NewzIntel.com

Category: Politics

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Microsoft’s Secure Future Initiative – Sept. 2024 update

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: Microsoft’s Secure Future Initiative – Sept. 2024 update

    In November 2023, we introduced the Secure Future Initiative (SFI) to advance cybersecurity protection for Microsoft, our customers, and the industry. In May 2024, we expanded the initiative to focus on six key security pillars, incorporating industry feedback and our own insights. Since the initiative began, we’ve dedicated the equivalent of 34,000 full-time engineers to SFI—making it the largest cybersecurity engineering effort in history. And now, we’re sharing key updates and milestones from the first SFI Progress Report.  

    Read the full SFI Progress Report

    A focus on security above all else 

    At Microsoft, we recognize our unique responsibility in safeguarding the future for our customers and community. As a result, every individual at Microsoft plays a pivotal role to “prioritize security above all else.” We’ve made significant progress in fostering a security-first culture. Some of the main updates include:  

    • To improve governance, we announced the creation of a new Cybersecurity Governance Council and the appointment of Deputy Chief Information Security Officers (Deputy CISOs) for key security functions and all engineering divisions. Led by our CISO Igor Tsyganskiy, the Deputy CISOs form the Cybersecurity Governance Council, and are responsible for the company’s overall cyber risk, defense, and compliance.  
    • Security is now a core priority for all employees at Microsoft and will be included in their performance reviews. This will empower every employee and manager to commit to—and be accountable for—prioritizing security, and a way for us to codify an employee’s contributions to SFI and celebrate impact.  
    • We launched the Security Skilling Academy, a personalized learning experience of security-specific, curated trainings for all employees worldwide. The academy ensures that no matter the role, employees are equipped to prioritize security in their daily work and identify the direct part they have in securing Microsoft.  
    • To ensure accountability and transparency at the highest levels, Microsoft’s senior leadership team reviews SFI progress weekly and updates are provided to Microsoft’s Board of Directors quarterly. Additionally, Microsoft’s senior leadership team now has security performance directly linked to compensation.  
    Explore more details on culture and governance updates in the full report

    Pillar highlights: A comprehensive approach to cybersecurity 

    We’ve also made progress across our six key pillars, each representing a critical area of cybersecurity focus. These pillars guide our ongoing work to raise the bar for security across Microsoft and help us meet the evolving demands of the security landscape. These are the most recent updates across these areas:

    1. Protect identities and secrets: We completed updates to Microsoft Entra ID and Microsoft Account (MSA) for our public and United States government clouds to generate, store, and automatically rotate access token signing keys using the Azure Managed Hardware Security Module (HSM) service. We have continued to drive broad adoption of our standard identity SDKs, which provide consistent validation of security tokens. This standardized validation now covers more than 73% of tokens issued by Microsoft Entra ID for Microsoft owned applications. We have extended standardized security token logging in our standard identity SDKs to support threat hunting and detections and enabled those in several critical services ahead of broad adoption. We completed enforcement of the use of phishing-resistant credentials in our production environments and implemented video-based user verification for 95% of Microsoft internal users in our productivity environments to eliminate password sharing during setup and recovery.  
    1. Protect tenants and isolate production systems: We completed a full iteration of app lifecycle management for all of our production and productivity tenants, eliminating 730,000 unused apps. We eliminated 5.75 million inactive tenants, drastically reducing the potential cyberattack surface. We implemented a new system to streamline the creation of testing and experimentation tenants with secure defaults and strict lifetime management enforced. We have deployed more than 15,000 new production-ready locked-down devices in the last three months.  
    1. Protect networks: More than 99% of physical assets on the production network are recorded in a central inventory system, which enriches asset inventory with ownership and firmware compliance tracking. Virtual networks with backend connectivity are isolated from the Microsoft corporate network and subject to complete security reviews to reduce lateral movement. To help customers secure their own deployments, we have expanded platform capabilities such as Admin Rules to ease the network isolation of Platform as a Service (PaaS) resources such as Azure Storage, SQL, Cosmos DB, and Key Vault. 
    1. Protect engineering systems: 85% of our production build pipelines for the commercial cloud are now using centrally governed pipeline templates, making deployments more consistent, efficient, and trustworthy. We have slimmed down the lifespan of Personal Access Tokens to seven days, disabled Secure Shell (SSH) protocol access for all Microsoft internal engineering repos, and significantly reduced the number for elevated roles with access to engineering systems. We also implemented proof of presence checks for critical chokepoints in our software development code flow. 
    1. Monitor and detect threats: We have made significant progress enforcing that all Microsoft production infrastructure and services adopt standard libraries for security audit logs, to ensure relevant telemetry is emitted, and retain logs for a minimum of two years. For instance, we have established central management and a two-year retention period for identity infrastructure security audit logs, encompassing all security audit events throughout the lifecycle of current signing keys. Similarly, more than 99% of network devices are now enabled with centralized security log collection and retention. 
    1. Accelerate response and remediation: We updated processes across Microsoft to improve Time to Mitigate for critical cloud vulnerabilities. We began publishing critical cloud vulnerabilities as common vulnerability and exposures (CVEs), even if no customer action is required, to improve transparency. We established the Customer Security Management Office (CSMO) to improve public messaging and customer engagement for security incidents.  
    Read more details on the six pillars in the full report

    Reaffirming our security commitment 

    In security, consistent progress is more important than “perfection” and this is reflected in the scale of resources mobilized to achieve our SFI objectives. The collective work we are doing to continually increase protection, eliminate legacy or noncompliant assets, and identify remaining systems for monitoring conclusively measures our success. As we look ahead, we remain committed to ongoing improvement. SFI will continue to evolve, adapting to new cyberthreats and refining our security practices. Our commitment to transparency and industry collaboration remains unwavering. Earlier in 2024, Microsoft became a major supporter of the United States Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s (CISA) Secure by Design pledge, reinforcing our dedication to embedding security into every aspect of our products and services. Additionally, we continue to integrate recommendations from the Cyber Safety Review Board (CSRB) to strengthen our cybersecurity approach and enhance resilience. 

    The work we’ve done so far is only the beginning. We know that cyberthreats will continue to evolve, and we must evolve with them. By fostering this culture of continuous learning and improvement, we are building a future where security is not just a feature, but a foundation. 

    SFI Progress Report

    Discover the key updates and milestones from the first SFI Progress Report.  

    ​​Learn more

    To learn more about Microsoft Security solutions and Microsoft’s Secure Future Initiative, visit our website. Bookmark the Security blog to keep up with our expert coverage on security matters. Also, follow us on LinkedIn (Microsoft Security) and X (@MSFTSecurity) for the latest news and updates on cybersecurity. 

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Yuri Trutnev launched the energy center in Chukotka

    MIL OSI Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Yuri Trutnev launched the energy center in Chukotka

    September 23, 2024

    Yuri Trutnev launched the energy center in Chukotka

    September 23, 2024

    Yuri Trutnev launched the energy center in Chukotka

    September 23, 2024

    Yuri Trutnev launched the energy center in Chukotka

    September 23, 2024

    Yuri Trutnev launched the energy center in Chukotka

    September 23, 2024

    Yuri Trutnev launched the energy center in Chukotka

    September 23, 2024

    Yuri Trutnev launched the energy center in Chukotka

    September 23, 2024

    Yuri Trutnev launched the energy center in Chukotka

    September 23, 2024

    Previous news Next news

    Yuri Trutnev launched the energy center in Chukotka

    A ceremonial launch of the energy center was held in the city of Bilibino in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug. The new facility was launched by Deputy Prime Minister – Presidential Plenipotentiary Representative in the Far Eastern Federal District Yuri Trutnev. The Governor of the region Vladislav Kuznetsov took part in the launch of the new facility at the energy center site.

    “I congratulate everyone on the launch of the energy center in the city of Bilibino! First of all, I want to thank everyone who participated in the construction: those whose work created the facility, which, together with the floating nuclear power plant, creates the contours of the new energy system, replacing the decommissioned Bilibino NPP. Chukotka is one of the regions of Russia with extreme climatic conditions. Energy is of particular importance for the region with its low temperatures. The entire energy system must operate reliably and without interruptions. Not only the quality of life here, but also the very life of people directly depends on this. Therefore, thank you to the builders, thank you to everyone who took part in the creation of the energy center. Let’s launch it,” said Yuri Trutnev.

    The energy center will gradually replace the Bilibino NPP, which provides heat and electricity to the city of Bilibino with a population of about 5.5 thousand people, as well as large mining and gold mining enterprises in Chukotka. During the implementation of the project, about 300 new jobs will be created.

    “This is a major event for our Chukotka Autonomous Okrug. From 2025, the energy center will be the main heat source for the residents of Bilibin, which will ensure the functioning of the entire Chaun-Bilibinsky energy hub. The work has been underway since 2019 in the difficult conditions of the Arctic zone. During construction, we took into account the permafrost factor, low temperatures, increased wind and snow loads. During the work, we managed to successfully resolve the issue of import substitution of components. I would like to thank the federal government for your support, you, Yuri Petrovich, everyone who provided assistance to the region at the federal level. I thank everyone who was involved in the construction of the energy center,” Vladislav Kuznetsov addressed the ceremony participants and asked Yuri Trutnev to give the order to launch the facility.

    Governor of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug Vladislav Kuznetsov, head of the Bilibinsky District Evgeny Safonov, deputy director of JSC Chukotka Trading Company Dmitry Ivanov together pressed the “start” button, after which the energy center equipment was put into operation. The total installed thermal capacity of the facility will be 66 MW, and the total installed electrical capacity will be 25 MW.

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

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

    http://government.ru/nevs/52776/

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Devolved Ministers attend New York Climate Week

    Source: Scottish Government

    Ministers met ahead of opening of Climate Week New York City. 

    Climate Week NYC’s overall message this year is “It’s Time”: celebrating those driving climate action, challenging everyone to do more and exploring ways to increase ambition.

    Climate Week NYC inspires, amplifies and scrutinises the commitments, policies and actions of those with the power to make change happen, while pushing the transition into the mainstream of business and government, showing what can be achieved. 

    Ministers discussed the need to deliver urgent action on climate change in the three nations, the importance of ensuring a just transition to net zero, and the criticality importance of working together towards our shared UK wide goals. 

    While each nation faces different challenges and will have its their own priorities, the twin imperatives to act now and to act fairly means embracing the benefits of collective action.  

    Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to share knowledge and experience to help each other make progress on reducing emissions reductions, creating climate resilience and working together to create the conditions for real, lasting and fair change across the three nations. 

    Ministers are looking forward to working with the new UK Government Ministerial team to further drive climate action across the UK. 

    Acting Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy, Gillian Martin said:

    “It is time to move from ambition to action and I am honoured to be here to further build influence of devolved states and regional governments within the international climate debate all whilst having a strong focus on capacity building. I believe Devolved Administrations can learn from each other as we accelerate a just transition to net zero. There was a real impetus amongst us all today to continue these conversations ahead of COP29. Scotland has a unique opportunity as Under 2 European co-chair and Regions4 president to continue championing other subnational governments.” 

    Deputy First Minister of the Welsh Government, Huw Irranca-Davies said: 

    “This needs to be the decade of action. We are showing leadership and commitment by setting our ambitious targets, but it’s time to focus on action and the wider benefits of taking action such as clean air, better homes and places to live and work. I am pleased to have the opportunity to showcase Wales’s success stories, and to connect with colleagues in Governments across the world to share solutions and work together towards this most important goal.” 

    Andrew Muir, Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs for the Northern Ireland Executive, said: 

    “I am delighted to be able to join my Scottish and Welsh Ministerial colleagues this year to attend New York Climate Week as a member of the Under 2 Coalition. Climate change is one of my top priorities. Attending this key event enables us to put Northern Ireland on the global stage and engage with others about ways to both tackle and grasp the opportunities arising from climate change.”

    During their visit to New York, Cabinet Secretaries and Ministers will be attending a range of events and engagements which will include meeting with Ministers, Heads of States, Governors and business leaders.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: FEMA Celebrates Climate Week NYC, Officials Across the Agency Participate in Events, Promote FEMA’s Year of Resilience

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: FEMA Celebrates Climate Week NYC, Officials Across the Agency Participate in Events, Promote FEMA’s Year of Resilience

    FEMA Celebrates Climate Week NYC, Officials Across the Agency Participate in Events, Promote FEMA’s Year of Resilience

    WASHINGTON – As extreme weather events caused by climate change continue to increase across the nation, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, U.S. Fire Administrator Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell, FEMA Deputy Administrator for Resilience Victoria Salinas, and FEMA Regional Administrator Region 2 David Warrington will attend Climate Week NYC and lead FEMA’s largest contingent of FEMA officials to ever attend the annual gathering. During the week, FEMA officials will highlight FEMA’s Year of Resilience, host several engagements, and participate in Climate Week NYC Events. 

    FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell will attend several events and address topics including extreme heat, climate risk, resilience, and how climate change is impacting the insurance market. Administrator Criswell will be a keynote speaker at the WSJ House, Bloomberg Sustainable Finance Forum, AON’s Resilience and Adaptation: Ensuring Economic Progress and Combating Climate Risk, and Global Citizen Addressing the Human Costs of Extreme Heat – Financing Measures to Safeguard Human Health at an International and National Level.

    As New York City hosts the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in addition to Climate Week NYC, FEMA is proudly supporting efforts to ensure a safe event each year and is dedicated to ensuring a unified coordinated effort between Local, State, and Federal agencies throughout the greater New York City area throughout the week. 

    Kicking off Climate Week NYC this year, the U.S. Fire Administration will host a Fire Chiefs Roundtable: Climate Change Driven Risks, Response and Resilience: Fire Chiefs’ Perspective  to bring together officials to discuss the current wildfire situation and what it will take to get ahead of future wildfire ignitions and the devastating impacts of intensifying storms. The roundtable will build on discussions and information exchanges that occurred during the inaugural World Fire Congress convened by FEMA/USFA in Washington, D.C. in May 2024.

    FEMA will also host a Risk Communications Webinar, where presenters will share successful strategies to communicate risk and inspire preparedness action in the face of increasingly frequent hazards—an alarming consequence of climate change. 

    FEMA and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are partnering for a full-day summit exploring resilient infrastructure challenges and innovative solutions through discussions on the recently published National Resilience Guidance, nature-based solutions, energy efficiency, net-zero energy, and sustainable disaster debris management. 

    The following events are open to the media: 

    Monday, September 23

    10:00 AM: U.S. Fire Administration to Host a Fire Chiefs Roundtable: Climate Change Driven Risks, Response and Resilience: Fire Chiefs’ Perspective (Virtual; In-Person Registration is Closed)

    What: The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) will host an interactive roundtable discussion on climate change driven risks, response and resilience during Climate Week NYC. This interactive roundtable brings together fire chiefs and their government counterparts including U.S. Fire Administrator Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell, FEMA Associate Administrator for External Affairs Justin Ángel Knighten, FEMA Associate Deputy Administrator for Resilience Robin Keegan, FEMA Regional Administrator Region 2 David Warrington, Fire Chief Orange County Brian Fennessy, Fire Chief Los Angeles County Tony Marrone, Fire Chief Fairfax County John Butler, Fire and EMS Chief Washington, D.C. John Donnelly and acting Fire Chief New York City John Esposito. Discussion topics will include the current wildfire situation and what it will take to get ahead of future wildfire ignitions and the devastating impacts of intensifying storms. FEMA Region 2 will host the roundtable discussion including stakeholders from academia, nongovernmental organizations, U.S. and international government representatives and fire service leaders. The roundtable will build on discussions and information exchanges that occurred during the inaugural World Fire Congress convened by FEMA/USFA in Washington, D.C. in May 2024.

    2:30 PM: FEMA to Host National Webinar – Risk Communications (Virtual)

    What: Presenters will share successful strategies to communicate risk and inspire preparedness action in the face of increasingly frequent hazards—an alarming consequence of climate change. This event is a valuable opportunity for risk and crisis communicators, community leaders, emergency management professionals and stakeholders involved in disaster preparedness. Participants will learn strategies for creating awareness and activities that help communities plan for disasters and build resilience amid the climate crisis. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions to support communications best practices related to developing and sharing critical preparedness messaging.

    Tuesday, September 24

    9:00 AM – 4:00 PM: FEMA and EPA to Host Event: Climate Resilient Infrastructure: Building a More Sustainable Future (Virtual and In-Person Registration Required)

    What: FEMA and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are partnering for a full-day summit exploring resilient infrastructure challenges and innovative solutions through discussions on the recently published National Resilience Guidance, nature-based solutions, energy efficiency, net-zero energy and sustainable disaster debris management. Attendees will get to hear from FEMA and our public, private and academic partners on several topics including nature-based solutions, net-zero energy projects, energy efficiency efforts, the use of salvaged materials and how each of these fit into nationwide resilience strategy.

    Where:  Climate Week NYC: Climate Resilient Infrastructure: Building a More Sustainable Future.

    Register: Climate Resilient Infrastructure: Building a More Sustainable Future Tickets, Tue, Sep 24, 2024 at 9:00 AM.

    2:45 PM: FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell to Speak at WSJ House 

    What: FEMA Administrator Speaks at Wall Street Journal Live on resilience.

    Where: Bryant Park Grill, 25 W 40th St, New York, NY 10018. 

    To register for this event, please contact WSJ Live.

    Wednesday, September 25

    9:20-10:00 AM: FEMA Administrator to speak at AON’s Resilience and Adaptation: Ensuring Economic Progress and Combating Climate Risk

    What:  FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell will join a panel discussion on how the unprecedented risk environment has upended the traditional balance where insurance was the dependable safeguard enabling the flow of capital across the economy. Severe weather and a changing climate are rendering historically safe investments uninsurable, sending shockwaves through the financial systems and threatening the livelihoods and progress of institutions and individuals alike. This high-level dialogue will touch on the major challenges a lack of insurance access creates for the public and private sectors, what needs to be done and the potential for new paradigms to bring the system back into balance. 

    Where: Aon Corporate Headquarters, One Liberty Plaza (165 Broadway), New York, NY 10006.

    To register for this event, please contact Aon. 

    11:00 AM: FEMA Administrator to speak at Global Citizen Addressing the Human Costs of Extreme Heat – Financing Measures to Safeguard Human Health at an International and National Level 

    What: FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell will join a panel discussion to discuss extreme heat. 

    Where: Guastavino’s located at 409 E 59th St, New York, NY 10022.

    To register for this event, please contact Global Citizen.

    Thursday, September 26

    1:30 PM-2:00 PM: FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell will speak at Bloomberg’s Sustainable Finance Forum

    What: FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell will headline the Bloomberg Sustainable Finance Forum at Bloomberg Headquarters for a fireside chat with Bloomberg Intelligence Director of ESG Research Eric Kane. 

    Where: 731 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10022.

    To register for this event, please contact Bloomberg Sustainable Finance Forum.

    3:00 PM-4:00 PM: Climate Resiliency Fireside Chat with FEMA, NASA and NOAA (Virtual Registration Required)

    What: FEMA, NASA and NOAA will be discussing climate resiliency and the importance of forward-thinking programs that equip communities for the climate challenges of today and tomorrow. Panelists include FEMA Deputy Administrator for Resilience Victoria Salinas, NASA Chief Scientist Dr. Kate Calvin and NOAA Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and Deputy Administrator Jainey Bavishi. This is a unique opportunity for community leaders and members from federal, state, local, tribal and territorial governments, nonprofits, the private sector and academia to connect with subject matter experts, share knowledge and deepen understanding of how to build resilient communities in the face of a changing climate.

    amy.ashbridge

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Creating Jobs In A Clean, Equitable, Resilient Economy

    Source: US State of New York

    September 23, 2024

    Albany, NY

    Governor Kathy Hochul today announced New York’s participation in the U.S. Climate Alliance’s Governors’ Climate-Ready Workforce Initiative to grow career pathways in climate and clean energy fields, strengthen workforce diversity, and jointly train 1 million new registered apprentices across the Alliance’s states and territories by 2035. Governor Hochul made the announcement today at a Climate Week NYC event, which also featured her Alliance Co-Chair New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, founding Alliance member Washington Governor Jay Inslee, and White House National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi.

    “In New York, we’re showing how climate action and economic growth go hand-in-hand,” Governor Hochul said. “As a co-chair of the U.S. Climate Alliance, I’m proud to be collaborating with states, industry leaders, labor unions, higher education and community organizations to create the jobs of the future required to build a clean, equitable, and resilient economy. A skilled and well-prepared workforce will drive innovation, create new businesses, and ensure a sustainable, resilient future for our country.”

    “We need a climate-ready workforce — from EV technicians and heat pump installers to solar panel manufacturers — to meet our carbon reduction goals,” New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham said. “The Executive Order I’m issuing today in conjunction with the Alliance’s new Workforce Initiative will help ensure that workers from all backgrounds have access to the skills and training needed for high-quality, climate-ready jobs across New Mexico.”

    “We’re aligning our ambitious climate policies with workforce development to have 1 million more workers poised to take these good-paying, union jobs that serve our communities and strengthen our economies,” Washington Governor Jay Inslee said. “These are economy-wide jobs, not just in clean energy but building trades, land management, clean technology and more. Climate Alliance states have a track record of meeting our ambitious goals and that momentum continues today.”

    [embedded content]

    [embedded content]

    Through the initiative, Governor Hochul and the bipartisan coalition of 23 other governors, representing approximately 60 percent of the U.S. economy and 55 percent of the U.S. population, will partner to strengthen and expand pathways into a wide variety of climate-ready professions that are critical to building a clean, equitable, and resilient net-zero future.

    The initiative goals are to:

    • Advance strategies to ensure climate-ready employment pathways lead to good-paying, high-quality jobs.
    • Prioritize equity in climate-ready workforce policies and programs to expand opportunities for all workers, particularly those from underrepresented communities.
    • Foster meaningful and inclusive collaboration across government, tribal nations and communities, workforce systems, labor unions, industry, community-based organizations and educational institutions.
    • Support innovative and evidence-based approaches to help workers enter and advance in climate-ready careers through a range of supportive services.
    • Promote the development and use of stackable, portable, and industry-recognized credentials in climate-ready fields to build transferable skills, support reskilling and upskilling, and strengthen workers’ economic mobility.
    • Encourage climate-focused workforce planning that is rooted in evidence and aligns with states’ existing workforce development and education systems.

    The initiative’s launch comes as historic federal investments, combined with ambitious state climate action, have unleashed a significant expansion of good-paying and union jobs in clean energy and clean technology fields—such as wind, solar, electric vehicles, energy efficiency, and batteries—with millions more anticipated in the coming years under the Biden-Harris administration’s Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

    In New York, we’re showing how climate action and economic growth go hand-in-hand.”

    Governor Kathy Hochul

    Governor Hochul Announces $2.3 million to Support Job Training for Offshore Wind Projects

    Building on the workforce initiative, Governor Hochul announced a $2.3 million award to support training for careers in offshore wind through the State’s Offshore Wind Training Institute (OWTI). The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local Union 3 has been selected to develop and deliver training for offshore wind-related skills to 100 pre-apprentices and 430 journeypersons in New York City.

    This funding award, administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, will support offshore wind career awareness training as part of IBEW Local 3’s pre-apprenticeship and journeypersons training departments. Eighty of the 100 pre-apprentices will be placed in offshore wind related apprenticeship programs, and all 430 journeypersons will receive offshore wind-specific technical training, with six to be trained as instructors in offshore wind technical training.

    The training program will identify and include the knowledge and skills that are needed for electricians in all stages of offshore wind development, from preassembly through operation and maintenance.

    The funding builds on the nearly $11 million previously awarded through OWTI to other organizations supporting offshore wind related trainings. Programs supported included those at the New York City Union Iron Workers Locals 40 and 361, Capital Region BOCES, and eight different SUNY schools. The OWTI, along with NYSERDA, has built a network of academic, community, industry and labor alliances that will prepare up to 2,500 New Yorkers for careers in renewable-energy fields. OWTI is collaborating with the Renewable Energy and Sustainability Center at Farmingdale State College and the National Offshore Wind Research and Development Consortium at Stony Brook University that is supported by NYSERDA and the U.S. Department of Energy.

    Additionally, as part of the New York Power Authority’s commitment in the 2023-24 Enacted State Budget to support the efforts of the Office of Just Energy Transition in collaboration with the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) and invest annually in workforce training efforts, the Power Authority has thus far committed more than $12 million to support clean energy industry workforce development initiatives around the state.

    In July, NYPA issued a Clean Energy Workforce Training (CEWT) RFP for qualified based training providers (such as technical high schools, community colleges, universities, trade associations, manufacturers, and others) who can collaborate to develop technical training opportunities, hands-on experience, paid internships and full-time jobs for people entering the clean energy workforce. At its upcoming Oct. 8 meeting, NYPA’s Board of Trustees will vote on awarding roughly $2 million to a number of projects that would create a diverse, equitable, and inclusive pipeline of skilled talent for the clean energy labor market with a focus on pathways for employment in the clean energy field for residents of disadvantaged communities in the vicinity of NYPA’s facilities across New York State.

    Read more information on the Governors’ Climate-Ready Workforce Initiative.

    White House National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi said, “Under President Biden and Vice President Harris’s leadership, we are bringing down the barriers to economic opportunity, lowering costs for American families, and catalyzing a renaissance of American-made manufacturing that is creating jobs across America. In fact, just last year, we added over 250,000 new American energy jobs — with clean energy jobs growing twice as fast as the rest of the sector. Governors across America are at the forefront of our efforts to spur growth in union jobs, expand American energy production, and invest in the economic success of our communities. Today’s announcement will help capitalize on our momentum to create a climate-ready workforce that is rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure, communities, and industrial strength.”

    New York State Energy Research and Development Authority President and CEO Doreen M. Harris said, “Building a clean energy economy is no small feat, and that is why this newly announced Governors’ Climate-Ready Workforce Initiative is so critical. To succeed, our national and state workforces, need to be filled with expert technicians trained in the latest technologies. NYSERDA looks forward to continuing our support for workforce development and training programs through national partnerships like those being fostered by the U.S. Climate Alliance, and regional partnerships like the Offshore Wind Training Institute, as we grow New York’s industry in collaboration with other states.”

    New York Power Authority President and CEO Justin E. Driscoll said, “In alignment with the leadership of Governor Hochul’s and the U.S. Climate Alliance’s Governors’ Climate-Ready Workforce Initiative, the New York Power Authority’s workforce development programs are connecting New Yorkers with the skills and job training needed to power the state’s, and in turn the nation’s, clean energy future. NYPA’s investments in our own workforce, public-private workforce partnerships, and partnership with the Department of Labor are part our holistic approach to support the essential clean energy workforce and engage more New Yorkers in the clean energy economy.”

    Empire State Development President, CEO & Commissioner Hope Knight said, “New York State’s participation in the Governors’ Climate-Ready Workforce Initiative will further strengthen our efforts to train New Yorkers for high-quality jobs in green energy industries. Governor Hochul’s ongoing commitment to addressing climate change, with support from our federal and state agency partners, will grow the economy while creating a sustainable future.”

    New York State Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon said, “Pairing registered apprenticeship opportunities with our environmental sustainability efforts is a win-win for workers and employers. By developing registered apprenticeships in line with clean energy goals, New York State continues to strengthen local economies in the on-going transition to a low-carbon economy. I applaud Governor Hochul’s commitment to the U.S. Climate Alliance’s Governors’ Climate-Ready Workforce Initiative, allowing our combined efforts to reach beyond state borders to ensure a sustainable, enduring future for our country’s workforce.”

    BlueGreen Alliance Executive Director Jason Walsh said, “We’re excited to see governors stepping up to make sure we have the workforce needed to fill the good jobs that are being created by the Inflation Reduction Act, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and CHIPS and Science Act. There is a tremendous opportunity from those federal investments to rebuild our blue-collar middle class by creating pathways into skilled, long-term careers in sectors like construction and manufacturing. This commitment from governors across the country is good for workers, good for employers, and good for the high-road clean energy economy we’re building together.”

    National Skills Coalition Managing Director of State Strategies Melissa Johnson said, “State governments have a crucial role to play in leveraging historic federal investments to create unprecedented jobs and training opportunities for the workforce while fighting climate change. It is incredible that this coalition of governors is stepping up to prioritize the diversity and economic security of the climate workforce because our climate readiness hinges on a new generation of workers having access to the education, skills training, and economic supports they need to access good jobs and careers in this booming sector.”

    International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union No. 3 Business Manager Christopher Erikson said, “Today’s announcement on the “Climate-Ready Workforce Initiative” is a great step forward in continuing to prepare future members of the IBEW and unionized Building Trades for the green energy jobs of today and beyond. We welcome tomorrow’s apprentices from all walks of life into our ranks with open arms, ready to deliver world-class training and to prepare them for union careers with family-supporting wages and benefits. Thank you to Governor Hochul, the Biden-Harris administration, US Climate Alliance, and NYSERDA for addressing the climate crisis head-on and supporting the unionized green workforce.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Statement on the Continued Need for Disaster Recovery Funding 

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)

    Welch:  This Continuing Resolution will not meet the needs of Vermont, or any state recovering from a disaster.   
    WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) released the following statement in response to both Chambers of Congress reaching a bipartisan agreement on a short-term Continuing Resolution (CR), which would fund the government through December 20th but excludes additional disaster recovery funding for FEMA or other disaster recovery programs:  
    “For months, bipartisan members of Congress from states devastated by floods, fires, hurricanes, tornadoes and other climate disasters have asked their colleagues to step up and help in their time of need. I have come to the Senate Floor to advocate for Vermont’s flood victims, met with my colleagues, and asked Congressional leadership and the Administration for the assistance needed.  
    “I’ll often say, ‘There but for the grace of God go I’, because climate disasters do not discriminate based on state boundaries or political preferences. Climate change-related weather disasters have hurt blue states and red states alike. All of our constituents face the same threats. 
    “Vermont’s homeowners, farms, businesses and communities need FEMA’s Disaster Recovery Fund to be fully replenished, and they need they need the additional flexible funding that only Congress can provide. We are recovering from three catastrophic floods in 14 months, and we cannot recover alone. This Continuing Resolution will not meet the needs of Vermont, or any state recovering from a disaster.   
    “Though I’m glad a deal has been reached to keep the government open, we cannot keep pushing disaster aid off. There is bipartisan need for this funding, and there is bipartisan support to get it passed.”  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warren, Markey, Healey, Wu, Massachusetts Leaders Secure $472 Million in Federal Funding to Replace Draw One Bridge, Renovate North Station T Stop

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren

    September 23, 2024

    Largest federal award MBTA has won to date

    Funding will increase ridership, streamline operations, and improve resiliency along Amtrak’s Downeaster route and regional rail lines

    Washington, D.C. – Today, Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.), along with Representatives Stephen Lynch (D-MA-08), Katherine Clark (D-MA-05), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-07), Lori Trahan (D-MA-03), Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, and MBTA General Manager and CEO Phillip Eng announced a grant of $472 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) to fully replace the North Station Draw One Bridge and renovate Platform F at North Station. The grant is the largest federal award the MBTA has won to date.

    The nearly half a billion dollar grant will provide critical support for one of MBTA’s top priority projects and a vital transportation asset to MBTA’s north-side operations. It will also support more than 14,500 jobs, make the bridge more climate resilient by bringing it above projected sea-level rise, and lower emissions. In April 2024, Senator Warren led a letter of support for the MBTA’s funding request to the Department of Transportation.

    Specifically, the new funding for MBTA’s North Station Renovation and the Draw One Bridge Replacement Project will support the full replacement of the existing drawbridge, the extension and activation of a platform with two tracks at North Station, and the replacement of track, signals, and switches to modernize and improve station infrastructure.

    “This $472 million investment is a game-changer for the thousands of passengers who pass through North Station every day — and will build a safer, more reliable public transit system for the Commonwealth. Massachusetts leaders worked together to secure the largest ever federal award for the T, and I won’t stop fighting to bring home even more investment to improve transit across the Commonwealth,” said Senator Warren.

    “With $472 million to replace the North Station drawbridge, we’re drawing up a new future for rail transit north of Boston. I’m grateful to the Biden-Harris administration, Governor Healey, General Manager Eng, Senator Warren, and our whole federal delegation for securing this funding. Together, we are delivering critical federal dollars to the T and building a modern, safe, and reliable public transit system for all,” said Senator Markey.

    “We know that improving our transportation infrastructure is critical for improving quality of life and making sure Massachusetts remains the best place to live, work, raise a family and build a future,” said Governor Maura Healey. “That’s why our administration is competing so aggressively to win federal funding that can be put toward our roads, bridges and public transportation. Congratulations to General Manager Eng and the MBTA team for this award that will improve train service for millions of riders. We’re grateful to the Biden-Harris Administration and U.S. Department of Transportation for their continued investment in Massachusetts’ transportation infrastructure.” 

    The Draw One railbridge carries the MBTA Commuter Rail and Amtrak trains, serving approximately 11,250,000 passengers per year. It is particularly critical for Amtrak’s Downeaster, an intercity passenger rail service that travels from Maine and New Hampshire into Boston, which is projected to have some of the highest ridership in New England. Draw One is also a vital connection for all of MBTA’s north-side regional rail lines, including Fitchburg, Lowell, Haverhill, and Newburyport/Rockport. The new federal investment will improve service reliability and operations, reduce congestion along a known bottleneck, and increase capacity across the bridge. Additionally, the funding will allow for upgraded signaling and expanded track capabilities, further improving traffic flow.

    “I am pleased to join my colleagues in government to announce the State of Massachusetts was awarded over $472 million in federal funding that will help improve MBTA and Amtrak services,” said Rep. Lynch. “This funding is the result of our hard work and partnership with the Biden-Harris administration to ensure we invest into our nation’s transportation and infrastructure. People all over the Commonwealth rely on public transportation every day, and this DOT grant is critical to make the necessary repairs and replacements that will make train service more safe and reliable.”

    “This bridge is a critical connection point for the communities north of Boston. This federal investment will improve the quality of life for commuters, reduce traffic for everyone, and bring opportunity to the Commonwealth. We will have a faster, more modern, and more user-friendly public transportation system, and that’s exactly the direction we need to move in,” said Democratic Whip Katherine Clark.

    “Transit justice is a racial and economic justice issue, and a matter of public safety – and this massive federal investment helps make the Commonwealth more connected and our transportation system safer and more reliable for commuters,” said Congresswoman Pressley. “I’m glad that families in the Massachusetts 7th who depend on the commuter rail will be better able to access jobs, healthcare, education, and essential services in other parts of the state, and we won’t stop fighting to build the more just, equitable, and accessible transit system our communities deserve. I thank my delegation colleagues and the Healey-Driscoll Administration for their partnership, and the Biden-Harris Administration for continuing to invest in Massachusetts.”

    “The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law continues to deliver unprecedented federal investments to make our transit systems safer and more efficient,” said Congresswoman Trahan. “This massive award is proof that, thanks to the strong partnership between our federal delegation and the Healey-Driscoll administration, Massachusetts continues to punch above our weight when competing for federal funding.”

    “North Station Draw One is a connection point between Boston and Cambridge, and the many cities and towns north who rely on this train bridge to visit and work in our city. Thanks to the leadership of the MA federal delegation and the Healey-Driscoll administration in securing this funding, the Greater Boston area will see benefits from updated infrastructure and more reliable transportation. This funding for a bridge replacement represents our region’s commitment to our local economy and green transit,” said Mayor Michelle Wu.

    “I’m proud of the MBTA team that worked diligently to put this project in a strong position to win this highly competitive federal award. I thank the USDOT Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, Deputy Secretary of Transportation Polly Trottenberg, and our partners at the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), Acting Administrator Veronica Vanterpool, FTA Region 1 Administrator Pete Butler, and their entire team, for this incredible award allowing us to deliver the North Station Draw 1 project, freeing up state capital dollars for other essential needs,” said MBTA General Manager and CEO Phillip Eng. “This award continues to demonstrate our aggressive approach to pursuing all funding opportunities under the lead of the Healey-Driscoll Administration as we pursue every available federal grant. Our Grants and North Station Drawbridge teams deserve all the credit for their exceptional work to secure this funding which allows us to ensure the efficient and reliable movement of all North Station train lines while greatly improving our ability to provide more frequent, regional rail-style service across the entire northside corridor to serve future generations to come.”

    Senator Warren has worked hard to secure federal funding for Massachusetts transportation projects, including $1.7 billion to replace the Cape Cod Bridges, $335 million to reconnect communities and increase mobility through the Allston I-90 Multimodal Project, $108 million for West-East Rail, $75 million for schools to electrify their bus fleets, $60 million for transit agencies to acquire zero- and low-emission buses, and $24 million to rehabilitate Leonard’s Wharf in New Bedford. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: A new wave of Venezuelan refugees would threaten a humanitarian crisis – Latin America could learn from Europe

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Omar Hammoud Gallego, Assistant Professor in Public Policy, Durham University

    Latin American countries are bracing themselves for a wave of Venezuelan migrants. Sebastian Delgado C / Shutterstock

    Venezuela’s disputed election results have thrown the country into chaos. The authoritarian leader of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, was declared the winner in a contested vote in July and, since then, has used state violence to inhibit any hint of protest.

    The crackdown has led to the deaths of more than 20 people at the hands of Venezuela’s security services and pro-government armed groups known as colectivos, while more than 2,400 people have been thrown in jail. And the opposition candidate who is widely believed to have won the vote, Edmundo González, has fled to Spain after being threatened with arrest.

    This swift escalation has sparked widespread concern throughout Latin America and beyond. Another wave of migration may be imminent, adding to the nearly 8 million people who have already left Venezuela since 2015. Countries across Latin America, especially Colombia, have expressed concern that a new surge of displaced Venezuelans might overwhelm public services and fuel political tensions.

    It is possible that governments in the region may respond by imposing stricter border controls to stem the flow of migrants. But past experience shows that this move would both be ineffective and harmful.

    Venezuela is a nation that was once known for its vast oil wealth. However, it has endured a prolonged period of economic and political instability. The country’s democratic backsliding began under former president Hugo Chávez in the early 2000s, but it worsened dramatically after he died in 2013 and Maduro came to power.

    Maduro’s rule has been marked by rampant inflation, a 75% reduction in GDP, and widespread political repression. These conditions have led to one of the largest migrations in modern history. Nearly a quarter of Venezuela’s population have fled their homes, primarily to other South American countries.



    Read more:
    Venezuelan migrants are boosting economic growth in South America, says research

    Initially, many Latin American nations coordinated their response. Governments came together in Ecuador to sign the Quito Declaration in 2018, for example, which committed them to ensuring the safe and regular migration of Venezuelan citizens.

    However, this cooperative spirit soon began to unravel. Chile, Ecuador and Peru made it much harder for ordinary Venezuelans to enter their countries legally by introducing visa restrictions by the middle of 2019. These restrictions replaced earlier policies that allowed entry to Ecuador and Peru with just an ID card.

    The effectiveness of these restrictions has been the subject of much debate. In a recent study, I compared the experiences of countries that introduced restrictions with those of Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay, which kept their borders open.

    My findings suggest that restricting migration in South America has not prevented it. Migration has instead been driven underground, with significant costs both for migrants and host countries.

    The introduction of visa restrictions led to a 38% increase in the number of Venezuelan migrants who crossed borders via unauthorised routes, and a 41% rise in migrants without a regular residency permit in their destination country. The number of Venezuelan migrants who lacked legal status in their host country also jumped from less than one-in-five to more than half.

    This shift towards irregularity has had consequences. For example, I found that falling into irregularity led to a shift in migrants’ priorities away from seeking employment and towards trying to regularise their migratory status.

    There is also no evidence to suggest that migrants redirected their journeys to South American countries with more open policies. In fact, the composition of migrants remained largely unchanged after the introduction of restrictions.

    Lessons from Europe

    Before the election, a poll conducted by Venezuelan firm Meganálisis indicated that around 40% of Venezuelans would consider leaving the country if Maduro remained in power. This represents a potentially staggering increase in migration, even if we account for the gap between intention and action.

    To avoid exacerbating an already critical situation, countries in the region must adopt pragmatic policies that prioritise safe and regular migration. And they should offer regular status to migrants that already reside there.

    Europe’s response to the mass displacement caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine offers lessons that Latin American governments should not ignore.

    In 2022, the EU coordinated efforts to allow Ukrainian refugees free and safe movement throughout Europe, while also guaranteeing their right to work and residency, as well as access to health and educational services.



    Read more:
    Ukraine war: a year on, here’s what life has been like for refugees in the UK

    Despite the massive scale of this displacement, at over 6 million refugees, there was no widely reported “Ukrainian refugee crisis” because of this cooperative approach.

    Ukrainian refugees entering Romania after crossing the border.
    Pazargic Liviu / Shutterstock

    While the refugee status of Ukrainians in Europe is guaranteed up to February 2026 (and can be extended if the European Council agrees), the story is quite different for displaced Venezuelans. Despite being considered refugees by the UN and the laws of most Latin American countries, governments in the region have largely decided not to recognise them as such.

    Nevertheless, Latin American governments should pursue a strategy similar to the one we have seen in Europe. This must include renewing their commitment to the principles outlined in the Quito Declaration, as well as establishing common standards across the region for the reception of Venezuelan migrants.

    These standards should include the possibility of allowing Venezuelans to cross borders using only their ID cards, as is still the case in Argentina and Brazil, given how costly passports and other travel documents are for many Venezuelans.

    Such requirements would significantly reduce the likelihood of irregular migration and, together with mass regularisation programmes, have a positive impact on the integration of Venezuelans into their host countries.

    As Venezuela continues to grapple with political and economic collapse, the international community – and particularly neighbouring Latin American nations – must be prepared for another surge of migration.

    But the response should not be to close borders or restrict access. Governments must instead coordinate to ensure safe, regular and humane migration routes.

    The future of millions of Venezuelans, as well as the stability of Latin America, depends on the region’s ability to manage this crisis effectively.

    Omar Hammoud Gallego has received funding from the UK Economic and Social Research Council to conduct this research.

    – ref. A new wave of Venezuelan refugees would threaten a humanitarian crisis – Latin America could learn from Europe – https://theconversation.com/a-new-wave-of-venezuelan-refugees-would-threaten-a-humanitarian-crisis-latin-america-could-learn-from-europe-238345

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Over a decade of enduring and resisting statelessness in the Dominican Republic

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Uncertainty and human rights violations for Dominicans of Haitian descent

    By: Elena Lorac, co-coordinator of Movimiento Reconocido

    It was September 2013. I had managed to get accepted into university, but I still needed the identity card that would actually allow me to take classes. Then in the afternoon on Monday, 23 September 2013, at Centro Montalvo, we got news of the court’s decision in judgment 168-13 against Juliana Deguis, which stripped over 200,000 people of their nationality.

    The court had to find in our favour for me to be able to go the next day to get my identity documents and correctly enrol at the university. But it didn’t. It was a sorrowful afternoon, and the start of an 11-year road I am still on today.

    When I listened to the arguments of the lawyer and legal experts, I couldn’t wrap my mind around the court’s decision. I had no idea of the difficulties in store. The press amplified the news. We asked ourselves: why so much injustice, racism, discrimination, and segregation against a group of people who just want to make something of their lives? They say we’re foreigners, but we were born here. Why so many lies and double standards? Then the hate speech flared up, although others took a stand for our rights. I felt something similar in September 2023, when those convoys of war tanks and armoured trucks were bearing down on a people that just needs water: water is life, and so are the right papers for those who don’t have them.

    I just remember them saying: “How can they possibly take away the nationality of so many young people?” And then in the next news segment, I saw someone had been issued a card to regularize their migratory status and thought: “If they treat me as a foreigner, where would I go? What country would I go to? I have no ties to Haiti.” I thought about the Dominicans who go abroad and have children there, but they come back and they have houses, or their kids know the language. But I could barely speak Creole, and my parents no longer remember where they were born.

    23 September 2013 was a pivotal moment for me, as it was for every Dominican of Haitian descent. On that day, our last modicum of hope was snuffed out. I remember that many of the people supporting us at the time said: “Don’t worry, this will blow over. There’ll be a solution.” I never imagined that today I would look back on over a decade that has passed since the cruel decision of the Constitutional Court, a body whose main function is to ensure people’s human rights but that instead breaks its own rules to legitimize an entire oppressive system of stigmatization and systemic racism that has prevailed throughout history, a system stacked against Dominicans of Haitian descent because we are black and trace our lineage to a nation that played a major historic role in the fight against slavery.

    Today marks 11 years since this terrible decision that validated all the administrative practices of the Central Electoral Board, practices that violated the human rights of those born in the Dominican Republic with the constitutional guarantee of jus soli (right of soil), a right that was reframed to instate a system that denies children of foreign parents—especially children of Haitians who came and contributed to this country—the right to Dominican nationality.

    I wish that today the discussion could be about well-being, about progress. I wish that instead of speaking to the realities that we Dominicans of Haitian descent endure in our country, we could be talking about economic development, or about how a Dominican of Haitian descent was accepted to Harvard a won awards there, or about business ideas we plan to pitch.

    Now, 11 years on, we should be talking about what we’ve put behind us and how far we’ve come. But we’re not. Instead of advancing human rights against a backdrop of rule of law and democracy, we find ourselves in an era of backsliding, even while much is being said about a government committed to change. But what kind of change? A change that will make the reality of black Dominicans of Haitian descent even worse? A change that will continue robbing thousands of youth of their dreams of studying, attending university, working, being able to register the births of their children, get married, or even do things as simple as buy a chip for their cell phone? It should not be impossible for parents to name their children, for young athletes to be signed on to teams and represent our country abroad, or for other youth to be able to achieve their dreams of practicing medicine or law, or starting a business to contribute to our economy and nation.

    Sadly, they can do none of these things, because the very state that should stand up for their rights and bring about a change does just the opposite, and instead takes backward and illegal action to arbitrarily detain and deport young people who were born in the Dominican Republic. It instead acts out the discrimination, inequity, and inequality that have dominated all these years of struggle and resistance.

    Today I urge the Dominican state, through its government, to return to lawfulness so that we can put statelessness—which the county continues to see as up for debate even now in the 21st century—behind us. So that the Dominican youth of Haitian descent, who for decades have been awaiting a real and effective response to the hijacking of our fundamental rights, can enjoy the same rights as the rest of the population. The Dominican state has an opportunity to fulfil its obligation to make reparations, which would restore our nationality not only by giving us identity cards, but also by giving us justice and respect for our fundamental human rights.

    No more statelessness! No more driving out Dominicans of Haitian descent! And no more racism, full stop!

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Secret Service is Slow-Walking Investigation

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Ron Johnson

    In the week since the second assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, we still have far more questions than answers about both events.Two attempts in a little over 60 days is horrendous and unacceptable.
    There’s just basic information we should have right now, and we don’t have it. Regarding the July 13 assassination attempt against President Trump, the Secret Service and FBI fail to provide unredacted documents and they are slow-walking witnesses to Congress. Subpoenas must be issued to compel compliance.
    The Secret Service’s budget has increased 65% over the past decade. They don’t lack resources, they simply lack good management. 
    READ Fox News: Sen. Ron Johnson describes ‘heavily redacted’ documents provided to lawmakers
    WATCH Real America’s Voice: Sen. Johnson talks about upcoming preliminary report on July 13 assassination attempt. 
    LISTEN to Clay & Buck Show: Why we cannot trust the FBI to investigate the Trump assassination attempts.
    WATCH Jesse Waters Show: Subpoenas must be issued to compel compliance.
    SAVE Act for Election Integrity

    I’m a co-sponsor of the SAVE Act (Safeguard American Voter Eligibility) because it should be obvious to everyone — even Democrats — that we should prevent illegal immigrants from voting. 
    Unfortunately most Democrats in Congress don’t agree. This legislation aims to secure our elections by requiring proof of citizenship to vote.
    This op-ed I wrote for The Federalist outlines why the SAVE Act is important. 
    READ: Democrat-Controlled States Refuse To Clean Voter Rolls And Fix Election Problem
    Why is Social Security in Trouble? 

    During the Senate Finance Committee on September 12, I talked about why Social Security is in trouble.
    Here are the issues I raised in my questioning. Since the inception of Social Security: 
    — Life expectancy increased 16 years,— Worker-to-beneficiary ratio fell from 30+:1 to 2.7:1, and— Government spent the money instead of properly investing it.
    Only taxing the “wealthy” won’t solve the problem — it will hurt economic growth and make things worse.
    Tune in Monday!

    On Monday, September 23 at 2pm ET,  I will lead a roundtable discussion titled, “American Health and Nutrition: A Second Opinion.” A panel of experts will provide a foundational and historical understanding of the changes that have occurred over the last century within public sanitation, agriculture, food processing, and healthcare industries which impact the current state of national health.
    Watch Monday’s livestream on the Senator Ron Johnson Rumble channel.
    Angels in Adoption

    I had the honor to congratulate Scott and Dawn Ripkey from Fontana, Wisconsin for being this year’s Angels in Adoption honorees representing our state. 
    Each year, the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute selects individuals, families or organizations across the nation who have demonstrated a commitment to improving the lives of children in need of permanent, loving homes. As past co-presidents of the Gift of Adoption Wisconsin chapter, the Ripkeys grew the organization in size and reach, helping make the dream of a family a reality for many more children.
    If you know someone who should be nominated for this award next year, please email my office. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Starmer expresses interest in Italy’s migration approach – how different is it from the Rwanda plan?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Chiara Graziani, Assistant professor, Law, Bocconi University

    One of Keir Starmer’s first actions as UK prime minister was to put an end to the controversial Rwanda asylum scheme. The plan, introduced by his predecessors, aimed to deter small boat crossings by sending those who reached the UK to Rwanda to have their claims assessed.

    So it was surprising to many observers to see Starmer visit Italy for a meeting with Giorgia Meloni about Italy’s handling of asylum seekers through an arrangement with Albania. At first glance, this approach is similar to the Rwanda plan.

    Both are examples of “externalisation” of immigration. This consists of collaborating with other countries to manage migration, often by moving immigrants who arrive on the soil of a certain country to the territory of another country. Forms of externalisation are used by several other countries, such as Australia, Canada and the US.

    The UK pursued this approach through its Rwanda scheme, under which anyone arriving irregularly in the UK to claim asylum would be moved to Rwanda to have their claims processed by Rwandan officials. In exchange, the UK had agreed to give Rwanda nearly £500 million in development funding, plus additional funds for each person moved.

    The policy faced serious political opposition and legal challenges, and ultimately never got off the ground before the general election.

    Want more politics coverage from academic experts? Every week, we bring you informed analysis of developments in government and fact check the claims being made.

    Sign up for our weekly politics newsletter, delivered every Friday.

    Italy’s partnership with Albania is different in some ways. Under a protocol signed by both countries, asylum seekers rescued at sea while trying to reach Italy will be moved to Albania for their applications to be examined. This will take place in processing centres that Italy will finance and build for this purpose.

    In those areas, however, Italian – and not Albanian – law will be applied and Italian authorities will be competent for the implementation of the process. Under the Rwanda scheme, Rwandan officials (and law) would have governed the asylum procedure once seekers were moved there. This was part of why the UK supreme court said it was not a “safe” country and ruled the plan unlawful.

    Additionally, successful applicants will be granted asylum in Italy, while the Rwanda plan would have only allowed them to stay in Rwanda (not come to the UK).



    Read more:
    Is the Rwanda plan acting as a deterrent? Here’s what the evidence says about this approach

    The Albanian programme is not up and running yet, but Starmer has praised Meloni’s “remarkable progress” in reducing irregular arrivals to Italy by 60%.

    In recent years, Italy has enacted other measures to manage migration by paying North African countries to stop illegal migration to Italy. Italy financed the construction of a maritime area where Tunisian boats can intervene and bring migrants to Tunisian soil.

    Similarly, Italy has outsourced search-and-rescue operations in the Mediterranean to the Libyan Coast Guard, in exchange for funding to enhance Libyan migration infrastructure and a commitment to improve conditions of reception centres.

    However, human rights groups, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have raised serious concerns about these arrangements. In both cases, they say, reception centres amount to fully fledged detention centres, under poor conditions potentially amounting to inhumane and degrading treatment. Meloni has called such accusations “completely groundless”.

    An investigation by The Guardian newspaper, published after Starmer’s visit to Italy, detailed harsh abuse of migrants by Tunisian coast guard and border patrol. Human rights groups have been raising concerns for years about the Libyan Coast Guard’s treatment of migrants in distress at sea, including potentially conducting illegal “pushback” operations, which involve pushing boats back across a border they have crossed.



    Read more:
    The EU’s outsourced migration control is violent, expensive and ineffective

    Potential hurdles

    Starmer has said he is “interested” in Italy’s plan with Albania, and has expressed openness to other forms of externalisation. He also wants the UK to work closer with other European states to cooperate on migration.

    One positive side to the Italian model is undoubtedly that Italy does not waive its legal jurisdiction. Italian law applies in the Albanian processing centres, although conflicts with Albanian law (whose jurisdiction can’t be eliminated totally) may arise. If the UK incorporates this aspect in any future plan, it could mitigate a key weak point of the Rwanda plan.

    The Italian scheme also explicitly guarantees that the UN refugee commissioner oversees the process taking place in Albania, in theory ensuring that international human rights standards are met. However, it is certainly possible that these safeguards might be overlooked in the practical enforcement of the agreement, for example because Italian law will need to be applied by officers of a foreign country.

    It is worth nothing that Italy and the UK currently have very different geopolitical positions. Italy is an EU member state, and bound by European asylum laws and standards. This too could cause future legal issues should any of Italy’s actions in Albania violate EU law.

    Any externalisation policy will always involve balancing several interests. First and foremost, the need to comply with human rights standards, but also the fair handling of migration, and the necessity to avoid some countries taking more people than they can support.

    These pressures will be different for the UK than for Italy, and must be carefully considered. Just as the migration of people is a thorny issue, so too is the migration of policy.

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

    – ref. Starmer expresses interest in Italy’s migration approach – how different is it from the Rwanda plan? – https://theconversation.com/starmer-expresses-interest-in-italys-migration-approach-how-different-is-it-from-the-rwanda-plan-223405

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: La Maison captures the drama, intrigue and intense rivalry of the luxury fashion world

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Elizabeth Kealy-Morris, Senior Lecturer and Researcher in Dress and Belonging, Manchester Fashion Institute, Manchester Metropolitan University

    With the release of dramas Cristóbal Balenciaga, The New Look and Becoming Karl Lagerfeld, the fashion drama miniseries has become a staple for streaming television in 2024.

    The latest offering, French-language drama La Maison on Apple TV, captures the essence of the drama and intrigue surrounding Maison Ledu, a fictional luxury haute couture house controlled by the Ledu family.

    The dynamics between key characters are well outlined, and explore universal themes such as love, power, ambition and betrayal, as well as a longing for connection, acceptance and identity. In this way La Maison has little to do with apparel and clothing in their materiality: the camera does not linger over sketches or runway collections. The series, instead, engages with fashion on a more abstract level, highlighting how it intersects with broader human concerns.

    Vincent Ledu (Lambert Wilson) is the celebrated designer whose scandal threatens to the future of Maison Ledu. His racist tirade against a wealthy Korean client was captured by catering staff at a pubic function and posted on social media by Ledu’s scheming nephew in a bid to ruin his uncle’s reputation.

    Perle Foster (Amira Casar) is Vincent’s former principal model and inspiration who, despite her lasting attachment to Vincent, is crucial in the house’s post-scandal revival. Paloma Castel (Zita Hanrot) is the orphaned mixed-heritage daughter of Vincent’s long-time gay lover. Neither were accepted into the family and this tension of class, race, and sexual orientation difference is central to the plot throughout the series.

    The character of Paloma, in her early 30s, represents millenial indifference to tradition, hierarchy and heritage. We meet her in the first episode as the co-designer of a Berlin-based luxury eco-focused ready-to-wear brand. It’s marking a milestone with its first runway show at Paris Fashion Week with other brands’ deadstock (unsold inventory) forming the runway collection.

    The trailer for La Maison.

    In a bid to ensure the Ledu brand makes radical shifts in creative leadership after the racism scandal, Perle seeks to sideline Vincent and draw Paloma into Maison Ledu as the next-generation designer who will bring innovation and hope to Maison’s restoration. Diane Rovel (Carole Bouquet), the iron-fisted CEO and matriarch of the Rovel Luxury Group, represents the archetype of the fashion conglomerate within fashion markets, controlled by the monetary interests of anonymous shareholders. Viewers learn early that her acquisition plans for Maison Ledu are driven by strategic interest and personal vendetta.

    The luxury fashion market

    The series effectively sets up the central conflict, the stakes involved and the potential for dramatic and strategic manoeuvres. It paints a vivid picture of the internal and external pressures faced by Maison Ledu as it struggles to navigate its crisis, a problem that has notably rocked actual luxury fashion houses in recent years. An interesting aspect of the series is the contemporary understanding of the role social media plays in creating spectacle that brings people together as well as divides.

    The luxury fashion market seeks to protect and extend agreed assumptions of how such brands function via rarity, exclusivity and uniqueness to add value to their brand DNA, products and businesses. Luxury brands must ensure coherence between values, narratives, highly skilled craft and artistic techniques, with space for both tradition and innovation. By integrating these elements harmoniously, a brand can sustain its luxury status and build a lasting impression of excellence and exclusivity.

    Luxury fashion, clothing and apparel markets depend on the objects they design becoming status symbols. But they also rely on the allure, appeal, imagination and magic promised through fashion stories that are told through photography and videography. This latest AppleTV+ fashion drama is released against the backdrop of shifting consumer expectations in the luxury sector, particularly in the wake of the COVID pandemic.

    There has been a transformative shift from traditional “show-and-tell” marketing to more immersive and interactive brand experiences. Consumers now seek to “join and experience” luxury brands rather than merely observe – and this is driving brands to create engaging content that extends beyond the product itself. This evolution has given rise to innovative strategies, including online videos, interactive events and sophisticated uses of technology to enhance post-purchase engagement.

    The rise of the fashion series is a direct response to these changing consumer preferences. By integrating high-quality media narratives with brand storytelling, these series offer a novel avenue for brands to convey their history and ethos, creating a platform for the fashion industry to captivate audiences and deepen their connection with the brand narrative.

    As streaming platforms continue to gain prominence, the collaboration between fashion houses and media producers is likely to expand. This means that in the future, the intersection of fashion and storytelling will become increasingly integral to brand identity and consumer connection.

    So while both Maison Ledu and Rovel Luxury Group are fictitious brands, shows like La Maison as a general marketing tool for real-world fashion houses and brands. Meanwhile the location of Paris for this series is testament to that city as the global centre of haute couture – and the stakes involved in it remaining so.


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

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

    – ref. La Maison captures the drama, intrigue and intense rivalry of the luxury fashion world – https://theconversation.com/la-maison-captures-the-drama-intrigue-and-intense-rivalry-of-the-luxury-fashion-world-239233

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Kaos hinges on prophecies – historian explains the real oracles that inspired the Netflix show

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Ellie Mackin Roberts, Research fellow, University of Bristol

    This article contains spoilers for series one of Kaos.

    Central to the plot of Netflix’s new series, Kaos, are four prophecies. In the lore of the series, all humans are given a prophecy, and no two can be the same. There’s just one problem – all four important prophecies in the show are identical:

    A line appears

    The order wanes

    The family falls

    and Kaos reigns.

    Each of the prophecy’s four recipients – Zeus (Jeff Goldblum), Riddy (Aurora Perrineau), Caeneus (Misia Butler) and Ari (Leila Farzad) – interprets, and therefore acts upon, the prophecy in a way that makes sense to their own lives. Their connected fates highlight the series’s theme of interconnected destinies and the inescapable nature of prophecy.

    By the end of the first series, three of the four lines of the prophecy have come true. A vertical wrinkle appears on Zeus’s forehead, driving his obsession with instilling fear of the gods into mortals once more. A hierarchy shift ends the season with Prometheus sitting on Zeus’s throne, which exemplifies the order waning. The families of each of the three mortal recipients fall apart.

    Watching the show, you may have understood the prophecies differently. After all, prophecy is open to interpretation. Or, is it?

    Priestess of Delphi by John Collier (1891), depicting Pythia.
    Art Gallery of South Australia

    In Kaos, the Fates (who the ancient Greeks called the Moirai) are responsible for making prophecies about the gods and their followers. There’s Clotho (Ché), who spins the thread of life, Lachesis (Suzy Eddie Izzard), who measures out the thread and Atropos (Sam Buttery), who cuts it off, marking the end of life.

    In ancient Greek mythology, the Moirai controlled the destiny of men and – in some instances – gods, but they were not responsible for making prophecies. This task fell to the gods, usually Apollo and Zeus, who made prophecies in response to questions people asked.

    As real people couldn’t speak to the gods directly, they went to religious officials known as oracles. The Delphic Oracle, associated with Apollo, god of music and healing as well as prophecy, was the most famous and prestigious of these oracles.

    Also known as the Pythia, she was Apollo’s high priestess and was the one who delivered the prophecies (numerous women fulfilled the role over the years). Ancient people believed the Pythia to be directly inspired by Apollo, and her words were taken to be coming from him.

    We do not fully understand how this process worked, though there have been suggestions that the Pythia went into a trance through chewing laurel leaves, which were sacred to Apollo. Another theory suggests trances were induced through toxic gasses entering the room within the temple she worked in, through a natural fissure in the rock.



    Read more:
    Hidden women of history: the priestess Pythia at the Delphic Oracle, who spoke truth to power

    Prophecies in Kaos

    It is from literary reports of oracles from Delphi that the format of Kaos’s prophecies derives.

    Although historical oracles are usually not poetic, those from literary accounts of history, such as Herodotus’s The Histories, are often presented in hexameter (a kind of poetic metrical meter consisting of six parts per line).

    One famous oracle was reportedly given to the Athenians when they were preparing to fight off the Persians:

    But a wall made of wood does farsighted Zeus to Tritogenes grant

    Alone and unravaged, to help you and your children.

    The Athenians debated the meaning of these words, just as the characters in Kaos consider the interpretations of their own prophecies. They decided that it meant one of two things: that Athens would be fine because the Acropolis used to be surrounded by hedgerows, or that they should build a fleet of ships to be a “wooden wall” against the enemy.

    Themistokles, the main proponent of the second reading, won out and the fleet was built. Athens faced the Persian fleet at the battle of Salamis (an island off the coast of Athens) in 480BC and won, therefore, in their eyes, proving that this reading of the prophecy was correct.

    Interpreting prophecy

    In Kaos, show creator Charlie Covell has presented something very true to the spirit of prophecy in ancient Greek history and mythology – even while subverting the form that prophecy takes.

    In ancient Greece, Zeus couldn’t have received an oracular prophecy, as all prophecy was thought to originate from him. But he was subject to the destinies cast by the Moirai. For example, in the Iliad, Zeus is unable to save his mortal son, Sarpedon, from his fate (dying by the hand of Patroclus) – it is ultimately out of his control.

    In Kaos, through misunderstanding, interpretation and reinterpretation, the four recipients of the Fates’ prophecy each play a crucial role in its fulfilment – but only when they (and we) read that prophecy in our own ways.

    The prophecies of ancient Greece could later be revealed to be incorrectly interpreted. When Croesus, king of Lydia, was told that if he went to war he would destroy a great kingdom, he interpreted that as the Persian kingdom, but it turned out to be his own.

    So too might our understanding of the prophecy in Kaos turn out to be a misinterpretation. By expertly weaving the Moirai and oracles into the narrative, Kaos emphasises the crucial role of fate in reshaping the destinies of people and events, emphasising their interconnectedness. In doing so, the show reflects the ancient Greek belief in the power and inescapable nature of prophecy.


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

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

    – ref. Kaos hinges on prophecies – historian explains the real oracles that inspired the Netflix show – https://theconversation.com/kaos-hinges-on-prophecies-historian-explains-the-real-oracles-that-inspired-the-netflix-show-238833

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The science of polarisation: our model shows what happens when political opponents lose their personal connection

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Simon Schweighofer, Assistant Professor in Media and Communication, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

    Bob Korn/Shutterstock

    What do immigration, inheritance taxation and cannabis legalisation have in common? Not much, actually. Yet if we know somebody’s stance on one of these issues, we can make a good guess about their view on the others.

    Politics often seems to work in one dimension: parties and politicians are located on a spectrum stretching from from far left to far right. Knowing someone’s opinion on a single wedge issue is often enough to place them on this ideological dimension, which in turn makes it possible to predict their positions on other issues. And in countries such as the US we’ve seen more and more people polarised into opposing political camps at either end of this spectrum.

    One-dimensional politics can seem as natural to us as an apple falling from a tree – it’s simply how we think about politics. But just like gravity, the mysterious force shaping our politics in this way does warrant a scientific explanation.

    My colleagues and I wanted to understand how people end up so profoundly divided, and the study we published earlier this year proposes a model for how it might work. It suggests the less we are able to separate politics from personal relations, the more polarised we become.

    This is more than just an academic matter. If politics is reduced to a single ideological dimension it can keep us from finding innovative solutions to our most urgent problems.

    If, for example, the best solution to a housing crisis were a combination of deregulation and public investment, it might not be possible to enact if each half of the solution were rejected by one side of the political spectrum. That makes understanding how politics can become so polarised important on a very practical level.

    The problem is that, no matter how far we look into the past, we overwhelmingly find politics organised along one main dimension of ideological conflict: before left v right, it was Catholics v Protestants, Roundheads v Cavaliers, all the way back to Optimates v Populares in ancient Rome.

    The issues may have changed, but the basic dichotomy has remained stable. This makes it very difficult to investigate the origins of one-dimensional politics. After all, we can’t experiment with whole societies – at least not in real life.

    Simulating societies

    To overcome this limitation, we decided to opt for an unusual approach. We created virtual societies, each populated by a multitude of simulated people, known as agents.

    Each agent had a variety of opinions, represented as coordinates in a space with several dimensions. We didn’t give specific meanings to the coordinates or the dimensions, but you can think of them as representing disconnected issues like defence spending, railway nationalisation or abortion rights.

    At the start of each simulation, the agents’ positions were purely random and not organised along a single ideological dimension of left versus right. But over time, the agents interacted and influenced each other, organising themselves into new collective states.

    These simulated societies therefore provided us with a testbed for different theories used in political science, such as the assumption that people are rational, to see whether they could explain one-dimensional politics and the emergence of political polarisation.

    To do this, we translated these theories into computational protocols that governed the agents’ interactions and the way they adapted their opinions. We then checked whether these protocols were enough to trigger the emergence of a single ideological dimension.

    Initially, we modelled our agents as rational decision makers in the tradition of mainstream political science. When encountering other agents, they would either meet them halfway, or reject them, But either way, this did not give rise to a single ideological dimension. Agents would either converge on a consensus or remain scattered.

    However, politics isn’t a purely rational affair. It’s often characterised by gut feelings and anger. But political science hasn’t always been successful in integrating emotion into decision-making models. So for inspiration we looked to one of the founders of social psychology.

    In the 1950s, Austrian-born psychologist Fritz Heider coined the term cognitive balance theory, which claims that people strive for consistency in their mental patterns. For example, we find it disconcerting when two of our friends hate each other, or a friend is in love with someone we despise. Similarly, we try to avoid disagreeing with people we like just as much as we avoid agreeing with people we dislike.

    We translated this balance mechanism into our simulation. When two of our agents encountered each other, they first determined how much they agreed or disagreed on various political issues. Then, they translated agreement into sympathy and disagreement into dislike. Finally, they adjusted their issue positions in a way that increased consistency.

    If they met someone with whom they mostly agreed, they adjusted their opinions to defuse the remaining disagreements. In the opposite case, they tried to make their disagreement stronger.

    All this happened in tiny increments every time agents met. But through a myriad of interactions, agents finally self-organised into single ideological dimensions – no matter how many issue dimensions we started the simulation with.

    We should make an effort to understand each other.
    Troy Walker/Shutterstock

    Where exactly individual agents ended up on this ideological continuum depended on one crucial factor: the strength of the connection between disagreement on issues and personal dislike.

    If this connection is weak – meaning agents could dislike each other but still agree, or like each other and disagree – agents remained close to the centre. If it was strong, the simulated society broke into two opposed camps – it became polarised.

    This suggests polarisation is linked to people’s ability to connect to others on a personal level. When we lose sight of the fact that those we disagree with are usually decent human beings with good intentions, we may find ourselves diverging more and more on political issues, with less room for compromise.

    This is notable at a time when so much political debate is conducted online through impersonal or anonymous social media accounts. The real world is much more complex than a one-dimensional view of politics would suggest. And people are much more than the political views they share online.

    In the end, we will never be able to eliminate the force of cognitive balance – just as we can’t get rid of gravity. But we can find ways to increase the personal connection between people who hold different political views.

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

    – ref. The science of polarisation: our model shows what happens when political opponents lose their personal connection – https://theconversation.com/the-science-of-polarisation-our-model-shows-what-happens-when-political-opponents-lose-their-personal-connection-239130

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Who’s to blame when climate change turns the lights off?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Chris Medland, PhD Candidate in Climate Change Resilience, University of Surrey

    Deadly Storm Boris has flooded large areas of central Europe and the UK, destroying homes and displacing thousands of people.

    With the flooding of sub-stations, the scouring of the foundations of pylons and river embankment failures, the rainstorm has also caused power outages many miles away. This will create yet more disruption as sewage pumping stations stall, train and tram services halt and vehicle charging points fail.

    The UK saw this ripple of infrastructure failure in the 2007 summer floods. The compound failures caused by flooding in Gloucestershire alone, a county in south-west England, left 350,000 people without mains water for over two weeks and 42,000 people without power.

    Commuters were stranded on the railway network and the M5 motorway. The floods also made thousands of people homeless. Similar floods struck the UK again in 2013 and 2020.

    All systems fail occasionally. But infrastructure is increasingly vulnerable to disruptions caused by extreme weather, which is being made more severe and frequent as a result of climate change. The UK’s national risk register lists nine impacts of climate change that could seriously damage infrastructure (including storms, heatwaves and wildfires) that is increasingly complex and interconnected. A single failure can create a cascade of them.

    Risky business

    Your home may not be in the path of the next storm but the infrastructure it relies on might be. So who is responsible for making sure that the power stays on, the toilets can still flush and water keeps running from taps? Whose job is it to ensure infrastructure is resilient to climate change?

    People are responsible for their own resilience and that of their homes and private companies are responsible for the resilience of their operations. However, companies that operate services such as public transport, communications networks or utilities are overseen by regulators such as Ofgem (energy) and Ofwat (water).

    The resilience of the networks owned by companies is not subject to regulation directly, there is no minimum standard of resilience that must be maintained and no fines for failure. Instead, people affected by power outages, for example, can claim compensation after a certain degree of disruption.

    Installations were, generally, designed and built in an earlier climate.
    David Calvert/Shutterstock

    Within the government, the Cabinet Office takes the lead on planning the country’s resilience and is responsible for the government’s response to emergencies and for producing the national security risk assessment and the national risk register. Each risk is designated a lead government department, which works with agencies and public bodies that fall under its jurisdiction.

    For example, flood risk is considered by the Environment Agency which reports to the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (or Defra). Advisory bodies like the Climate Change Committee and the National Infrastructure Commission make recommendations to the government and assess its performance but have no powers to enforce action.

    There are 427 public bodies and agencies working under the legal frameworks set by the 24 government departments – none have a minimum standard for infrastructure resilience.

    The previous government committed to publishing resilience standards by 2025. Such standards would instruct utility companies and infrastructure operators on what measures were needed to prevent power cuts and other failures in the future. Discussions are happening in Whitehall that will shape the quality of life of millions of people for many years to come.

    Three futures

    Without taking all infrastructure into public ownership, or without all homes generating their own power and somehow meeting their own needs, what does the future look like? Is it down to homeowners to fend for themselves while landlords assume responsibility for the power and water of their tenants? In the worst-case scenario, will people be left to their own devices in a world reminiscent of Mad Max?

    There are three possibilities. The first is that society simply accepts more frequent failures and a lower standard of living for most. The second option includes the electricity grid, roads and railways, sewage treatment plants and other national infrastructure being updated and improved, with all the attendant costs.

    The third option would see people take direct action by adapting homes and communities to make them less dependent on national infrastructure. In this scenario, services are more localised such that communities or households become self-sufficient to varying degrees, perhaps establishing autonomous off-grid settlements.

    Renewable energy technology offers its generators a degree of autonomy.
    Hazel Plater/Shutterstock

    No government would be elected promising to preside over falling living standards. The other options come with many challenges. Option two assumes a great degree of government intervention and a high level of investment in new and improved infrastructure: flood defences, additional power cables, new rail way lines. Option three implies less involvement from central government and more power to local authority and community bodies to generate electricity and treat water for example.

    The future may well be a combination of these scenarios, but doing nothing isn’t an option. It’s not a question of if serious floods will happen again, but when.


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

    Get our award-winning weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 35,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

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

    – ref. Who’s to blame when climate change turns the lights off? – https://theconversation.com/whos-to-blame-when-climate-change-turns-the-lights-off-236446

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: FACT SHEET: PRESIDENT BIDEN AND VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS ISSUE REPORT ON PROGRESS MADE TO REDUCE GUN VIOLENCE ONE YEAR AFTER CREATING WHITE HOUSE OFFICE OF GUN VIOLENCE  PREVENTION

    Source: The White House

    Statement from the President: “I’ve spent countless hours meeting with families impacted by gun violence as they mourn their loved ones. They’ve all had the same simple message for their elected officials: ‘do something.’ Vice President Harris and I responded to their call: I signed the most significant gun safety legislation in nearly 30 years, and we announced dozens of executive actions to reduce gun violence. But we knew more was needed. That’s why I established the first-ever White Office of Gun Violence Prevention, overseen by the Vice President. In just one year, it has accelerated my Administration’s efforts to reduce gun violence and save lives.”

    Statement from the Vice President: “President Biden and I have worked to address the epidemic of gun violence with the urgency it demands by enacting the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act – the most significant gun safety law in nearly 30 years – and launching the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. In the year since President Biden asked me to oversee this Office, our administration has improved and expanded background checks, announced the single largest investment in youth mental health in history, and been an unprecedented resource to states, cities, and local communities. We have also supported, convened, and worked alongside gun violence survivors, the families of those who have lost loved ones to shootings, and other impacted individuals to tackle the trauma caused by gun violence. I am committed to continuing this urgent work to ensure that every person in our nation has the freedom to live safe from gun violence.”

    After the prior Administration oversaw the largest one-year increase in murders ever recorded, President Biden and Vice President Harris took historic action from the start of their Administration to reduce violent crime. Because firearms are used in approximately 80% of murders in the United States, addressing gun crime is essential to addressing violent crime. The President and Vice President secured funding through the American Rescue Plan—which every Republican in Congress voted against—for law enforcement and community violence interventions. President Biden and Vice President Harris announced executive actions to keep guns out of dangerous hands and, by the middle of 2022, the Biden-Harris Administration had already taken more executive action to reduce gun violence than any other administration. On June 25, 2022, President Biden signed into law the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act—the most significant new gun violence prevention law in nearly 30 years. Year-over-year comparisons show that 2023 had the single largest homicide rate drop in recent history.

    After two and a half years of significant progress, President Biden and Vice President Harris’s next step was to establish a White House office dedicated to coordinating across the federal government and partnering with gun violence survivors, law enforcement, state and local officials, and community leaders on our shared goal of reducing gun violence.  After championing this issue for decades, President Biden asked Vice President Harris to oversee the White House Office of Gun Violence because he knows that she has a proven record as a leader for gun violence prevention.

    The past year, the reduction in homicide has only accelerated, with the Department of Justice reporting that, from January to June, homicides dropped 17% compared to the same time last year. In addition, data from the Gun Violence Archive indicates that the number of mass shootings to date in 2024 has decreased by 20 percent compared to the same period last year.

    Today, the White House is releasing a report on progress made by the Biden-Harris Administration to reduce gun violence in the one year since President Biden created the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. The report provides a summary, but not an exhaustive list, of how the Biden-Harris Administration has taken action to fulfill the four objectives President Biden gave the office:

    1. Expedite implementation of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act and already-announced executive actions;
    2. Coordinate more support for survivors of gun violence;
    3. Identify new executive actions; and
    4. Expand our coalition of partners in states and cities across the country.

    For President Biden, this work is the culmination of well over 30 years of national leadership to reduce gun violence and save lives. He played a critical role in securing passage of the Brady Bill in 1993 and the assault weapons ban in 1994. In the early 2000s, when the National Rifle Association was experiencing growing power in Washington and claiming to “work out of [the President’s] office,” then-Senator Biden was a key voice taking votes opposing their dangerous agenda. From 2012 to 2013, then-Vice President Biden led the Obama-Biden Administration’s efforts to develop and implement over two dozen executive actions after the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School. He has continued this work throughout his own presidency by actually establishing an Office of Gun Violence Prevention and forcefully calling on Congress to pass an assault weapons ban and repeal PLCAA.

    As President Biden emphasized during his State of the Union address earlier this year, Vice President Harris continues to lead the Administration’s work to address the epidemic of gun violence and keep communities safe while overseeing the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. Since taking office, there have been more than 80 instances where the Vice President has put a focus on gun violence prevention. This includes mourning with families and consoling communities that have been directly impacted by gun violence across the nation – from Buffalo and Highland Park to Nashville, Monterey Park, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, and Parkland.

    This dedicated work is a continuation of the Vice President’s decades-long record of taking on gun violence and advancing gun safety policies. As District Attorney of San Francisco, she prosecuted homicide cases and saw first-hand the devastation of gun violence. She also invested in community violence intervention efforts by championing Community Response Networks. While overseeing the second largest Department of Justice in America as Attorney General of California, Vice President Harris worked to get illegal firearms off the street and to prosecute gun trafficking. And as Senator, she co-sponsored several pieces of gun safety legislation, including an assault weapons ban.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Remarks by National Economic Advisor Lael Brainard on Sustaining American Auto  Leadership

    Source: The White House

    Detroit Economic Club, Detroit, Michigan

    As Prepared for Delivery

    Thank you to the Detroit Economic Club for hosting me today. It is a pleasure to be back in the Motor City where I had a great time working on autos in one of my first jobs. 

    I want to thank Governor Whitmer for her important partnership, along with Mayor Duggan, County Executive Evans, Senators Stabenow and Peters, and Representatives Dingell, Stevens, Tlaib, Thanedar, and many others.

    The President and Vice President are determined that America’s iconic automakers and autoworkers are positioned to win the future. Our auto strategy is designed to invest in America’s world class autos supply chain from end to end; take tough, targeted enforcement actions against China’s unfair practices; and invest in America’s best-in-class autos workforce. 

    Today, I am pleased to announce two important new steps to advance our autos strategy. We are proposing a first-of-its-kind rule to safeguard America from the risks posed by connected vehicles from China. And we are building out the Michigan Workforce Hub to give workers the skills they need to contribute to this dynamic sector and expanding access to capital for small- and medium-sized auto manufacturers.

    The American Auto Sector

    The auto sector is an iconic American industry and our largest manufacturing sector. Over 3.2 million Americans work in the auto industry, and one third of those are in manufacturing jobs. The auto sector creates good-paying, union jobs that provide a ladder to the middle class, a sense of community, and the opportunity to work and retire with dignity.

    Nowhere is that more evident than right here in the proud city of Detroit and the great state of Michigan.

    While it wasn’t born here, America quickly made the auto industry our own. Here in Detroit, Henry Ford revolutionized transportation by mass producing a car for the common man. By 1930, the Big 3 had come to dominate global auto sales. The legendary Flint sit-down strike in 1936 gave rise to the United Autoworkers, and by 1941, hundreds of thousands of UAW members had good-paying, middle class jobs and pensions at the Big 3. During World War II, the auto industry became the center of the Arsenal of Democracy, churning out bombers, tanks, and engines by the thousands.

    When the Global Financial Crisis hit our auto sector hard, President Obama and then-Vice President Biden came to the rescue of the Big 3 and Detroit. UAW members made difficult sacrifices to get the industry back on its feet.

    Just a decade later, the pandemic brought new challenges. Decades of offshoring had left our supply chains fragile, and shutdowns of semiconductor factories in Asia and shipping disruptions led to layoffs on shop floors here and unfinished vehicles piling up in parking lots.
    Our automakers and autoworkers are no stranger to a tough fight. And this Administration has always stood with them.

    We worked tirelessly with business and labor to move semiconductors to auto plants and repair snarled transportation and logistics networks. These actions and our recovery plan enabled U.S. auto production to rebound three times faster than Europe. During this Administration, the U.S. auto industry has created more than 275,000 new jobs – in contrast to the loss of 86,000 auto jobs under the previous administration.

    Now our automakers and autoworkers face another seismic shift – the growing presence of clean vehicles, the rise of connected cars, and a wave of underpriced Chinese auto exports hitting global markets due to Chinese overcapacity.

    Investing in America’s Auto Supply Chain

    The President and Vice President have a comprehensive strategy to position the American auto sector to win the future.

    First — we are investing in America’s auto supply chain from end to end to make sure American autos remain best in class. That means investing in every stage, from small suppliers to final assembly, and using every tool at our disposal, from grants and loans to tax credits. This investment approach deploys demand- and supply-side incentives, from removing barriers to providing upfront consumer rebates to bolstering our domestic supply chains.

    Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we are building a nationwide network of EV charging stations and building a domestic supply chain for batteries and critical minerals. Just last week, we announced $3 billion in selections for projects through the Battery Supply Chain Awards, including several projects in Michigan, to boost domestic production of advanced batteries, funding the expansion and construction of new facilities for critical minerals, battery components, battery manufacturing, and recycling.

    Through the CHIPS and Science Act, we are supporting dedicated investments for the legacy chips that power cars and the advanced chips and materials that enable electric vehicles to drive further and charge faster.

    Through the clean energy incentives in the Inflation Reduction Act, we are providing families with an up-front rebate of up to $7,500 when they choose to buy a U.S.-made electric vehicle with U.S. batteries and materials. The Department of Energy’s Domestic Automotive Manufacturing Conversion Grant Program is providing $1.7 billion of federal investment that is leveraging $5 billion in total investment to help retool 11 auto plants across eight states to produce electric vehicles and electric vehicle (EV) components while protecting good jobs and union jobs. Michigan is receiving $650 million of federal investment from this one program alone.

    These incentives have already driven historic investment totaling more than $177 billion in the EV supply chain, including in the battery supply chain that China dominates. They are supporting investments that are projected to transform the United States into a major lithium producer by the end of the decade and that are now projected to produce batteries to meet all forecasted U.S. demand for EVs by 2030.

    Protecting American Autos from Unfair Competition

    Second — we are taking tough, targeted action to protect our auto sector from security risks and to ensure China does not unfairly undercut our auto sector. Americans should drive whatever car they choose – gas powered, hybrid, or electric. But, if they choose to drive an EV, we want it to be made in America, not in China.

    In order for companies to invest in innovative new designs and models here in America, they need to be assured that their investments won’t be undercut by unfairly underpriced cars from China. And in order for consumers to be safe and secure in increasingly connected cars on American roads, we need to guard against national security risks from China.

    China is flooding global markets with a wave of auto exports at a time when they are experiencing overcapacity. We have seen this playbook before in the China shock of the early 2000s that harmed our manufacturing communities. We saw it in Michigan – according to one analysis, the Detroit metro area lost more than 55,000 manufacturing jobs due to import competition from China. We are seeing that same playbook in EVs and batteries after a period when China compelled American automakers to form joint ventures and license their technology in China.

    The Administration is determined to avoid a second China shock, which means putting safeguards in place before a flood of underpriced Chinese autos undercuts the ability of the U.S. auto sector to compete on the global stage. That’s why this Administration imposed a new 100% tariff on EVs imported from China. It’s why we increased tariffs on China to diversify the autos supply chain, including on EV batteries, legacy semiconductors, and critical minerals.

    Many of our allies, including Canada and the European Union, have followed our lead. Moving forward, we will partner with Mexico and Canada to ensure that our North American supply chains remain free from state-owned enterprises and foreign entities of concern. China’s overcapacity in EVs will be a major area of focus as we look to the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement mid-term review in 2026.

    And today, we are taking action to guard against safety and security risks in connected cars and ensure that our auto supply chains are resilient from foreign threats. Connected cars have the ability to exchange data with other cars, your personal devices, America’s infrastructure, our power grid, and auto manufacturers. The computer systems that power these cars can control vehicle movement and collect sensitive driver and passenger data, and the cameras and sensors embedded within them can record detailed information about our country and citizens.

    There are many benefits associated with connected vehicle systems, such as promoting safety, assisting drivers with navigation, and reducing emissions. But where we source these technologies has important implications for our national security, safety on our roads, and the resilience of our auto supply chains.

    China has taken steps to dominate the future of connected vehicles by dominating the software and hardware systems associated with those cars. But connected vehicles with Chinese software and hardware systems could expose the American people to new risks. Without the appropriate safeguards in place, sensitive data on Americans could be passed to Chinese authorities, or connected vehicles might provide a backdoor for malicious foreign actors to engage in espionage or sabotage.

    That is why, today, the Department of Commerce is using its ICTS (Information and Communications Technology Services) authorities for the first time to propose a new rule that would ban vehicles that rely on Chinese software and hardware from driving on American roads.

    Recall that for years China has required vehicle and battery makers to rely on Chinese data centers and software providers as a condition of operating in China.

    In effect, this rule will protect against potential vulnerabilities while allowing Americans to benefit from all that connected vehicles and technological innovation have to offer. 

    Investing in America’s Auto Workforce and Small Suppliers

    Third — we are investing in the autoworkers and small suppliers that are the backbone of our auto sector. We want to ensure that the next generation of leading American autos is produced by union autoworkers and that no auto community is left behind, especially here in Michigan.

    Today, we are unveiling new resources for workers through the new Michigan Workforce Hub. This spring, the President designated Michigan as a Workforce Hub to help Michigan workers prepare for the good jobs created by historic investments in the EV supply chain. The Workforce Hub, which we’ve developed in partnership with the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, will expand pathways to EV and battery manufacturing jobs and union jobs, particularly for underserved communities in the state.

    Today, the Department of Labor and the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity are announcing a new pilot program to train workers in Wayne County for over 140 high-quality jobs in the auto supply chain, partnering with local automotive employers to enable workers to earn a paycheck while they train, addressing a major barrier to enrollment.

    In addition, the Department of Energy’s Battery Workforce Challenge Program is announcing over $1 million to fund curriculum, equipment, internships, and job placements in community colleges, high-schools, and training institutions across the state. Henry Ford Community College, for example, will receive $200,000 in seed funding to establish a state-of-the-art Battery and Electric Vehicle Technical Center. Key partners in these programs will include the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, high schools, vocational institutions, community colleges and universities, and battery and automotive manufacturers.

    Through our Good Jobs Executive Order, we’re ensuring the benefits of federal grants and investments accrue to workers and communities. For instance, the projects receiving Domestic Conversion Grants will create nearly 3,000 new good-paying auto jobs and retain 15,000 high skilled, union jobs. As a condition for these grants, manufacturers committed to supporting their local communities and workforce. By supporting strong investments, we also support pathways to the middle class, including through union jobs.

    For instance, Blue Bird pledged to expand training programs in local high schools and invest in childcare for working parents at its facilities. And ZF North America is using their Conversion grant to retain and retrain 536 workers – mostly UAW workers – at its facility in Marysville, Michigan, for the production of components to electrify vehicles.

    Last year, the UAW secured record contracts with the Big 3 that will help ensure an equitable transition to electric vehicles. Since then, we have seen a large number of additional automakers announce record wages, and a rise in new labor organizing. From Tennessee to Georgia, and in new battery plants in Ohio and Michigan, workers in the EV supply chain are seeing the benefits of joining a union.

    Our auto workforce also includes hundreds of small and medium-size suppliers manufacturing products ranging from screws and bolts to e-axles. The U.S. economy has added more than 55,000 jobs in manufacturing automobile parts and bodies during this Administration. Many are based here in Michigan: in fact, 96 of the top 100 auto suppliers in North America do business in Michigan and 60 are headquartered here.

    This summer, Vice President Harris came here to Detroit to announce more than $100 million from across the federal government to support small- and mid-sized suppliers and parts manufacturers. That includes. millions of dollars we set aside from the manufacturing conversion grants program for states to make awards to small- and medium-sized suppliers because we heard from officials and suppliers right here in Michigan that smaller manufacturers struggle to tap into large federal grant programs directly.

    Today, we are building on the Vice President’s announcement with additional actions to support capital access for small- and medium-sized suppliers. This includes a commitment from Monroe Capital to launch a new fund of up to $1 billion to provide lower-cost debt capital to auto manufacturers, as well as a $9.1 million grant from the Department of Treasury to launch the Michigan Auto Supplier Transition Program, which will help small and underserved automotive manufacturers and aftermarket suppliers secure financing to scale and shift to supply the EV supply chain.
    Conclusion

    Our economic resilience and national security have been tied to the strength of our auto sector for the past century. Now it is critical the U.S. auto sector is positioned to lead the 21st century.

    We believe that an investment in our auto supply chain – especially here in Michigan – is one of the best investments we can make. That’s why we are investing across the supply chain and strengthening our suppliers, small businesses, workers, and communities that are the lifeblood of the industry.

    Today’s announcements underscore our commitment to auto communities, union jobs, and to the competitiveness and safety of the U.S. auto sector. It is part of a comprehensive approach that is forward looking and leverages the strengths of American manufacturing and the talents of American automakers – here in Detroit, throughout Michigan, and across the country.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Ukraine drone strikes demonstrate its continuing intent to fight the long war against Russia

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By James Horncastle, Assistant Professor and Edward and Emily McWhinney Professor in International Relations, Simon Fraser University

    Ukraine recently launched a long-range drone strike on a Russian ammunition depot in the Tver region of Russia. Ukraine followed up the strike with additional drone strikes near Tver and Krasnador.

    These strikes were notable for two reasons. First, the destruction may represent Ukraine’s most successful drone strikes in the current phase of the Russia-Ukraine war.

    Second, Toropets, where the first strike took place, is approximately 480 kilometres from the Russia-Ukraine border.

    The success of the attack has caused considerable elation among Ukraine’s supporters.

    The drone strikes, however, will not fundamentally alter the current battlefield. But they are part of broader efforts by Ukraine to undermine Russia’s ability to wage war. These efforts are unlikely to bear fruit in 2024, but do improve Ukraine’s position for 2025 and potentially beyond.

    The failed search for fast victory

    Both Ukraine and Russia have sought rapid victories in the war.

    Russia, based on captured documents, believed that its invasion in 2022 would only take 10 days to result in total Ukrainian capitulation. Ukrainian resolve and the weaknesses of Russian armed forces, however, doomed this effort.

    Ukraine and its supporters, likewise, placed too much hope in a decisive victory in the 2023 summer offensive. But their hopes were quashed by a Russian army that was not only superior to its 2022 iteration and fighting on the defensive, but also by structural weaknesses in the newly constituted Ukrainian units as well.

    The reality of the Russia-Ukraine war is that rapid and decisive victories for either side are impractical. Instead, both Ukraine and Russia are undertaking efforts to win in 2025 and beyond.

    Russian tactical actions

    Ukraine realized it was in an existential fight from the outset of Russia’s invasion in February 2022. Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s focus on a rapid victory in Ukraine, however, meant Russia was unprepared for a protracted conflict.

    Russia, however, adapted to the prolonged war, using the mercenary Wagner Group to stabilize its position in Ukraine. Russia’s efforts to find soldiers for the war effort included giving the Wagner Group the green light to recruit from Russian prisons.



    Read more:
    Russians flee the draft as the reality of the war in Ukraine hits home

    These efforts, however, were more akin to patching holes in the Russian war effort than addressing its underlying issues. In September 2022, Putin announced a partial mobilization of Russian reservists, totalling 300,000 additional soldiers.

    A Russian recruit and his wife kiss and hug each other outside a military recruitment centre in Volgograd, Russia, in September 2022.
    (AP Photo)

    This mobilization and subsequent recruitment efforts gave Russia the personnel advantages it had at the beginning of the conflict. The reinforcements have allowed Russia to resume grinding offensive operations in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine. Notably, Russian forces are now nearing the strategic city of Pokrovsk.

    Economic sanctions have affected Russia’s ability to produce high-end weapons. Nevertheless, it’s still able to acquire arms at scale from its domestic arms industry as well as from countries like Iran and North Korea.

    Combined with Russia’s diplomatic offensive in Africa, Putin is not as isolated as western countries commonly believe.

    Ukrainian morale

    The Russia-Ukraine conflict is a war of attrition, and most analyses have assumed that type of war plays to Russia’s advantage given its material superiority. A factor neglected by many analysts in wars of attrition, however, is the importance of morale.

    The Ukrainian government and armed forces have not neglected this crucial point. The recent and ongoing drone strikes help to boost declining Ukrainian morale as the war takes it toll and as hopes of a rapid conclusion have faded, both among Ukrainians themselves and their allies.

    Ukrainian efforts over the summer should be viewed through this morale lens. When doing so, it also becomes evident that Ukraine is fighting the long war versus seeking decisive victories.

    None of Ukraine’s major efforts over the summer, when viewed in isolation, have a serious chance of changing the war in a significant manner. The Ukrainian army’s occupation of parts of the Kursk region this summer brought the conflict to Russian territory. The amount of territory taken by Ukraine, however, is negligible.

    Each operation improves Ukraine’s ability to fight a protracted war, however, while simultaneously undermining Russia’s material and moral resources. They also boost the country’s morale while humiliating Putin at the same time.

    Long-term vision

    Russia staked considerable political capital and material benefits in acquiring support in Africa through the Wagner Group.

    Ukrainian special operation forces efforts in Africa against the Wagner Group undermine Russia’s ability to acquire diplomatic support and other resources.



    Read more:
    Ukrainian special operations abroad are part of its broader war effort against Russia

    Ukraine’s drone strikes will not alter Russian military supplies in a permanent way. But the strikes, using domestically produced drones, creates pressure on Ukraine’s allies to allow western weapons to be used with potentially greater effect.

    The daily news cycle focuses on the importance of individual acts. In assessing how the conflict is developing, however, it’s important to understand how these acts, ranging from drone strikes to ground offensives, are connected to an overall strategy. Each is designed to improve Ukraine’s position while undermining Russia’s during a protracted war.

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

    – ref. Ukraine drone strikes demonstrate its continuing intent to fight the long war against Russia – https://theconversation.com/ukraine-drone-strikes-demonstrate-its-continuing-intent-to-fight-the-long-war-against-russia-239438

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: CONGRESSMAN PAT RYAN HOSTS BREAKFAST TO HONOR HUDSON VALLEY VETERANS

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

    Congressman Pat Ryan Hosts Breakfast to Honor Hudson Valley Veterans

    Ryan hosted Hudson Valley veterans for a breakfast to thank them for their service and honored veterans Ralph Osterhoudt, Vincent Serrano, and David Harris for outstanding contributions to the Hudson Valley community 

    NEW WINDSOR, NY – On Saturday, Congressman Pat Ryan hosted a breakfast for Hudson Valley veterans to thank and honor them for their service. At the breakfast, Ryan recognized veterans Ralph Osterhoudt, Vincent Serrano, and David Harris for their heroism in military service and outstanding contributions to the Hudson Valley community. Ryan, a West Point graduate and Army veteran, has prioritized recognizing Hudson Valley veterans for their heroism and ensuring they receive the benefits, support, and recognition they earned. 

    “Our veterans have led lives grounded in service – motivated not out of self-interest, but out of a deep belief in our country’s principles of equality and freedom for all,” said Congressman Pat Ryan. “That heroism and selflessness deserves to be honored and uplifted. I want our veterans to know that their sacrifices do not go unrecognized. Today and every day, I’m fighting to make sure our men and women in uniform receive the benefits that they earned and that our government upholds the promises it made to them.”

    “A true Patriot is someone who puts his life on the line in the service of his country,” said Juan Figueroa, Retired Marine Chief Warrant Officer and Sheriff of Ulster County.  “Sergeant David Harris continues to serve his community as a Deputy Sheriff in Ulster County. He took an oath and is selfless in his commitment to protect our rights and freedoms.” 

    “Ralph Osterhoudt is not only a Dutchess County hero; he’s an American hero whose service in the 575th Field Artillery Battalion saved the lives of countless Auschwitz prisoners in Nazi Germany,” said Adam Roche, Director of Dutchess County Veterans Affairs. “Mr. Osterhoudt’s service did not end when he returned home, as he’s advocated for decades for his fellow Dutchess County veterans, like myself. He is a tribute to the American ideals his fellow veterans have fought to uphold; and an inspiration for all of us to live a life of service.”

    “Veteran Vincent Serrano and his wife Ely, are both very patriotic and involved in veteran as well as community activities. It is an honor to have Vinny as a member of the Veteran Center Board,” said Colonel Bob Anderson of the Orange County Veterans Center.

    “It’s great seeing Congressman Ryan doing so much work with Veterans. I’ve grown up hearing how much they have been through, so seeing him in their corner is really fulfilling,” said Mia Serrano, daughter of Vincent Serrano. “I’m also really happy I was able to help honor my father. I love seeing how excited he is to help and how it gives him a huge sense of purpose.”

    “Congressman Ryan is an honest man with integrity. He is invested in the community and specifically for veterans,” said Middletown veteran Nicholas White. “His office helped me empathetically and efficiently with my VA claims. Today’s breakfast reflects the commitment that he and his staff have for our veterans’ community.”

    Ralph Osterhoudt, a Staatsburg WWII veteran, was injured in a blast only weeks after deploying to the European front, but went on to fight in the Battle of the Bulge and helped liberate the Auschwitz concentration camp. Osterhoudt’s personal narrative of his time in service is included in the Library of Congress’ Veterans History Project. He is the recipient of three Bronze Stars and the French Medal of Honor. After his service, Osterhoudt continued serving the Hudson Valley community, including working at the Staatsburg Post Office. He pushed to keep the Castle Point VA Medical Center open alongside then-Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan and a coalition of Hudson Valley veterans and advocates. Osterhoudt continues to be an invaluable force of nature within the Hudson Valley veterans community.

    Newburgh’s Vincent Serrano is a Marine veteran of the Vietnam War and recipient of a Purple Heart, Vietnam Service Medal, and Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal. He is the senior vice commandant of the Marine Corps League Greater Newburgh Detachment #249 and was instrumental in organizing National Welcome Home Vietnam War Veterans Day observances in the Hudson Valley. He is a fierce advocate for his fellow veterans and is a robust presence in the Hudson Valley veterans community, frequently partnering with Hospice of Orange and Sullivan Counties to provide events and services that honor and support his fellow veterans. He is a Board Member of the Orange County Veterans Center and active member of VFW Post 973, American Legion Post 353, the D.A.V., AM/VET, and Vietnam Veterans of America. During the COVID pandemic, Serrano worked tirelessly to package and deliver food to Hudson Valley families struggling during the crisis. He is also the coordinator for the Hudson Valley’s Toys-4-Tots.

    Kingston native David Harris served three tours in Afghanistan over eight years in the Marine Corps. During that time, he earned the Bronze Star with Valor for his heroism and bravery in combat. Harris grappled with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) after returning from combat. He found purpose and direction through service again, this time leaning on the criminal justice college degree he had earned prior to his military service and attending the police academy. He now serves as an Ulster County Sheriff’s Deputy, continuing to bravely and selflessly protect the Hudson Valley community.

    Congressman Pat Ryan is the first West Point graduate to represent the Academy in Congress and is an Army veteran of two combat tours in Iraq. He has prioritized delivering for Hudson Valley veterans and recognizing them for their service. Earlier this year, Ryan delivered $1 million in federal funds for the Rumshock Veterans Foundation to build ten homes for unhoused veterans in Orange County as part of its Veterans Village Project. After pushing for months for a partnership between the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Defense (DoD), Ryan announced this summer that Hudson Valley veterans will now be able to access expanded healthcare services at Keller Army Community Hospital at West Point.  

    Congressman Ryan has fought to ensure that veterans, service members, and military families can easily access the benefits that they’ve earned. Ryan has utilized his mobile office, the C.A.R.E.S. Van, to bring assistance with federal agencies like the VA directly to Hudson Valley veterans with events at Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs) across the Hudson Valley. This spring, Ryan brought together over 35 organizations, government offices, and community partners from across the Hudson Valley for an all-in-one Veterans and Military Families Resource Fair. 

    Congressman Ryan is a member of the House Armed Services Committee. Ryan has spearheaded legislation that expands benefits and improves quality of life for veterans, servicemembers, and military families, including introducing the Health Care Fairness for Military Families Act of 2023, the Expanding Home Loans for Guard and Reservists Act, and the Never Forgotten Korean War POW Act. Ryan has also championed legislation that protects reproductive freedom for women veterans and service members, including by cosponsoring the Equal Access to Contraception for Veterans Act and the Access to Reproductive Care for Servicemembers Act.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ezell Receives NFIB Guardian of Small Business Award

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mike Ezell (Mississippi 4th District)

    Ezell Receives NFIB Guardian of Small Business Award

    Congressman Mike Ezell (MS-04) released the following statement after being named a “Guardian of Small Business” by the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the nation’s largest small business organization:

    “Fighting for pro-small business legislation remains a key issue for me in Congress,” Ezell said. “I’m honored to be named a “Guardian of Small Business” in recognition of my efforts to help the job creators on Main Street. The health of small businesses directly correlates to the health of our nation’s economy. I will always fight to protect Main Street businesses across South Mississippi and our country.”

    “The NFIB Guardian of Small Business Award is presented to Members of Congress with a demonstrated record of supporting America’s small and independent business owners,” NFIB President Brad Close said. “This Congress, small businesses faced tough economic headwinds, especially from inflation, labor shortages, and tax pressures at all levels of the government. We are proud to recognize the lawmakers from the 118th Congress who stood up for Main Street by taking pro-small business votes that would reduce taxes, eliminate burdensome government mandates, lower health insurance costs, and fuel the Main Street economy.”

    Lawmakers who voted with small business on key issues during the 118th Congress earned the NFIB Guardian of Small Business Award. NFIB informs lawmakers in advance which votes will be considered NFIB Key Votes and asks lawmakers to support the consensus views of our members. We also remind lawmakers that the results will be reported back to the NFIB membership.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: IAEA Board of Governors Elects New Chairperson for 2024-2025

    Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

    Ambassador Philbert Abaka Johnson. (Photo: A. Barber-Huescar/IAEA)

    The IAEA Board of Governors elected Ambassador Philbert Abaka Johnson as the Chairperson of the IAEA’s Board of Governors for 2024–2025. His one-year term commences today. He succeeds Ambassador Holger Federico Martinsen of Argentina.

    Ambassador Johnson is the Permanent Representative of Ghana to the Agency, the United Nations Offices and other International Organizations in Vienna. Since his appointment in 2020, he has chaired the 54th Session of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), Subsidiary Body III of the Tenth Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), the standing open-ended intergovernmental working group on improving the governance and financial situation of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (FINGOV), the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, and the Vienna-based African Group. He is currently serving as Co-Chair for the preparations of the Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Science, Application and Technology and Technical Cooperation in 2024.

    A career diplomat with close to 30 years of experience, Ambassador Johnson’s first diplomatic assignment was in Liberia in 1995. He has since served in multiple Ghana Missions in Switzerland, the Russian Federation, Belgium, Canada and New York and has held numerous positions in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, including as the first Director of the Diaspora Affairs Bureau in 2014. Before his appointment in Vienna, he was the Director of Africa and Regional Integration Bureau and Head of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) National Office from 2019 to 2020 and contributed towards Ghana’s bid to host the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat and the establishment of the ECOWAS Early Warning Centre in Accra.

    Ambassador Johnson holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and a Diploma in Education from the University of Cape Coast, as well as two master’s degrees: a Master’s of International Affairs from the Legon Centre for International Affairs & Diplomacy in Ghana, and a Master’s of International Law and Economics from the World Trade Institute in Switzerland. He has participated in various courses on leadership and diplomacy and was the recipient of the Best Ghana Diplomatic Mission Award for 2024.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ***MEDIA ADVISORY*** Cassidy Announces Themes of Upcoming Energy Security Summit in Baton Rouge

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, announced the themes of his upcoming summit, “Louisiana Energy Security Summit: Unleashing American Abundance in a Changing Global Landscape,” in Baton Rouge on Wednesday, October 16, 2024. The Energy Security Summit will bring together leaders from the federal, state, and local government, industry, research community, and more. Speakers and the full agenda will be announced in the coming weeks.
    Themes will be the guide panels and fireside chats throughout the day-long summit. They include:

    Advancing Energy Security in a Changing Global Landscape
    Exposing Threats to Global Trade and Energy Security
    Implications for U.S. Industries and Competitiveness
    Supporting Accountability and Fair Competition in Global Trade 
    Enhancing U.S. Competitiveness Through Louisiana’s Industrial Exports
    Strengthening U.S. Geopolitical Influence and Advancing Energy Security

    Registration is open to attend in-person HERE.
    Press must RSVP to shawn_hanscom@cassidy.senate.gov.
    WHAT: Energy Security Summit
    WHO: Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA)
    WHEN: Wednesday, October 16
                   9:00am – 4:00pm CT  
    WHERE: Louisiana State Museum – Capitol Park Museum
                     660 N. 4th Street
                     Baton Rouge, LA 70802
    Background
    Cassidy frequently highlights the geopolitical challenges confronting U.S. manufacturers operating internationally. Adversaries exploit lax environmental and labor standards to gain an unfair trade advantage over American companies. Cassidy advocates for a U.S. foreign policy integrating national, economic, and energy security.
    He and U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) introduced their Foreign Pollution Fee Act to level the playing field with Chinese manufacturing and expand American production.
    Earlier this month, he released the 3rd episode of Bill on the Hill, which highlights his Foreign Pollution Fee Act and discusses China’s growing economy and military at the expense of the American worker. After hearing fellow Americans share his concerns, Cassidy presented his plan to address the nexus between economic development, national security, and the environment. His Foreign Pollution Fee Act would even the playing field while holding China accountable.
    He penned editorials in Foreign Affairs, The Washington Times, and jointly in the USA Today Network with State Senator Caleb Kleinpeter (R-Port Allen), and State Representative Blake Miguez (R-Erath) discussing the geopolitical threats China poses to U.S. global standing. Cassidy also joined Greta Van Susteren on Newsmax to discuss his foreign pollution fee, noting the competitive advantage China receives from intentionally ignoring environmental standards. 
    Last Spring, the Louisiana Senate and House of Representatives unanimously adopted a resolution urging Congress to pursue an industrial manufacturing and trade policy to counter competition from China. Learn more here. 
    Last Congress, Cassidy released a landmark energy policy outline in response to the Biden administration’s assault on domestic energy. The outline details how we can successfully reset U.S. energy policy, including Cassidy’s plan for an Energy Operation Warp Speed to cut permitting red tape and unleash domestic energy and manufacturing. In support of this complete vision and in addition to the Foreign Pollution Fee, Cassidy led Republican colleagues in opposition to a domestic carbon tax and introduced the first comprehensive judicial reform for permitting bill. He also pushed back on disastrous proposals from the Biden administration to limit development in the Outer Continental Shelf with the introduction of the WHALE Act and the Offshore Energy Security Act of 2023.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: IMF Executive Board Concludes 2024 Article IV Consultation with Brunei Darussalam

    Source: IMF – News in Russian

    September 23, 2024

    Washington, DC: The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) concluded on September 16, 2024 the Article IV consultation[1] with Brunei Darussalam on a lapse-of-time basis[2].

    Brunei’s real GDP rose by 1.4 percent in 2023 after two years of recession, mainly driven by the non-oil and gas (O&G) sector and the earlier-than-anticipated production from the new Salman oil field in Q4 2023. Inflation fell, reaching 0.4 percent in 2023 compared to 3.7 percent in 2022, supported by the easing of post-pandemic supply chain disruptions, the softening commodity prices, as well as large subsidies and price controls. The fiscal and external position deteriorated in 2023 reflecting weaker O&G production and prices. The current account was also impacted by higher service imports and net income outflows. The banking sector remains stable, liquid, and well capitalized with declining non-performing loans. 

    The recovery is anticipated to continue and risks to the outlook are broadly balanced. Growth is forecasted at about 2.4 percent in 2024 on the back of expected increase in O&G production, including from the new offshore oil fields and rebound in downstream sector, while domestic non-O&G non-tradeable sector growth is expected to plateau. Inflation is expected to remain unchanged at 0.5 percent in 2024, and fiscal and external balances would stabilize alongside O&G prices. Near-term risks tilted downward due to external factors and O&G production challenges. New O&G field discoveries would provide significant upside, while accounting for decarbonization pressures. Structural reform implementation, with product diversification and technological advancement, could boost productivity, but economic and social challenges would remain with adoption of artificial intelligence.

    Executive Board Assessment

    In concluding the 2024 Article IV consultation with Brunei Darussalam, Executive Directors endorsed staff’s appraisal, as follows:

    Growth rebounded moderately in 2023. The stronger-than-expected growth turnaround was supported by a new O&G field coming to stream in late 2023, a high interest rate environment and post-pandemic momentum boosting finance, transport, and hospitality. However, persistent O&G production challenges and maintenance related disruptions in downstream activities along with lower O&G prices weakened the fiscal and external positions in 2023. Consequently, the external position for 2023 remained substantially weaker than suggested by fundamentals and desirable policies and the output gap is assessed to be negative. Disinflation continued mainly due to easing supply chain disruptions and the softening of commodity prices, aided by continuing large scale subsidies and price controls.

    The narrowing output gap, O&G revenue uncertainty and long-term decarbonization trends warrant a prudent fiscal stance, while protecting the vulnerable and public investment. While the use of fiscal buffers in FY 2023/24 was appropriate in view of the cyclical position and to support economic recovery, restoring fiscal buffers through growth-friendly fiscal consolidation should be prioritized going forward. This will require enhanced revenue generation, and could be supported by a low-rate carbon tax, and expenditure rationalization—including via more targeted subsidies.  These efforts should be guided by a fiscal consolidation plan with clear fiscal targets. Plans to establish a MTFF and fiscal anchors, strengthening fiscal risk management and transparency are welcome.

    The currency board arrangement with Singapore is sound and has played a key role in supporting Brunei’s macroeconomic and financial sector stability. Efforts to improve monetary operations, by including Singapore’s interbank transactions in its analysis to understand the influence of Singapore’s policy rates since January 2024, and continuing to narrow the corridor by raising the SFDR, integrating I-bills into the Asset Maintenance Ratio and launching a website for better communication on monetary policies, are welcome. Enhancing inter-agency cooperation regarding the issuance and management of sukuks will be helpful. Over the medium-term, the BDCB is encouraged to build internal capacity in liquidity forecasting to calibrate the issuance of the I-bills and consider establishing a single treasury account. 

    The financial sector remained stable with strong capital and liquidity buffers. Systemic risk is assessed to be contained. Careful tracking of credit growth in both offshore and domestic personal loans is warranted, as declining oil prices could pose risks, despite low NPLs. Ensuring that that the foreign loans continue to be invested in highly credit-rated assets will help to mitigate credit risk. For domestic lending, continuing to deploy prudential measures like capping the Total Debt Service Ratio, assessing unsecured personal loan exposure, and maintaining NPL standards are welcome measures. Authorities are encouraged to stay on track with plans to implement Basel III standards for better liquidity management by the end-2024. Implementation of stress tests is recommended, while considering stress testing for climate transition and physical risks. Efforts to further strengthen prudential frameworks, develop a long-term sukuk markets, green taxonomy and unify disclosure standards, and to improve AML/CFT effectiveness will help to deepen markets, and support long-term green projects. The authorities’ commitment to continue implementing the recommended actions in the APG’s Mutual Evaluation Report is welcome.

    The authorities’ commitment  to ambitious and sustained structural reforms will be critical to ensure growth and diversification, including by transitioning to a low-carbon economy.  Reaching the authorities’ net zero emissions goal by 2050, will require continued development of  the non-O&G sector, including through adoption of green technologies. Continued skill development, while addressing AI-related challenges and closing structural gaps in the first-generation reform areas (external sector trade facilitation, improving business regulation, and governance) vis-à-vis top peers, will be key to facilitate FDI and PPPs. Completing the 2025 National Adaptation Plan and a Climate Vulnerability Assessment should support the prioritization of adaptation strategies.

    Data provided to the Fund has some shortcomings that somewhat hamper surveillance and data quality should be strengthened. Steps are needed to close the identified data gaps in national income, prices, external and fiscal sectors. Efforts for improving external sector data through a survey to better gauge trends in errors and omissions, and payables/receivables and strengthening public financial management (PFM) to build more transparent and accountable fiscal systems and aligning these further with GFSM (2014) are welcome, as are plans to enhance dissemination via the Fund’s e-GDDS portal.

    Table 1. Brunei Darussalam: Selected Economic and Financial Indicators, 2019–29

    Area: 5,765 sq. kilometers

    		                      

    Population (2023): 450,500

    		                      

    Nominal GDP per capita (2023): US$33,581.1

    		                      

    Main export destinations (2023): Australia (21.5 percent), China (16.9), and Singapore (16.7)

    		            

    Unemployment rate (2023): 5.1%

    		                      

    Labor force participation rate (2023): total 67.2; male 75.8%; female 57.3%
         

    2019

    2020

    2021

    2022

    2023

    2024

    2025

    2026

    2027

    2028

    2029
                 

    Est.

    Proj.

    Proj.

    Proj.

    Proj.

    Proj.

    Proj.

    Output and Prices

    		                      
     

    Nominal GDP (millions of Brunei dollars)

    18,375

    16,564

    18,822

    23,003

    20,319

    20,893

    22,197

    23,073

    24,081

    25,153

    26,447
     

    Nominal non-oil and gas GDP (millions of Brunei dollars)

    8,268

    8,868

    9,790

    11,043

    10,883

    11,386

    12,411

    13,620

    15,045

    16,281

    17,717
     

    Real GDP (percentage change) 1/

    3.9

    1.1

    -1.6

    -1.6

    1.4

    2.4

    2.6

    2.6

    2.7

    2.9

    3.1
       

    Oil and gas sector GDP

    3.9

    -4.9

    -4.8

    -7.3

    -2.0

    2.6

    3.1

    3.1

    1.7

    1.1

    1.0
       

    Non-oil and gas sector GDP

    3.9

    8.9

    2.0

    4.3

    4.5

    2.1

    2.0

    2.1

    3.5

    4.4

    4.7
     

    Oil production (‘000 barrels/day)

    121

    110

    107

    92

    74

    84

    94

    94

    99

    90

    90
     

    Natural gas output (millions BTUs/day)

    1,402

    1,358

    1,253

    1,151

    1,214

    1,226

    1,201

    1,220

    1,277

    1,313

    1,313
     

    Average Brunei oil price (U.S. dollars per barrel)

    68.6

    43.3

    72.1

    107.7

    87.1

    89.5

    83.3

    79.9

    77.0

    75.1

    73.8
     

    Average Brunei gas price (U.S. dollars per million BTU)

    9.1

    6.7

    9.1

    14.4

    10.9

    8.6

    9.9

    8.7

    7.8

    7.4

    7.0
     

    Consumer prices (period average, percentage change)

    -0.4

    1.9

    1.7

    3.7

    0.4

    0.5

    1.0

    1.0

    1.0

    1.0

    1.0
         

    (Fiscal Year, In percent of GDP)

    Public Finances: Budgetary Central Government

    		                      
     

    Total revenue

    26.4

    12.6

    24.0

    28.3

    17.3

    19.3

    18.9

    17.5

    16.3

    15.5

    15.1
       

    Oil and gas

    19.8

    7.7

    20.2

    24.5

    13.0

    13.6

    13.4

    12.2

    11.1

    10.1

    9.5
       

    Other

    6.5

    5.0

    3.8

    3.9

    4.3

    5.6

    5.5

    5.3

    5.2

    5.4

    5.6
     

    Total Expenditure

    31.9

    32.6

    29.1

    26.7

    29.2

    29.4

    28.6

    27.8

    26.9

    25.9

    25.1
       

    Current

    29.5

    31.3

    28.0

    25.7

    27.4

    27.0

    26.2

    25.4

    24.5

    23.6

    22.8
       

    Capital

    2.4

    1.3

    1.1

    1.0

    1.8

    2.4

    2.3

    2.3

    2.3

    2.3

    2.3
     

    Overall balance 2/

    -5.6

    -20.0

    -5.1

    1.6

    -11.8

    -10.1

    -9.6

    -10.2

    -10.5

    -10.4

    -9.9
     

    Overall primary balance excluding royalties

    -22.7

    -25.8

    -22.5

    -19.8

    -22.6

    -21.5

    -20.7

    -20.2

    -19.6

    -18.7

    -17.7
     

    Non-oil and Gas Balance (In percent of non-oil and gas GDP)

    -49.5

    -46.1

    -44.3

    -40.2

    -41.8

    -39.2

    -36.5

    -33.7

    -31.1

    -28.6

    -26.1
         

    (12-month percent change)

    Money and Banking

    		                      
     

    Private Sector Credit

    2.0

    0.2

    2.7

    6.0

    3.9

    2.0

    2.0

    2.0

    2.0

    2.0

    2.0
     

    Narrow money

    6.6

    20.8

    6.5

    1.2

    0.7

    3.8

    3.8

    3.8

    3.8

    3.8

    3.8
     

    Broad money

    4.3

    -0.4

    2.7

    1.3

    2.7

    2.6

    2.7

    2.7

    2.7

    2.7

    2.7
         

    (In millions of U.S. dollars, unless otherwise indicated)

    Balance of Payments

    		                      
     

    Goods

    2,211

    1,359

    2,679

    5,153

    3,808

    3,966

    4,264

    4,121

    3,925

    4,013

    4,131
       

    Exports

    7,210

    6,535

    11,001

    14,130

    11,264

    11,416

    11,987

    12,098

    12,024

    12,390

    12,780
       

       Of which: oil and gas

    3,244

    2,943

    4,730

    5,660

    4,185

    3,867

    4,387

    4,243

    3,798

    3,668

    3,617
       

    Imports

    4,999

    5,176

    8,322

    8,977

    7,456

    7,450

    7,723

    7,977

    8,099

    8,377

    8,649
     

    Services (net)

    -1,189

    -855

    -696

    -848

    -1,305

    -1,324

    -1,271

    -1,173

    -1,086

    -1,029

    -989
     

    Primary Income (net)

    362

    360

    90

    -370

    194

    327

    226

    193

    146

    119

    83
     

    Secondary Income (net)

    -490

    -350

    -502

    -671

    -749

    -641

    -687

    -692

    -673

    -684

    -683
     

    Current Account Balance

    894

    514

    1,570

    3,264

    1,949

    2,328

    2,532

    2,448

    2,311

    2,419

    2,541
     

    Current Account Balance (in percent of GDP)

    6.6

    4.3

    11.2

    19.6

    12.9

    15.0

    15.5

    14.4

    13.0

    13.0

    13.0
     

    Gross Official Reserves 3/

    4,273

    3,997

    4,980

    5,035

    4,485

    4,583

    4,682

    4,780

    4,879

    4,977

    5,075
       

    In months of next year’s imports of goods and services

    8.0

    5.2

    5.9

    6.6

    5.9

    5.9

    5.9

    5.9

    5.9

    5.9

    5.9
     

    Brunei dollars per U.S. dollar (period average)

    1.36

    1.38

    1.34

    1.38

    1.34

    …

    …

    …

    …

    …

    …
     

    Brunei dollar per U.S. dollar (end of period)

    1.35

    1.34

    1.36

    1.35

    1.33

    …

    …

    …

    …

    …

    …

    Sources: Data provided by the Brunei authorities; and Fund staff estimates and projections.

    1/ Non-oil and gas GDP includes the downstream sector.

    2/ In absence of government debt and interest payments, this is also primary balance.

    3/ Comprises foreign exchange assets of Brunei Darussalam Central Bank, SDR holdings, and reserve position in the Fund.

    [1] Under Article IV of the IMF’s Articles of Agreement, the IMF holds bilateral discussions with members, usually every year. A staff team visits the country, collects economic and financial information, and discusses with officials the country’s economic developments and policies. On return to headquarters, the staff prepares a report, which forms the basis for discussion by the Executive Board.

    [2] The Executive Board takes decisions under its lapse-of-time procedure when the Board agrees that a proposal can be considered without convening formal discussions.

    IMF Communications Department
    MEDIA RELATIONS

    PRESS OFFICER: Randa Elnagar

    Phone: +1 202 623-7100Email: MEDIA@IMF.org

    @IMFSpokesperson

    https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2024/09/23/pr-24340-brunei-imf-concludes-2024-article-iv-consultation

    MIL OSI

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Kelly Announces 14 Grant Recipients for Rural Champions Program – Governor of the State of Kansas

    Source: US State of Kansas

    TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly announced today the 14 grant recipients of the Rural Champions program’s second cohort. The selected Rural Champions will join a growing statewide network of grassroots individuals tackling critical projects in their respective rural communities.

    “Since day one, my administration has been focused on the needs of our rural communities and the quality of life in every region of the state,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “Creating the Office of Rural Prosperity was only the beginning of our support for rural Kansans and their needs. By developing the Rural Champions program, we are assisting communities to find local solutions to specific local challenges.”

    Inspired by a Kansas Sampler Foundation report, the Office of Rural Prosperity, in collaboration with the Patterson Family Foundation, created the Rural Champions program as a way for rural communities to move the needle in areas where a lack of capital or other resources hinders necessary progress. The Rural Champions program provides a one-year wage stipend of $20,800 to each community, along with training and resources. Communities also will receive up to $25,000 at the end of the year to move into the implementation phase of their projects.

    “The diverse challenges rural communities face are much easier to resolve when you have an individual specifically dedicated to their particular issues, which is why the innovative Rural Champions program is so important,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “Investing in our rural communities means investing in our people, which benefits the entire state and elevates their towns in ways that might otherwise not be possible.”

    The 2024-25 Rural Champions include:

    Organization

    Community

    Project area(s)

    Cardinal Community Foundation

    Nemaha County

    Community/Economic Development

    Cheyenne Community Development Corporation

    Cheyenne

    Housing

    City of Herington and CVB

    Herington

    Downtown Revitalization

    Comanche County Economic Development

    Comanche County

    Grant Writing/
    ED Regionalization

    Grinnell-Promoting Pride & Progress

    Grinnell

    Downtown Revitalization

    Harvey County United Way

    Harvey County

    Childcare

    Healthy Bourbon County Action Team

    Bronson

    Placemaking/ Recreation

    Hodgeman County Economic Development

    Hodgeman County

    Housing

    Lane County Community Foundation

    Dighton

    Food Access-Rural Grocery

    Legacy Regional Community Foundation

    Cowley County

    Food Access

    Rooks County Healthcare Foundation

    Rooks County

    Workforce Recruitment

    Stafford County Economic Development

    Stafford County

    Childcare

    The Building Community

    Fredonia

    Community/Economic Development

    United Way of the Flint Hills

    Emporia

    Homelessness

    “The first round of Rural Champions provided a great opportunity for progress and impact in the communities and organization. We again received many outstanding applications — making the selection of these 14 projects very competitive,” Director of the Office of Rural Prosperity Trisha Purdon said. “We are excited to continue the development of the program and add to our network of learning with the new group of Rural Champions.”

    Rural Champions will work with the Office of Rural Prosperity through project completion. At that time, information will again be compiled in the form of guidebooks to add to the library of projects and be made available to provide learning and support to additional communities.

    More information on the Rural Champions program is available here. The guidebooks developed by the first cohort of Champions are available to review here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Readout of the Secretary-General’s meeting with H.E. Mr. Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, Transition President and Head of State of the Gabonese Republic [scroll down for French]

    Source: United Nations secretary general

    The Secretary-General met today with H.E. Mr. Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, Transition President and Head of State of the Gabonese Republic.  The Secretary-General and the Transition President welcomed the adoption of the Pact for the Future and discussed the ongoing political transition in Gabon.
     
     
    ***
     
    Le Secrétaire général s’est entretenu aujourd’hui avec S.E. Monsieur Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, Président de la Transition et Chef de l’État de la République gabonaise. Le Secrétaire général et le Président de la Transition ont salué l’adoption du Pacte pour l’avenir et ont échangé sur la transition politique en cours au Gabon.
     

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Life Sciences Week: Minister Glubish

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    “Life Sciences Week is a celebration and showcase of our ongoing successes with technology and innovation in our life sciences sector.  

    “The life sciences ecosystem will be on full display as partners, collaborators and supporters come together to share and exchange ideas, as well as showcase the latest technology in our health-care systems.

    “Innovation in the life sciences sector has the potential to save lives. Alberta’s government recognizes the strategic importance of this industry, and I’m proud to support Life Sciences Week and reinforce our commitment to prioritize its growth and impact. Our vision is to make our province the destination of choice for the innovators, investors and entrepreneurs who are addressing global challenges in health care.

    “A strong and growing life sciences sector means more jobs, more investment and a better, healthier future for all Albertans. I look forward to connecting with participants at the kick-off luncheon and wrap-up event in Edmonton and at the Clinical Research Association of Canada event in Calgary.”

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Pfluger Fly-By: September 13, 2024

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11)

    Pfluger Fly-By: September 13, 2024

    Washington, September 13, 2024

    September 13, 2024

    Blocking Confucius Institutes from American Universities

    This week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed my legislation to stop the Chinese Communist Party from infiltrating American university campuses.

    The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) operates “Confucius Institutes” on college campuses under the guise of promoting Chinese language and culture throughout the country. In reality, these organizations are used as Trojan horses to gain access to critical American research and exert the global influence of the CCP.

    My legislation is crucial. It prevents the Department of Homeland Security from funding American universities that host a Confucius Institute or have ties with a Chinese entity of concern. We must not underestimate the credible and real threat that the CCP poses to the United States.

    Click here or below to watch my full floor remarks.

    Remembering 9/11

    Wednesday marked twenty-three years since the horrific 9/11 attacks on our country. May we never forget the 2,977 innocent American lives lost, which included many first responders who ran straight into danger.

    As a member of the Committee on Homeland Security and the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, I have sounded the alarm on the rise of activity from aggressive terrorist groups. I have introduced legislation aimed at slowing the global recruitment and planning of attacks. The terror threat landscape is as high as it has ever been, especially with hundreds of known and suspected terrorists flowing across our southern border and the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan.

    September 11, 2001, will forever be ingrained in our minds. The fight against evil is not finished. Thank you all to my fellow servicemen and women and their families for their sacrifice. My prayers continue to remain with the families of the victims and survivors of 9/11.

    Biden-Harris Energy Agenda is Hurting Americans

    The Biden-Harris Administration’s war on fossil fuels has led to high energy bills for American families and businesses across the country. This week, I joined my colleagues on the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy to learn more about the impacts of the Administration’s energy policies over the last three years. We heard directly from a generational family farmer whose business is struggling due to skyrocketing inflation and increasing production costs.

    In fact, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2024 farm income forecast painted a bleak picture for American agriculture. It projects that net farm income will decline nearly 25% in two years, with substantial losses in crop receipts and continued pressure from rising costs. Meanwhile, interest rates are at the highest level seen in 40 years.

    Congress must pass a strong Farm Bill to protect not only our farmers and ranchers but also the American food supply. Watch here or below for my full line of questioning.

    2024 Angels in Adoption Honoree

    Congratulations to Matt Waller of Midland on being named a 2024 Angels in Adoption Honoree. I enjoyed visiting with him to hear about his work to establish The Attic Foster Network and the Heart Gallery of West Texas. I thank Matt for his dedication and commitment to bettering the lives of children and families across our state.

    Examining the FDA’s Role in Protecting Americans

    On Tuesday, I joined my colleagues on the Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee to oversee the FDA’s regulation of food and tobacco. Since 2020, illegal disposable e-vapor products from China have flooded the U.S. market, with 65% of the market being illegal and targeting teens. The FDA has failed to stop these imports and hasn’t provided clear guidance to retailers on unauthorized products. The FDA must be held accountable for failing to protect Americans’ health. Watch here or below for my full line of questioning.

    Congress Must Take Action to Secure Medical Supply Chains

    I joined Representatives Brad R. Wenstrup, D.P.M. (OH-02), Blake D. Moore (UT-01), and Mark Green, M.D. (TN-07) in releasing a Request for Information (RFI) to solicit feedback for strengthening and enhancing domestic medical supply chains.

    Securing our nation’s medical supply chains is not just a matter of economic importance; it is a matter of national security. Congress must prioritize revitalizing our domestic medical supply chains to eliminate our reliance on adversaries, like China, for essential medical supplies. Read more about the RFI here.

    Applications Closing for Congressional Youth Advisory Council

    I am excited to announce the re-launch of the Congressional Youth Advisory Council for high school juniors and seniors in the 11th Congressional District of Texas. This esteemed program offers a unique opportunity for passionate and driven young leaders to engage with government, collaborate with peers, and serve their communities.

    Participants will have the chance to interact directly with me, special guests, and senior staff members in up to four interactive virtual meetings. Additionally, CYAC participants will be provided special admittance to the Pfluger Youth Leadership Conference in Spring 2025 (Date TBD).

    Interested students are encouraged to apply by completing an application at pfluger.house.gov/services/cyac.htm.

    The deadline for submissions is TODAY September 13, 2024.

    For questions about the program or application, please contact Corbette Padilla in the Midland district office at 432-687-2390.

    Upcoming Service Academy Night

    My office will soon be hosting a Service Academy Night on September 30th from 6:00-7:30 p.m. for high school students interested in pursuing an education and military career through the U.S. military service academies.

    The event will be held at the Angelo State University Houston Harte University Center in the CJ Davidson Conference Center, 1910 Rosemont Drive, San Angelo, Texas, 76901.

    Students, parents, and educators are encouraged to attend! If you have questions or would like to RSVP, please reach out to Mary O’Connor in my office at mary.oconnor@mail.house.gov.

    2024 Congressional App Challenge

    My office is now accepting submissions for the 2024 Congressional App Competition. The competition is open to all 6-12 grade students in the 11th Congressional District of Texas and is an opportunity for students to develop their skills in computer science and STEM skills.

    The deadline is October 24th, 2024 at 12:00 pm ET. Students can register and upload their app here.

    Step-by-Step Video Guide

    The Congressional App Challenge website has a step-by-step video guide that walks students, parents, and educators through the application process. Clickhereto access the video guide.

    PRIZES

    The winner from the 11th Congressional District, chosen by a panel of expert judges, will be featured on the House of Representatives website, House.gov, as well as on CongressionalAppChallenge.us. The winning app will also be displayed in the U.S. Capitol among other winners from across the country. Additional sponsor prizes to be announced.

    RULES

    · Students will create an application (aka app) for PC, web, tablet, robot, mobile, etc Any programming such as C, C++, JavaScript, Python, Ruby, or “block code” will be accepted.

    · There are NO LIMITS on the application theme or topic.

    · Students may work individually or in teams made up of no more than four.

    Students are highly encouraged to review the competition’s complete rules and regulations on the Congressional App Challenge’s website. For more information, please visit congressionalappchallenge.us/or contact Kathy Keane in the San Angelo Office at Kathy.Keane@mail.house.gov.

    Thank you for reading. It is the honor of my lifetime to serve you in Congress. Please follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for daily updates.

    Rep. August Pfluger

    Member of Congress

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Pettersen Joins Bipartisan Effort to Protect and Support Transitional Housing Services

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Brittany Pettersen (Colorado 7th District)

    WASHINGTON –U.S. Representative Brittany Pettersen (CO-07) joined Reps. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (OR-05), Young Kim (CA-40), and Robert Garcia (CA-42) in introducing the Transitional Housing Protection for the Homeless Act. The bipartisan proposal redefines the meaning of chronic homelessness in current law to ensure more people experiencing homelessness can access the resources they need to get back on their feet. It would also help transitional housing providers offer more services to those in need.

    “Colorado is facing a housing crisis that has pushed many people into homelessness,” said Pettersen. “Finding temporary housing or accessing transitional housing should not preclude people experiencing homelessness from receiving assistance that can lead to long-term stable housing. This legislation removes bureaucratic hurdles that are preventing people from getting the support they need.”

    “To help our homeless population transition into stable housing,” said Chavez-DeRemer. “We must ensure the floor doesn’t fall out from underneath them while they take concrete steps to get back on track. That’s why I’m proud to introduce the bipartisan Transitional Housing Protection for the Homeless Act, which builds on my previous efforts to reduce homelessness by protecting and expanding critical resources. This bill would help ensure that our most vulnerable populations receive the comprehensive support they need”

    “We must ensure that our most vulnerable community members can get the services they need when moving into temporary housing, which is why we’re expanding the definition of ‘chronically homelessness’,” said Garcia. “Experiencing homelessness is already extremely tough, and we need to make sure our government doesn’t let folks slip through the cracks during transition periods. I will always fight to make funding available for those struggling with homelessness,”

    “Rising housing costs only make life harder for our homeless population to get back on their feet. We must ensure our most vulnerable can receive support,” said Kim. “The Transitional Housing Protection for the Homeless Act aims to bridge the gap in affordable housing and provide hope to those struggling. I’m proud to help lead this bipartisan, commonsense bill and will keep working to support our communities.” 

    The Transitional Housing Protection for the Homeless Act would require the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to:

    • Update its existing definition of chronic homelessness to include individuals who have experienced homelessness for at least one year — whether continuously or cumulatively within three years — to ensure they are eligible for support services;
    • Include individuals residing in transitional housing for fewer than 90 days to be considered chronically homeless if they met the original criteria before entering the program – ensuring short-term residents of transitional housing are not excluded from critical assistance; and
    • Make these changes within 180 days of the enactment of this legislation.

    Full text of the bill is available HERE.

    The bipartisan proposal is supported by the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless.

    “The current definition of chronic homelessness is overcomplicated and creates barriers to services,” said Cathy Alderman, Chief Communications and Public Policy Officer for Colorado Coalition for the Homeless. “The new proposed definition will make it easier and cleaner for direct service staff to complete verifications of homelessness and get people connected with critical resources quickly by reducing time spent on the complicated math of documenting repeat episodes of homelessness. This is a step in the right direction.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Pfluger Fly-By: September 20, 2024

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11)

    Pfluger Fly-By: September 20, 2024

    Washington, September 20, 2024

    September 20, 2024

    Increasing Security for Presidential Candidates

    Following the second assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump on Sunday, it is clear that more protection is needed to protect President Trump and his family.

    Today, I was proud to vote for theEnhanced Presidential Security Act of 2024, introduced by Rep. Mike Lawler (NY-17). This bill directs the Director of the United States Secret Service to apply the same standards for determining the number of agents required to protect Presidents, Vice Presidents, and major Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates.

    The Senate must immediately take up the measure and provide President Trump with increased protection.

    Biden-Harris Border Policies Invite Chaos

    This week, I chaired a joint hearing in the Committee on Homeland Security with Rep. Clay Higgins to examine the variety of terror threats to the United States because of the wide-open southern border.

    It is no secret our nation is in the midst of a dire crisis at our nation’s borders. Over the last four years, a record number of migrants from across the globe have descended on our borders and have created security challenges our nation has never experienced.

    Specifically, border encounters under the Biden administration have surpassed 10.1 million aliensencountered nationwide, with over 8.2 million encountered along the Southwest border. These are only the number of individuals encountered at one of our borders.

    Experts estimate that nearly two million individuals have evaded arrest by CBP officials and are known to be “gotaways.”

    The most glaring statistic that alarms me the most is the 382 individuals whose names appear on the terrorist watchlist were stopped trying to cross the U.S.-Mexico border illegally between ports of entry from FY2021 to FY2024 year to date. This is compared to the 11 individuals apprehended from FY2017 – FY2020.

    If we know that nearly two million individuals are considered “gotaways,” how many of these individuals also appear on the terror watch list?

    During the hearing, it was deeply troubling to hear from a former U.S. Chief of Border Patrol about how he was barred from speaking publicly about the increase in threatening individuals.

    We need strong border security now. Watch here or below for my full opening remarks.

    Celebrating the 77th Anniversary of the United States Air Force

    This Wednesday marked the 77th anniversary of the United States Air Force. For twenty years, I had the honor of serving our country in uniform as a fighter pilot. As a Member of Congress, I remain committed to advocating for all service members and their families. The U.S. House Air Force Liaison Office joined me in celebrating the significant milestone. Fly-Fight-Win!

    New Report on the Biden-Harris Administration’s Unprecedented Border Crisis

    The House Committee on Homeland Security majority released a comprehensive new report documenting how President Joe Biden, Vice President and Biden-appointed “border czar” Kamala Harris, and other administration officials schemed together to open our borders, gut interior enforcement, and spark a historic flood of illegal immigration—from immediately after the 2020 election through the present day.

    Read the full report here.

    Defunding Sanctuary Cities

    Sanctuary Cities are communities and states that refuse to enforce immigration laws or cooperate with federal law enforcement and immigration officials. These policies actively incentivize illegal immigration and ignite the crises we are seeing across the country.

    In New York City alone, free hotels, healthcare, and debit cards have attracted more than 100,000 migrants since the spring of 2022, and more than 65,000 remain in the city’s care.

    Today, House Republicans passed The No Bailout for Sanctuary Cities Act to prevent sanctuary cities from receiving federal funding that would benefit illegal immigrants and bail out sanctuary cities from the crisis they created.

    Paul Whelan is Free

    I had the honor of meeting former US Marine Paul Whelan who was wrongfully detained in Russia for the last five years. It is an incredible relief to have Mr. Whelan home sharing his story and advocating on behalf of those who remain wrongfully imprisoned around the world. The United States will not tolerate its citizens being used as political pawns.

    United States Air Force Cadets in Washington

    It was great meeting with a group of U.S. Air Force Cadets during their visit to Washington. These young men and women have heeded the call to service and are the future of our armed forces. As a graduate of the Air Force Academy, I continue to be inspired by these incredible students who have chosen to pursue a career rooted in service.

    STEP Program Enrollment

    The U.S. State Department recently enhanced its Smart Traveler Enrollment Platform, known as STEP. This is an excellent resource and free service for U.S. citizens living or traveling abroad to receive safety and security alerts and other local updates by email from the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. Sign up at STEP.

    September is Passport Month

    Are you planning to travel abroad in the coming year? Now is the perfect time to start the passport application process or check your current passport’s expiration date.

    If you are having trouble renewing or are experiencing a longer than normal processing time, our six district offices are ready to help you out.

    Visit this link to get started on your application or renewal process today.

    Applications Extended for Congressional Youth Advisory Council

    I am excited to announce the re-launch of the Congressional Youth Advisory Council for high school juniors and seniors in the 11th Congressional District of Texas. This esteemed program offers a unique opportunity for passionate and driven young leaders to engage with the government, collaborate with peers, and serve their communities.

    Participants will have the chance to interact directly with me, special guests, and senior staff members in up to four interactive virtual meetings. Additionally, CYAC participants will be provided special admittance to the Pfluger Youth Leadership Conference in Spring 2025 (Date TBD).

    Interested students are encouraged to apply by completing an application HERE.

    The deadline for submissions is September 30, 2024.

    For questions about the program or application, please contact Corbette Padilla in the Midland district office at 432-687-2390.

    Upcoming Service Academy Night

    My office will be hosting a Service Academy Night on September 30th from 6:00-7:30 p.m. for high school students interested in pursuing an education and military career through the U.S. military service academies.

    The event will be held at the Angelo State University Houston Harte University Center in the CJ Davidson Conference Center, 1910 Rosemont Drive, San Angelo, Texas, 76901.

    Students, parents, and educators are encouraged to attend! If you have questions or would like to RSVP, please reach out to Mary O’Connor in my office at mary.oconnor@mail.house.gov.

    2024 Congressional App Challenge

    My office is now accepting submissions for the 2024 Congressional App Competition. The competition is open to all 6-12 grade students in the 11th Congressional District of Texas and is an opportunity for students to develop their skills in computer science and STEM skills.

    The deadline is October 24th, 2024, at 12:00 pm ET. Students can register and upload their app here.

    Step-by-Step Video Guide

    The Congressional App Challenge website has a step-by-step video guide that walks students, parents, and educators through the application process. Clickhereto access the video guide.

    PRIZES

    The winner from the 11th Congressional District, chosen by a panel of expert judges, will be featured on the House of Representatives website, House.gov, as well as onCongressionalAppChallenge.us. The winning app will also be displayed in the U.S. Capitol among other winners from across the country. Additional sponsor prizes to be announced.

    RULES

    · Students will create an application (aka app) for PC, web, tablet, robot, mobile, etc Any programming such as C, C++, JavaScript, Python, Ruby, or “block code” will be accepted.

    · There are NO LIMITS on the application theme or topic.

    · Students may work individually or in teams made up of no more than four.

    Students are highly encouraged to review the competition’s complete rules and regulations on the Congressional App Challenge’s website. For more information, please visit congressionalappchallenge.us/or contact Kathy Keane in the San Angelo Office at Kathy.Keane@mail.house.gov.

    Thank you for reading. It is the honor of my lifetime to serve you in Congress. Please follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for daily updates.

    Rep. August Pfluger

    Member of Congress

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Saskatchewan’s Health Human Resources Action Plan Shows Strong Results at Two-Year Anniversary

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on September 23, 2024

    Innovative Saskatchewan-Based Solutions to Recruit, Train, Incentivize, and Retain Enhance Competitiveness

    This month marks the two-year milestone of Saskatchewan’s historic Health Human Resources (HHR) Action Plan, which has delivered extraordinary health system progress within a short period of time.

    Since the launch of the HHR Action Plan in September 2022, over $300 million has now been invested in initiatives guided by the plan’s four pillars. These initiatives have expanded the current professional workforce to keep pace with provincial growth and supported stronger, more resilient future health care teams by opening doors to more educational seats and programs.

    The HHR Action Plan has advanced critical areas of the provincial health system in the past 24 months through targeted initiatives that have attracted top specialists, family physicians, registered nurses, and other in-demand health professionals to the province.

    “When our government unveiled the HHR Action Plan, we recognized it was ambitious but necessary to stabilize and reinforce our valued healthcare professionals,” Health Minister Everett Hindley said. “Each pillar has had major positive impacts by recruiting hundreds of high priority health care workers, adding hundreds of post-secondary training seats and new programs for students, delivering incentives to benefit health service delivery in rural and northern Saskatchewan communities, attracting specialists, and investing in supportive programs to retain our valued health care workforce.”

    The HHR Action Plan is the result of ongoing support, collaboration and partnerships between multiple ministries, health employers, health partner agencies and post-secondary institutions, as well as professional regulators. A key step was establishing the Saskatchewan Healthcare Recruitment Agency (SHRA) to accelerate and broaden efforts to recruit physicians, nurses, and other high priority professionals.

    “The establishment of SHRA brings the recruitment of health professionals to Saskatchewan under one umbrella,” SHRA CEO Terri Strunk said. “Our sole mandate is to implement strategies and best in practice activities to facilitate the regional, national and international recruitment, retention, transition and placement of health professionals in Saskatchewan. In collaboration with provincial and local stakeholders such as our health employers, provincial regulators, local health committees, and municipalities, we have made significant progress. There is still more work to do, but with the focused strategy of the Health Human Resources Action Plan, we are attracting top talent and addressing healthcare needs across the province.”

    Recruit

    Saskatchewan has seen impressive recruitment results since September 2022, with 218 physicians being recruited to Saskatchewan from outside of the province and 35 physicians from outside the country. These efforts resulted in 87 family physicians and 131 specialists establishing their practice in the province.

    Highly sought specialized health care providers recently hired include a pediatric gastroenterologist, four new psychiatrists, two perfusionists and a new physician assistant.

    The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) has hired more than 1,400 recent nursing graduates from in-and out-of-province, and nearly 400 internationally educated nurses (IENs) have arrived from the Philippines. Approximately 280 IENs have successfully completed a transition to nursing in Canada programming and been placed in over 70 communities around the province. The remaining IENs are in the clinical portion of their training to obtain licensure.

    Twenty-seven new permanent Nurse Practitioner positions are posted in rural communities, and eight have already been filled.

    Train

    Advanced Education is centered on the “Train” pillar of the HHR Plan and targeted investments into health-related training programs have been achieved over the last two years, with over $100 million already invested to create approximately 870 new training seats in 33 health care programs at post-secondary institutions across the province.

    “The Ministry of Advanced Education has been playing a significant role in supporting the Health Human Resources Action Plan since its inception, and I am very proud of the work done in partnership with our institutions to operationalize this ambitious initiative,” Advanced Education Minister Colleen Young said. “Saskatchewan students now have more opportunities than ever before to train for a career in health care, which is pivotal for the sector and the people it serves.”

    The expanded seats will produce more graduates in critical health care fields such as nursing, mental health and addictions, medical diagnostic imaging, physicians, and many other professions. Saskatchewan is also introducing four new programs not previously offered in the province: occupational therapy, speech language pathology, respiratory therapy and physician assistants.

    Expanded seats and new programs are being made available at university and polytech campuses in Regina, Saskatoon, and Prince Albert, as well as some programs offered at various regional colleges across province including psychiatric nursing at North West College in North Battleford, sonography at Suncrest College in Yorkton, Mental Health and Wellness at Northlands College in La Ronge and Continuing Care Assistants at Southeast College in Weyburn.

    Incentivize

    A range of attractive incentive programs, such as the Rural and Remote Recruitment Incentive (RRRI) that includes a return-of-service agreement with recipients, has directly benefited over 50 communities across the province with more than 350 hard-to-recruit positions successfully filled.

    The Rural Physician Incentive Program was enhanced in 2024, and new incentives were introduced to support recruitment and retention of specialists in high demand, such as anesthesia, psychiatry, breast and interventional radiology in approved sites and certain pediatric subspecialities.

    The province has also disbursed over $1.3 million in bursaries, such as nearly 150 Final Clinical Bursaries, nearly 150 paramedic bursaries and other scholarships and available grants to encourage students to pursue a health care career. In addition, many graduates are eligible for the Graduate Retention Tax Credits and student loan forgiveness programs.

    “Our competitive HHR Action Plan has attracted a diverse group of new health care professionals to our vibrant and welcoming communities across rural and northern Saskatchewan,” Mental Health and Addictions, Seniors and Rural and Remote Health Minister Tim McLeod said. “These smaller centres provide unique opportunities to use a full range of skillsets and expertise within the workplace. It is exciting to see our young people receive rewarding employment opportunities upon graduation right here in Saskatchewan.”

    Retain

    Retention of health care staff has been a key area of focus by promoting the rewarding benefits of a career in health care, such as hiring 245 new and enhanced full-time permanent positions in high-priority occupations, including registered nurses, to stabilize staffing in rural and northern areas. Another 65 registered nurse positions have been increased from part time to full time in rural and remote locations with 36 positions filled.

    Scope of practice for pharmacists, nurse practitioners and advanced care paramedics has expanded to benefit patients and increase access to services for people living in rural communities, shorten wait times for primary care and give more options for obtaining certain health services.

    The SHA has implemented a variety of programs to enhance work environments and staff engagement opportunities including a mentorship program with over 200 participants, and actively engaging with First Nations and Métis communities and educational institutions to develop a First Nations and Métis recruitment and retention strategy.

    The SHA has also introduced multiple volunteer and career learning opportunities that are available to Saskatchewan high school students.

    “Our health care teams are the backbone of our health system,” SHA CEO Andrew Will said. “They are essential for delivering on our commitment to provide high-quality, culturally responsive and patient-centred care as close to home as possible. Our Health Human Resource strategies not only involve Saskatchewan Health Authority staff and physicians, but also leverage the strength of our volunteers, patient and family advisors, traditional knowledge keepers, and our network of community and health system partners.”

    -30-

    For more information, contact:

    MIL OSI Canada News –