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Category: Politics

  • MIL-OSI Global: Kenya’s whistleblowers are key to fighting corruption: how a new law could protect them

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Gedion Onyango, Research Fellow, Firoz Lalji Institute for Africa, London School of Economics and Political Science

    Kenya has published a draft bill outlining protections for whistleblowers. Long in the making, the Whistleblower Protection Bill 2024 could help to encourage disclosures in a country where 86% of the respondents to a 2023 survey feared what might happen to them if they reported corruption cases. Gedion Onyango, who researches public accountability reforms, anti-corruption and whistleblowing reforms, sets out what protections are needed and how to change public mindsets.

    What is whistleblowing?

    Whistleblowing is disclosing information about behaviour or misconduct that could harm the public interest – the overall welfare of a society.

    Whistleblowing is primarily associated with disclosing corruption in state institutions. Because the private sector has become a partner in public service and national development processes, emerging laws like Kenya’s whistleblower protection bill and existing ones like Botswana’s Whistleblower Protection Act 2016 have been designed also to expose activities of companies and institutions that directly affect public affairs.

    Several key conditions must be met for whistleblowing to be effective.



    Read more:
    Corruption in South Africa: would paying whistleblowers help?

    Firstly, the society needs to broadly agree on what misconduct is. People should feel obliged to flag and address wrongdoing, and know what is expected when such information is disclosed. Essentially, the disclosure must be made in good faith.

    Secondly, there must be an authority that is expected to and is willing to take action after receiving such information.

    Thirdly, clear procedures or legal processes should be in place for receiving the information and determining the truth.

    The person disclosing the information must find it easy to report, besides having sufficient evidence to support their claims. A thoroughly bureaucratic way of receiving information about wrongdoing is more likely to intimidate and discourage potential whistleblowers.

    Fourthly, a system should be in place to reward individuals who disclose wrongdoing. This could involve recognising their contribution to society or providing financial incentives, often a percentage of money recovered in cases of corruption and asset recovery. Not all countries have this provision. But having such a reward is not always enough. This has been shown in Nigeria, where whistleblowing is declining despite the reward of 5% of recovered funds.

    Finally, there needs to be trust in the authority and the process for it to work.

    Why the focus on whistleblowers?

    Whistleblowers are important sources of information about misconduct, dishonesty and unethical behaviour that would otherwise remain concealed from the public. They are critical in promoting human rights, fighting corruption and addressing governance misconduct and inequalities.

    Many infamous scandals around the world have been brought to light by individuals who disclosed the wrongdoing. These include Kenya’s Anglo Leasing scandal.

    Whistleblowing is essential to ethical public leadership. It is no accident that many developing countries are now enacting laws to encourage and protect whistleblowers. With new laws in Kenya, whistleblowers would no longer have to primarily defend themselves against non-disclosure clauses that outlaw disclosures of a potential wrongdoing. Whistleblowers have previously been targeted by public organisations for releasing information in an unprocedural manner.

    You want to blow the whistle. What next?

    Potential whistleblowers can use internal or external mechanisms to disclose wrongdoing. The choice of mechanism will depend on the whistleblower’s confidence or history with these mechanisms.

    Studies have shown that internal whistleblowing is less desirable, and most whistleblowers prefer anonymous external whistleblowing channels that could prompt an investigation by an authority.



    Read more:
    South Africa’s corporate whistleblowers don’t get enough protection: what needs to change

    What protections should whistleblowers expect?

    Effective whistleblower protection mechanisms include protecting the identities of whistleblowers until the responsible authority has checked that there was wrongdoing.

    Whistleblowers should be protected from retaliation or harm, including social victimisation, physical attacks and disciplinary actions.

    The law should ensure that an insider whistleblower, such as an employee, is protected from being intimidated, disciplined or removed from their position. This should be for a long enough time (for example, at least five years), even if the case ultimately collapses, as often happens.

    In other words, the person should be protected from any loss, including damages that would affect their mental health or their job. This is typical of legislation globally.

    In today’s age of social media, the laws against defamation should be applied strictly to guard against online harassment.

    What would a forward-looking whistleblower policy look like?

    It’s important that whistleblower protection policies are understood and accepted by everyone. The process should start with extensive consultation. It should involve authorities such as religious groups, traditional leaders and government administrators at the lowest levels.

    Including whistleblowing in the country’s school, college and professional curriculum would increase awareness and improve social acceptance.

    It’s often the case that whistleblowers are seen as betrayers or snitches rather than as courageous defenders of public interest and ethical members of society. The reward system for whistleblowers should be included in prestigious national honours such as the Presidential Award.

    Gedion Onyango receives funding from ESRC. He is also affiliated with Afrobarometer East Africa

    – ref. Kenya’s whistleblowers are key to fighting corruption: how a new law could protect them – https://theconversation.com/kenyas-whistleblowers-are-key-to-fighting-corruption-how-a-new-law-could-protect-them-239647

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    September 29, 2024

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Government of Canada advances 2SLGBTQI+ inclusion in Ontario with funding for Rainbow Community Places

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    News release

    Today, the Honourable Marci Ien, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth, announced $147,000 for Rainbow Community Places, a 2SLGBTQI+ organization based in Scarborough, Ontario.

    September 25, 2024 – Scarborough, Ontario — Women and Gender Equality Canada

    Equality depends on all people having the opportunity to participate fully in Canada’s economic, social, and political life. Removing systemic barriers with respect to sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression through the inclusion of 2SLGBTQI+ communities will ensure a better future for all Canadians.

    Today, the Honourable Marci Ien, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth, announced $147,000 for Rainbow Community Places, a 2SLGBTQI+ organization based in Scarborough, Ontario.

    This funding will enable Rainbow Community Places to improve their organizational governance, develop a donation system, and craft a sustainability plan to increase financial stability. The organization will also develop strategies to attract volunteers, build partnerships through outreach, and develop an advocacy strategy.

    Through the Federal 2SLGBTQI+ Action Plan, the Government of Canada continues to advance rights and equality for 2SLGBTQI+ communities. This work will continue to be guided by collaboration directly with community partners, whose work and lived experiences help address inequities experienced by 2SLGBTQI+ people.

    Quotes

    “Amidst a rise in hate, the federal government stands shoulder to shoulder with Canada’s 2SLGBTQI+ communities. In order to assist these communities, we are investing in the vital community organizations that serve them, like Rainbow Community Places in Scarborough. At the end of the day, it is organizations like this that are on the front lines of ensuring that 2SLGBTQI+ communities can thrive and grow, building a more vibrant and inclusive country for everyone.”

    The Honourable Marci Ien, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth

    “Working with grassroots organizations, led by 2SLGBTQI+ communities, is how we will create and sustain safe and vibrant communities here in Scarborough. Supporting the commendable work of these organizations brings us one step closer to the diverse, inclusive vision of the Federal 2SLGBTQI+ Action Plan.”

    The Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence and Member of Parliament for Scarborough Southwest

    “The support of the community capacity funding from Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE) has been key to enabling Rainbow Community Places to move forward with building the organizational infrastructure needed to put it on the path to effective governance and financial sustainability. In these troubled times, we are seeing a rapid rise in violence and hate crimes based on sexual orientation, leaving 2SLGBTQI+ communities feeling isolated and under attack. In response, Rainbow Community Places is seeking to offer a welcoming place of belonging and support to 2SLGBTQI+ community members through the Toby’s Place youth and Dorothy’s Place seniors’ drop-in programs. The WAGE funding over a 28-month period is providing a solid financial base for our organization’s growth and development, and we greatly appreciate this federal government support.”

    Julian Monro, Executive Director, Rainbow Community Places

    Quick facts

    • The Government of Canada has invested over $250 million to advance rights and improve equality for 2SLGBTQI+ communities over the past eight years. As part of this total, $100 million over five years (2022–27) has been committed directly to the Federal 2SLGBTQI+ Action Plan.

    • Among the Canadian population aged 15 years and older, 1.3 million people reported being part of the 2SLGBTQI+ population. Of this group, 10.5% were between the ages of 15 and 24. Of that 10.5%, 1% identified as transgender or non-binary.

    • Among those aged 15 years and older, 3 in 10 (29.7%) 2SLGBTQ+ people reported their mental health to be fair or poor, compared with fewer than 1 in 10 non-2SLGBTQ+ individuals (9.1%).

    Associated links

    Contacts

    Carolyn Svonkin
    Director of Communications
    Office of the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth
    Carolyn.Svonkin@fegc-wage.gc.ca

    Media Relations  
    Women and Gender Equality Canada  
    819-420-6530  
    FEGC.Media.WAGE@fegc-wage.gc.ca

    Follow Women and Gender Equality Canada:  

    MIL OSI Canada News –

    September 29, 2024

  • MIL-OSI Global: South African women face exclusion from society due to gender-based violence – how they’re fighting back

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Amanda Gouws, Professor of Political Science and Chair of the South African Research Initiative in Gender Politics, Stellenbosch University

    When South Africa became a democracy in 1994, a primary goal was to grant citizenship rights to all its people, in particular, to give the majority black South Africans rights they had been denied during colonialism and apartheid. This included the right to vote.

    Apartheid segregated the population into ethnic groups. All but people classified as white were stripped of their rights. The 1996 constitution conferred upon citizens civil liberties such as the right to vote, movement, association and free speech as well as substantive rights such as access to land, health, education and employment.

    But, as I argue in the Palgrave Handbook of Gender and Citizenship, full citizenship is about more than a legal status that grants rights. Full citizenship also means being able to fully participate in a society.

    Based on my research into South African politics and gender politics over the past three decades I argue in a recent chapter that women in South Africa don’t enjoy full citizenship because they face endemic gender-based violence.

    Sexual violence against women has become normalised in South Africa. Everyday spaces are filled with violence, as indicated by the South African Police Service’s quarterly crime statistics.

    I conclude in the book chapter that people who feel excluded turn to protest to claim their rights as citizens. In doing so they become activist citizens.

    Acts of citizenship can occur in many different places – on streets, in courts, at borders, or even through media. They can happen on different scales, from local community action to international movements. These acts may involve protests, organising campaigns, or using digital media to spread awareness. People engaging in these acts might demand a wide range of rights, including political, social, sexual, ecological, or cultural rights.



    Read more:
    Gender apartheid: oppression of women should be made a crime against humanity – feminist academic explains why

    While legal frameworks to enhance citizenship have changed over the past 30 years in South Africa, deep-seated inequalities and exclusions persist. Law reform cannot address high levels of unemployment (that need to be rectified through economic growth), neither can it address poverty that is endemic because of the legacies of apartheid, such as the exclusion from decent education and health care.

    Acts of citizenship – whether through protest (such as service delivery protest), art, or everyday actions – continue to play a crucial role in expanding the boundaries of who is considered a citizen and what rights citizens can claim.

    By understanding citizenship as something that is actively performed and claimed, rather than simply granted, society can better appreciate the ongoing struggles for equality and recognition.

    Acts of citizenship

    Emotions play a significant role in these citizenship actions, a concept known as “affective citizenship”. Expressions of fear, happiness, loneliness, anger, or grief can all be part of how people assert their rights and demand recognition. These emotional displays can be disruptive or more conventional, but they all focus on exclusions from citizenship.

    Some acts of citizenship involve a “politics of refusal” – rejecting unfair conditions or norms. This refusal can expose hidden issues within citizenship, such as specific forms of gendered violence or discrimination. By disrupting “business as usual”, these acts force society to confront uncomfortable truths.

    It’s important to note that acts of citizenship aren’t always large-scale or dramatic. They can also involve everyday actions that challenge norms or assert rights in smaller ways. What matters is that these acts transform the actors from passive subjects into active citizens claiming their rights.

    Examples include the #EndRapeCulture campaign of 2016, when women protested against pervasive sexual violence on university campuses. At the same time, transgender students also protested against marginalisation.

    Both groups of students used naked protests to show their refusal to be treated as though they were not citizens. Through their campaign, the students rejected behaviour and attitudes that normalise sexual violence on campuses.

    Women students disrupted public spaces by protesting topless or in their underwear, sometimes brandishing sjamboks (plastic whips). These actions expressed anger at university authorities’ failure to address sexual violence. The activists were refusing to be treated as though they were not citizens.

    By using their bodies in these acts of citizenship the protesters made visible the rage many South African women feel about sexual violence committed with seeming impunity. They highlighted how women’s bodies are vulnerable to violence due to neglect by authorities in implementing their own laws, such as the Sexual Offences Act and the Domestic Violence Act.



    Read more:
    Victory for women’s rights in Ghana as affirmative action law is passed – what must happen next

    For its part the Trans Collective, a group of transgender students at the University of Cape Town, used a provocative art intervention to highlight the erasure or the making invisible of transgender experiences within the broader student movement during the same 2016 period.

    They smeared red paint on photographs at an exhibit about student activism and used their naked, paint-covered bodies to block the entrance of the art gallery at the university to force visitors to confront the physical reality of how transgender rights are often “trampled” or ignored, even within progressive movements.

    Impact

    Acts of citizenship – whether through naked protests, art interventions, or other forms of activism – serve multiple purposes:

    • They make visible groups and issues that are overlooked or deliberately ignored.

    • They challenge conventional understandings of how citizens should behave or what citizenship looks like.

    • They create new spaces for political action and discourse.

    • They force society and authorities to confront uncomfortable truths about exclusion and violence.

    • They assert the agency of marginalised groups in defining and claiming their rights.

    Amanda Gouws receives funding from the NRF through her SARChI Chair in Gender Politics.

    – ref. South African women face exclusion from society due to gender-based violence – how they’re fighting back – https://theconversation.com/south-african-women-face-exclusion-from-society-due-to-gender-based-violence-how-theyre-fighting-back-237493

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    September 29, 2024

  • MIL-OSI Translation: The Government of Canada invests nearly $4 million in the quantum sector by supporting Calcul Québec and Anyon Systèmes

    MIL OSI Translation. Canadian French to English –

    Source: Government of Canada – in French

    The two organizations receive financial assistance totaling $3,997,500 from DEC.

    The two organizations receive financial assistance totaling $3,997,500 from DEC.

    Montreal (Quebec), September 25, 2024 – Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (DEC)

    Supporting the development, adoption and commercialization of quantum technologies helps position Quebec organizations in this emerging field, while strengthening Canada’s global leadership. This is why the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Canada’s Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, announced today, on behalf of the Honourable Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Minister of Tourism and Minister responsible for CED, a non-repayable contribution of $3,500,000 to Calcul Québec and a repayable contribution of $497,500 to Anyon Systèmes.

    Calcul Québec is a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide cutting-edge computational computing infrastructure for academic and scientific research and businesses. Its computing servers, also called supercomputers, are shared by thousands of researchers, mainly in Quebec, but also in Canada. MonarQ, its quantum computer designed by Anyon Systèmes, is located at the École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS) in a room dedicated to advanced computing, a site that already hosts one of the most powerful supercomputers in the country. Calcul Québec’s project aims to increase MonarQ’s computing power from 12 to 24 qubits and thus better meet the technology transfer needs of businesses.

    Anyon Systèmes is a Montreal-based company that develops turnkey quantum computing products such as integrated quantum computers, electronic controllers and cryogenic systems. CED’s support will enable it to continue its growth and commercialize the technologies resulting from its research and development, including the manufacture of a demonstrator and participation in trade shows.

    To support Canada’s quantum sector and solidify the country’s position as a leader in this growing field, the Government of Canada has implemented the National Quantum Strategy. It aims to help Canadian companies adopt quantum technologies so that they can position themselves in this emerging field and generate economic benefits for the entire community.

    Quotes

    “Quantum research and computing push the boundaries of technology and are the cornerstone of innovation. These powerful, high-performance computing tools will solve problems, drive unprecedented economic growth, transform industries, and address our society’s most significant challenges, from climate change to healthcare. Today’s quantum technology is enabling a more resilient, prosperous, and equitable future.”

    The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Member of Parliament for Saint-Maurice–Champlain, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry of Canada

    “Quebec and Canada are taking their place in the economy of the future, and our government is there to support them. The arrival of MonarQ will allow the academic and scientific community and businesses to have access to the quantum technologies needed for research in fields as diverse as energy, transportation, pharmaceuticals and materials. By supporting innovation in this way, we are ensuring that Quebec SMEs and organizations are well positioned and strengthening our global leadership in this field. Congratulations to Calcul Québec, Anyon Systèmes and ÉTS for this achievement!”

    The Honourable Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Member of Parliament for Hochelaga, Minister of Tourism and Minister responsible for DEC

    “Integrating the computing power of a quantum computer into Calcul Québec’s service offering will provide the research and innovation community with a unique opportunity to develop and test new quantum and hybrid algorithms. This will be done while ensuring that all intellectual property generated remains the property of Quebec and Canadian institutions. MonarQ will also enable Calcul Québec, in collaboration with research teams, to develop essential techniques to ensure seamless interoperability between classical and quantum computers. This new infrastructure, with its national and international impact, will promote the development of free software, thereby strengthening accessibility and innovation in the field.”

    Suzanne Talon, General Manager, Calcul Québec

    “The installation of the MonarQ superconducting quantum computer in Calcul Québec’s advanced computing room allows Anyon Systèmes to take an important step in its development of quantum computing solutions. We are proud to be able to offer researchers and industrial users a quantum solution entirely designed and developed in Canada.”

    Alireza Najafi-Yazdi, Managing Director, Anyon Systems

    Quick Facts

    The funding was provided under CED’s Support for Regional Quantum Innovation, which stems from the Government of Canada’s National Quantum Strategy. This support has a budget of $23.3 million that will allow for strategic investments until 2028 to help SMEs and NPOs adopt, develop and commercialize quantum technologies and products based on these technologies. CED is the key federal partner in regional economic development in Quebec. Through its 12 regional business offices, CED supports businesses, support organizations and all regions of Quebec towards the economy of tomorrow.

    Related links

    Information

    Media RelationsCanada Economic Development for Quebec Regionsmedia@dec-ced.gc.ca

    Marie-Justine TorresPress SecretaryOffice of the Minister of Tourism and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec RegionsCell.: 613-327-5918marie-justine.torresames@ised-isde.gc.ca

    Stay Connected

    Follow DEC on thesocial networksCheck out thenewsfrom DEC

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.

    MIL Translation OSI

    September 29, 2024

  • MIL-OSI Translation: Government of Canada advances 2SLGBTQI inclusion in Ontario by funding Rainbow Community Places

    MIL OSI Translation. Canadian French to English –

    Source: Government of Canada – in French 1

    Press release

    Today, the Honourable Marci Ien, Minister of Women and Gender Equality and Youth, announced $147,000 in funding to Rainbow Community Places, a 2SLGBTQI organization located in Scarborough, Ontario.

    September 25, 2024 – Scarborough, Ontario – Women and Gender Equality Canada

    Equality is about everyone being able to participate fully in the economic, social and political life of Canada. Removing systemic barriers related to sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression through the inclusion of 2SLGBTQI communities will ensure a better future for all Canadians.

    Today, the Honourable Marci Ien, Minister of Women and Gender Equality and Youth, announced $147,000 in funding to Rainbow Community Places, a 2SLGBTQI organization located in Scarborough, Ontario.

    This funding will enable Rainbow Community Places to improve its organizational governance, develop a donation system and develop a sustainability plan to increase its financial stability. The organization will also develop strategies to attract volunteers, build partnerships through outreach activities and develop an advocacy strategy.

    Thanks to the Federal 2SLGBTQI Action Plan , the Government of Canada continues to advance the rights and equality of 2SLGBTQI communities. This work will continue to be guided by direct collaboration with community partners, whose work and lived experiences contribute to addressing the inequalities experienced by 2SLGBTQI people.

    Quotes

    “Amid rising hate, the federal government stands in solidarity with 2SLGBTQI communities across Canada. To help these communities, we are investing in vital community organizations that serve them, like Rainbow Community Places in Scarborough. Ultimately, it is organizations like this one that are on the front lines of ensuring that 2SLGBTQI communities can thrive and flourish, building a more vibrant and inclusive country for everyone.”

    The Honourable Marci Ien, Minister of Women and Gender Equality and Youth

    “It is by working with local 2SLGBTQI community-led organizations that we will create and maintain safe and vibrant communities here in Scarborough. By supporting the worthwhile work of these organizations, we are moving closer to the diverse and inclusive vision of the Federal 2SLGBTQI Action Plan.”

    The Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence and Member of Parliament for Scarborough Southwest

    “Women and Gender Equality Canada’s (WAGE) funding support for community capacity development has been critical in enabling Rainbow Community Places to move forward in developing the organizational infrastructure needed to position the organization for effective governance and financial sustainability. During these challenging times, we are witnessing a rapid increase in violence and hate crimes based on sexual orientation, leaving 2SLGBTQI communities feeling isolated and under attack. In response, Rainbow Community Places seeks to provide a place of belonging and support for 2SLGBTQI community members through Toby’s Place for youth and Dorothy’s Place for seniors. WAGE’s funding over a 28-month period provides a solid financial foundation for the growth and development of our organization, and we are very grateful for this support from the federal government.”

    Julian Monro, Executive Director of Rainbow Community Places

    Quick Facts

    The Government of Canada has invested more than $250 million to advance the rights and improve equality of 2SLGBTQI communities over the past eight years. Of this total, $100 million over five years (2022–27) has been committed directly to the Federal 2SLGBTQI Action Plan .

    Among the Canadian population aged 15 and over, 1.3 million people identified as 2SLGBTQI. Of this group, 10.5% were individuals aged 15 to 24. Of this 10.5%, 1% of these individuals identified as transgender or non-binary.

    Among those aged 15 and older, 3 in 10 (29.7%) 2SLGBTQ people reported their mental health as fair or poor, compared to less than 1 in 10 (9.1%) non-2SLGBTQ people.

    Related links

    Contact persons

    Carolyn Svonkin Director of Communications Office of the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and YouthCarolyn.Svonkin@fegc-wage.gc.ca

    Media Relations Women and Gender Equality Canada 819-420-6530FEGC.Media.WAGE@fegc-wage.gc.ca  

    Follow Women and Gender Equality Canada:

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.

    MIL Translation OSI

    September 29, 2024

  • MIL-OSI Banking: ICC calls for united action to end plastic pollution at NY Climate Week 

    Source: International Chamber of Commerce

    Headline: ICC calls for united action to end plastic pollution at NY Climate Week 

    In a keynote speech at a high-level roundtable hosted by ICC, Mr Varin emphasised ICC’s commitment in securing an ambitious, workable and effective agreement that rallies everyone, everywhere – including the business community – to end plastic pollution once and for all. 

    “We are confident that the spirit of collaboration and common purpose that brought the gavel down on the initial resolution in Nairobi, will prevail in advancing its mandate and delivering a historic agreement to spearhead the change the planet and humanity deserves.”

    Philippe Varin, ICC Chair.

    The event brought together leaders from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), government and regional group representatives as well as senior business executives from sectors across the plastics industry to discuss what is concretely needed to get an effective agreement finalised and how businesses can support these efforts. 

    A crucial role for business 

    Mr Varin highlighted the vital role business has to play in providing the expertise and the solutions that will be needed to tackle the plastics challenge at the required scale and speed across value chains.   

    “The global business community needs an agreement that provides the enabling frameworks and policies to drive innovation and accelerate business action across all sectors and geographies, including for MSMEs. This will be indispensable for businesses to effectively deliver on the objectives of the agreement and spur impactful change,” he added. 

    The fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment (INC-5), will take place from 25 November to 1 December 2024 in Busan, Republic of Korea. 

    “With only one negotiating session left this year to conclude an agreement, it will be critical to make the best use of the limited time left to advance towards a robust agreement that sets the foundation for a truly circular economy for plastics.”

    Raelene Martin, ICC Head of Sustainability

    Clear plans for intersessional work will be essential to build common ground on key issues and ICC is continuing to provide input to the process on behalf of over 45 million companies in more than 170 countries. 

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

    September 29, 2024

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Recovered appeal: land between Huntingdon Road and Histon Road, Cambridge (ref: 3328390 – 25 September 2024)

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Decision letter and Inspector’s Report for a recovered appeal application.

    Applies to England

    Documents

    Recovered appeal: land between Huntingdon Road and Histon Road, Cambridge (known as Darwin Green phases 2 and 3) (ref: 3328390 – 25 September 2024)

    PDF, 1.15 MB, 150 pages

    Details

    Decision letter and Inspector’s Report for a recovered appeal outline application for up to 1,000 residential dwellings, secondary school, primary school, community facilities, retail uses, open space and landscaped areas, associated engineering, demolition and infrastructure works.

    Updates to this page

    Published 25 September 2024

    Sign up for emails or print this page

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    September 29, 2024

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chairman Aguilar: There is no greater example of Republican extremism than Trump’s Project 2025

    Source: US House of Representatives – Democratic Caucus

    The following text contains opinion that is not, or not necessarily, that of MIL-OSI – September 24, 2024

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar and Vice Chair Ted Lieu were joined by Representatives Sara Jacobs and Nikema Williams in a press conference on how Trump’s Project 2025 gives Extreme MAGA Republicans total control to criminalize abortion, gut Social Security and raise taxes for working families.

    CHAIRMAN AGUILAR: Good morning. The Vice Chair and I are grateful to be joined by incredible leaders within our Caucus, Nikema Williams and Sara Jacobs. 

    House Democrats have said from the beginning of this Congress that we will be ready to work in a bipartisan way to get things done for the American people whenever and wherever possible. But we are also going to call out extremism when it exists. And there is no greater example of Republican extremism than Trump’s Project 2025. 

    Should extreme MAGA Republicans be successful in winning the House, the Senate and the presidency, they have created the blueprint in a 920-page roadmap that lays out exactly how they plan to govern. Under their plan, Project 2025 criminalizes abortion, hurts middle class families to help the wealthy and well connected and ends Social Security as we know it. It gives Donald Trump unchecked presidential power and unparalleled control over the American people. It is both deeply troubling and deeply unpopular because of the work of House Democrats, Leader Jeffries, Whip Clark, Jared Huffman, our own Vice Chair Ted Lieu and the leaders behind me today to put a spotlight on this dangerous plan. We know that House Republicans are in trouble because they are running scared anytime we mention Project 2025. 
    Later today, the Steering and Policy Committee will convene a hearing of hard-working Americans who will testify about what Project 2025 would mean to them in their daily lives. Don’t just take our word for it. Listen to the abortion care providers and seniors who have to ration insulin, who will courageously share their stories. House Democrats are fighting for them, as House Republicans are fighting to give Donald Trump more control of our daily lives. 
    I’ll turn it over to Vice Chair Ted Lieu.

    VICE CHAIR LIEU: Thank you, Chairman Aguilar. 

    Trump’s Project 2025 isn’t just a radical document. It’s a document that Republicans this term have tried to implement through a series of appropriations bills. And as Chairman Aguilar said, we’re having a hearing today that the Steering and Policy Committee is hosting at 2:15 at HVC-215. Hope you all can make it. And I want to thank Jared Huffman earlier this year for starting the Project 2025 Task Force. 

    This is 920 pages of crazy–that’s what Project 2025 is–with deadly consequences. I’m going to go through just three of the insane things in that document. Project 2025 wants to eliminate the Department of Education, and that is on page 319 of the document. Project 2025 also wants to eliminate the National Weather Service. Think about that. We’ve got a hurricane coming into Georgia or Florida, and this is what Project 2025 authors want to do. They want to eliminate the National Weather Service–that’s on page 675 of the document. And get this: Project 2025 wants to allow children to work in hazardous conditions. Like, who comes up with this crazy stuff? That’s on page 595 of the document. 

    So again, I hope you all come to this hearing. And let me now introduce our amazing member from Georgia, the great Nikema Williams, who will talk about reproductive freedom and Project 2025.

    REP. WILLIAMS: Thank you, Vice Chair Lieu and Chairman Aguilar. Good morning, everyone. 

    I’m Congresswoman Nikema Williams, and I proudly represent Georgia’s fighting Fifth Congressional District. I’m a member of the Pro-Choice Caucus and Vice Chair of the Democratic Women’s Caucus. But y’all, before I came to Congress, I served as the VP of Public Policy at Planned Parenthood Southeast for ten years. I will always carry with me the stories that I heard from people we served on the frontlines just about how hard they had to fight to get the essential abortion care that they needed and deserve. This was long before the overturning of Roe v. Wade that was orchestrated by Donald Trump and his Republican Party. 

    We’re seeing the deadly result of abortion bans in Georgia, and around the country. Just last week, ProPublica reported on the deaths of two Georgia women, Candi Miller and Amber Thurman, who died because they couldn’t receive the care that they desperately needed. Let me say that again: Candi Miller and Amber Thurman died because of Georgia’s inhumane abortion ban that was ushered in by Donald Trump and his MAGA Republicans. These were preventable deaths. As a mama, I’m heartbroken, and as a Georgian, as an elected official, I’m pissed, y’all. Because it doesn’t have to be this way. These were policy decisions. But let me be clear: it could get even worse. Trump’s Project 2025 would lead to more heartbreak and more preventable deaths. Project 2025 would ban abortion nationwide, criminalizing patients and doctors, making it impossible for people to get the care that they need. 

    Abortion is essential health care. One in four women will access abortion care at some point in their lives. And that’s not one in four Democratic women, not one in four Republican or Independent women. That’s someone you know, someone you love, someone you go to church with, someone you grew up with, someone in your family. One in four women, y’all. 

    I will continue to fight alongside House Democrats to protect reproductive freedom in the face of extreme Republican abortion bans and the looming threat of Trump’s Project 2025, which will ban abortion nationwide. We will restore the reproductive freedom that Trump and House Republicans brag about taking away, and we will ensure that every person can get the care that they need. 

    Thank you so much, and I’ll now turn it over to another co-conspirator for justice in our Caucus, Congresswoman Sara Jacobs.

    REP. JACOBS: Well, thank you, Chairman Aguilar, Vice Chair Lieu, Nikema, for really highlighting the stakes here. 

    So, I’ve spent the past few months traveling the country talking to young people, college students and women. I’m a 35-year-old woman, so basically, this is a topic I talk about all the time with my friends and peers. And here’s the deal: all of these young people are terrified about Project 2025, and so am I. So, not only would Project 2025 make it difficult or impossible to access abortion, birth control, emergency contraception and other reproductive services, as my colleague Nikema highlighted, it would also authorize a pregnancy surveillance system. So, even if you live in a state like California, like I do, where we have strong state-level abortion and privacy laws, you would not be protected. Every abortion, every miscarriage, every stillbirth, every pregnancy loss, every pregnancy, even abortions and pregnancy losses that result from medical treatment, would be logged and reported to the federal government and used to monitor pregnancies.

    Project 2025 would supersede HIPAA. It would nullify doctor-patient confidentiality, and it would reject a right to privacy. And pretty soon, it would be used to weaponize health data against patients and providers in court. We’ve already seen this happen. 

    In 2017, Mississippi police charged Latice Fisher after digging into her Google search history and finding that she searched how to buy misoprostol abortion pills online. In 2022, Nebraska police used Facebook messages between a mother and a daughter, private Facebook messages, to prosecute an abortion that was illegal under state law. Now, imagine how much more this would happen if there was a centralized treasure trove of this information, of this data. 

    Now, House Democrats, we want to protect the sensitive data, and we have a bill to do it, My Body My Data Act. House Democrats, we want to strengthen HIPAA for the post Roe era, not gut it. And we have a bill to do that, The Safer Health Act. But you know who stands in the way? MAGA Republicans. 

    House Democrats will continue to fight to protect patient privacy, protect their right to make their own health decisions and protect them from abortion and pregnancy surveillance. So, thank you so much, now I will turn it over to Chairman Aguilar for questions.

    Video of the full press conference and Q&A can be viewed here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

    September 29, 2024

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chairman McCaul Delivers Remarks to Hold Blinken in Contempt of Congress

    Source: US House Committee on Foreign Affairs

    Media Contact 202-226-8467

    Washington, D.C. – House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul delivered remarks at today’s committee markup of a report calling for Secretary of State Antony Blinken to be held in contempt of Congress for his failure to comply with a duly issued subpoena. That subpoena compelled his testimony on the committee’s investigation into the Biden-Harris administration’s deadly Afghanistan withdrawal, which resulted in Chairman McCaul’s historic report released on September 9, 2024. During his remarks, Chairman McCaul emphasized that Secretary Blinken’s failure to appear demonstrates his continued prioritization of politics and optics over securing legislative solutions to prevent another similar catastrophe.

    WATCH HERE

    – Remarks as Delivered –

    I wish we were not here today. However, Secretary of State Antony Blinken brought this upon himself. 

    I take no joy in this procedure.

    After months of the secretary ignoring countless requests for his testimony, I was forced to subpoena him to discuss the findings of my report into the catastrophic withdrawal from Afghanistan. 

    Secretary Blinken violated that subpoena and refused to appear.  And now, I have no choice but to move forward with holding him in contempt of Congress.

    Let the record reflect, that for four months, I have patiently asked for and waited on his availability in September.

    But instead of working with me, Secretary Blinken made false promises and accused me of politicizing this important issue. 

    By failing to appear before the committee to discuss this serious event, he is politicizing the Afghanistan withdrawal.

    His spokesperson has also presented outright lies on his behalf, both to the press and the American people. He claims Secretary Blinken has appeared 14 times before Congress and four times before my committee to discuss Afghanistan.

    However, the facts speak for themselves. The secretary has never testified on this committee’s investigation — not once. 

    In fact, while I have served as chair in the 118th Congress, he has appeared only two times before this committee — both times for statutorily mandated hearings on the State Department’s budget.

    Throughout this committee’s investigation, the secretary and his State Department obstructed my access to witnesses and documents at every turn.  

    It was their failure to produce documents and testimony that determined the timing of my Afghanistan report and today’s contempt markup.

    This was not my timeline; it was theirs.

    On May 22nd, I publicly requested Secretary Blinken testify on my report in September.

    What was my goal?

    A single hearing dedicated to fixing the many issues at the State Department that my report had uncovered.  

    Following my public request, Secretary Blinken’s State Department ignored every outreach from my team.

    Finally, on August 19th, I spoke to him directly on the phone. He promised me a date would be, ‘nailed down in the next week.’ But he broke that promise, and weeks passed, and I received no word from him.

    And then on September 3rd, I informed Secretary Blinken that a subpoena would be coming and forthwith if he did not appear in September.

    I offered him any date, any time that month.

    But rather than step up to the plate as a leader, he offered me his subordinates – two deputies who did not even serve at the State Department during the withdrawal.

    That is not leadership; that is passing the buck.

    This committee expects better.

    This is the committee of jurisdiction over the State Department.

    Our veterans, Gold Star families, and the American people deserve better from the secretary of state. 

    After that call, I was forced to issue a subpoena compelling his appearance before this committee.

    I have with me proof that Secretary Blinken disregarded my numerous good-faith efforts. Not once, not twice, but three times in this email.

    In fact, I offered every day in September. However, the secretary could not make one day, could not make one day in September available for this committee, for this Congress on such an important matter.

    Not a single day. 

    He and his team did not even bother to inform me of his schedule.

    Still, when I learned through a public press statement that he would be in the Middle East, I changed the date of the hearing to accommodate his overseas schedule.

    Again, I informed his staff of the new date. Unsurprisingly, I received no response. No response. That is the lack of respect that I as chairman and this committee received from this secretary.

    Under the leadership of Secretary Blinken, 13 brave American lives were tragically murdered by an ISIS-K terrorist, and many more injured, and many Afghans [were] killed as well.  

    Rather than take accountability for this, the secretary hides from the American people. He would prefer to hide rather than be before this committee today.

    The secretary’s willful indifference, his willful indifference has brought us to this moment. 

    I take no joy in moving forward to hold the secretary of state in contempt of Congress. It is an extraordinary act.

    However, Article I of the United States Constitution entrusts Congress with the power of oversight and to legislate. Secretary Blinken’s failure to appear violates that. It violates Article I of the Constitution. It violates our ability to perform oversight, and it violates our ability to legislate on a hugely important issue — perhaps, the most important issue that occurred during [President Biden’s] presidency.

    My sincere hope was that Secretary Blinken’s testimony in September would inform legislation to prevent a foreign policy disaster like this in the future. However, we will not have that testimony.

    Instead, he has prioritized politics and optics over the needs of our servicemembers, our Gold Star families, and the American people.

    In my judgment, he and the White House have made a judgment call that the risk simply outweighs the reward.

    And to my colleagues, your actions today will speak to the respect you afford Congress and its constitutional responsibility.

    I urge you all to join me in supporting this measure, holding Secretary of State Antony Blinken in contempt of Congress for violating a subpoena duly issued by this committee. For without that power, not only does that render this committee meaningless, but so to does that render the Constitution of the United States meaningless.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

    September 29, 2024

  • MIL-OSI USA: NREL Researcher Silvana Ovaitt Honored With Award From Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers

    Source: US National Renewable Energy Laboratory

    Ovaitt’s Mentors Taught Her That Education and Outreach Make a Difference. Now She Is Showing the Next Generation of Scientists How To Pay It Forward.

    Researcher Silvana Ovaitt plants crops in a garden row at the bifacial agrivoltaics array on the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s campus in 2023. Photo by Joe DelNero, NREL

    Silvana Ovaitt is already known as a rising star around the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) for her research advancing bifacial photovoltaic (PV) performance, not to mention her already-extensive record of leadership in community and educational outreach. Now, the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) has made it official by honoring Ovaitt with a STAR of Tomorrow Award for 2024.

    “I’m very honored to receive this award because SHPE is such a fundamental organization shaping Latinx career paths, and it’s great to be recognized and be able to give a wider platform to the amazing activities I am part of, like the Hands-On PV Experience (HOPE), bifacial research, international collaborations, and more,” Ovaitt said.

    The SHPE Technical Achievement and Recognition Awards, or STAR Awards, honor those working across science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. SHPE gives two STAR Awards—one in government and one in corporate. The STAR of Tomorrow Award – Government recognizes an individual who has demonstrated excellence in their technical work and a commitment to leadership, mentoring, and community service.

    “Dr. Ovaitt’s exceptional technical skills, commitment to research, and selfless support to the STEM community make her truly deserving of the STAR of Tomorrow Award,” said STAR Awards Chair Diana Gomez.

    Ovaitt first arrived at NREL as a participant in a workshop she now leads. She attended the HOPE workshop as a student in 2016, then joined the program’s staff after becoming an NREL researcher. She became part of program leadership in 2021. A core program at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Energy Technologies Office, HOPE brings Ph.D. students to NREL to learn more about PV fabrication, metrology, and characterization to encourage university PV research. Ovaitt experienced how the program can serve as a spark for a student’s future career in PV research, and now every summer she helps ignite that spark for a new group of students by welcoming them to NREL.

    Silvana Ovaitt. Photo by Gregory Cooper, NREL

    Leading the workshop is just one of many projects that seamlessly combine Ovaitt’s commitment to outreach and mentorship with her current research interests. Her work in the Photovoltaic Reliability and System Performance group focuses on the optical and electrical performance of bifacial PV systems, modeling bifacial PV systems, and circularity pathways for PV sustainability. Alongside her publications and conference presentations, she has lent her talents to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts, serving on NREL’s Hispanic and Latinx Alliance and Women’s Network employee resource groups and nationally leading the Women in PV Committee and DEI initiatives at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ Photovoltaic Specialists Conference. She also creates tools to help researchers consider energy justice in their work.

    “Outreach is awesome for bringing science to students who would otherwise not have access to it,” Ovaitt said. “It helps me go back to the basics of how and why we do the research that we do, and I also learn how to better share and teach it in an accessible way—which benefits me for writing proposals and talking to legislators and wider audiences. The mentors who have shaped my path were all very good at this, and I love paying it forward.”

    NREL researcher Chris Deline said he has been impressed with her work from the start.

    “I have known Silvana since we conducted research together during her Ph.D. program at the University of Arizona, and I was blown away by her energy, research knowledge, and strategic vision,” said Deline, manager of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Regional Test Center program for field assessment of novel PV technologies at NREL. “She puts 100% effort into her technical research and publications and also somehow puts another 100% into external collaborations and stakeholder outreach. I place Silvana as one of the most impactful early career researchers that we have at NREL in her accomplishments and in her technical merit.”

    SHPE is not the only organization that has recognized Ovaitt’s work this year. She was also invited to the National Academy of Engineering’s U.S. Frontiers of Engineering symposium, and she received the PowerMark Early Career Prize in PV Reliability during NREL’s PV Reliability Workshop in March.

    Ovaitt and the other award recipients will be honored at SHPE’s STAR Awards ceremony during the organization’s national convention Oct. 30–Nov. 3, 2024, in Anaheim, California. SHPE is the largest U.S. organization representing Hispanics in STEM fields, and it will celebrate its 50th anniversary at the 2024 convention.

    Learn more about NREL’s PV reliability and system performance research and the Hands-On Photovoltaics Experience (HOPE) for graduate students, and find out more about the STAR Awards.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    September 29, 2024

  • MIL-OSI USA: DoD Breaks Ground on Project Pele: A Mobile Nuclear Reactor for Energy Resiliency

    Source: United States Department of Defense

    The Department of Defense (DoD) has broken ground at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) on the Project Pele transportable nuclear reactor. The reactor, under a Strategic Capabilities Office (SCO) initiative, is being manufactured by BWXT Advanced Technologies, LLC, Lynchburg, Virginia. Assembly of the final reactor is set to begin in February 2025. The current schedule includes transport of the fully-assembled reactor to INL in 2026, where it would become the first ever Generation IV nuclear reactor to generate electricity in the United States.

    “We are thrilled to move beyond the era of PowerPoint advanced reactors,” said Dr. Jeff Waksman, Project Pele program manager. “Our tight partnership with INL and the Department of Energy Idaho Operations Office is leading the way forward not just for manufacturing advanced reactors, but also for regulating them in an efficient and safe manner.”

    The prototype reactor facility is designed to be transported within four 20-foot shipping containers, and tested at INL. The Project Pele team will construct a concrete shield structure at the test site next year in order to be ready for reactor placement in 2026.

    Upon arriving at INL, the reactor will be transported by truck to the test site and positioned within the concrete shield structure. Piping and electrical wiring will tie the reactor to INL’s specialized electric microgrid. Once the reactor’s final safety review is completed, the Pele project team will then proceed with the initial Test and Evaluation plan. If successful, transportable nuclear power could meet the increasing demand for a resilient, carbon-free energy source capable of delivering reliable 24/7 power to mission-critical DoD operations in remote and austere environments.

    “The DoD has a long record of driving American innovation on strategic and critical technology,” said Mr. Jay Dryer, SCO director. “Project Pele is a key initiative for improving DoD energy resilience and will also play a crucial role in advancing nuclear power technology for civilian applications.”

    Project Pele is a whole-of-government effort, with significant contributions from the Department of Energy, the National Nuclear Security Administration, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The contractor team, led by BWXT Advanced Technologies, also includes critical roles played by Northrop Grumman, Rolls Royce Liberty Works, and Torch Technologies.

    “For 75 years INL has been the home of nuclear innovation, and we are pleased to partner with the Department of Defense on this trailblazing demonstration,” said Dr. John Wagner, INL director. “We anticipate Pele will be among the first of a new generation of advanced experimental reactors hosted here before the end of the decade.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

    September 29, 2024

  • MIL-OSI USA: Secretary Mayorkas and Secretary Blinken Announce Designation of the State of Qatar into the Visa Waiver Program

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: Secretary Mayorkas and Secretary Blinken Announce Designation of the State of Qatar into the Visa Waiver Program

    ASHINGTON – Today, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas, in consultation with Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, designated Qatar into the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). The collaboration and information sharing at the core of the VWP will significantly enhance the security interests of the United States in addition to encouraging legitimate travel and commerce between the two nations. 

    Secretary Mayorkas and Secretary Blinken commend Qatar for meeting the stringent security requirements to join the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). Qatar has been an exceptional partner for the United States, and our strategic relationship has only grown stronger over the past few years. This is further evidence of our strategic partnership and our shared commitment to security and stability. By meeting the VWP requirements, Qatar becomes the first Gulf country to enter the program and we encourage additional partners to meet all program requirements to allow for entry into the program in the interest of advancing bilateral and regional security cooperation. 

    “The Visa Waiver Program is one of our most successful security initiatives. Qatar’s participation in the program increases information sharing regarding one of the world’s busiest travel and transfer hubs, strengthening the security of the United States,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “I commend our Qatari partners for meeting the stringent requirements in this agreement entails and look forward to our continued work together on behalf of our respective countries.” 

    “Qatar’s fulfillment of the stringent security requirements to join the Visa Waiver Program will deepen our strategic partnership and enhance the flow of people and commerce between our two countries. Qatar’s entry will make travel between the United States and Qatar safer, more secure, and easier for both Americans and Qataris,” said Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken. 

    The VWP builds comprehensive security partnerships between the United States and designated countries that meet strict requirements related to counterterrorism, law enforcement, immigration enforcement, document security, and border managemnt. These requirements include that the country have a rate of nonimmigrant visa refusals below 3% during the previous fiscal year; issues secure travel documents; extends reciprocal entry privileges to all U.S. citizens and nationals without regard to national origin, religion, ethnicity, or gender; and works closely with U.S. law enforcement and counterterrorism authorities. Qatar put forth a significant whole-of-government effort to meet all program requirements, including entering into partnerships with the United States to share information on terrorism and serious crimes. As with all VWP countries, DHS will continually monitor Qatar’s compliance with all program requirements. 

    Starting no later than December 1, 2024, the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) online application and mobile app will be updated to allow citizens and nationals of Qatar to apply to travel to the United States for tourism or business purposes for up to 90 days without first obtaining a U.S. visa. These authorizations are generally valid for two years. Travelers with valid B-1/B-2 visas may continue to use their visa for travel to the United States, and B-1/B-2 visas will remain an option for Qatari citizens. ESTA applications may be found at esta.cbp.dhs.gov or download the “ESTA Mobile” app through the iOS App Store or the Google Play store. 

    U.S. citizens already enjoy visa-free travel to Qatar, and beginning October 1, 2024, will be eligible to stay in Qatar for up to 90 days instead of the previous 30-day limit if they have a passport that is valid for at least three months from arrival and a confirmed hotel booking on arrival. 

    Under the VWP, citizens and nationals of Qatar will be able to apply for authorization to travel to the United States through the ESTA online or mobile app at a date to be announced shortly after Qatar’s VWP admission. Participating countries are reviewed at least biennially, as required in statute, to ensure they continue to meet all program requirements. 

    Qatar will be the 42nd member of the VWP and the third country added under Secretary Mayorkas’s tenure (Croatia in 2021 and Israel in 2023). More information on the VWP can be found at www.dhs.gov/visa-waiver-program. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

    September 29, 2024

  • MIL-OSI USA: President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Approves Major Disaster Declaration for Georgia

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Approves Major Disaster Declaration for Georgia

    President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Approves Major Disaster Declaration for Georgia

    WASHINGTON — FEMA announced that federal disaster assistance is available to the state of Georgia to supplement recovery efforts in the areas affected by Tropical Storm Debby from Aug. 4–20, 2024.   

    The President’s action makes federal funding available to affected individuals in Bryan, Bulloch, Chatham, Effingham, Evans, Liberty, Long and Screven counties. Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.   

    Federal funding is also available to state, eligible local governments, and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities in Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Brantley, Brooks, Bryan, Bulloch, Burke, Camden, Candler, Charlton, Chatham, Clinch, Coffee, Colquitt, Cook, Echols, Effingham, Evans, Jeff Davis, Jenkins, Lanier, Long, Lowndes, McIntosh, Pierce, Screven, Tattnall, Thomas, Tift, Toombs, Ware and Wayne counties.   

    Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.   

    Kevin A. Wallace Sr. has been named the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected areas. Additional designations may be made at a later date if warranted by the results of damage assessments.   

    Individuals and business owners who sustained losses in the designated areas can begin applying for assistance by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, by calling 1-800-621- 3362 or by using the FEMA App. If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA the number for that service.

    erika.suzuki
    Tue, 09/24/2024 – 19:34

    MIL OSI USA News –

    September 29, 2024

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Parson Orders Flags to Fly at Half-Staff in Honor of Kansas City Firefighter/Paramedic Kyle Brinker

    Source: US State of Missouri

    SEPTEMBER 24, 2024

    Jefferson City — Today, Governor Mike Parson ordered U.S. and Missouri flags be flown at half-staff at government buildings in Platte and Jackson counties, the Fire Fighters Memorial of Missouri in Kingdom City, and firehouses statewide on Wednesday, September 25, from sunrise to sunset in honor of Kansas City Fire Department Firefighter/Paramedic Kyle Brinker.  

    “Kyle Brinker was drawn to public service at an early age, first becoming a junior firefighter in Pennsylvania, and he never lost his passion and enthusiasm for making a positive difference in people’s lives,” Governor Parson said. “He earned a degree in emergency medicine and devoted himself to being the best firefighter/paramedic he could be as he served in Station 35, one of the KCFD’s busiest stations. He will be remembered as a mentor and role model fully committed to the people he served. Teresa and I will be keeping his family and friends in our thoughts and prayers.”       

    On September 17, 2024, while performing duties as a rescue technician during a Kansas City Fire Department training exercise, Firefighter/Paramedic Brinker experienced a medical emergency and died in the line of duty.

    Brinker, 33, had been a member of the Kansas City Fire Department for 11 years. Previously, he had served as a firefighter, emergency medical technician (EMT), and paramedic in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

    The flags will be held at half-staff on the day Firefighter/Paramedic Brinker is laid to rest. To view the proclamation, click here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    September 29, 2024

  • MIL-OSI Security: Secretary Mayorkas and Secretary Blinken Announce Designation of the State of Qatar into the Visa Waiver Program

    Source: US Department of Homeland Security

    WASHINGTON – Today, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas, in consultation with Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, designated Qatar into the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). The collaboration and information sharing at the core of the VWP will significantly enhance the security interests of the United States in addition to encouraging legitimate travel and commerce between the two nations. 

    Secretary Mayorkas and Secretary Blinken commend Qatar for meeting the stringent security requirements to join the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). Qatar has been an exceptional partner for the United States, and our strategic relationship has only grown stronger over the past few years. This is further evidence of our strategic partnership and our shared commitment to security and stability. By meeting the VWP requirements, Qatar becomes the first Gulf country to enter the program and we encourage additional partners to meet all program requirements to allow for entry into the program in the interest of advancing bilateral and regional security cooperation. 

    “The Visa Waiver Program is one of our most successful security initiatives. Qatar’s participation in the program increases information sharing regarding one of the world’s busiest travel and transfer hubs, strengthening the security of the United States,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “I commend our Qatari partners for meeting the stringent requirements in this agreement entails and look forward to our continued work together on behalf of our respective countries.” 

    “Qatar’s fulfillment of the stringent security requirements to join the Visa Waiver Program will deepen our strategic partnership and enhance the flow of people and commerce between our two countries. Qatar’s entry will make travel between the United States and Qatar safer, more secure, and easier for both Americans and Qataris,” said Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken. 

    The VWP builds comprehensive security partnerships between the United States and designated countries that meet strict requirements related to counterterrorism, law enforcement, immigration enforcement, document security, and border managemnt. These requirements include that the country have a rate of nonimmigrant visa refusals below 3% during the previous fiscal year; issues secure travel documents; extends reciprocal entry privileges to all U.S. citizens and nationals without regard to national origin, religion, ethnicity, or gender; and works closely with U.S. law enforcement and counterterrorism authorities. Qatar put forth a significant whole-of-government effort to meet all program requirements, including entering into partnerships with the United States to share information on terrorism and serious crimes. As with all VWP countries, DHS will continually monitor Qatar’s compliance with all program requirements. 

    Starting no later than December 1, 2024, the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) online application and mobile app will be updated to allow citizens and nationals of Qatar to apply to travel to the United States for tourism or business purposes for up to 90 days without first obtaining a U.S. visa. These authorizations are generally valid for two years. Travelers with valid B-1/B-2 visas may continue to use their visa for travel to the United States, and B-1/B-2 visas will remain an option for Qatari citizens. ESTA applications may be found at esta.cbp.dhs.gov or download the “ESTA Mobile” app through the iOS App Store or the Google Play store. 

    U.S. citizens already enjoy visa-free travel to Qatar, and beginning October 1, 2024, will be eligible to stay in Qatar for up to 90 days instead of the previous 30-day limit if they have a passport that is valid for at least three months from arrival and a confirmed hotel booking on arrival. 

    Under the VWP, citizens and nationals of Qatar will be able to apply for authorization to travel to the United States through the ESTA online or mobile app at a date to be announced shortly after Qatar’s VWP admission. Participating countries are reviewed at least biennially, as required in statute, to ensure they continue to meet all program requirements. 

    Qatar will be the 42nd member of the VWP and the third country added under Secretary Mayorkas’s tenure (Croatia in 2021 and Israel in 2023). More information on the VWP can be found at www.dhs.gov/visa-waiver-program. 

    MIL Security OSI –

    September 29, 2024

  • MIL-OSI Translation: Minister LeBlanc launches Canada’s Community Safety Program to protect communities from hate-motivated crimes

    MIL OSI Translation. Canadian French to English –

    Source: Government of Canada – in French 1

    Press release

    Everyone living in Canada deserves to be and feel safe in their community. In recent years, we have seen an unacceptable increase in hate incidents targeting many communities, particularly those that are more vulnerable. In response, the federal government is developing safety programs tailored to their needs to ensure their safety.

    September 24, 2024

    Ottawa, Ontario

    Everyone living in Canada deserves to be and feel safe in their community. In recent years, we have seen an unacceptable increase in hate incidents targeting many communities, particularly those that are more vulnerable. In response, the federal government is developing safety programs tailored to their needs to ensure their safety.

    Today, the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs, launched the new Canada Community Safety Program (CCSP), and announced that the program will be ready to accept funding applications from eligible organizations starting October 1, 2024.

    The CCSP replaces and enhances the Security Infrastructure Funding Program (SIFP), which aims to support communities by investing in security measures that will help keep them safe. Eligible measures include security equipment and materials, minor renovations to enhance security, security and emergency plans and assessments, hate-motivated incident response training, and time-limited security personnel.

    The federal government listened to concerned organizations and partners and designed the CCSP to better meet the needs of communities and provide greater flexibility for organizations applying for financial support. Under the CCSP:

    Funding eligibility criteria have been expanded to include office and administrative spaces, cemeteries and early childhood centres; up to 70% of eligible project costs can be covered, compared to 50% of costs under the SIPP; funding for authorized, time-limited third-party security personnel is now a permanent feature of the Program; the maximum amount (or stacking limit) of total government assistance (federal, provincial, territorial and municipal) has been eliminated, providing organizations with more opportunities to apply for other sources of funding; application requirements have been modified to reduce administrative barriers; organizations can apply for funding at any time of the year through an ongoing call for applications process; and organizations can apply for funding and deliver projects on behalf of eligible associated recipients.

    Together, these measures will make it easier for organizations to fund their projects and protect their community gathering places.

    Quotes

    “Every person living in Canada deserves to feel safe in their community. The changes we are making through the new Canada Community Safety Program are informed by what we heard from organizations that interacted with its predecessor, the Security Infrastructure Program. It is now a more flexible, more generous and simpler program that will make it easier for vulnerable communities to protect themselves from hate-motivated crimes.”

    – The Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs

    Quick Facts

    Hate crimes are considered one of the most underreported offences. Research shows that only one-third of hate crime victims in Canada report a crime to police.

    Additional funding for the PSCC was announced in Budget 2023 and Budget 2024 as follows:

    16 million in 2024-2025; 16 million in 2025-2026; 11 million in 2026-2027; 11 million in 2027-2028; 11 million in 2028-2029 and thereafter.

    The CCSP is one of four programs under the National Crime Prevention Strategy, which supports targeted, local crime prevention initiatives and knowledge development and sharing to prevent and reduce crime among at-risk populations and vulnerable communities. The other programs are: the Crime Prevention Action Fund, the Youth Gang Prevention Fund and the Aboriginal and Northern Crime Prevention Fund.

    The PFPIS was originally created in 2007 to support communities at risk of hate crimes by improving their safety infrastructure. This important work will now continue under the PSCC.

    In total, through the SIP and the expanded Security Infrastructure Program (SIIP), the Government of Canada has invested more than $30 million in funding for over 770 projects to help Canadian communities at risk of hate-motivated crime protect their communities and strengthen the security of their community centres, places of worship and other facilities.

    To better support communities in need, costs related to security personnel hired for a fixed period are eligible for reimbursement starting September 24, 2024 and following project approval.

    Public Safety will contact organizations that have submitted an application under the PFPIS to discuss the status of their application and their participation under the PSCC.

    Organizations wishing to be kept informed of the launch of the next PSCC call for applications are invited to register at distribution list from the National Crime Prevention Center.

    Following the National Summit on Antisemitism and the National Summit on Islamophobia, the Government of Canada committed to considering adjustments to the SIP. The SIP will enable the Government of Canada to be more effective and more responsive to the safety and security needs of communities.

    Budget 2024 provides an investment of $273.6 million over six years, starting in 2024–25, and $29.3 million ongoing, for Canada’s Action Plan to Combat Hate. The upcoming Action Plan will support expanded community services and law enforcement reform, address the rise in hate crimes and incidents, strengthen community safety, combat radicalization, and increase support for victims. The additional funding provided to the CCSP in Budget 2024 is part of an investment in this first-ever whole-of-government action plan to prevent and combat hate.

    Related links

    Contact persons

    Gabriel BrunetPress SecretaryOffice of the Honourable Dominic LeBlancMinister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs819-665-6527gabriel.brunet@iga-aig.gc.ca

    Media RelationsPublic Safety Canada613-991-0657media@ps-sp.gc.ca

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.

    MIL Translation OSI

    September 29, 2024

  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal Jury Convicts Browning Man of Distributing Fentanyl That Resulted in Death of Man on Blackfeet Indian Reservation

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

    GREAT FALLS — A federal jury on Thursday found a Browning man guilty of distributing fentanyl that resulted in the death of a man in his home on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today.

    After a three-day trial that began on Sept. 17, the jury found the defendant, Douglas Darren Malatare, 59, guilty of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl as charged in an indictment. Malatare faces a mandatory minimum of 20 years to life in prison, a $1 million fine and at least three years of supervised release on the distribution charge and a mandatory minimum of five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and at least four years of supervised release on the possession charge.

    Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court set sentencing for Jan. 22, 2025. Malatare was detained pending further proceedings.

    “Fentanyl is our nation’s deadliest illicit drug threat, as it is devastating families and communities. And we are fiercely determined to hold accountable those who are responsible for such devastation, especially when one’s drug trafficking results in another’s death. Malatare poisoned the Blackfeet reservation and made thousands of dollars doing it, including costing the victim his life. I applaud the jury for holding Malatare accountable and am relieved Malatare will no longer be poisoning the streets of Browning and the surrounding area,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said.

    In court documents and at trial, the government alleged that on Nov. 19, 2022, the mother of the victim, John Doe, with whom she shared a residence, found him deceased in his bathroom. Doe was 49 years old when he died, and his body showed no obvious signs of cause of death. Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services and the Glacier County coroner investigated. In Doe’s bedroom, law enforcement found blue powder and a straw on top of a dresser. Doe’s mother reported that Doe had been at the residence the evening before. That evening, Doe’s friend, Malatare, had visited with Doe outside the residence. Doe and his mother then had dinner, during which she noticed Doe had a hard time staying awake. Doe’s mother found him unresponsive in the bathroom. Forensic testing and an autopsy conducted on Doe’s body showed that he had fentanyl in his blood and urine. Ibuprofen and hydrocodone also were detected in his body. A medical examiner concluded that Doe had died of acute fentanyl intoxication.

    The government further alleged that a law enforcement search of Doe’s cell phone found a text exchange between Doe and Malatare the evening Doe overdosed. The exchange included:

    Malatare to Doe: “Catch up with you lil bit bro, you looking.”

    Doe to Malatare: “Yeah, I’ll be home. Just got off work. I can only afford half if you can stop by.”

    An investigation determined that beginning in at least September 2022, an individual named “Doug,” and later identified as Malatare, was bringing fentanyl from Washington to the Blackfeet Indian Reservation and that Malatare made several quick trips back and forth to Washington between September and December 2022. On Dec. 17, 2022, Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services stopped Malatare for speeding and used a K-9 to conduct a sniff search on the car. The K-9 alerted to the presence of narcotics. Law enforcement seized the car and obtained a search warrant. Officers searched a fanny pack before allowing Malatare to possess it and found a bag of blue and white pills that they suspected contained fentanyl. In a search of the vehicle, officers found a quantity of multi-colored fentanyl pills in the back seat behind a middle armrest. They also recovered a digital scale and multiple rolls of U.S. currency.  An analysis determined both the multi-colored pills and blue and white pills contained fentanyl. In total, the Drug Enforcement Administration lab found more than 600 fentanyl pills. A witness told law enforcement that Malatare was bragging that he purchased the pills for $2 per pill in Washington and sold them for $50 to $60 per pill in Montana. The pills seized from Malatare had an estimated street value of more than $30,000. 

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, Glacier County Sheriff’s Office, DEA, and FBI conducted the investigation.

    XXX

    MIL Security OSI –

    September 29, 2024

  • MIL-OSI: AMMO, Inc. Appoints New Chief Financial Officer and Provides Corporate Update

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Paul Kasowski, Who Has Served as Chief Compliance and Transformation Officer, Named New Chief Financial Officer

    The Board of Directors Has Retained Independent Advisors to Support an Investigation Into Financial Reporting for Fiscal Years 2020-2023

    SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Sept. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — AMMO, Inc. (Nasdaq: POWW, POWWP) (“AMMO” or the “Company”), the owner of GunBroker.com, the largest online marketplace serving the firearms and shooting sports industries, and a leading vertically integrated producer of high-performance ammunition and components, today announced that Paul Kasowski, who has served as the Company’s Chief Compliance and Transformation Officer, has been appointed by AMMO’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) as the Company’s new Chief Financial Officer, effective immediately. Mr. Kasowski succeeds Rob Wiley, who resigned on September 19, 2024 at the request of the Board.

    After due consideration, the Company’s Board determined that Mr. Kasowski possesses the requisite experience and qualifications to serve as CFO. Mr. Kasowski most recently served as Chief Compliance and Transformation Officer since January 2024.

    Jared Smith, AMMO’s Chief Executive Officer and Board member, commented:

    “Since my appointment as CEO in July 2023, I have prioritized laying a foundation for long-term value creation and helping AMMO mature as a public company. The appointment of Paul will support these efforts. He brings additive experience in a variety of areas, including enhancing margins, improving internal processes, and positioning businesses to transform.”

    Paul Kasowski Biography:

    Prior to joining the Company in January 2024, Mr. Kasowski held the role of SVP, Business Transformation for Kinder’s Seasonings & Sauces from January 2022 to July 2023 where he professionalized financial reporting and implemented margin improvement projects while building a winning culture for this high growth brand. Previously, from December 2020 to December 2021, he was CFO for Arizona Natural Resources, a privately owned manufacturer of premium beauty care products where he oversaw finance, accounting, IT, HR, planning and sourcing. Mr. Kasowski also held the role of VP, Financial Planning & Analysis from April 2019 to December 2020 for Igloo Products Corp., a manufacturer of coolers and hydration products based in Katy, TX. From 2003 to 2019, he held progressing roles in finance, strategy, and operations for Del Monte Foods and Ainsworth Pet Nutrition. Mr. Kasowski earned his M.S. in Supply Chain Management from Michigan State University, MBA from Ohio University, and B.S. in Finance from Robert Morris University.

    Independent Investigation Into Historical Financial Statements

    As disclosed in a Form 8-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on September 24, 2024, a Special Sub-Committee of the Nominations and Corporate Governance Committee of the Board of Directors has retained a law firm to conduct an independent investigation into the Company’s internal control over financial reporting for the fiscal years 2020 through 2023. The independent investigation is in its early stages and is focused on fiscal years 2020 through 2023.

    The Company does not plan to comment further until the completion of the investigation.

    About AMMO, Inc.

    With its corporate offices headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, AMMO designs and manufactures products for a variety of aptitudes, including law enforcement, military, sport shooting and self-defense. The Company was founded in 2016 with a vision to change, innovate and invigorate the complacent munitions industry. AMMO promotes branded munitions as well as its patented STREAK™ Visual Ammunition, /stelTH/™ subsonic munitions, and specialty rounds for military use via government programs. For more information, please visit: www.ammo-inc.com.

    About GunBroker

    GunBroker is the largest online marketplace dedicated to firearms, hunting, shooting and related products. Aside from merchandise bearing its logo, GunBroker currently sells none of the items listed on its website. Third-party sellers list items on the site and Federal and state laws govern the sale of firearms and other restricted items. Ownership policies and regulations are followed using licensed firearms dealers as transfer agents. Launched in 1999, the GunBroker.com website is an informative, secure and safe way to buy and sell firearms, ammunition, air guns, archery equipment, knives and swords, firearms accessories and hunting/shooting gear online. GunBroker promotes responsible ownership of guns and firearms. For more information, visit: www.gunbroker.com.

    Forward Looking Statements

    This document contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words like “may,” “will,” “likely,” “should,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “future,” “plan,” “believe,” “intend,” “goal,” “seek,” “estimate,” “project,” “continue,” and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on current beliefs, expectations and assumptions regarding the future of the business, future plans and strategies, projections, anticipated events and trends, the economy, and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks, and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. Actual results and financial condition may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. We do not undertake to update forward-looking statements to reflect the impact of circumstances or events that arise after the dates they are made. You should, however, consult further disclosures and risk factors we include in Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and Current Reports filed on Form 8-K.

    Contacts

    For media:
    Longacre Square Partners
    Joe Householder, (646) 582-3643
    AMMO@longacresquare.com

    For investors:
    Matt Blazei
    CoreIR
    Phone: (516) 386-0430
    IR@ammo-inc.com

    Source: AMMO, Inc.

    The MIL Network –

    September 29, 2024

  • MIL-Evening Report: Dutton’s nuclear plan would mean propping up coal for at least 12 more years – and we don’t know what it would cost

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alison Reeve, Deputy Program Director, Energy and Climate Change, Grattan Institute

    Opposition leader Peter Dutton has revealed the Coalition’s nuclear energy plan relies on many of Australia’s coal-fired power stations running for at least another 12 years – far beyond the time frame officials expect the ageing facilities to last.

    The claim has set off a new round of speculation over the Coalition’s plans – the viability of which has already been widely questioned by energy analysts.

    Dutton offered up limited detail in a speech on Monday. He also revealed the plan relies on ramping up Australia’s gas production.

    It seems increasingly clear the Coalition’s nuclear policy would prolong Australia’s reliance on coal, at a time when the world is rapidly moving to cleaner sources of power.

    Coal: old and tired

    The Coalition wants to build nuclear reactors on the sites of closed coal plants. It says the first reactors could come online by the mid-2030s. However, independent analysis shows the earliest they could be built is the 2040s.

    Now it appears the Coalition’s plan involves relying on coal to provide electricity while nuclear reactors are being built. On Monday, Dutton suggested coal-fired electricity would be available into the 2030s and ‘40s.

    But this is an overly optimistic reading of coal’s trajectory. The Australian Energy Market Operator says 90% of coal-fired power in the National Electricity Market will close by 2035.

    All this suggests the Coalition plans to extend the life of existing coal plants. But this is likely to cost money. Australia’s coal-fired power stations are old and unreliable – that’s why their owners want to shut them down. To keep plants open means potentially operating them at a loss, while having to invest in repairs and upgrades.

    This is why coal plant owners sought, and received, payments from state governments to delay exits when the renewables rollout began falling behind schedule.

    So who would wear the cost of delaying coal’s retirement? It might be energy consumers if state governments decide to recoup the costs via electricity bills. Or it could be taxpayers, through higher taxes, reduced services or increased government borrowing. In other words, we will all have to pay, just from different parts of our personal budgets.

    Labor’s energy plan also relies on continued use of coal. Dutton pointed to moves by the New South Wales and Victorian governments to extend the life of coal assets in those states. For example, the NSW Labor government struck a deal with Origin to keep the Eraring coal station open for an extra two years, to 2027.

    However, this is a temporary measure to keep the electricity system reliable because the renewables build is behind schedule. It is not a defining feature of the plan.

    Eraring was given a two year extension.

    New transmission is essential under either plan

    Dutton claims Labor’s renewable energy transition will require a massive upgrade to transmission infrastructure. The transmission network largely involves high-voltage lines and towers, and transformers.

    He claims the Coalition can circumvent this cost by building nuclear power plants on seven sites of old coal-fired power stations, and thus use existing transmission infrastructure.

    Labor’s shift to renewable energy does require new transmission infrastructure, to get electricity from far-flung wind and solar farms to towns and cities. It’s also true that building nuclear power stations at the site of former coal plants would, in theory, make use of existing transmission lines, although the owners of some of these sites have firmly declined the opportunity.

    But even if the Coalition’s nuclear plan became a reality, new transmission infrastructure would be needed.

    Australia’s electricity demand is set to surge in coming decades as we move to electrify our homes, transport and heavy industry. This will require upgrades to transmission infrastructure, because it will have to carry more electricity. Many areas of the network are already at capacity.

    So in reality, both Labor’s and the Coalition’s policies are likely to require substantial spending on transmission.

    Gas is not an easy answer

    Both Labor and the Coalition acknowledge a big role for gas in their respective plans.

    Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen says gas, along with storage, is needed to help back up to the grid, when solar and wind farms are not producing electricity.

    Dutton spoke of plans “to ramp up domestic gas production” in the short term, “to get power prices down and restore stability to our grid” – presumably until nuclear comes online.

    But the issue isn’t a lack of gas. It’s that the gas is in the wrong places. There’s a gas shortage because southern reserves are declining and all the gas production is in the north of the continent.

    An increased role for gas means getting someone to pay for new infrastructure, such as pipelines or LNG terminals. That will make for expensive gas, and expensive gas means expensive electricity.

    Many unanswered questions

    It’s now three months since the Coalition released its nuclear strategy. Detail was thin then – and Monday’s speech shed little light.

    Many unanswered questions remain – chief among them, costings of the nuclear plan, and how much of that will be born by government. CSIRO says a nuclear reactor would cost at least A$8.6 billion.

    We also don’t know how the Coalition would acquire the sites, or get around nuclear bans in Queensland, NSW and Victoria.

    We still don’t know how the Coalition plans to keep the lights on in the coming decade, as coal exits.

    And crucially, we don’t know what it will cost households and businesses. It is unlikely to be cheap.

    Alison Reeve does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article. Since 2008, Grattan Institute has been supported in its work by government, corporations, and philanthropic gifts. A full list of supporters is published at www.grattan.edu.au.

    – ref. Dutton’s nuclear plan would mean propping up coal for at least 12 more years – and we don’t know what it would cost – https://theconversation.com/duttons-nuclear-plan-would-mean-propping-up-coal-for-at-least-12-more-years-and-we-dont-know-what-it-would-cost-239720

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

    September 29, 2024

  • MIL-Evening Report: The design tricks keeping your kids hooked on games and apps – and 3 things you can do about it

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chris Zomer, Associate Research Fellow at the Centre of the Digital Child, Deakin University

    This article is part of a series on the great internet letdown. Read the rest of the series.

    Ever found yourself unable to resist checking out a social media notification? Or sending a random picture just to keep a Snapchat “streak” going? Or simply getting stuck staring at YouTube because it auto-played yet another cute cat video?

    If so, you’re far from alone. And if we adults can’t resist such digital temptations, how can we expect children to do any better?

    Many digital environments are not designed with the best interest of users in mind – and this is especially true of games, apps and platforms commonly used by kids and teens.

    Designers use persuasive design techniques to make users spend more time on apps or platforms, so they can make more money selling ads. Below, we explain some of the most common design tricks used in popular games, social media and apps.

    Decision-making made easy 🔀

    Social media and streaming platforms strive to provide “seamless” user experiences. This makes it easy to stay engaged without needing to click anything very often, which also minimises any obvious opportunities where we might disengage.

    These seamless experiences include things such as auto-play when streaming videos, or “infinite scrolling” on social media. When algorithms present us with a steady flow of content, shaped by what we have liked or engaged with in the past, we must put in extra effort to stop watching. Unsurprisingly, we often decide to stay put.

    Rewards and dopamine hits 🧠

    Another way to keep children engaged is by using rewards, such as stars, diamonds, stickers, badges or other “points” in children’s apps. “Likes” on social media are no different.

    Rewards trigger the release of a chemical in our brains – dopamine – which not only makes us feel good but also leaves us wanting more.

    Rewards can be used to promote good behaviour, but not always. In some children’s apps, rewards are doubled if users watch advertisements.

    Loot boxes and ‘gambling’ 💰

    Variable rewards have been found to be especially effective. When you do not know when you will get a certain reward or desired item, you are more likely to keep going.

    In games, variable rewards can often be found (or purchased) in the form of “loot boxes”. Loot boxes might be chests, treasures, or stacks of cards containing a random reward. Because of the unpredictable reward, some researchers have described loot boxes as akin to gambling, even though the games do not always involve real money.

    Sometimes in-game currency (fake game money) can be bought with real money and used to “gamble” for rare characters and special items. This is very tempting for young people.

    In one of our (as yet unpublished) studies, a 12-year-old student admitted to spending several hundred dollars to obtain a desired character in the popular game Genshin Impact.

    The lure of streaks 🔥

    Another problematic way of using rewards in design is negative reinforcement. For instance, when you are at risk of a negative outcome (like losing something good), you feel compelled to continue a particular behaviour.

    “Streaks” work like this. If you do not do the same task for several days in a row, you will not get the extra rewards promised. Language learning app DuoLingo uses streaks, but so does Snapchat, a popular social media app. Research has shown a correlation between Snapchat streaks and problematic smartphone use among teens.

    Streaks can also make money for apps directly. If you miss a day and lose your streak, you can often pay to restore it.

    Loss of reputation 👎

    Reputation is important on social media. Think of the number of Facebook friends you have, or the number of likes your post receives.

    Sometimes designers build on our fear of losing our reputation. For instance, they can do this by adding a leaderboard that ranks users based on their score.

    While you may have heard of the use of leaderboards in games, they are also common in popular educational apps such as Kahoot! or Education Perfect. Leaderboards introduce an element of competition that many students enjoy.

    However, for some this competition has negative consequences – especially for those languishing low in the ranks.

    Similarly, Snapchat has a SnapScore where reputational loss is still at play. You do not want a lower score than your friends! This makes you want to keep using the app.

    Exploiting feelings of connection 🥰

    Another tool in the designers’ bag of tricks is capitalising on the emotional ties or connections users form with influencers or celebrities on social media, or favourite media characters (such as Elmo or Peppa pig) for younger children.

    While these connections can foster a sense of belonging, they can also be exploited for commercial gain, such as when influencers promote commercial products, or characters urge in-app purchases.

    What can parents do? 🤷

    Persuasive design isn’t inherently bad. Users want apps and games to be engaging, like we do for movies or TV shows. However, some design “tricks” simply serve commercial interests, often at the expense of users’ wellbeing.

    It is not all bleak, though. Here are a few steps parents can take to help kids stay on top of the apps:

    • have early and ongoing discussions with children about ideas such as the underlying commercial intent of what they are engaging with

    • model good digital choices of not giving in to persuasive design, such as by avoiding digital distractions yourself

    • use trustworthy resources to help in digital decision-making, such as Common Sense Media and Dark Pattern Games.

    For the moment, the responsibility for managing children’s interactions with the digital realm falls largely on individuals and families.

    Some governments are beginning to take action, but measures such as blanket age-based bans on social media or other platforms will only shield children temporarily. A better approach for governments and regulators would be to focus on safety by design: the idea that the safety and rights of users should be the starting point of any app, product or service, rather than an afterthought.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. The design tricks keeping your kids hooked on games and apps – and 3 things you can do about it – https://theconversation.com/the-design-tricks-keeping-your-kids-hooked-on-games-and-apps-and-3-things-you-can-do-about-it-239493

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

    September 29, 2024

  • MIL-Evening Report: Where do we stash the equivalent of 110 Sydney harbour bridges? That’s the conundrum Australia faces as oil and gas rigs close

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Darryn Snell, Associate professor, School of Management, RMIT University

    James Jones Jr, Shutterstock

    Oil and gas wells are dotted off Australia’s shores. They involve huge steel structures fixed firmly to the sea floor, and thousands of kilometres of pipelines.

    Most of Australia’s offshore oil and gas projects will be decommissioned in the next 30 years – some in the next decade. An estimated 5.7 million tonnes of material will need to be removed – the equivalent of 110 Sydney harbour bridges.

    Australia desperately needs the skills and equipment to conduct these complex decommissioning operations. The Albanese government says a high-capacity decommissioning facility is required by the early 2030s. At present, no such facilities exist.

    We hope the nation welcomes the opportunity to build a new multi-billion dollar demolition and recycling industry, with skilled jobs for workers. Rather than letting companies abandon structures for so-called “artificial reefs”.

    What would a decommissioning industry look like?

    Australia has two main offshore oil and gas producing areas: the North West Shelf in Western Australia and the Bass Strait off Gippsland, Victoria.

    WA and the Northern Territory have 35 platforms, 11 floating facilities and 6,076km of pipelines offshore. Victoria has 22 platforms and 2,089km of pipelines. Altogether, more than a thousand wells will need to be plugged and abandoned.

    Many of these facilities have already reached the end of their lives, or soon will. Less demand for fossil fuels in the future means we don’t need to refurbish or extend them. The only other option is to decommission them.

    Federal law requires the complete removal of offshore oil and gas infrastructure and plugging of wells, unless companies can come up with a better option.

    About 60% of the material requiring removal is steel, which could be recycled. A further 25% is concrete. The remainder includes plastics, hazardous metals and naturally occurring radioactive materials.

    But decommissioning is expensive, complex and time consuming, and the weak regulations are poorly enforced. Companies often present proposals that fail to meet community expectations.

    The Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility argues “further regulation is needed to ensure greater transparency, disclosure, and public consultation on decommissioning”.

    The Albanese government has been developing a plan for a decommissioning industry in Australia. It would be worth A$60 billion over the next 30 to 50 years.

    The industry would reclaim the materials and transport them to dismantling yards, for safe sorting and recycling. It would create highly skilled jobs, many of which overlap with skills needed for building offshore wind farms. These include:

    • electricians and mechanical fitters
    • specialist engineering roles
    • various management and contract management roles
    • health, safety and environmental specialists
    • specialist offshore operators, including for cranes and drilling activities.

    Currently only a few countries such as Norway and Turkiye have such dedicated decommissioning industries. Some also accept materials from oil and gas fields further afield. Scottish oil and gas rigs, for example, were controversially transported to Turkiye for dismantling and recycling in 2022-23.

    Plenty of work to be done

    In Gippsland, there may be ways to decommission not just offshore oil and gas, but also coal-fired power stations in the Latrobe Valley, which are scheduled to close in coming years.

    Some 30,000 tonnes of steel and 65,000m³ of asbestos was removed when Hazelwood Power Station was demolished. A further 100,000 tonnes of steel and 100,000 tonnes of concrete was recycled.

    Much recycling work was done on site. This provided more than 1.1 million hours of work employment badly needed in a region that had lost one of its largest employers.

    The WA state government allocated $5 million to a local decommissioning industry in its 2022-23 budget. This funds the Centre of Decommissioning Australia’s research, including a study investigating how to develop a dismantling hub in WA.

    Unfortunately, Victoria has not shown similar interest. This is despite decommissioning work by Esso in Bass Strait raising ongoing community concerns. They relate to the marine environment, human safety – for fishing, beach and tourism activities – and the loss of other potential industry and job opportunities.

    Whether to remove oil and gas structures or leave them in place is hotly debated. Some people argue the structures should be left to serve as artificial reefs. Others say the material is dangerous and potentially toxic.

    Given the immense size and number of oil and gas platforms around the world, a lot of material could be left to decay in the oceans with unknown consequences.

    Gas in the Bass Strait is running out but what will happen to the offshore rigs? | 7.30.

    Challenges and opportunities

    Renewable energy promises to create jobs and revitalise many fossil-fuel dependent regions. Setting up a decommissioning industry in the oil and gas regions of WA and Victoria would provide further opportunities during the transition.

    Ideally, the decommissioning process would deliver positive social and environmental benefits, not just cost savings. But that requires managing decommissioning as part of policies aimed at supporting workers and communities to adjust to a low carbon economy.

    The Future Made in Australia policy, for instance, could consider including support for a decommissioning industry.

    Regulations for decommissioning of oil and gas infrastructure must be strengthened. Environmental groups and unions are increasingly campaigning for these changes. Australia’s oil and gas companies are powerful and will likely resist further regulation.

    Abandoning oil and gas infrastructure on the ocean floor would result in lost opportunities for regions, communities and workers. It would also set a precedent for the dumping of yet more industrial waste into the ocean.

    We must get decommissioning right. Otherwise, it may prove another environmental harm imposed on the planet by the oil and gas industry.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Where do we stash the equivalent of 110 Sydney harbour bridges? That’s the conundrum Australia faces as oil and gas rigs close – https://theconversation.com/where-do-we-stash-the-equivalent-of-110-sydney-harbour-bridges-thats-the-conundrum-australia-faces-as-oil-and-gas-rigs-close-235867

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

    September 29, 2024

  • MIL-Evening Report: Humanity needs more rare earth elements. Extinct volcanoes could be a rich new source

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Anenburg, Research Fellow in Earth Sciences, Australian National University

    Phawat/Shutterstock

    Extinct volcanoes are hard to study – we never see them erupt. Using a unique experimental technique, we were able to recreate a certain type of extinct volcano in a lab, learning more about the magma these volcanoes produce.

    We found that some rare magma types are surprisingly efficient at concentrating rare earth elements. This is a group of metals with crucial applications in several high-tech industries, such as magnets for electric vehicles and wind turbines.

    Demand for rare earths is soaring as society moves away from fossil fuels and electrifies energy production and transport. Despite the name, rare earths aren’t particularly rare. The biggest challenge is finding rocks in which these metals are concentrated enough to be economically viable to extract.

    Our new research, published in the journal Geochemical Perspectives Letters, shows certain extinct volcanoes are a great place to look.

    Iron-rich magma in extinct volcanoes

    There is an enigmatic type of magma that contains unusually large amounts of iron. It is so rare, no eruptions featuring this type of magma have happened in recorded history.

    Instead, it is only known from extinct volcanoes that were active many millions of years ago.

    The most famous example of such a volcano is El Laco in Chile. Another notable example is Kiruna in Sweden, mined for iron ore for many decades. Last year, its operating company LKAB announced Kiruna as the largest rare earths resource in Europe.

    The discovery at Kiruna made us (and many others) wonder why there would be a rare earth resource at a volcanic iron mine. We already know of many other rock types containing rare earths, and none of them are like Kiruna and other extinct iron-rich volcanoes.

    Was this just a geological serendipity, or is there something inherent to iron-rich magmas that make them rare-earth rich, too? After all, many of those iron-rich extinct volcanoes are known, but no one ever bothered to check whether they have a rare earth resource in them.

    Additionally, iron-rich rocks are often easy to find because of their strong magnetic signal, despite their rarity. Should they be added to the target list of rare earth explorers?

    Recreating volcanism in a bottle

    To test this hypothesis, we used a machine called a piston cylinder. We put synthetic material akin to volcanic rocks and magmas into small capsules or “bottles” made of noble metals such as platinum. We then pressurised them to depths equivalent to 15 kilometres deep in Earth’s crust and heated them up to 1,100°C, melting them into a liquid.

    At these extreme conditions, we found the iron-rich magma exists as bubbles inside a more common magma type known from virtually all modern active volcanoes. The iron-rich magma absorbs rare earths from the surrounding liquid.

    These iron-rich bubbles will have a different density and viscosity, and will separate from their iron-poor environment, similar to how water and oil mixed together will eventually separate into distinct layers.

    Iron-rich magmas absorb the rare earths so efficiently, their rare earth contents are almost 200 times greater than the regular magmas around them.

    This means the discovery at Kiruna wasn’t an accident. It’s something we can expect from most, if not all, iron-rich volcanoes.

    An experimental platinum capsule (4 mm in length) containing round bubbles of iron-rich and iron-poor magma. The capsule also contains abundant iron oxide crystals in light grey and blue, similar to the material making the iron ore in active mines.
    Shengchao Yan

    Why do we need more rare earth deposits?

    Production of rare earth elements is concentrated in just a handful of countries – mostly China, along with the United States, Myanmar and Australia.

    Rare earths are therefore classified as “critical minerals”: they have important uses, but suffer from a supply chain risk due to geopolitical factors.

    As demand for rare earths has surged, this has led to substantial investment in research and exploration for additional deposits. The more deposits are known, the better industry can pick deposits that will yield rare earths at the lowest financial, environmental and societal cost.

    Extinct iron-rich volcanoes are often mined for iron ore. Our results indicate existing mines at such locations can potentially be modified to produce rare earths as well.

    This would be a positive outcome – an existing mining operation can gain additional value. In some cases, mine waste can be reprocessed to extract these critical metals. This would mean new mines for rare earth elements may not even be required, preventing unnecessary disruption of natural environments.

    Michael Anenburg receives funding from the Australian Research Council for an Industry Fellowship co-funded by BHP Olympic Dam.

    – ref. Humanity needs more rare earth elements. Extinct volcanoes could be a rich new source – https://theconversation.com/humanity-needs-more-rare-earth-elements-extinct-volcanoes-could-be-a-rich-new-source-239410

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

    September 29, 2024

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Supporting innovation and growth in rural Alberta

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Indigenous and small communities are vital to Alberta and its long-term economic prosperity. In December 2022, Alberta’s government recognized the importance of these communities by releasing its Economic Development in Rural Alberta Plan.

    Alberta’s government is investing in the second round of grants through the Small Community Opportunity Program to further implement this plan. Grant funding through the program will support Indigenous and small communities and help rural Alberta grow its economic footprint. In 2023, the program awarded grants between $20,000 and $100,000 for 43 community-led projects that build capacity in agriculture, small business supports and local economic development.

    “The Small Community Opportunity Program continues to provide financial backing for Indigenous and small communities to tackle challenges and tap into opportunities to grow their local economic footprint. By building capacity in small businesses and the agriculture industry, these rural communities will have a strong foundation to grow and thrive.”

    RJ Sigurdson, Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation

    To be eligible for funding, projects must align with the Economic Development in Rural Alberta Plan and build entrepreneurship, mentorship and skills development, small business supports and/or partnerships, as well as interconnectivity and collaboration within the local community.

    Eligible organizations can apply for grants between $20,000 and $100,000 for local, community-led projects. Non-profit organizations may collaborate with Indigenous and small communities, or communities may work together or independently on projects that drive innovation and achieve sustainable growth and diversification. Projects must be completed within two years and have a measurable impact supporting, improving or enhancing rural and Indigenous communities, local economic development and/or the agriculture industry.

    The Small Community Opportunity Program will open for applications September 24.

    Application criteria

    • Small Community Opportunity Program projects must align with one or more of the following Economic Development in Rural Alberta Plan strategic directions:
      • Rural business supports and entrepreneurship
      • Support for labour force and skills development
      • Marketing and promoting rural tourism
      • Rural economic development capacity building
    • Applicants must be an incorporated non-profit organization in a rural community or a rural or Indigenous community. The Economic Development in Rural Alberta Plan identifies rural communities as those that:
      • Have a population of fewer than 20,000
      • Are removed from communities larger than 25,000 people that could provide employment and services
      • Are remote communities or communities that have within them, or are surrounded by, a significant amount of nature, natural resources, agricultural land and wilderness areas
      • Have a workforce largely focused on primary economic activity, including oil and gas, agriculture and forestry

    Quick facts

    • The Economic Development in Rural Alberta Plan has strategic directions with corresponding initiatives and actions to ensure rural Albertans and Indigenous communities have economic opportunities where they live.
    • The Small Community Opportunity Program is made possible through Budget 2023 to provide up to $3 million per year in 2023-24 and 2024-25.
    • Albertans can learn more about the program through webinars hosted by the following organizations in October:
      • Rural Municipalities of Alberta
      • Economic Developers Alberta
      • Alberta Municipalities

    Related information

    • Small Community Opportunity Program
    • Rural economic development
    • Small Community Opportunity Program 2023-24 Grant Recipients
    • Northern and Regional Economic Development Program

    Related News

    • Strengthening rural Alberta (Nov. 9, 2023)
    • Maximizing opportunities in rural communities (Jun. 10, 2024)

    MIL OSI Canada News –

    September 29, 2024

  • MIL-OSI USA: The United States Increases Commitment to Resilience and Opportunities for Women in Food Systems

    Source: USAID

    The United States, through USAID, announced today an additional $114 million commitment to tackle urgent challenges women face in agrifood and water systems, including climate change – bringing the total dedicated in Fiscal Year 2023 to $449 million for Generating Resilience and Opportunities for Women (GROW). The announcement – made at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Commit to Grow Equality Action Event during high-level week of the United Nations General Assembly – reconfirms USAID’s dedication to ending discriminatory social norms and laws across agrifood and water systems.

    Today’s announcement reinforces USAID’s role at the forefront of advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment in the agricultural sector, which lifts whole economies. Women’s contributions are critical to building inclusive, resilient food systems and achieving global food security goals. The FAO estimates that if just half of small-scale producers benefited from development interventions that empower women, it would significantly raise incomes for 58 million people and increase the resilience of an additional 235 million people. In addition, closing the gender gap in farm productivity and the wage gap in agrifood-system employment would increase global gross domestic product by nearly $1 trillion and reduce the number of food insecure people by 45 million. 

    In April 2023, USAID launched GROW to advance gender priorities in USAID’s agrifood and water systems and climate adaptation programs – a significant portion of which is provided through Feed the Future, the U.S. government’s global hunger and poverty initiative. As global levels of conflict and instability rise, gender-based violence, child marriage, hunger, and poverty can prevent women and girls from fully engaging in and benefitting from agrifood systems. Through GROW, USAID is supporting women to have access to tools and resources to build resilience and thrive amidst these challenges, benefiting their families, communities, and societies through improved food security, resilience, and economic growth.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    September 29, 2024

  • MIL-OSI USA: Administrator Samantha Power’s First Day at the UN General Assembly High-Level Week

    Source: USAID

    The following is attributable to Spokesperson Benjamin Suarato:

    Today, Administrator Power arrived in New York today for the UN General Assembly High Level Week. She first met with Saudi Arabia’s Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah, Royal Court Adviser and Supervisor General of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center, to discuss areas for potential collaboration and ongoing humanitarian responses in Sudan, Gaza, and Ukraine.

    Joined by First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, Administrator Power and UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell co-hosted the official launch of the Partnership for a Lead-Free Future, a first of its kind coalition to end childhood lead poisoning in developing countries by 2040. The launch event included an announcement of more than $150 million in donor commitments, ten times the amount that is spent each year tackling this problem, with 26 countries and 38 partner organizations joining the coalition.

    Administrator Power also participated in a roundtable hosted by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Bank of America, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Alongside U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Rich Verma and CEOs from major energy, finance, and insurance firms, Administrator Power discussed how USAID, other U.S. government agencies, and private sector actors are helping to address immediate needs and future opportunities in Ukraine’s energy sector and broader economy.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    September 29, 2024

  • MIL-OSI USA: US Department of Labor announces framework to help employers promote inclusive hiring as AI-powered recruitment tools’ use grows

    Source: US Department of Labor

    WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the publication of the AI & Inclusive Hiring Framework, a new tool designed to support the inclusive use of artificial intelligence in employers’ hiring technology and increase benefits to disabled job seekers. 

    Published by the Partnership on Employment & Accessible Technology, the framework will help employers reduce the risks of creating unintentional forms of discrimination and barriers to accessibility as they implement AI hiring technology. Funded by the department’s Office of Disability Employment Policy, the initiative will also help workers and job seekers navigate the potential benefits and challenges they may face when encountering AI-enabled technologies.

    PEAT’s framework is based on the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s AI Risk Management Framework and includes NIST’s best practices for inclusive hiring. ODEP and PEAT developed the framework with input from disability advocates, AI experts, government and industry leaders and the public at large. The framework has 10 focus areas, including practices, goals and sample activities that employers can adopt in their AI governance and disability-inclusive hiring initiatives. Each area has information on maximizing benefits and managing risks for workers and job seekers when an organization assesses, acquires or deploys an AI hiring technology.

    “The Office of Disability Employment Policy works with many employers eager to hire people with disabilities and benefit from their talents,” said Assistant Secretary for Disability Employment Policy Taryn Williams. “These employers recognize that AI tools can improve recruitment and hiring but may also impact workplace culture and inclusion of disabled employees. The AI & Inclusive Hiring Framework published today charts a clear course for employers to navigate this transformation successfully.” 

    The framework’s foundation was laid during a PEAT Think Tank in April 2023 and developed with additional input gathered in discussions with experts, listening sessions and a national online public dialogue. ODEP and PEAT authored the framework in collaboration with NIST and other external partners. 

    The initiative aligns with the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to prevent AI-powered employment tools from hindering U.S. workers’ employment prospects. In October 2022, the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy released its Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights to promote more equitable and inclusive digital hiring practices with workers with disabilities and other underserved communities.

    Managed by Wheelhouse Group, PEAT helps workplaces procure, implement and use disability-inclusive technology.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    September 29, 2024

  • MIL-OSI USA: DLE News Release: Hawai‘i awarded $800,000 targeted violence prevention grant

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    DLE News Release: Hawai‘i awarded $800,000 targeted violence prevention grant

    Posted on Sep 24, 2024 in Latest Department News, Newsroom

    DEPARTMENT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT

    Ka ʻOihana Hoʻokō Kānāwai

    JOSH GREEN, M.D.

    GOVERNOR

    KE KIAʻĀINA

     

    JORDAN LOWE

    DIRECTOR

    KA LUNA HO‘OKELE

     

     

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    September 24, 2024

    Hawai‘i awarded $800,000 targeted violence prevention grant

    HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Law Enforcement Office of Homeland Security (OHS) is receiving a $803,330 Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention grant from U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to expand current initiatives and implement new measures to prevent targeted violence statewide.

    “This award demonstrates a commitment by DHS’s Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships to help us protect our communities from increasing threats of targeted violence,” said Frank Pace, OHS Administrator.

    Targeted violence refers to premeditated violence directed toward a specific individual, group, or location. Perpetrators often select their targets as the result of grievances. They may be motivated by many things including religious ideologies, political beliefs, conspiracy theories, or they may be victims of bullying.

    The newly allocated funding will enhance statewide targeted violence prevention training for nonprofits, public and private schools and government agencies. The grant will also fund OHS to help Guam development its targeted violence prevention program.

    “The Office of Homeland Security is focused on protecting people by providing the resources they need to identify, assist and most importantly, stop those on a pathway to violence. We can’t just react to targeted violence. We must, as a community, recognize the potential for violence and prevent tragedies before they occur.” Pace said.

    “The Department of Law Enforcement is committed to using all resources at its disposal to protect our residents through effective enforcement and by working with our communities to implement violence prevention strategies,” said Department of Law Enforcement Director Jordan Lowe.

    To view the statewide Targeted Violence Prevention Strategy and Implementation Plan, please visit this link. If you are interested in becoming a partner in preventing targeted violence in Hawai‘i, send an e-mail to [email protected], or visit OHS online at law.hawaii.gov/ohs.

    ###

    Media Contact:

    Brooks Baehr

    Public Information Officer

    Department of Law Enforcement

    715 S. King Street

    Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96813

    Office 808-587-5051

    Mobile 808-892-9272

    MIL OSI USA News –

    September 29, 2024

  • MIL-OSI USA: Pawtucket’s Puerto Rican Institute for Arts and Advocacy recommended for a national award to expand arts participation

    Source: US State of Rhode Island

    Providence, RI � The New England Foundation (NEFA) for the Arts joined the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to announce 112 organizations, including 13 organizations in New England, have been recommended for awards under a new pilot program called ArtsHERE. The R.I. State Council on the Arts (RISCA) reported that only grantees from Rhode Island is Pawtucket’s Puerto Rican Institute for Arts and Advocacy (PRIAA).

    The arts and advocacy organization was chosen from an applicant pool of more than 4,000 nationwide and recommended for an award of $101,400. All the applications were reviewed by multiple review panels including the applicant’s organizational size and capacity-building project, alignment with the program’s commitment to equity, and engagement with historically underserved communities.

    The Puerto Rican Institute for Arts and Advocacy will use the funding to assist with strategic planning, staff training, community engagement, marketing, and partnerships with heritage organizations and a network for the apprenticeship program.

    Founded in 1994, PRIAA is dedicated to promoting and facilitating civic and cultural awareness of the Puerto Rican culture, as well as other Latino/a/x heritages, through performance, workshops, visual art, literature, crafts and the Afro-ancestral arts. By bringing the best of the Caribbean arts and authentic folklore to Rhode Island and the New England region, PRIAA advocates for cultures that contribute to the social, political and economic well-being of an entire nation. https://www.priaa-ri.org.

    “The National Endowment for the Arts is thrilled to provide resources to a group of exceptional organizations through ArtsHERE, a program to help deepen meaningful and lasting arts engagement in underserved communities,” said Maria Rosario Jackson, Ph.D., chair of the National Endowment for the Arts. “Everyone should be able to live an artful life, and ArtsHERE is an important step in ensuring we are strengthening our nation’s arts ecosystem to make this a reality.”

    “We are excited to celebrate the 13 grant recipients’ projects in our region, along with many others across the country, that will expand access to arts participation. We are grateful to work on this important pilot initiative with the National Endowment for the Arts, the Wallace Foundation, and our RAO colleagues,” shared NEFA executive director Harold Steward.

    “On behalf of the arts and culture community in Rhode Island, we want to thank the NEA, NEFA, Wallace Foundation and our Congressional delegation for this new innovative program and their ongoing support for arts and culture, one of our state’s key economic drivers. Congratulations to the PRIAA on receiving national attention for the important work they do and continue to do preserving and perpetuating Puerto Rican culture in Rhode Island and beyond. Investments in critical cultural organizations like PRIAA fosters a robust and diverse cultural ecosystem in Rhode Island, leading to economically prosperous and civically engaged communities,” said Todd Trebour, RISCA’s Executive Director.

    Managed by South Arts, the NEA announced the ArtsHERE pilot grant program in 2023 in recognition that engaging in the arts is essential to individual, social, civic, and economic well-being and in response to President Biden’s Executive Order that put forward a government-wide effort to advance equity for all Americans.

    A partnership with South Arts and in collaboration with the other five U.S. Regional Arts Organizations, the organization suggested for grants demonstrated commitment to equity within their practices and programming. The grants range from $65,000 to $130,000 and more than $12.4 million, will fund projects to strengthen the organizations’ capacity to sustain meaningful community engagement and increase arts participation for underserved groups and communities. Grant recipients will also take part in peer-learning and technical assistance opportunities, and the NEA will report on lessons learned from this initiative.

    Recommended grant recipients are from all 50 states, DC, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. ArtsHERE aims to address disparities in arts participation through grants that help organizations better serve and reach their communities.

    ArtsHERE is also supported by The Wallace Foundation through matching funds to the Regional Arts Organizations in support of this program.

    National Endowment for the Arts, established by Congress in 1965 is an independent federal agency that is the largest funder of the arts and arts education in communities nationwide and a catalyst of public and private support for the arts. By advancing equitable opportunities for arts participation and practice, the NEA fosters and sustains an environment in which the arts benefit everyone in the United States. To learn more, visit arts.gov or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

    New England Foundation for the Arts invests in artists and communities and fosters equitable access to the arts, enriching the cultural landscape in New England and the nation. NEFA accomplishes this by granting funds to artists and cultural organizations; connecting them to each other and their audiences; and analyzing their economic contributions. NEFA serves as a regional partner for the National Endowment for the Arts, New England’s state arts agencies, and private foundations. Learn more at www.nefa.org.

    South Arts advances Southern vitality through the arts. The nonprofit regional arts organization was founded in 1975 to build on the South’s unique heritage and enhance the public value of the arts. South Arts’ work responds to the arts environment and cultural trends with a regional perspective. South Arts offers an annual portfolio of activities designed to support the success of artists and arts providers in the South, address the needs of Southern communities through impactful arts-based programs, and celebrate the excellence, innovation, value and power of the arts of the South. For more information, visit www.southarts.org.

    Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA) is a state agency supported by appropriations from the Rhode Island General Assembly and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. RISCA provides grants, technical assistance and staff support to arts organizations and artists, schools, community centers, social service organizations and local governments to bring the arts into the lives of Rhode Islanders. To learn more, visit www.arts.ri.gov or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

    The United States Regional Arts Organizations (USRAOs)�Arts Midwest, Mid-America Arts Alliance, Mid Atlantic Arts, New England Foundation for the Arts, South Arts, and Western States Arts Federation�are a collective of six nonprofit arts service organizations committed to strengthening America’s infrastructure by increasing access to creativity for all Americans. They serve the nation’s artists, arts and culture organizations, and creative communities with programs that reflect and celebrate the diversity of the field in which they work. They partner with the National Endowment for the Arts, state arts agencies, individuals, and other public and private funders to develop and deliver programs, services, and products that advance arts and creativity.

    Together, the USRAOs work to activate and operate national arts initiatives, encourage and support collaboration across regions, states, and communities, and maximize the coordination of public and private resources invested in arts programs. In Fiscal Year 2023, they invested over $18.4 million across the United States and Jurisdictions, through nearly 2,400 grants that reached more than 1,000 communities. For more information, visit usregionalarts.org.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    September 29, 2024

  • MIL-OSI USA: Public Notice of Intent to Issue a Categorical Exclusion to Rockland Oaks

    Source: US State of Rhode Island

    Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) is seeking public comment on its intent to issue a Categorical Exclusion.

    RIDOH has reviewed for approval the request by the Rockland Oaks public water system (PWS # RI1000020), in cooperation with an adjacent public water system, the Scituate High School & Middle School public water system (PWS # RI1615612) for a Categorical Exclusion determination for its proposed Rockland Oaks Public Water System Improvements project. Water supply for the Rockland Oaks facility is proposed to be provided by a new distribution connection to the Scituate High School & Middle School public water system (PWS # RI1615612) and improvements to the Rockland Oaks equipment/mechanical room, with the intent of ultimately inactivating the Rockland Oaks public water system (PWS # RI1000020). In addition to developing a new transmission main to Rockland Oaks, the project scope involves development of a new public well #4 at the High School/Middle School campus and select improvements to the High School/Middle School system related to the new connection, including to the pump house, controls, storage tank, and distribution pump system, presently under construction. The project location(s) will include the Scituate High School/Middle School campus located at 94 Trimtown Road, Scituate, RI 02857 (Scituate Assessors Map 33 Lot 14) through Rockland Road and into Rockland Oaks located at 104 Rockland Road, North Scituate, RI 02857 (Scituate Assessors Map 33 Lot 127).

    It has been determined that any impacts from the project, subject to certain defined conditions and with all proposed mitigation and the required mitigation and conditions in accordance with state permits and comments, would be minor and short term in duration and that the project, subject to certain defined conditions and with all proposed mitigation and the required mitigation and conditions in accordance with state permits and comments, will not individually, or cumulatively over time, have a significant effect on the quality of the environment. Therefore, RIDOH is hereby giving notice of intent to issue a Categorical Exclusion for the proposed project pursuant to the requirements and authority set forth in Chapter 46-12.8 of the General Laws of Rhode Island and the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund regulations (216-RICR-50-05-6).

    A copy of the proposed Categorical Exclusion can be obtained by calling RIDOH’s Center for Drinking Water Quality at 401-222-6867 weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or by emailing DOH.RIDWQ@health.ri.gov. All material submitted for review is available for public inspection weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at RIDOH, Center for Drinking Water Quality, Three Capitol Hill, Room 209, Providence, RI 02908.

    Written comments should be sent to the Center for Drinking Water Quality at the address above or emailed to DOH.RIDWQ@health.ri.gov within thirty (30) days of the date of this notice.

    A public hearing to hear or otherwise receive comments on the proposed intent to issue a Categorical Exclusion will be held if RIDOH receives such a request by twenty-five (25) persons, or by a governmental agency, or by an association having not less than twenty-five (25) members, within ten (10) days of published notice. If a public hearing is held, it will be open to the public, recorded and held at least five (5) days before the end of the public-comment period. A hearing will not be held earlier than ten (10) days after notice of its location, date, and time published. A request for a public hearing should be sent to the Center for Drinking Water Quality at the address above or emailed to DOH.RIDWQ@health.ri.gov. Notice should be taken that if RIDOH receives a request(s) as provided above on or before 4:30 p.m., October 4, 2024, a public hearing will be held at the following time and place:

    October 8, 2024, at 11 a.m. RIDOH Auditorium Three Capitol Hill Providence, Rhode Island 02908

    Interested persons should contact RIDOH to confirm if a hearing will be held at the time and location noted above.

    The location of the public hearing will be accessible to the handicapped. Interpreter services for people with hearing impairment and audiotapes for people with vision impairment will be made available. RIDOH is handicap accessible to individuals with disabilities.

    Please call RIDOH’s Center for Drinking Water Quality at 401-222-6867 for further information. For individuals requesting communication assistance, call Rhode Island Relay (TTY) at 711 or 800-745-5555 at least forty-eight (48) hours in advance.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    September 29, 2024

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray Challenges Republicans to Join Democrats in Affirming the Right to Lifesaving Emergency Care for Women

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
    ICYMI: Murray Leads Congressional Democrats in Amicus Brief Urging SCOTUS to Affirm that EMTALA Requires Hospitals to Provide Emergency Stabilizing Care Including Abortion Care, Preempts Idaho’s Draconian Abortion Ban
    ICYMI: On Senate Floor, Murray Shines Spotlight On How Trump Abortion Bans are Killing Women in America
    ICYMI – FROM PROPUBLICA: Abortion Bans Have Delayed Emergency Medical Care. In Georgia, Experts Say This Mother’s Death Was Preventable.
    ***WATCH: SENATOR MURRAY’S REMARKS HERE***
    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee (HELP), spoke at a press conference in the Capitol with Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI) following introduction of her resolution which simply expresses the sense of the Senate that every patient has the basic right to emergency health care, including abortion care, regardless of where they live. Murray will seek unanimous consent to pass her resolution later this afternoon on the Senate floor and challenged Senate Republicans to join Democrats in affirming the basic right to lifesaving emergency care for women. Introduction of Murray’s resolution follows new reporting from ProPublica that makes plain that Republican abortion bans are preventing women from receiving lifesaving emergency health care and resulting in preventable deaths.
    “I really want to emphasize that—we are talking about women whose water breaks dangerously early, or who are experiencing uncontrollable hemorrhage, sepsis, or pre-eclampsia,” said Senator Murray at today’s press conference. “These are the patients we are saying doctors should treat under the basic right to emergency care. Today we are going to try and pass this resolution, and we are going to see if the Senate can come together with one voice, and tell women: we want to put your health first, we want to put your life first, we want to make sure you get the care you need in an emergency. It is a simple message—but sadly, it has become a necessary one. Now I don’t know if Republicans are going to let us pass this or not. Republicans sometimes talk about protecting the life of the mother, but frankly they have yet to lift a finger to ensure doctors can always do that.”
    “So we’ll see where they fall today, but even if they block this resolution—we are NOT going to stop fighting to protect women, to help everyone get the care they need, and, ultimately, to restore the reproductive rights Donald Trump ripped away,” said Senator Murray in closing.
    Since the overturn of Roe v. Wade over two years ago, nearly two dozen US states led by Republicans have passed, banned, or severely restricted access to abortion. These strict laws have created confusion around the treatment doctors can provide even when a pregnant patient’s life is in danger, as physicians fear that they may lose their medical license, be sued, or even charged with a felony if they perform life-saving emergency care. Despite the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act’s (EMTALA) requirements that Medicare-participating hospitals treat and stabilize pregnant patients in need of emergency medical care, women are being turned away from emergency rooms following the Dobbs decision.
    In Moyle v. United States, the U.S. Supreme Court had the opportunity to reaffirm that federal law requires pregnant patients to have access to life-saving emergency care in every state, but instead, the Court dismissed the case and sent it back to the lower courts, effectively punting on making a decision on the case itself. While the litigation continues in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, the health and lives of women remain at risk as uncertainty around emergency abortion care persists. 121 Congressional Republicans, including 26 Senators, filed an amicus brief arguing that EMTALA does not require hospitals to provide abortion care as emergency stabilizing care in order to save a patient’s life.
    Senator Murray is a longtime leader in the fight to protect and expand access to reproductive health care and abortion rights, and she has led Congressional efforts to fight back after the Supreme Court’s disastrous decision overturning Roe v. Wade. Murray has introduced more than a dozen pieces of legislation to protect reproductive rights from further attacks, protect providers, and help ensure women get the care they need; Murray has led efforts to push for passage of these bills on the floor multiple times. Senator Murray also co-leads the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would restore the right to abortion nationwide. This January, Murray led her colleagues in hosting a “State of Abortion Rights” briefing with women who have suffered firsthand from Republican abortion bans. On June 4th of this year, Senator Murray chaired a HELP Committee hearing titled “The Assault on Women’s Freedoms: How Abortion Bans Have Created a Health Care Nightmare Across America.” Recently, Murray also helped lead efforts to force Republicans on the record on votes to protect access to contraception and access to IVF (twice). Murray has also led her colleagues in raising the alarm about how a second Trump administration intends to wage an all-out assault on reproductive rights and abortion access in every state, as outlined in Project 2025.
    Senator Murray’s full remarks, as prepared,  are below:
    “Donald Trump has been loudly bragging about how he ended Roe v Wade. He’s been making the outrageous claim that everyone wanted that.
    “Meanwhile, Republicans have been totally ignoring the horror and heartbreak they have unleashed. Even as women and doctors are speaking out about it every day.
    “Here in America, in the 21st century, pregnant women are suffering and even dying not because doctors don’t know how to save them, but because doctors don’t know if Republicans will let them.
    “I spoke about this at length last week, but new reporting about the tragic deaths of Amber Thurman and Candi Miller tells the story with brutal clarity. There are children in Georgia today, who are growing up without a mother because of Republicans’ abortion bans.
    “And the painful reality is—these may be among the first stories reported in such detail, but they are most certainly not the only ones. The data shows in Texas, maternal deaths skyrocketed after Republicans enacted strict abortion bans.
    “How does anyone shrug that off? How does any Republican think the chaos their bans have caused will blow over?
    “No woman is going to forget when she was sent off to miscarry alone after her doctor said—look I know your life is in danger but I am not sure I am allowed to save you right now.
    “No husband is going to forget calling 911 in a panic, after finding his wife, bloody and unconscious.
    “No child is going to forget—for a single day of their life—the mother that was taken from them by Republican bans.
    “This cruelty is unforgettable—and unacceptable. Democrats will not let it become settled status quo. Americans will not let it.
    “And that’s why, last week I introduced a simple resolution which reaffirms the basic principle that: when you go to the ER, they should be allowed to treat you; when your life is in danger, doctors should be able to do their job; when you need emergency care—including an abortion—no politician should stop you from getting it.
    “That should not be controversial. Especially if everyone who talks about protecting the life of the mother seriously means it. After all—that is what emergency care is for—saving the life of the mother.
    “I really want to emphasize that—we are talking about women whose water breaks dangerously early, or who are experiencing uncontrollable hemorrhage, sepsis, or pre-eclampsia. These are the patients we are saying doctors should treat under the basic right to emergency care…
    “Today we are going to try and pass this resolution, and we are going to see if the Senate can come together with one voice, and tell women: we want to put your health first; we want to put your life first. we want to make sure you get the care you need in an emergency.
    “It is a simple message—but sadly, it has become a necessary one.
    “Now I don’t know if Republicans are going to let us pass this or not. Republicans sometimes talk about protecting the life of the mother—but frankly they have yet to lift a finger to ensure doctors can always do that. So we’ll see where they fall today.
    “But even if they block this resolution—we are not going to stop fighting to protect women, to help everyone get the care they need, and, ultimately, to restore the reproductive rights Donald Trump ripped away.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

    September 29, 2024
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