This reflects a growing interest in home remedies and the importance of culturally familiar treatments: remedies that feel safe, trusted and emotionally resonant because they’re part of a person’s upbringing or community norms. These kinds of treatments can increase confidence and comfort when self-managing illness at home.

    Food-based self-care may become increasingly important as pressure on healthcare systems continues to grow. With rising concerns about antimicrobial resistance, overstretched services, and lingering trauma from global pandemics, simple, evidence-informed home treatments can play a crucial role.

    They help people manage mild illness, reduce unnecessary antibiotic use and avoid placing additional strain on GPs or emergency departments for minor ailments that can be safely treated at home. Even a simple phone message about the common cold – “Most common colds get better in a few days and don’t need treatment from your GP” – has been shown to reduce appointment demand by 21%, highlighting how low-cost, home-based care could ease pressure across the system.

    The Local Government Association (LGA) reports that GPs handle approximately 57 million cases of minor conditions such as coughs and colds annually, costing the NHS over £2 billion a year. It argues that educating people about effective self-care could help save GPs an hour a day on average.

    Soup fits the bill

    So chicken soup is easy to prepare, affordable, safe for most people and widely recognised as a comforting, familiar home remedy for minor illness.

    Still, our review highlighted a clear need for more research. Future studies could examine standardised soup recipes and investigate whether particular combinations of nutrients or herbs work best: does chicken soup have the same effect as barley broth or vegetable potage? Is there a difference if it’s homemade versus canned?

    Just as importantly, future research needs to measure meaningful outcomes: how quickly people return to work or school, how well they sleep during illness, how they rate their comfort and energy levels, for example.

    Soup isn’t a replacement for medicine. But alongside rest, fluids and paracetamol, it might offer a simple way to ease symptoms and help people feel better.

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

    – ref. How soup might soothe symptoms and support recovery from colds and flu – new research – https://theconversation.com/how-soup-might-soothe-symptoms-and-support-recovery-from-colds-and-flu-new-research-260960

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Record MTA Ridership and Performance for 2025

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Kathy Hochul today announced the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is on track to deliver a record-breaking year, following the success of the first six months of 2025. New York City Transit (NYCT), Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) and Metro-North Railroad ridership and on-time performance have all improved in the first half of the year, while customer satisfaction rates are up across all agencies. This comes while the MTA executes a historic capital plan, investing in state-of-good-repair work that will ensure the system continues to run reliably and safely for generations to come. Safety in the subway system continues to improve with overall major crimes dropping by 3.2 percent from the same period last year and by almost 10 percent when compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019.

    “MTA ridership, performance and safety are all improving dramatically in 2025, serving nearly six million New Yorkers every day and keeping New York moving,” Governor Hochul said. “Thanks to the investments we’re making in safer, more reliable and more frequent service, riders are benefitting every day. When transit is thriving, New York is thriving.”

    MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said, “The new MTA is a business-like organization that delivers for customers, and the proof is in the data – soaring ridership, historic levels of on-time performance and major improvements in customer satisfaction.”

    In the past several years, Governor Hochul and the MTA have increased service across the MTA network. In 2023 and 2024, weekend and off-peak weekday service was increased on 12 subway lines, reducing wait times for millions of customers. The opening of Grand Central Madison in 2023 enabled a 41 percent increase in service on the Long Island Rail Road. Bus service has improved across the city: service was increased on 8 express and 15 local routes with high-ridership earlier this year, following the launch of congestion pricing. The Queens Bus Network Redesign, which began its first phase June 29, expands 24-hour service to hundreds of thousands of Queens bus riders and includes a $35 million annual investment in more service for the borough.

    New York City Transit
    In the first half of 2025, performance across New York City Transit was at historic highs. Weekday subway on-time performance in the first six months of 2025 was 83.7 percent, 2.4 percentage points higher than the same time last year and on track for the best non-pandemic year in recorded history. Weekday subway delays are down 11 percent in 2025 compared to 2024, while weekend delays were down 14 percent. Bus service delivery was above 95 percent each month of 2025, and bus speeds have improved over the first half of the year, thanks in part to reduced gridlock following the start of congestion pricing. Across the board, customers are happier. In the biannual customer survey completed this spring, satisfaction for subways rose 8 percent, satisfaction for local buses rose 11 percent, and satisfaction for express buses rose 9 percent compared to the Fall of 2024.

    Ridership has also surged in 2025. The first half of the year has seen record post-pandemic ridership for subways, buses and paratransit. In June, NYCT surpassed 106 million rides, up 10 percent from 2024. 2025 subway ridership is up 8 percent compared to 2024 and 31 percent compared to 2022. Ridership gains have continued, with the first post-pandemic July days to exceed four million subway riders reached on July 9 and 10. Bus ridership has also grown in 2025, with ridership up 12 percent compared to 2024. Bus paid ridership has grown in part following the MTA’s efforts to improve fare compliance through targeted deployments of fare enforcement teams. Combined, buses and subways have carried over 850 million customers in the first half of 2025.

    Paratransit has also continued to see huge ridership and performance gains. In June, Paratransit served 1.3 million Paratransit riders on 904,000 completed trips, both above previous pre-Covid peaks, and delivered an on-time performance rate of 92 percent for the month. Customer satisfaction has remained high with rates staying above 78 percent every month of 2025.

    Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad
    In June, LIRR hit a new post-pandemic high for weekday riders by averaging 266,047 weekday riders. On June 18, LIRR set a new single day post-pandemic ridership record, carrying 287,437 customers. LIRR carried 6.9 million customers in June, representing 89 percent of pre-pandemic ridership — the best June since 2019. Year-to-date ridership on LIRR is up 9 percent compared to 2024 and up 64 percent from 2022. LIRR also achieved the best June non-pandemic On-Time Performance in its history at 95.9 percent, up 1.4 percentage points from 2024.

    On June 18, Metro-North carried nearly 259,000 riders and average weekday ridership for the month of June was 235,450, both new post-pandemic highs. Year-to-date Metro-North ridership is up 6 percent compared to 2024 and up 63 percent compared to 2022. Metro-North delivered an On-Time Performance rate of 98 percent in June, continuing its outstanding start to 2025. In the customer survey completed this spring, Metro-North received a satisfaction rating of 89 percent from customers, an increase of 4 percent from the Fall 2024 survey, while satisfaction among LIRR customers surged 11 percentage points from this time last year.

    New York City Transit President Demetrius Crichlow said, “NYC Transit is working hard to deliver fast, reliable and safe service for riders and that determination is reflected in these historic on-time performance and ridership numbers. We’ll keep up the momentum and build on this success across Subways, Buses and Paratransit as we head into the rest of the year.”

    Long Island Rail Road President Rob Free said, “Not only do riders have more service options than ever before, but we’re getting them where they need to go more reliably with record levels of on-time performance. The big gains we’ve made in customer satisfaction prove that riders are noticing our commitment to great service and we will work even harder to improve the customer experience.”

    Metro-North Railroad President Justin Vonashek said, “Riders are responding to the great service Metro-North is providing by choosing to take the train in record numbers. And we’ll continue to deliver safe and reliable service that they can count on.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: G20’s ability to respond to multilateral tests critical

    Source: Government of South Africa

    The G20 countries’ ability to respond collectively to mounting challenges facing the multilateral system will determine both the speed of global recovery and the future of sustainable development.

    This is according to National Treasury Director-General, Dr Duncan Pieterse, who delivered remarks at the opening session of the G20 Finance Track meetings being held in KwaZulu-Natal this week.

    “The multilateral system is being tested, and our collective ability to respond, will shape the pace of our recovery, but also the prospects for inclusive and sustainable development. 

    “As the G20, we have the responsibility to demonstrate leadership, and our Presidency places a very strong emphasis on strengthening the role of the G20 in delivering concrete solutions, fostering a more stable and effective and resilient international financial architecture, enhancing debt sustainability, addressing liquidity challenges, as well as strengthening multilateral development banks, and ensuring financing for development,” Pieterse said.

    He added that the meetings take place at a time of heightened global economic uncertainty.

    “While there are signs of resilience in some areas, various challenges remain: uneven growth trajectories, elevated debt levels, persistent inflationary pressures, and the complex implications of tightening financial conditions. 

    “At the same time, various long-term transitions including digitalisation, climate finance and demographic shifts are reshaping the foundations of our economies,” the DG noted.

    Finance track meetings

    Pieterse explained that this week, sessions have been dedicated in line with “our commitment to deepen policy dialogue at the Deputies level”.

    “These discussions are instrumental in shaping the outcomes of the Finance Track, and reaffirming our commitment as the Presidency to Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability,” he said.

    On Monday, the sessions kicked off with an update from the Council of Europe Development Bank on its monitoring and reporting framework.

    “[This framework] is a critical tool for tackling the implementation of the G20 MDB roadmap as it enables MDBs to assess how they are working better as a system, enhancing their effectiveness and maximising developmental impact.

    “This will be followed by a pandemic response financing simulation exercise that will be facilitated by the World Bank and the objective of this exercise is to simulate a coordinated pandemic response financing scenario, enabling participants to explore practical mechanisms for mobilising and deploying resources rapidly and effectively during a global health emergency,” he said.

    On Tuesday, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank will give updates on the global sovereign debt roundtable.

    “This discussion is geared towards promoting information exchange between the GSDR and the G20 to enhance the effectiveness of both platforms while respecting the distinct roles. 

    “Significant progress has been made on the GSDR work, including the publication of the GSDR playbook on sovereign debt restructurings during the Spring Meetings in April, and another important milestone that was achieved was the publication of a G20 note on the steps of debt restructuring under the common framework,” Pieterse explained.

    On the same day, the Chairperson of the Africa Expert Panel, led by former Minister of Finance for South Africa, Trevor Manuel, will give an update on the work of the panel. 

    “[This] section will provide Deputies with an overview of the work of the Panel, which…aims to advance Africa’s collective development interest within the G20 Finance Track. We will be getting an update from Minister Manuel on this so that we can ensure that we align African priorities with the global economic reform efforts that we are discussing in the G20,” he said.

    Over the next two days, the delegates will have sessions dedicated to the drafting of a communique.

    “We really want to thank the G20 members for very constructive inputs and engagements thus far, which started last week virtually, and we believe that those engagements have set a very strong foundation for our discussions over the next two days.

    “We are very pleased with the collaborative spirit shown during the virtual discussions, and we believe that we are able to achieve agreement in most of the areas which will enable us to provide the Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors with an opportunity to achieve the first Communique under South Africa’s Presidency,” Pieterse concluded. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Most Pennsylvania voters ignore judicial elections − a political scientist explains why they matter, especially in a battleground state

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Daniel J. Mallinson, Associate Professor of Public Policy and Administration, Penn State

    Three of the seven judges on PA’s state supreme court are up for retention votes in November 2025. AP Photo/Matt Rourke

    This November, there will be no candidate for president, governor, senator or even representative on the Pennsylvania ballot.

    Pennsylvanians will vote, however, on three members of their seven-member state Supreme Court.

    These are retention elections, which means that voters will decide whether to keep the current members of the court or remove them.

    The three seats up for grabs are three of the five Democrats that hold the majority on the court. They are Justices Christine Donohue, Kevin Dougherty and David Wecht.

    While the typical voter may not think much about judicial elections, political operatives and political scientists, like me, know they have consequences.

    I think it’s important that voters understand what a retention election is and why state judicial elections are growing in political importance in the U.S.

    Retention elections

    Federal judges are appointed by the U.S. president, confirmed by the U.S. Senate, and can serve for the rest of their lives. State judges, however, are put in place in a variety of ways.

    The most powerful state courts are the so-called “courts of last resort.” These are essentially the supreme courts of each state. The method for selecting judges in these courts has varied over time and across the states. Currently, states use either gubernatorial appointment, legislative appointment, partisan elections, nonpartisan elections, or a merit process for selecting the judges of their highest courts.

    Pennsylvania has partisan elections, meaning judges run for office attached to political parties, just like a candidate would run for governor or president. However, it is only in their first race for office that a judge runs in a competitive partisan election. After they assume the bench, they participate in retention elections every 10 years. These retention elections are considered nonpartisan, since party labels do not appear on the ballot.

    Essentially, a retention election is an up or down vote. If more than 50% of voters cast a vote in opposition to a sitting judge, that judge will be out of the office at the end of their term. The governor, who is currently Democrat Josh Shapiro, then makes a temporary appointment to fill the seat with a special election held in the next odd year – in this case, 2027. But any appointments would need to be confirmed by the Republican-controlled state Senate, which may not confirm his picks.

    Politicization of the state courts

    Judges win retention elections over 90% of the time. So why should people bother to cast their vote?

    Courts, including state courts, have become highly politicized over the past several decades. A marked increase in politicization occurred for the U.S. Supreme Court after the failed nomination of Robert Bork in the 1980s.

    This politicization has since trickled down to lower federal courts and the states.

    State supreme courts have always made big decisions, but the nationalization of American politics – where national partisan politics drive voter behavior in local elections – has elevated the controversy over state supreme court decisions on issues such as reproductive rights, trans rights, COVID-19 restrictions, environmental protection and more.

    This issue became more acute when courts in battleground states were thrust to the center of adjudicating false claims of election fraud during the 2020 U.S. presidential election. And judges have faced increasing threats, particularly when opposing actions of the Trump administration, as President Donald Trump is prone to calling out specific judges in decisions that he does not like.

    The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has received additional attention, in part due to the outsized role it has played in recent redistricting. In 2018, the court threw out the congressional districts drawn by the General Assembly in 2011 and invited a new plan from the governor and General Assembly. The two came to a political loggerhead, so the Supreme Court ended up using its own map as a replacement.

    In 2022, the state Supreme Court once again took control of redistricting after Pennyslvania’s then-Gov. Tom Wolf vetoed the congressional district map approved by the General Assembly.

    Given the importance of state supreme courts, particularly in federal elections cases in battleground states like Pennsylvania, it is little wonder why their elections are gaining attention.

    The April 2025 Wisconsin Supreme Court race was the most expensive state judicial race in U.S. history, with $100 million in spending, including significant contributions from billionaires Elon Musk and George Soros.

    Former prosecutor Susan Crawford won the highly politicized race for Wisconsin Supreme Court justice in 2025. It was the most expensive state supreme court race in U.S. history.
    Scott Olson via Getty Images

    That was one seat.

    Pennsylvania has three up for grabs in November 2025, with the potential to swing the current Democratic majority.

    And retention elections are politically simple for opponents. As one Republican political consultant told investigative news outlet Spotlight PA: “This is a political consultant’s dream, because your message is just one thing, and that’s ‘No.’”

    This can give some advantage to Republicans in a state that Trump won in 2024 and in a low-turnout election. The question will be whether there is more energy motivating opponents to turn out against the Democratic majority or supporters seeking to maintain the status quo.

    The 2025 retention elections could change the balance of power in the court.
    AP Photo/Aimee Dilger

    The stakes for Pennsylvania in 2025

    Much is at stake for Pennsylvanians in the fall. Republicans see this as their best opportunity to break the firm 5-2 Democratic majority on the court. This would pave the way for very different judicial decisions. Many of the court’s recent election-related rulings were made on narrow 4-3 votes that could swing differently if the composition of the court changes.

    Republicans have had their power in Harrisburg diminished with Shapiro in the governor’s mansion and a one-seat Democratic majority in the state House of Representatives over the past two terms.

    A Republican majority on the court would significantly change the balance of power in Harrisburg.

    But it is important to focus not only on the top court. The state’s two appellate-level courts – one step below the state Supreme Court – also have two important races and two retention votes in November that will decide the judiciary’s relationship with the governor and General Assembly.

    Daniel J. Mallinson 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. Most Pennsylvania voters ignore judicial elections − a political scientist explains why they matter, especially in a battleground state – https://theconversation.com/most-pennsylvania-voters-ignore-judicial-elections-a-political-scientist-explains-why-they-matter-especially-in-a-battleground-state-259775

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Most Pennsylvania voters ignore judicial elections − a political scientist explains why they matter, especially in a battleground state

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Daniel J. Mallinson, Associate Professor of Public Policy and Administration, Penn State

    Three of the seven judges on PA’s state supreme court are up for retention votes in November 2025. AP Photo/Matt Rourke

    This November, there will be no candidate for president, governor, senator or even representative on the Pennsylvania ballot.

    Pennsylvanians will vote, however, on three members of their seven-member state Supreme Court.

    These are retention elections, which means that voters will decide whether to keep the current members of the court or remove them.

    The three seats up for grabs are three of the five Democrats that hold the majority on the court. They are Justices Christine Donohue, Kevin Dougherty and David Wecht.

    While the typical voter may not think much about judicial elections, political operatives and political scientists, like me, know they have consequences.

    I think it’s important that voters understand what a retention election is and why state judicial elections are growing in political importance in the U.S.

    Retention elections

    Federal judges are appointed by the U.S. president, confirmed by the U.S. Senate, and can serve for the rest of their lives. State judges, however, are put in place in a variety of ways.

    The most powerful state courts are the so-called “courts of last resort.” These are essentially the supreme courts of each state. The method for selecting judges in these courts has varied over time and across the states. Currently, states use either gubernatorial appointment, legislative appointment, partisan elections, nonpartisan elections, or a merit process for selecting the judges of their highest courts.

    Pennsylvania has partisan elections, meaning judges run for office attached to political parties, just like a candidate would run for governor or president. However, it is only in their first race for office that a judge runs in a competitive partisan election. After they assume the bench, they participate in retention elections every 10 years. These retention elections are considered nonpartisan, since party labels do not appear on the ballot.

    Essentially, a retention election is an up or down vote. If more than 50% of voters cast a vote in opposition to a sitting judge, that judge will be out of the office at the end of their term. The governor, who is currently Democrat Josh Shapiro, then makes a temporary appointment to fill the seat with a special election held in the next odd year – in this case, 2027. But any appointments would need to be confirmed by the Republican-controlled state Senate, which may not confirm his picks.

    Politicization of the state courts

    Judges win retention elections over 90% of the time. So why should people bother to cast their vote?

    Courts, including state courts, have become highly politicized over the past several decades. A marked increase in politicization occurred for the U.S. Supreme Court after the failed nomination of Robert Bork in the 1980s.

    This politicization has since trickled down to lower federal courts and the states.

    State supreme courts have always made big decisions, but the nationalization of American politics – where national partisan politics drive voter behavior in local elections – has elevated the controversy over state supreme court decisions on issues such as reproductive rights, trans rights, COVID-19 restrictions, environmental protection and more.

    This issue became more acute when courts in battleground states were thrust to the center of adjudicating false claims of election fraud during the 2020 U.S. presidential election. And judges have faced increasing threats, particularly when opposing actions of the Trump administration, as President Donald Trump is prone to calling out specific judges in decisions that he does not like.

    The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has received additional attention, in part due to the outsized role it has played in recent redistricting. In 2018, the court threw out the congressional districts drawn by the General Assembly in 2011 and invited a new plan from the governor and General Assembly. The two came to a political loggerhead, so the Supreme Court ended up using its own map as a replacement.

    In 2022, the state Supreme Court once again took control of redistricting after Pennyslvania’s then-Gov. Tom Wolf vetoed the congressional district map approved by the General Assembly.

    Given the importance of state supreme courts, particularly in federal elections cases in battleground states like Pennsylvania, it is little wonder why their elections are gaining attention.

    The April 2025 Wisconsin Supreme Court race was the most expensive state judicial race in U.S. history, with $100 million in spending, including significant contributions from billionaires Elon Musk and George Soros.

    Former prosecutor Susan Crawford won the highly politicized race for Wisconsin Supreme Court justice in 2025. It was the most expensive state supreme court race in U.S. history.
    Scott Olson via Getty Images

    That was one seat.

    Pennsylvania has three up for grabs in November 2025, with the potential to swing the current Democratic majority.

    And retention elections are politically simple for opponents. As one Republican political consultant told investigative news outlet Spotlight PA: “This is a political consultant’s dream, because your message is just one thing, and that’s ‘No.’”

    This can give some advantage to Republicans in a state that Trump won in 2024 and in a low-turnout election. The question will be whether there is more energy motivating opponents to turn out against the Democratic majority or supporters seeking to maintain the status quo.

    The 2025 retention elections could change the balance of power in the court.
    AP Photo/Aimee Dilger

    The stakes for Pennsylvania in 2025

    Much is at stake for Pennsylvanians in the fall. Republicans see this as their best opportunity to break the firm 5-2 Democratic majority on the court. This would pave the way for very different judicial decisions. Many of the court’s recent election-related rulings were made on narrow 4-3 votes that could swing differently if the composition of the court changes.

    Republicans have had their power in Harrisburg diminished with Shapiro in the governor’s mansion and a one-seat Democratic majority in the state House of Representatives over the past two terms.

    A Republican majority on the court would significantly change the balance of power in Harrisburg.

    But it is important to focus not only on the top court. The state’s two appellate-level courts – one step below the state Supreme Court – also have two important races and two retention votes in November that will decide the judiciary’s relationship with the governor and General Assembly.

    Daniel J. Mallinson 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. Most Pennsylvania voters ignore judicial elections − a political scientist explains why they matter, especially in a battleground state – https://theconversation.com/most-pennsylvania-voters-ignore-judicial-elections-a-political-scientist-explains-why-they-matter-especially-in-a-battleground-state-259775

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Most Pennsylvania voters ignore judicial elections − a political scientist explains why they matter, especially in a battleground state

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Daniel J. Mallinson, Associate Professor of Public Policy and Administration, Penn State

    Three of the seven judges on PA’s state supreme court are up for retention votes in November 2025. AP Photo/Matt Rourke

    This November, there will be no candidate for president, governor, senator or even representative on the Pennsylvania ballot.

    Pennsylvanians will vote, however, on three members of their seven-member state Supreme Court.

    These are retention elections, which means that voters will decide whether to keep the current members of the court or remove them.

    The three seats up for grabs are three of the five Democrats that hold the majority on the court. They are Justices Christine Donohue, Kevin Dougherty and David Wecht.

    While the typical voter may not think much about judicial elections, political operatives and political scientists, like me, know they have consequences.

    I think it’s important that voters understand what a retention election is and why state judicial elections are growing in political importance in the U.S.

    Retention elections

    Federal judges are appointed by the U.S. president, confirmed by the U.S. Senate, and can serve for the rest of their lives. State judges, however, are put in place in a variety of ways.

    The most powerful state courts are the so-called “courts of last resort.” These are essentially the supreme courts of each state. The method for selecting judges in these courts has varied over time and across the states. Currently, states use either gubernatorial appointment, legislative appointment, partisan elections, nonpartisan elections, or a merit process for selecting the judges of their highest courts.

    Pennsylvania has partisan elections, meaning judges run for office attached to political parties, just like a candidate would run for governor or president. However, it is only in their first race for office that a judge runs in a competitive partisan election. After they assume the bench, they participate in retention elections every 10 years. These retention elections are considered nonpartisan, since party labels do not appear on the ballot.

    Essentially, a retention election is an up or down vote. If more than 50% of voters cast a vote in opposition to a sitting judge, that judge will be out of the office at the end of their term. The governor, who is currently Democrat Josh Shapiro, then makes a temporary appointment to fill the seat with a special election held in the next odd year – in this case, 2027. But any appointments would need to be confirmed by the Republican-controlled state Senate, which may not confirm his picks.

    Politicization of the state courts

    Judges win retention elections over 90% of the time. So why should people bother to cast their vote?

    Courts, including state courts, have become highly politicized over the past several decades. A marked increase in politicization occurred for the U.S. Supreme Court after the failed nomination of Robert Bork in the 1980s.

    This politicization has since trickled down to lower federal courts and the states.

    State supreme courts have always made big decisions, but the nationalization of American politics – where national partisan politics drive voter behavior in local elections – has elevated the controversy over state supreme court decisions on issues such as reproductive rights, trans rights, COVID-19 restrictions, environmental protection and more.

    This issue became more acute when courts in battleground states were thrust to the center of adjudicating false claims of election fraud during the 2020 U.S. presidential election. And judges have faced increasing threats, particularly when opposing actions of the Trump administration, as President Donald Trump is prone to calling out specific judges in decisions that he does not like.

    The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has received additional attention, in part due to the outsized role it has played in recent redistricting. In 2018, the court threw out the congressional districts drawn by the General Assembly in 2011 and invited a new plan from the governor and General Assembly. The two came to a political loggerhead, so the Supreme Court ended up using its own map as a replacement.

    In 2022, the state Supreme Court once again took control of redistricting after Pennyslvania’s then-Gov. Tom Wolf vetoed the congressional district map approved by the General Assembly.

    Given the importance of state supreme courts, particularly in federal elections cases in battleground states like Pennsylvania, it is little wonder why their elections are gaining attention.

    The April 2025 Wisconsin Supreme Court race was the most expensive state judicial race in U.S. history, with $100 million in spending, including significant contributions from billionaires Elon Musk and George Soros.

    Former prosecutor Susan Crawford won the highly politicized race for Wisconsin Supreme Court justice in 2025. It was the most expensive state supreme court race in U.S. history.
    Scott Olson via Getty Images

    That was one seat.

    Pennsylvania has three up for grabs in November 2025, with the potential to swing the current Democratic majority.

    And retention elections are politically simple for opponents. As one Republican political consultant told investigative news outlet Spotlight PA: “This is a political consultant’s dream, because your message is just one thing, and that’s ‘No.’”

    This can give some advantage to Republicans in a state that Trump won in 2024 and in a low-turnout election. The question will be whether there is more energy motivating opponents to turn out against the Democratic majority or supporters seeking to maintain the status quo.

    The 2025 retention elections could change the balance of power in the court.
    AP Photo/Aimee Dilger

    The stakes for Pennsylvania in 2025

    Much is at stake for Pennsylvanians in the fall. Republicans see this as their best opportunity to break the firm 5-2 Democratic majority on the court. This would pave the way for very different judicial decisions. Many of the court’s recent election-related rulings were made on narrow 4-3 votes that could swing differently if the composition of the court changes.

    Republicans have had their power in Harrisburg diminished with Shapiro in the governor’s mansion and a one-seat Democratic majority in the state House of Representatives over the past two terms.

    A Republican majority on the court would significantly change the balance of power in Harrisburg.

    But it is important to focus not only on the top court. The state’s two appellate-level courts – one step below the state Supreme Court – also have two important races and two retention votes in November that will decide the judiciary’s relationship with the governor and General Assembly.

    Daniel J. Mallinson 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. Most Pennsylvania voters ignore judicial elections − a political scientist explains why they matter, especially in a battleground state – https://theconversation.com/most-pennsylvania-voters-ignore-judicial-elections-a-political-scientist-explains-why-they-matter-especially-in-a-battleground-state-259775

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Most Pennsylvania voters ignore judicial elections − a political scientist explains why they matter, especially in a battleground state

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Daniel J. Mallinson, Associate Professor of Public Policy and Administration, Penn State

    Three of the seven judges on PA’s state supreme court are up for retention votes in November 2025. AP Photo/Matt Rourke

    This November, there will be no candidate for president, governor, senator or even representative on the Pennsylvania ballot.

    Pennsylvanians will vote, however, on three members of their seven-member state Supreme Court.

    These are retention elections, which means that voters will decide whether to keep the current members of the court or remove them.

    The three seats up for grabs are three of the five Democrats that hold the majority on the court. They are Justices Christine Donohue, Kevin Dougherty and David Wecht.

    While the typical voter may not think much about judicial elections, political operatives and political scientists, like me, know they have consequences.

    I think it’s important that voters understand what a retention election is and why state judicial elections are growing in political importance in the U.S.

    Retention elections

    Federal judges are appointed by the U.S. president, confirmed by the U.S. Senate, and can serve for the rest of their lives. State judges, however, are put in place in a variety of ways.

    The most powerful state courts are the so-called “courts of last resort.” These are essentially the supreme courts of each state. The method for selecting judges in these courts has varied over time and across the states. Currently, states use either gubernatorial appointment, legislative appointment, partisan elections, nonpartisan elections, or a merit process for selecting the judges of their highest courts.

    Pennsylvania has partisan elections, meaning judges run for office attached to political parties, just like a candidate would run for governor or president. However, it is only in their first race for office that a judge runs in a competitive partisan election. After they assume the bench, they participate in retention elections every 10 years. These retention elections are considered nonpartisan, since party labels do not appear on the ballot.

    Essentially, a retention election is an up or down vote. If more than 50% of voters cast a vote in opposition to a sitting judge, that judge will be out of the office at the end of their term. The governor, who is currently Democrat Josh Shapiro, then makes a temporary appointment to fill the seat with a special election held in the next odd year – in this case, 2027. But any appointments would need to be confirmed by the Republican-controlled state Senate, which may not confirm his picks.

    Politicization of the state courts

    Judges win retention elections over 90% of the time. So why should people bother to cast their vote?

    Courts, including state courts, have become highly politicized over the past several decades. A marked increase in politicization occurred for the U.S. Supreme Court after the failed nomination of Robert Bork in the 1980s.

    This politicization has since trickled down to lower federal courts and the states.

    State supreme courts have always made big decisions, but the nationalization of American politics – where national partisan politics drive voter behavior in local elections – has elevated the controversy over state supreme court decisions on issues such as reproductive rights, trans rights, COVID-19 restrictions, environmental protection and more.

    This issue became more acute when courts in battleground states were thrust to the center of adjudicating false claims of election fraud during the 2020 U.S. presidential election. And judges have faced increasing threats, particularly when opposing actions of the Trump administration, as President Donald Trump is prone to calling out specific judges in decisions that he does not like.

    The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has received additional attention, in part due to the outsized role it has played in recent redistricting. In 2018, the court threw out the congressional districts drawn by the General Assembly in 2011 and invited a new plan from the governor and General Assembly. The two came to a political loggerhead, so the Supreme Court ended up using its own map as a replacement.

    In 2022, the state Supreme Court once again took control of redistricting after Pennyslvania’s then-Gov. Tom Wolf vetoed the congressional district map approved by the General Assembly.

    Given the importance of state supreme courts, particularly in federal elections cases in battleground states like Pennsylvania, it is little wonder why their elections are gaining attention.

    The April 2025 Wisconsin Supreme Court race was the most expensive state judicial race in U.S. history, with $100 million in spending, including significant contributions from billionaires Elon Musk and George Soros.

    Former prosecutor Susan Crawford won the highly politicized race for Wisconsin Supreme Court justice in 2025. It was the most expensive state supreme court race in U.S. history.
    Scott Olson via Getty Images

    That was one seat.

    Pennsylvania has three up for grabs in November 2025, with the potential to swing the current Democratic majority.

    And retention elections are politically simple for opponents. As one Republican political consultant told investigative news outlet Spotlight PA: “This is a political consultant’s dream, because your message is just one thing, and that’s ‘No.’”

    This can give some advantage to Republicans in a state that Trump won in 2024 and in a low-turnout election. The question will be whether there is more energy motivating opponents to turn out against the Democratic majority or supporters seeking to maintain the status quo.

    The 2025 retention elections could change the balance of power in the court.
    AP Photo/Aimee Dilger

    The stakes for Pennsylvania in 2025

    Much is at stake for Pennsylvanians in the fall. Republicans see this as their best opportunity to break the firm 5-2 Democratic majority on the court. This would pave the way for very different judicial decisions. Many of the court’s recent election-related rulings were made on narrow 4-3 votes that could swing differently if the composition of the court changes.

    Republicans have had their power in Harrisburg diminished with Shapiro in the governor’s mansion and a one-seat Democratic majority in the state House of Representatives over the past two terms.

    A Republican majority on the court would significantly change the balance of power in Harrisburg.

    But it is important to focus not only on the top court. The state’s two appellate-level courts – one step below the state Supreme Court – also have two important races and two retention votes in November that will decide the judiciary’s relationship with the governor and General Assembly.

    Daniel J. Mallinson 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. Most Pennsylvania voters ignore judicial elections − a political scientist explains why they matter, especially in a battleground state – https://theconversation.com/most-pennsylvania-voters-ignore-judicial-elections-a-political-scientist-explains-why-they-matter-especially-in-a-battleground-state-259775

    MIL OSI Analysis –