Category: Science

MIL-OSI Global: Not every US president gets a free private jet, but the Gulf states have boosted US economic dominance for decades

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Adam Hanieh, Professor of Political Economy and Global Development, Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, University of Exeter

After signing a US$142 billion (£107 billion) arms deal with Saudi Arabia, Donald Trump said the US bond with that country was “more powerful than ever”. He was also reportedly quite pleased with the gift of a private jet from Qatar.

But these arrangements are just the latest developments in a long history of the Gulf monarchies supporting the architecture of American global power. And while the six Gulf states (Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman) have recently started redirecting their energy and trade ties eastward, especially towards China, they remain deeply embedded in the US-led financial order.

As I explore in my recent book, Crude Capitalism, the Gulf states were instrumental in the rise of American global economic dominance.

With oil emerging as the dominant fossil fuel through the second half of the 20th century, the Gulf’s nationalised petroleum industries generated vast amounts of income. Much of this was invested back into the US financial markets, particularly treasury bonds (essentially a long-term loan to the US government). This gave the US access to cheap foreign capital and reinforced the global dominance of the dollar.

Put simply, the Gulf states were not peripheral to the US’s growing financial power – they were an essential contributor.

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This arrangement also involved a political bargain: US military protection for the Gulf monarchies in exchange for investment flows and energy stability. The result was a web of US military bases across the region and a deep alignment between authoritarian Gulf regimes and western strategic interests.

But much has changed in the past two decades. China’s rise as a global manufacturing hub has driven a huge increase in oil consumption, shifting the direction of the Gulf’s oil exports away from the US and western Europe towards China and east Asia.

These energy ties have been accompanied by much deeper trade interdependence and a huge increase in Chinese investments in the Gulf. In 2005, China was responsible for just 9% of the Gulf’s imports. Today, that figure is over 20%, while the US and EU’s share has fallen from 45% to 16%. China has also recently overtaken the US as the largest foreign investor in Saudi Arabia.

From Beijing’s perspective, the Gulf is a critical energy lifeline. From the Gulf’s side, China’s continuing demand for oil, gas and petrochemicals is a vital part of its economic future.

For the moment, that economic situation looks pretty robust. In 2024, Gulf countries held around US$800 billion in foreign reserves (foreign currencies and other assets), which is more than India or Switzerland. Their sovereign wealth funds (a state owned investment fund) manage another US$4.9 trillion of assets.

Private wealth, including that held by ruling families, stood at US$2.8 trillion in 2022, and is expected to reach US$3.5 trillion by 2027.

Much of this money is invested domestically, in sectors including infrastructure, real estate and renewable energy. But an astonishing amount flows directly into US markets.

Oil be back

According to US Treasury data, total Gulf holdings of American securities (bonds, stocks and corporate debt) rose from US$611 billion in 2017 to over US$1 trillion in 2024. Outside of Canada and financial hubs like London and Ireland, the Gulf is now the largest foreign investor in the US stock market.

Another route through which Gulf wealth flows back into the US is via military procurement. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, the Gulf states accounted for 22% of all global arms imports between 2019 and 2023 – more than any other region in the world.

Riyadh, money to build.
Kashif Hameed/Shutterstock

The US supplies the overwhelming majority of these weapons. In this way, Gulf spending supports the American military industry, and in return, these states become more closely tied to the US military’s umbrella.

These deep military, financial and strategic ties help explain the real focus of Trump’s visit to the Gulf. Much of the discussion will have centred on massive investment pledges made by Gulf states to the US – including Saudi Arabia’s promise to invest up to US$600 billion, and the UAE’s commitment to a US$1.4 trillion investment over ten years.

And such pledges reflect a broader agenda which involves expanding deals in artificial intelligence, critical minerals, energy infrastructure and advanced manufacturing.

So Trump travelling to the region is not just about private jets and spectacle. It is about the continuing relevance of a structural relationship essential to American power, and a deepening financial integration between the Gulf and the US.

For even as the Gulf reorients its energy flows eastward, it remains deeply tied to US finance, the US military industry and US assets. In an era of weakening US global power – and the possible spectre of a deeper clash with China – this is what will define Trump’s visit.

Adam Hanieh 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. Not every US president gets a free private jet, but the Gulf states have boosted US economic dominance for decades – https://theconversation.com/not-every-us-president-gets-a-free-private-jet-but-the-gulf-states-have-boosted-us-economic-dominance-for-decades-256655

MIL-OSI Global: Philippine elections leaves the Marcos-Duterte family feud still dominating politics

Source: The Conversation – UK – By John Sidel, Professor of International and Comparative Politics, London School of Economics and Political Science

With 317 congressional seats and nearly 18,000 local positions at stake, the May 12 midterm election results in the Philippines mean different things to people across the archipelago. But even a few hours after the unofficial results came in, the brute facts had already become clear.

Local elections for municipal and city mayorships, provincial governorships and congressional seats predictably produced victories for entrenched local “dynasties”. The advantages of incumbency – control over the patronage resources and regulatory powers of the state – ensured reelection for many sitting mayors, governors and congress members.

Midterm elections in the Philippines also include half of the seats in the nationally elected 24-member Senate. They thus serve simultaneously as tests for presidents halfway through their single six-year terms and previews of the next presidential election, in this case in 2028.

The latest mid-terms have been notable for their – ultimately ambiguous – implications for a major family feud at the top of the country’s politics. This feud pits the family of current president Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. against that of his vice-president, Sara Duterte.

The elections have failed to strengthen either family decisively, so their bitter rivalry is likely to continue throughout the remainder of Marcos’s term.

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This family feud dates back to late 2021. At that time, Duterte agreed to run as Marcos’s running mate for presidential elections the following year despite her clear lead in nationwide voter preference surveys.

The Marcos-Duterte ticket won a landslide victory. They benefited from the endorsement and assistance of the incumbent president, Rodrigo Duterte, whose enduring popularity extended to his daughter Sara.

But following Marcos’s inauguration in late June 2022, a rift between the two families began to open up. Marcos settled into his presidential role and began to distance himself from the signature policies of his predecessor.

Instead of cultivating close ties with China, Marcos strengthened relations with the US. And instead of continuing Duterte’s so-called “war on drugs”, Marcos publicly spotlighted corruption in the Philippine National Police (PNP).

By 2024, Marcos began to signal his government’s willingness to cooperate with the International Criminal Court in its investigation of Duterte’s role in the thousands of extrajudicial killings undertaken in the war on drugs. Then, in March 2025, Duterte was arrested and transferred to The Hague. He is due to stand trial in the coming months.

Relations between the president and his vice-president have also broken down. Sara Duterte resigned from her cabinet post in 2024 amid corruption allegations, with subsequent months seeing escalating public hostilities between Marcos and herself. These included claims of death threats and assassination plots.

The House of Representatives voted by a clear majority to impeach Duterte in February 2025, setting the stage for a Senate trial later in the year. Against this backdrop, the midterms served as a kind of pre-trial proxy war between the two families.

The Dutertes fielded ten candidates for Senate, the so-called “Duterten”. They also endorsed two of the 12 candidates in the Marcos-backed Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas (Alliance for a New Philippines). The campaign was dominated by mudslinging between the two camps in the media and on social media. And the final results have proved decidedly mixed.

On the one hand, pro-Duterte voters came out in a show of force to support candidates in the slate backed by the former president. This was foreshadowed by Marcos’s declining popularity following the arrest of his predecessor and the impeachment of his vice-president.

Longtime Duterte lieutenant, Christopher “Bong” Go, won reelection and the most votes of all candidates. Duterte’s former police chief, Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, also secured another term with a third-place showing.

The sixth-placed winner was Rodante Marcoleta, another Duterte-backed candidate. He is a television broadcaster and member of the Iglesia Ni Cristo, an independent church whose nearly 3 million members have long been viewed as a single solid voting bloc.

Two Alyansa candidates, Imee Marcos, the president’s estranged sister, and Camille Villar, daughter of wealthy real-estate mogul and former senator Manuel “Manny” Villar, also won seats with the explicit blessings of the Dutertes.

On the other hand, the Marcos camp won more seats and some added strength in its battle with the Dutertes for control of the Senate ahead of Sara Duterte’s trial. Erwin Tulfo, a popular television news anchor and Marcos’s former secretary of social welfare and development, won the fourth-place seat.

He was accompanied by four former senators also affiliated with Alyansa. These included ex-PNP chief Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, longtime television personality Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, Pia Cayetano with her base in wealthy Taguig City, and former action film star Lito Lapid.

But, overall, the mid-terms do not seem to have improved the prospects for the successful conviction of Sara Duterte. Alongside the winning Alyansa candidates, voters also returned two prominent opposition candidates, Paolo “Bam” Aquino and Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, to the Senate. They oppose both the Marcos administration and the Duterte camp.

At the same time, there are questions about the allegiances of several of the 12 senators already seated. This adds an additional challenge in the search for the 16 senators required to secure impeachment.

Duterte – and her father, just reelected as Davao’s mayor while awaiting trial in The Hague – also still enjoy support among many voters, especially in their southern home base in Mindanao.

The 24 elected members of the Senate are sensitive to public opinion and their own reelection prospects in 2028 and beyond. So, many of them will probably choose to hedge their bets and see where the winds are blowing as the trial unfolds.

The family feud dominating the national political scene looks set to remain unresolved over the months and years ahead.

John Sidel 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. Philippine elections leaves the Marcos-Duterte family feud still dominating politics – https://theconversation.com/philippine-elections-leaves-the-marcos-duterte-family-feud-still-dominating-politics-256383

MIL-OSI Global: How Tove Jansson used her Moomins comic strip to humorously critique the financial and creative pressures of being an artist

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Elina Druker, Professor in Department of Culture and Aesthetics, Stockholm University

In 1954, the Finnish artist Tove Jansson was commissioned by the Evening News in London to draw comic strips about the Moomintrolls. The strip was syndicated by hundreds of newspapers, introducing the Moomins to an international audience and marking a dramatic turning point in her career.

Between 1954 and 1959, Tove Jansson drew 21 comics, some in collaboration with her brother Lars Jansson, who continued to draw the comic strip until 1975.

The success of the Moomin in the Evening News brought Tove Jansson economic security and helped her with the mortgage of her studio in Helsinki. However, over time, the assignment also became a burden on her creative work – a time-consuming and demanding obligation.

Perhaps because of this personal conflict, the comics often explore themes such as the struggle of artistic creation, the role of the artist and the value of art. Jansson had previously created humorous and satirical commentaries on the art world in various artists’ magazines in Finland, but here she places the Moomin at the heart of the creative process.

Unlike the novels and picture books, the Moomin comic strips were created for adults and can be described as satire. Jansson uses the compact format to comment on society, including the art world. The growing conflict in her own life, between the Moomintrolls and her artwork, is brought into focus in the comic strips.

This is part of a series of articles celebrating the 80th anniversary of the Moomins. Want to celebrate their birthday with us? Join The Conversation and a group of experts on May 23 in Bradford for a screening of Moomins on the Riviera and a discussion of the refugee experience in Tove Jansson’s work. Click here for more information and tickets.

The theme of the purpose of art and artistic creation is playfully introduced in one of the first comic strips, Moomin and the Brigands. Here Moomin and his friend Sniff embark on a quest for fortune. They engage in several schemes, including capturing rare creatures and selling them to the zoo, marketing magic rejuvenation potions and creating modern art.

While visiting a Hemulen (a really uptight counterpart to the Moomintrolls who love rules), Moomin and Sniff accidentally break several precious items in her home. Among the broken objects is a large statue of Rebecca at the Well, which falls from its pedestal and shatters. Rebecca at the Well is a classic biblical motif, which is often portrays a model of feminine virtue, symbolising divine guidance and exemplifying ideals of hospitality and moral character.

The friends awkwardly attempt to reassemble the statue by gluing it together. The result is a strangely angular and expressive piece of art, referencing fragmented cubist portraits. Cubism, which emerged around 1907 to 1908, aimed to represent reality in a radically new way by bringing together subjects and figures, resulting in objects that appear fragmented and abstracted.

Sniff immediately sees the potential of the new Rebecca. “She’s more modern now,” he exclaims joyfully. The friends carry the statue to an enthusiastic art dealer who sells it for £500 in his gallery.

The episode with the deconstructed Rebecca is, of course, a funny caricature of the trend-sensitive art market. But the shattered statue with its intricate shapes was also a commentary on the debates about the “incomprehensible” and “obscure” nature of modernist art in Nordic countries during the time.

The destruction of the Rebecca can also be seen as an act of iconoclasm – the breaking of icons or monuments – or rather, a parody of it. While usually associated with vandalism, here, the iconoclastic act leads to the creation of something new. This expresses a desire for renewal and a liberation from restrictive conventions. It is, however, worth noting that Rebecca retains her symbol of virtue – the water jug – even after this pivotal encounter.

Drawing on the work of French philosopher and anthropologist Bruno Latour, iconoclasm can be understood as both destructive and constructive – an ambiguity that also applies to Jansson’s interpretation of the motif.

Later in the story, the money offered by the modernist Rebecca lures Moomin to the field of the arts. For a brief moment, he assumes the role of a painter and wholeheartedly embodies the romanticised ideal of the poor, misunderstood artist.

Moomin dons a Rembrandtian black velvet beret, but despite this, appears lost and bewildered in his new role, muttering: “I only want to live in peace and plant potatoes and dream!”

In a scene of self-parodying metafiction, he is blinded by his oversized beret and ends up tumbling down a cliff, abruptly ending his artistic career.

Tove Jansson’s Moomin comic strips for the Evening News use satire to explore artistic creation, the role of the artist, and the art world.

Through Moomintroll’s and Sniff’s pursuit of fame and fortune via the accidental modernist deconstruction of Rebecca, Jansson satirises romantic notions of the artist, the commercialisation of art and the professions surrounding artistic production. These themes are deeply connected to Jansson’s own experiences as an artist and author, constantly balancing between various professional and artistic demands, between children’s books, public obligations and painting.

Elina Druker is employed as a professor and researcher at Stockholm University, Sweden.

– ref. How Tove Jansson used her Moomins comic strip to humorously critique the financial and creative pressures of being an artist – https://theconversation.com/how-tove-jansson-used-her-moomins-comic-strip-to-humorously-critique-the-financial-and-creative-pressures-of-being-an-artist-256287

MIL-OSI Global: Nature’s Ozempic: What and how you eat can increase levels of GLP-1 without drugs

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Mary J. Scourboutakos, Adjunct Lecturer in Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto

GLP-1 is a good example of how it’s not just what you eat that matters, it’s also how you eat it. (Shutterstock)

Despite the popularity of semaglutide drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy for weight loss, surveys suggest that most people still prefer to lose weight without using medications. For those preferring a drug-free approach to weight loss, research shows that certain nutrients and dietary strategies can naturally mimic the effects of semaglutides.

Increased intakes of fibre and monounsaturated fats (found in olive oil and avocadoes) — as well as the time of day when foods are eaten, the order that foods are eaten in, the speed of eating and even chewing — can naturally stimulate increased production of the same hormone responsible for the effects of semaglutide drugs.

As a family physician with a PhD in nutrition, I translate the latest nutrition science into dietary recommendations for my patients. A strategic approach to weight loss rooted in the latest science is not only superior to antiquated calorie counting, but also capitalizes on the same biological mechanisms responsible for the success of popular weight-loss drugs.

Increased intake of monounsaturated fats (found in olive oil and avocadoes) is one factor in naturally stimulating GLP-1 production — the same hormone responsible for the effects of semaglutide drugs like Ozempic.
(Stevepb/Pixabay)

Semaglutide medications work by increasing the levels of a hormone called GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide 1), a satiety signal that slows digestion and makes us feel full. These drugs also simultaneously decrease levels of an enzyme called DPP-4, which inactivates GLP-1.

As a result, this “stop eating” hormone that naturally survives for only a few minutes can survive for an entire week. This enables a semi-permanent, just-eaten sensation of fullness that consequently leads to decreased food intake and, ultimately, weight loss.

Nevertheless, medications aren’t the only way to raise GLP-1 levels.

What you eat

Fibre — predominantly found in beans, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds — is the most notable nutrient that can significantly increase GLP-1. When fibre is fermented by the trillions of bacteria that live in our intestines, the resultant byproduct, called short chain fatty acids, stimulates the production of GLP-1.

This may explain why fibre consumption is one of the strongest predictors of weight loss and has been shown to enable weight loss even in the absence of calorie restriction.

Monounsaturated fats — found in olive oil and avocado oil — are another nutrient that raises GLP-1. One study showed that GLP-1 levels were higher following the consumption of bread and olive oil compared to bread and butter. Though notably, bread consumed with any kind of fat (be it from butter or even cheese) raises GLP-1 more than bread alone.

Another study showed that having an avocado alongside your breakfast bagel also increases GLP-1 more so than eating the bagel on its own. Nuts that are high in both fibre and monounsaturated fats, like pistachios, have also been shown to raise GLP-1 levels.

How you eat

However, the specific foods and nutrients that influence GLP-1 levels are only half the story. GLP-1 is a good example of how it’s not just what you eat that matters, it’s also how you eat it.

The Mediterranean diet outperformed semaglutide drugs at lowering risk of cardiac events.
(Shutterstock)

Studies show that meal sequence — the order foods are eaten in — can impact GLP-1. Eating protein, like fish or meat, before carbohydrates, like rice, results in a higher GLP-1 level compared to eating carbohydrates before protein. Eating vegetables before carbohydrates has a similar effect.

Time of day also matters, because like all hormones, GLP-1 follows a circadian rhythm. A meal eaten at 8 a.m. stimulates a more pronounced release of GLP-1 compared to the same meal at 5 p.m. This may partly explain why the old saying “eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper” is backed by evidence that demonstrates greater weight loss when breakfast is the largest meal of the day and dinner is the smallest.

The speed of eating can matter, too. Eating ice cream over 30 minutes has been shown to produce a significantly higher GLP-1 level compared to eating ice cream over five minutes. However, studies looking at blood sugar responses have suggested that if vegetables are eaten first, the speed of eating becomes less important.

Even chewing matters. One study showed that eating shredded cabbage raised GLP-1 more than drinking pureed cabbage.

Not as potent as medication

While certain foods and dietary strategies can increase GLP-1 naturally, the magnitude is far less than what is achievable with medications. One study of the GLP-1 raising effects of the Mediterranean diet demonstrated a peak GLP-1 level of approximately 59 picograms per millilitre of blood serum. The product monograph for Ozempic reports that the lowest dose produces a GLP-1 level of 65 nanograms per millilitre (one nanogram = 1,000 picograms). So medications raise GLP-1 more than one thousand times higher than diet.

Nevertheless, when you compare long-term risk for diseases like heart attacks, the Mediterranean diet lowers risk of cardiac events by 30 per cent, outperforming GLP-1 medications that lower risk by 20 per cent. While weight loss will always be faster with medications, for overall health, dietary approaches are superior to medications.

The following strategies are important for those trying to lose weight without a prescription:

Eat breakfast
Strive to make breakfast the largest meal of the day (or at least frontload your day as much as possible)
Aim to eat at least one fibre-rich food at every meal
Make olive oil a dietary staple
Be mindful of the order that you eat foods in, consume protein and vegetables before carbohydrates
Snack on nuts
Chew your food
Eat slowly

While natural approaches to raising GLP-1 may not be as potent as medications, they provide a drug-free approach to weight loss and healthy eating.

Mary J. Scourboutakos 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. Nature’s Ozempic: What and how you eat can increase levels of GLP-1 without drugs – https://theconversation.com/natures-ozempic-what-and-how-you-eat-can-increase-levels-of-glp-1-without-drugs-253728

MIL-OSI Global: There’s growing evidence of possible life on other planets – here’s why you should still be sceptical

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Manoj Joshi, Professor of Climate Dynamics, University of East Anglia

Artist’s impression of K2-18 b. NASA, ESA, CSA, Joseph Olmsted (STScI)

A team of researchers has recently claimed they have discovered a gas called dimethyl sulphide (DMS) in the atmosphere of K2-18b, a planet orbiting a distant star.

The University of Cambridge team’s claims are potentially very exciting because, on Earth at least, the compound is produced by marine bacteria. The presence of this gas may be a sign of life on K2-18b too – but we can’t rush to conclusions just yet.

K2-18b has a radius 2.6 times that of Earth, a mass nearly nine times greater and orbits a star that is 124 light years away. We can’t directly tell what kinds of large scale characteristics it has, although one possibility is a world with a global liquid water ocean under a hydrogen-rich atmosphere.

Such a world might well be hospitable to life, but different ideas exist about the properties of this planet – and what that might mean for a DMS signature.

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Claims for the detection of life on other planets go back decades.

In the 1970s, one of the scientists working on the Viking mission to Mars claimed that his experiment had indicated there could be microorganisms in the Martian soil. However, these conclusions were widely refuted by other researchers.

In 1996, a team said that microscopic features resembling bacteria had been found in the Martian meteorite ALH84001. However, subsequent studies cast significant doubt on the discovery.

Since the early 2000s there have also been repeated claims for the detection of methane gas in the atmosphere of Mars, both by remote sensing by satellites and by in-situ observations by rovers.

Methane can be produced by several mechanisms. One of these potential sources involves production by microorganisms. Such sources are described by scientists as being “biotic”. Other sources of methane, such as volcanoes and hydrothermal vents, don’t require life and are said to be “abiotic”.

The claimed detection of phosphine gas in Venus’ atmosphere has been proposed as a biosignature.
Nasa

Not all of the previous claims for evidence of extraterrestrial life involve the red planet. In 2020, Earth-based observations of Venus’s atmosphere implied the presence of low levels of phosphine gas.

Because phosphine gas can be produced by microbes, there was speculation that life might exist in Venus’s clouds. However, the detection of phosphine was later disputed by other scientists.

Proposed signs of life on other worlds are known as “biosignatures”. This is defined as “an object, substance, and/or pattern whose origin specifically requires a biological agent”. In other words, any detection requires all possible abiotic production pathways to be considered.

In addition to this, scientists face many challenges in the collection, interpretation, and planetary environmental context of possible biosignature gases. Understanding the composition of a planetary atmosphere from limited data, collected from light years away, is very difficult.

We also have to understand that these are often exotic environments, with conditions we do not experience on Earth. As such, exotic chemical processes may occur here too.

In order to characterise the atmospheres of exoplanets, we obtain what are called spectra. These are the fingerprints of molecules in the atmosphere that absorb light at specific wavelengths.

Once the data has been collected, it needs to be interpreted. Astronomers assess which chemicals, or combinations thereof, best fit the observations. It is an involved process and one that requires lots of computer based work. The process is especially challenging when dealing with exoplanets, where available data is at a premium.

Once these stages have been carried out, astronomers can then assign a confidence to the likelihood of a particular chemical signature being “real”. In the case of the recent discovery from K2-18b, the authors claim the detection of a feature that can only be explained by DMS with a likelihood of greater than 99.9%. In other words, there’s about a 1 in 1,500 chance that this feature is not actually there.

While the team behind the recent result favours a model of K2-18b as an ocean world, another team suggests it could actually have a magma (molten rock) ocean instead. It could also be a Neptune-like “gas dwarf” planet, with a small core shrouded in a thick layer of gas and ices. Both of these options would be much less favourable to the development of life – raising questions as to whether there are abiotic ways that DMS can form.

A higher bar?

But is the bar higher for claims of extraterrestrial life than for other areas of science? In a study claiming the detection of a biosignature, the usual level of scientific rigour expected for all research should apply to the collection and processing of the data, along with the interpretation of the results.

However, even when these standards have been met, claims that indicate the presence of life have in the past still been meet with high levels of scepticism. The reasons for this are probably best summed up by the phrase “extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence”. This is attributed to the American planetary scientist, author and science communicator Carl Sagan.

While on Earth there are no known means of producing DMS without life, the chemical has been detected on a comet called 67/P, which was studied up close by the European Space Agency’s Rosetta spacecraft. DMS has even been detected in the interstellar medium, the space between stars, suggesting that it can be produced by non-biological, or abiotic, mechanisms.

Given the uncertainties about the nature of K2-18b, we cannot be sure if the presence of this gas might simply be a sign of non-biological processes we don’t yet understand.

The claimed discovery of DMS on K2-18b is interesting, exciting, and reflects huge advances in astronomy, planetary science and astrobiology. However, its possible implications mean that we have to consider the results very cautiously. We must also entertain alternative explanations before supporting such a profound conclusion as the presence of extraterrestrial life.

Manoj Joshi receives funding from the UK Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)

Maria di Paolo receives funding from the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

Andrew Rushby 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. There’s growing evidence of possible life on other planets – here’s why you should still be sceptical – https://theconversation.com/theres-growing-evidence-of-possible-life-on-other-planets-heres-why-you-should-still-be-sceptical-256050

PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock

MIL-OSI Global: Why walking may be the key to a long and healthy life

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Thomas E. Yates, Professor of Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviour and Health, Diabetes Research Centre, University of Leicester

Throughout history, few things have inspired as much quackery as the pills, potions and promises to slow ageing, boost vitality, or extend life. Yet, amid the hype and hollow claims, a few golden truths remain. As far back as 400 BC, Hippocrates, widely considered the father of modern medicine, famously said, “Walking is man’s best medicine.” More than two millennia later, science is finally catching up with that wisdom.

People who walk more than 8,000 steps a day reduce their risk of premature death by half, compared to those who walk fewer than 5,000 steps – the threshold for a sedentary lifestyle. But beyond 8,000 steps, the benefits tend to plateau, which challenges the long-held belief in the magic of 10,000 steps a day.

In fact, that benchmark wasn’t born of science, but of marketing. The 10,000-step goal originated from a 1960s Japanese advertising campaign for the world’s first commercial pedometer called the manpo-kei, which literally translates to “10,000 steps meter”.

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Lately, researchers have been exploring a simple but important question: does every step count the same, or can walking faster — at a brisk pace of more than 100 steps a minute, or around three to four miles per hour — actually give you more health benefits?

For ageing and heart health there is mounting evidence that pace really matters. Simply converting a 14-minute daily stroll into a seven-minute brisk walk has been associated with a 14% reduction in heart disease.

An analysis of more than 450,000 adults in the UK used a genetic marker of biological age to reveal that by middle age, a lifetime of brisk walking reduces biological age by up to 16 years compared to a lifetime of slow walking.

A follow-up study suggested it is never to late to benefit from brisk walking. An inactive 60-year woman or man was modelled to gain around an additional year of life expectancy through simply introducing a ten minute brisk walk into their daily routine.

The power of brisk walking can also be seen in its ability to predict future health outcomes. It has been shown to be a stronger predictor of the risk of dying from heart disease than traditional predictors such as blood pressure and cholesterol, while also being a more powerful predictor than many other measures of lifestyle – including diet, obesity levels, and total physical activity.

In fact, perhaps the single most informative question a doctor could ask their patient is: “How fast is your walking pace in comparison to other people?”

Halo of benefits

But brisk walking may not provide additional benefits for all outcomes or in all contexts. For example, the benefit of brisk walking over light-intensity walking in lowering cancer risk is less certain.

A recent study suggested that although total walking was associated with reduction in 13 different types of cancers, there was no added value from brisk walking. Breaking prolonged sitting with light-intensity pottering around has also been shown to have profound impacts on metabolic effects.

Importantly, walking has a halo of benefits beyond physical health. It can help with brain activity, doubling creative idea production. Indeed, the systems in the brain that support memory and imagination are also the same as those activated during whole body movement.

Many of us already harness this very phenomenon, using walking to mull over problems and arrive at solutions or insights that would otherwise remain elusive. Context is also important here, with the mental health and cognitive benefits of walking thought to be enhanced when walking through nature.

So called “nature prescriptions” for clinical populations have harnessed these principles to increase walking activity and improving both mental and physical health.

Physical inactivity is a major driver of the modern epidemic of long-term conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease, that are now observed in industrialised and developing economies alike. It has been estimated that 3.9 million premature deaths could be averted annually through targeting physical inactivity.

However, instead of prevention, medical systems are largely based on management – people get ill and are then prescribed medicines to treat the illness. On average it takes $1 billion to bring a new drug to market which, despite these research and development costs, still go on to generate sizeable profits for shareholders showing the scale of the health economy.

If just a fraction of these costs were diverted into public health initiatives aimed at increasing walking and physical activity opportunities for all, the need for an ever more sophisticated medical management ecosphere may retreat.

In short, when searching for the elixir of life, you could do worse than looking down at your feet.

Prof Yates receives funding from the The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Leicester Biomedical Research Centre

– ref. Why walking may be the key to a long and healthy life – https://theconversation.com/why-walking-may-be-the-key-to-a-long-and-healthy-life-255655

MIL-OSI USA: UConn Celebrates a Community of Career Champions

Source: US State of Connecticut

The UConn Center for Career Readiness and Life Skills recently hosted the 2025 Career Everywhere Recognition & Celebration, honoring the many faculty, staff, alumni, and employer partners who have supported students in their career journeys this past year.

Emceed by Micah Heumann, Director of the Office of Undergraduate Research and a member of the Career Champion Advisory Board, the event highlighted the momentum behind the Career Everywhere movement and its mission to embed career development into every corner of the UConn experience. In his opening remarks, Heumann emphasized that “career readiness is an equity issue” and acknowledged the collective efforts to make career conversations accessible to all students.

“What’s happening here is transformational,” Heumann said. “We’re moving from silos to systems, fostering collaborations that cross disciplines, roles, and departments. And that’s what makes Career Everywhere so powerful. It’s not about asking everyone to become a career counselor. It’s about creating a shared culture where we all feel empowered to be part of the conversation”.

The celebration recognized more than just this shared commitment, it also spotlighted specific individuals and initiatives making an extraordinary impact.

Five alumni, Ali DeGirolamo, Dominique Teskey, Jonathan Costa, Kelly Kerrigan, and Tessa Kalin, were recognized for their meaningful contributions through the Alumni-in-Residence program. These alumni volunteered their time to host monthly office hours and offer one-on-one guidance to students, covering everything from networking strategies to industry insights. Their involvement extended to career panels, classroom visits, and other campus events, where they encouraged students to embrace career growth as a process filled with twists, turns, and unexpected lessons.

Fourteen faculty members from twelve departments participated in the 2024 Summer Faculty Fellow Institute, integrating career readiness into their courses with a focus on helping students articulate career competencies. Posters showcasing their work were featured during the event, offering attendees a glimpse into how career learning is being embedded into the curriculum.

Provost Anne D’Alleva reflected on the power of this collective effort: “Career development doesn’t happen in isolation. It grows through the relationships, experiences, and encouragement students receive every day. The commitment of our Career Champions helps ensure that every student has the tools and support they need to take confident steps toward their future.”

This year, the Center received 154 award nominations; an all-time high that reflects the widespread commitment across the university to supporting student success. The 2025 Career Everywhere award recipients are:

Undergraduate Career Mentor of the Year: Craig Calvert, Associate Professor In-Residence and Co-Director of the MEM Program
Graduate Career Mentor of the Year: Mary Anne Amalaradjou, Associate Professor, Animal Science
Staff Career Mentor of the Year: Brooke Foti Gemmell, Design Strategist, Greenhouse Studios
Employer/Alumni Career Mentor of the Year: Ali DeGirolamo, Mayoral Aide, City of Waterbury
Faculty Career Advocate of the Year: Tamara Kaliszewski, Associate Professor-in-Residence, Allied Health Sciences
Staff Career Advocate of the Year: Arthur Galinat, Director, International Student and Scholar Services
Career Competency Innovation Award: Allied Health Sciences Department, including Anna Ramos, Cheryl Ordway, Janet Rochester, Jill Skowrenski, Justin Nash, Lauren Wilson, Paul Bureau, and Paula Kalksma-McDowell

From one-on-one mentorship and career guidance to curriculum innovation and institutional partnerships, each of these recipients represents the impact of making career development a shared responsibility—and a shared success—at UConn.

To learn more about the Career Champion program and how to get involved, visit https://career.uconn.edu/careereverywhere/.

MIL-OSI USA: Military Families visit museums for free this summer

Source: US State of Rhode Island

Providence, RI � Actively serving military members and their families can visit participating museums nationwide for free as part of the Blue Star Museums program, an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and Blue Star Families (BSF) in collaboration with the Department of Defense.

In Rhode Island, the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA) announced today that the museums participating in the program, which kicks off Saturday (May 17) and concludes Sept. 1, include the following:

� Bristol Art Museum and Coggeshall Farm Museum, Bristol. � Newport Restoration Foundation and Sailing Museum and National Sailing Hall of Fame, Newport. � Providence Children’s Museum and RISD Museum, Providence. � Living Sharks Museum, Westerly. � Museum of Work and Culture, Woonsocket.

“Blue Star Museums is another way to salute our active-duty military members and their families and provide them with valuable educational and cultural opportunities. It’s another tangible way to remind our troops and their families how much we all value and appreciate their service to our nation,” said U.S. Senator Jack Reed.

“The National Endowment for the Arts is honored to help connect military service members and their families with their communities through the Blue Star Museums program,” said Mary Anne Carter, Senior Advisor for the National Endowment for the Arts. “Museums and cultural institutions offer countless opportunities for our military to create special memories, celebrate America’s history, and connect with our country’s heritage and culture.”

“For 15 years, Blue Star Museums has opened doors for military families to explore, connect, and feel at home in their communities,” said Kathy Roth-Douquet, CEO of Blue Star Families. “Thanks to our continued partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and participating museums nationwide, we’re proud to continue this tradition of belonging and enrichment. Museums are more than cultural spaces�they’re places where military families feel seen, welcomed, and celebrated.”

This free admission program is available for those currently serving in the United States military�Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Navy, and Space Force, members of the Reserves, National Guard, U.S. Public Health Commissioned Corps, NOAA Commissioned Corps�and up to five family members. Qualified members must show a Geneva Convention common access card (CAC), DD Form 1173 ID card (dependent ID), DD Form 1173-1 ID card or the Next Generation Uniformed Services (Real) ID card for entrance into a participating Blue Star Museum.

“We are grateful to all the museums in Rhode Island and throughout the nation who are showing their appreciation for members of the military and their families. The arts play an integral role in the health and well-being of individuals and communities,” Todd Trebour, Executive Director of RISCA, said. “RISCA is thrilled to help spread the word about this program.”

The NEA and Blue Star Families rely on national service organizations to help spread the word about the Blue Star Museums program, such as the National Assembly of State Art Agencies, American Alliance of Museums, American Association of State and Local History, Association of African American Museums, Association of Art Museum Directors, Association of Children’s Museums, Association of Science and Technology Centers, Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries and Museums, Association of Zoos and Aquariums, and National Trust for Historic Preservation.

In addition, regional museum associations also help with recruitment efforts, including the Association of Midwest Museums, Mid-America Arts Alliance, Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums, Mountain-Plains Museums Association, New England Museum Association, Southeastern Museums Conferences, and Western Museums Association.

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

Blue Star Museums is one of the NEA’s programs that supports military personnel and their families. Others include the Creative Forces�: NEA Military Healing Arts Network and grants awarded to nonprofit organizations to support projects that reach military and veteran populations.

Blue Star Families (BSF) is the nation’s largest military and veteran family support organization. Its research-driven approach builds strong communities with a focus on human-centered design and innovative solutions. A “blue star family” is the family of a currently serving military member, including active duty, National Guard, reserve forces, and those transitioning out of service. Since its founding in 2009, BSF has delivered more than $336 million in benefits and impacts more than 1.5 million people annually through an expansive network of chapters and outposts.

Established in 1967, RISCA is a state agency supported by appropriations from the Rhode Island General Assembly and federal grants from the NEA. RISCA provides grants, technical assistance and staff support to arts organizations and artists, schools, community centers, social service organizations and local governments to bring the arts into the lives of Rhode Islanders. To learn more, visit www.arts.ri.gov or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

MIL-OSI Canada: Flight PS752 Commemorative Scholarship Program now accepting applications

Source: Government of Canada News

May 15, 2025 – Ottawa, Ontario – Global Affairs Canada

Today, the third edition of the Flight PS752 Commemorative Scholarship opened for applications for the 2025 to 2026 academic year. The scholarship program was created to honour the 55 Canadian citizens and 30 permanent residents who were among the 176 people killed in the unlawful downing of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 by the Iranian regime on January 8, 2020. Among those victims were brilliant minds and dedicated students who made significant contributions to Canadian educational institutions.

Following the wishes of their loved ones and to honour the legacy of every single victim, Canada’s Flight PS752 Commemorative Scholarship Program is disbursing 176 scholarships over 5 years. International and Canadian students enrolled at colleges and universities in Canada are eligible to apply if their field of study aligns with one of the victims’ academic or professional backgrounds or focuses on the prevention of air disasters.

Since the scholarship program’s launch in 2023, 68 scholarships have been awarded to eligible recipients, including Canadian and international doctoral, graduate, undergraduate and college students studying at post-secondary institutions across Canada. Recipients come from a wide range of educational programs, from business administration to engineering to health sciences, and some are family members of the victims of Flight PS752.

The deadline for applications is June 15, 2025.

MIL OSI Canada News –

MIL-OSI: MKS Instruments Announces Change of Corporate Name to MKS Inc.

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

ANDOVER, Mass., May 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ: MKSI) (“MKS”), a global provider of enabling technologies that transform our world, announced today that its shareholders have approved the change of the Company’s name to “MKS Inc.” and the change is effective May 16, 2025.

John T.C. Lee, President and CEO of MKS, said: “Since its founding in 1961 as an industrial instruments company, MKS has significantly expanded and entered new markets through organic growth from investment in research and development and strategic acquisitions, such as Newport in 2016, ESI in 2019, and Atotech in 2022. The name MKS Inc. better reflects the breadth and scope of our current and future business as a provider of not only industrial instruments but also world-class subsystems, systems, process control solutions, and specialty chemicals technology that improve process performance, optimize productivity, and enable unique innovations for many of the world’s leading technology and industrial companies. This change commemorates the “new” MKS that has been years in the making.”

The Company’s stock will continue to trade on Nasdaq under its current symbol “MKSI” and the name change will have no effect on MKS’ corporate structure or the names of any of its subsidiaries.

About MKS Instruments
MKS Instruments, Inc. enables technologies that transform our world. We deliver foundational technology solutions to leading edge semiconductor manufacturing, electronics and packaging, and specialty industrial applications. We apply our broad science and engineering capabilities to create instruments, subsystems, systems, process control solutions and specialty chemicals technology that improve process performance, optimize productivity and enable unique innovations for many of the world’s leading technology and industrial companies. Our solutions are critical to addressing the challenges of miniaturization and complexity in advanced device manufacturing by enabling increased power, speed, feature enhancement, and optimized connectivity. Our solutions are also critical to addressing ever-increasing performance requirements across a wide array of specialty industrial applications. Additional information can be found at www.mks.com.

Contacts:

Bill Casey
Vice President, Marketing
Telephone: +1 (630) 995-6384
Email: press@mksinst.com

Kelly Kerry, Partner
Kekst CNC
Email: kerry.kelly@kekstcnc.com

https://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/AAGM/whats-aberdeen-art-galleries-and-museums/monsters-deep-science-fact-or-fiction

MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Monsters of the Deep come ashore at Aberdeen Art Gallery

Source: Scotland – City of Aberdeen

As Aberdeen gets ready to welcome the Tall Ships fleet to the city from 19 to 22 July, a major new special exhibition opens to the public at the Art Gallery this weekend (Saturday 17 May).

Monsters of the Deep: Science Fact or Fiction? invites visitors on a journey from medieval imaginings to modern-day discoveries through a fascinating and sometimes terrifying combination of legend, folklore and science.

From a frightening Feegee mermaid, to the spindly legs of a a Japanese spider crab, there are lots of strange and wonderful things to see in Monsters of the Deep. Visitors will come face to face with the skull of the world’s largest warm-blooded predator, the killer whale, and marvel at the tooth of an extinct megalodon and the double-tusked skull of a narwhal. Eerie deep-sea specimens from across the globe are on display, as well as some of the technological tools scientists use today to explore the ocean floor.

The exhibition is based on one originated by the National Maritime Museum Cornwall and has been re-imagined for Aberdeen by Helen Fothergill – Service Manager, Aberdeen Archives, Gallery and Museums, and her team of curators and exhibition officers. The many lenders to the exhibition include the University of Aberdeen, Loch Ness Centre, Viktor Wynd’s Museum of UnNatural History, Natural History Museum, National Museums Scotland, National Maritime Museum Cornwall and the University of Southampton.

There’s a raft of activities to enjoy at the Art Gallery and Maritime Museum, inspired by Monsters of the Deep. From a BSL exhibition tour, talks by intrepid explorers, eminent scientists and the curator of the UnNatural History Museum, to creative sessions, hands-on family fun with Macduff Marine Aquarium and classic monsters-inspired film screenings with the Belmont Cinema, there’s something for all ages to enjoy. Full programme details are on the Art Gallery website at www.aagm.co.uk

Helen Fothergill, curator of the Aberdeen exhibition, said: “When Aberdeen was confirmed as a destination for the Tall Ships Races, the Archives, Gallery & Museums team immediately set about bringing this amazing exhibition originated by the National Maritime Museum Cornwall to the city. With a fascinating combination of medieval maps, preserved sea creatures and artworks, Monsters of the Deep sets the scene for the city’s summer of maritime celebrations. We have been able to work with some wonderful and supportive people during the development of this project and could not have done without the help of our partners and willing lenders. So when you feel the need to come face-to-face with a mermaid or discover what really lurks beneath the waves, head for Aberdeen Art Gallery!“

Councillor Martin Greig, Aberdeen City Council’s culture spokesman, said: ”With the opening of Monsters of the Deep we’re just weeks away from welcoming the Tall Ships to Aberdeen. There’s a tremendous sense of organisations pulling together to showcase the best of Aberdeen and we’re grateful to the many partners who have supported the exhibition, including the University of Aberdeen Collections for important objects loans and the Friends of Aberdeen Archives, Gallery & Museums for supporting talks by Darren Naish and Viktor Wynd as part of the public programme of events. The summer in Aberdeen is set to be full of exciting maritime-related things to do, including the second year of Festival of the Sea. I hope that as many people as possible will enjoy the celebrations.”

Monsters of the Deep: Science Fact or Fiction
17 May – 26 October
Aberdeen Art Gallery, Schoolhill, Aberdeen, AB10 1FQ
Monday to Saturday 10am-5pm, Sunday 11am-4pm (special extended opening to 8pm on Friday 19, Saturday 20, Sunday 21 July during the Tall Ships weekend)
Adults £10
Concessions and Friends of Aberdeen Archives, Gallery & Museums £7
Exhibition pass £14
Children aged 12 and under free

The programme of associated events begins on Wednesday 21 May at 12.30 with a free lunchtime talk – Can The Law Save the Ocean? – at the Maritime Museum by Dr Mitchell Lennan, Lecturer in Environmental Law, University of Aberdeen.

Trudi Collier will give a BSL tour of Monsters of the Deep on Thursday 19 June at 2pm – free with exhibition entry,

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

MIL-OSI Global: What the voter gender divide means for Canada’s political future

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Marshia Akbar, Researcher, Labour Migration at the CERC Migration and Integration Program, Toronto Metropolitan University

Canada’s recent federal election suggests a growing gender divide in political preferences.

Polling indicated women voters leaned strongly toward the Liberals, while an increasing number of men — particularly younger men — gravitated toward the Conservatives.

This polarization was not simply a matter of partisan preference, but reflected deeper social, cultural and economic realignments rooted in identity politics and diverging values.

The gender gap also mirrors patterns across western democracies, where far-right populist parties increasingly draw male support through nationalist, anti-immigration and anti-feminist narratives, while women — especially racialized and university-educated — opt for progressive parties promoting equality and social protection.

What the polls showed

While official voting records by gender are not available, several public opinion polls heading into the election indicated gender was a key predictor of party support.

Abacus Data found that women’s early preferences were nearly evenly split — 31 per cent for the Liberals and 32 per cent for the Conservatives. But as the campaign progressed, Liberal support among women rose steadily by two to three points per week, reaching 35 per cent by April 8, while support for the Conservatives fell to 30 per cent.

This pattern was echoed by an EKOS Politics analysis, which described the 2025 election as defined by a “massive gender divide” — women supported the Liberal Party by a 25-point margin, while the Conservatives held a slight lead among men, especially those under 50.

Findings from Angus Reid further underscored this divide. Among men, support was closely split, with the Conservatives holding a slight lead over the Liberals (44 per cent to 42 per cent). Among women, however, the Liberals enjoyed a commanding lead, with 51 per cent support compared to 32 per cent for the Conservatives.

Together, these three polls suggest a growing gender gap in Canadian politics — one that shaped party support throughout the election campaign.

The New Democratic Party, meanwhile — once positioned as a progressive bridge between working-class voters and social justice movements — struggled to attract voters as it had in previous elections.

The NDP’s waning influence in the 2025 election highlights the erosion of class-based solidarity, which has seemingly been supplanted by identity politics.

Economic insecurity, cultural values

This gender gap was not just about party preference — it reflected deeper ideological divides shaped by cultural values, policy priorities and gender identities.

Research into voting patterns in Canada over the past two decades found that Canadian women are more likely to support social welfare, state intervention and wealth redistribution — driven not by self-interest, but by values of equity and collective responsibility.

These preferences are shaped not only by gender, but also by age, race, class, religion and gender identities. The research highlighted a growing feminist consciousness and suggested that evolving understandings of identity, especially among younger women, have strengthened support for progressive platforms.

Voting preferences in the 2025 Canadian election reflected these patterns. Rising geopolitical tensions — fuelled by punitive American tariffs on Canadian goods and United States President Donald Trump’s threats to annex Canada — stirred national anxiety and shaped voter priorities.

At the same time, the American rollback of reproductive rights and attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion policies raised alarm among women worldwide, reinforcing concerns about gender equity and human rights.

Policy priorities

That meant that how the Conservative and Liberal party leaders articulated their stances on these issues played a crucial role in shaping voter preferences.

The Conservative Party emphasized economic policies such as tax cuts and reducing government spending. The party also tapped into cultural frustrations by opposing “woke” ideologies and promoting traditional values.

This dual approach sought to resonate with voters alienated by progressive norms, particularly younger men who have felt marginalized by the housing crisis, insecure job markets and shifting cultural expectations around gender roles.

CBC report on male voter intentions.

In contrast, the Liberal platform emphasized defending Canadian sovereignty, promoting national unity, expanding housing affordability, addressing climate change and advancing economic measures for the middle class — policies that seemingly resonated more with women voters, particularly those prioritizing social programs and long-term social stability.

Although reproductive rights were not a central issue in Canada’s 2025 campaign, the erosion of those rights in the U.S. cast a shadow north of the border.

The Liberal Party pledged to make its Sexual and Reproductive Health Fund permanent and to introduce a new IVF program offering up to $20,000 per cycle — measures aimed at improving access, especially for 2SLGBTQI+ Canadians.

The Conservative platform emphasized support for universal health care but made no mention of reproductive health. As a result, many women may have viewed the Liberals as stronger defenders of both reproductive rights and Canadian sovereignty.

Addressing the gender divide

The 2025 election did more than reveal a partisan split; it exposed fundamentally different visions of Canada’s future between men and women.

Gender divides in politics often mirror divisions in online discourse. Social media platforms tend to reinforce gendered political identities, with men more likely to be drawn into algorithm-driven spaces that amplify anti-establishment and masculinist narratives.

Following the U.S. presidential election in 2024, The Guardian noted how social media algorithms feed their users content that’s aligned with the preferences of similar users, deepening ideological silos.

American podcaster Joe Rogan exemplifies this dynamic — his show consistently tops charts in the U.S., Australia, the U.K. and Canada, but with an audience that’s more than 80 per cent male.

These digital bubbles not only reflect polarization — they entrench it, merging political and online identities in ways that make cross-cutting dialogue harder to achieve.

Affecting personal lives

This divide affects more than politics. It’s reshaping personal relationships. As political identity becomes central to personal values, dating and marriage across ideological lines have become more difficult.

According to the American Survey Center, these political divisions are even preventing young people from building meaningful relationships.

Similarly, the Atlantic reports that nearly two-thirds of liberal and conservative singles are likely to reject a potential partner who does not share their political beliefs. In this climate, political compatibility is becoming a prerequisite for long-term commitment, rather than a negotiable difference.

Addressing this fragmentation requires building narratives that transcend identity silos and foster common ground, both online and offline. It’s essential for democratic resilience and for sustaining meaningful human connection.

Marshia Akbar receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC).

– ref. What the voter gender divide means for Canada’s political future – https://theconversation.com/what-the-voter-gender-divide-means-for-canadas-political-future-255857

MIL-OSI USA: Advancing Science and Technology Research

Source: US State of New York

overnor Kathy Hochul celebrated the groundbreaking of Farmingdale State College’s new state-of-the-art Computer Sciences Center, a part of the Governor’s efforts to advance science and technology research and economic opportunities for New Yorkers. The project is made possible by a $30 million investment through Empire State Development’s Long Island Investment Fund and $45 million in Capital funding from SUNY.

“In New York, we are shaping our students to be the next generation of leaders,” Governor Hochul said. “Our SUNYs and CUNYs provide an exceptional and well-rounded education for New Yorkers to explore science and technology research — the groundbreaking of the Computer Sciences Center at Farmingdale will uncover technological advancements and advance economic opportunities in our state; that’s how we build a better New York.”

SUNY Chancellor John B. King said, “Our SUNY campuses play an integral role in preparing the next generation of skilled professionals for New York’s advancing STEM sector. We applaud Governor Hochul’s vision and commitment, and we are thankful for our partnership with Empire State Development, which has made the Computer Sciences Center at Farmingdale a reality.”

The SUNY Board of Trustees said, “Congratulations to Farmingdale State College on the groundbreaking of their Computer Sciences Center. Today’s event marks a monumental milestone in SUNY’s work, alongside Governor Hochul and state leaders, to ensure students passionate about research and technological advancements have the resources they need to achieve their goals.”

Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, “Today’s groundbreaking at Farmingdale State College represents a transformative step forward for Long Island’s technology sector. This project will catalyze economic growth across the region by connecting talented students directly with industry partners who need their skills. As businesses and academia collaborate in innovative ways, we’ll see accelerated technological advancement, a more robust talent pipeline, and a stronger, more competitive New York economy ready to lead in tomorrow’s technology landscape.”

Empire State Development Board Chairman Kevin Law said, “Today we’re breaking ground on more than just a building—we’re establishing a cornerstone for Long Island’s technological advancement. This center represents a critical investment in our regional economy, creating both immediate construction jobs and long-term opportunities in high-growth sectors. The ripple effects will benefit communities across Long Island as graduates fill skilled positions, businesses find innovative solutions to their challenges, and our region strengthens its competitive position in the global marketplace.”

The Computer Sciences Center will include new classrooms, computer labs, seminar spaces and a collaborative space for industry-related vendors. It will support Farmingdale’s rapidly growing computer and information science programs, which have experienced a 40 percent increase in enrollment over the last five years. The Computer Sciences Center will be the campus’ first Zero Net Carbon Ready building with an approximate total square footage of 52,000.

President of Farmingdale State College Robert S. Prezant said, “We are beyond grateful to Governor Hochul, the Empire State Development Corporation, the Long Island Regional Economic Development Council, and the State University of New York for their support in the development of the Computer Sciences Center building on the Farmingdale State College campus. So much more than a building, the center will provide a hub of advanced technology education and programming, enabling interdisciplinary and collaborative innovation, research, and learning. It will also allow us to support increasing enrollment in our technology programs with a focus on workforce development.”

State Senator Monica R. Martinez said, “Technological advancements continue to move the world and our region forward, and Farmingdale State College’s Center for Computer Science and Information Technology will prepare students for success in these dynamic fields. It is here where a hub for the development of Long Island’s next generation of digital pioneers will soon flourish, and it will be here where the highly skilled workforce essential to fueling this region’s high-tech economy will begin their academic journeys. We are excited for this groundbreaking and for the future, when those who come through this center help shape the breakthroughs that move our world forward.”

Assemblymember Kwani O’Pharrow said, “This week, we broke ground on a new facility that is envisioned as a dynamic center for collaboration and innovation, bringing together diverse stakeholders like students, educators, and local businesses to foster the development of future technologies, creative ideas, and positive community impact. It emphasizes that this building is not just a physical structure but a symbol of a forward-thinking approach to education, entrepreneurship, and community engagement.”

Suffolk County Minority Leader Jason Richberg said, “The groundbreaking at Farmingdale State College is more than the start of a new building — it’s the foundation for Long Island’s future. The Center for Computer Science and Information Technology represents a critical investment in education, workforce development, and regional innovation. By bringing together students, local businesses, and community organizations under one roof, we’re not just preparing the next generation of tech leaders — we’re creating pathways to opportunity for all. This is a smart win for taxpayers, leveraging $45 million in SUNY Construction Fund dollars and money from the State’s Long Island Investment Fund to build a cutting-edge facility that will return real value to our region. It exemplifies how public-private partnerships and forward-thinking use of government resources can shape a stronger, more equitable future for Long Island.”

Town of Babylon Supervisor Rich Schaffer said, “This state-of-the-art facility will not only enhance educational opportunities but also serve as a catalyst for economic growth, ensuring that Long Island remains at the forefront of technological innovation. We are proud to support initiatives that invest in our community’s future and provide our residents with the tools they need to succeed in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.”

About The State University of New York
The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY’s 64 colleges and universities. Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the country’s oldest school of maritime, the state’s only college of optometry, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.4 million students amongst its entire portfolio of credit- and non-credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Research expenditures system-wide are nearly $1.16 billion in fiscal year 2024, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and one in three New Yorkers with a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunities, visit www.suny.edu.

MIL-OSI Europe: EU invests in researchers and invites them to ‘Choose Europe for science’

Source: European Union 2

New calls worth over €1.25 billion under the EU’s Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions open doors for new research talent and will support cutting edge research. The EU has also launched the ‘Choose Europe for Science’ pilot, which is open to researchers from around the world to develop their careers.

MIL OSI Europe News –

MIL-OSI USA: Welch Leads 28 Colleagues in Introducing Senate Resolution Decrying Two-Month Blockade on Food and Medicine in Gaza

US Senate News:

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

Welch delivers remarks on the Senate Floor calling for an immediate end to the blockade of humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) led 28 of his Senate colleagues in introducing a resolution calling on the Trump Administration to use all diplomatic tools at its disposal to bring an end to the blockade of food and lifesaving humanitarian aid to address the needs of civilians in Gaza. In their resolution, the Senators express grave concern about the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, including the imminent starvation of tens of thousands of children.
On Tuesday evening, Senator Welch took to the Senate Floor to highlight the unprecedented crisis unfolding in Gaza:
“It’s been over two months since the Israeli government has been using its power to withhold food, medicine, lifesaving cancer treatments, dialysis systems, formula, and more from starving and suffering families across Gaza. Half a million Palestinians in Gaza are facing starvation, and that number is rising…All the while, these trucks that are filled with food and medicine—much of that aid provided by the United States and our allies—is right there across the border…We cannot have or sanction a government-intentional policy of starvation,” said Senator Welch on the Senate floor. “I’m offering a resolution with my colleagues that makes a simple point: it notes simply that children are starving to death. They’re starving to death as we are here comfortably debating what we think are important issues. And it must be the effort of all of us to do all we can to bring this siege and this war to an immediate end.”
Watch the Senator’s full remarks below:

On March 2, 2025, the Israeli Government began blocking all food and emergency aid—including food, medicine, infant formula, fuel, and other lifesaving humanitarian supplies—from reaching Palestinian civilians in Gaza. In the same month, all 25 World Food Program (WFP)-supported bakeries in Gaza closed, wheat flour and cooking fuel ran out, and food parcels distributed to families—with two weeks of food rations—were depleted. According to the United Nations, about 10,000 children have been identified as suffering from acute malnutrition since January 2025.
Joining Senator Welch on the resolution are Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Senators Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Angus King (I-Maine), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).
The Senators’ resolution is supported by Anera, the Friends Committee on National Legislation, J Street, and Oxfam America.
“In Gaza today, children are starving, hospitals are collapsing, and families are in a state of desperation. This resolution is a call to conscience, a moment of moral reckoning. Will the world be complicit in Gaza’s collapse, or part of its recovery? We call on the U.S. government in the strongest terms to act swiftly, using all the leverage at its disposal, to urgently permit humanitarian organizations to deliver aid into Gaza. This resolution is a critical step in the right direction,” said Sean Carroll, President and CEO, Anera.
“The crisis in Gaza has reached a breaking point, with over two months of a total blockade cutting off food, water, fuel, and medical supplies. More than two million Palestinians are trapped, starving, and facing a potential famine that could claim thousands of lives. It’s encouraging to see Senator Welch and his colleagues introduce a resolution highlighting this urgent humanitarian suffering. Congress and the Trump Administration must use every diplomatic tool available to demand the immediate, full reopening of Gaza’s borders to deliver life-saving aid,” said Hassan El-Tayyab, Legislative Director for Middle East Policy, Friends Committee on National Legislation.
“This resolution comes at a moment of moral reckoning, as conditions in Gaza have become even more unbearable,” said Jeremy Ben-Ami, President, J Street. “Children are surviving on one meal every few days. To deliberately starve civilians is immoral. To use water, fuel, food as tools of war is unconscionable. Humanitarian aid must immediately be allowed to enter Gaza unconditionally.”
“The more than two-month-long siege, with no aid being allowed to enter, has now pushed nearly the entire population in Gaza to the brink of starvation. Every day, parents wake up and spend their days searching for something to feed their children – often coming back with nothing. Humanitarian organizations know how to reach the people who most urgently need food, water, medical care, and other lifesaving essentials when we have supplies and can do our work safely, but right now we can’t. We are in a race against time, and we need action from U.S. leaders to allow us to do our jobs, keep pushing for a permanent, immediate ceasefire, humanitarian access and an end to the siege, and a return of all hostages and unlawfully detained prisoners,” said Abby Maxman, President and CEO, Oxfam America.
Read and download the full text of the resolution.

MIL-OSI: MKS Instruments Announces Senior Leadership Appointments

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

ANDOVER, Mass., May 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ: MKSI) (“MKS”), a global provider of enabling technologies that transform our world, announced today that James A. Schreiner will conclude his tenure as the leader of the Materials Solutions Division (“MSD”) on August 1, 2025, and will transition back to his role as Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer of MKS. In this position, Mr. Schreiner will lead operations, supply chain, and workplace operations for the Vacuum Solutions Division and the Photonics Solutions Division.

The Company also announced that David P. Henry, the Company’s current Executive Vice President, Operations and Corporate Marketing, will assume the role of Executive Vice President, Global Strategic Marketing, and General Manager, Materials Solutions Division, on August 1, 2025. In this role, Mr. Henry will succeed Mr. Schreiner as the leader of MSD as well as maintain responsibility for strategic and corporate marketing for the Company.

“On behalf of the entire Company, I want to recognize the tremendous contributions Jim and Dave have made to MKS and congratulate them on their new, well-earned leadership responsibilities,” said John T.C. Lee, President and Chief Executive Officer of MKS. “Jim has played a pivotal role in successfully guiding MSD after our acquisition of Atotech in August 2022 with exceptional leadership and dedication. And Dave, who has proven himself as a strong and effective leader and strategic thinker, is well suited to position MSD for the future. I wish them both great success in their new roles.”

About MKS Instruments
MKS Instruments, Inc. enables technologies that transform our world. We deliver foundational technology solutions to leading edge semiconductor manufacturing, electronics and packaging, and specialty industrial applications. We apply our broad science and engineering capabilities to create instruments, subsystems, systems, process control solutions and specialty chemicals technology that improve process performance, optimize productivity and enable unique innovations for many of the world’s leading technology and industrial companies. Our solutions are critical to addressing the challenges of miniaturization and complexity in advanced device manufacturing by enabling increased power, speed, feature enhancement, and optimized connectivity. Our solutions are also critical to addressing ever-increasing performance requirements across a wide array of specialty industrial applications. Additional information can be found at www.mks.com.

Contacts:

Bill Casey
Vice President, Marketing
Telephone: +1 (630) 995-6384
Email: press@mksinst.com

Kelly Kerry, Partner
Kekst CNC
Email: kerry.kelly@kekstcnc.com

MIL-OSI Global: Algebra is more than alphabet soup – it’s the language of algorithms and relationships

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Courtney Gibbons, Associate Professor of Mathematics, Hamilton College

Algebra often involves manipulating numbers or other objects using operations like addition and multiplication. Flavio Coelho/Moment via Getty Images

You scrambled up a Rubik’s cube, and now you want to put it back in order. What sequence of moves should you make?

Surprise: You can answer this question with modern algebra.

Most folks who have been through high school mathematics courses will have taken a class called algebra – maybe even a sequence of classes called algebra I and algebra II that asked you to solve for x. The word “algebra” may evoke memories of complicated-looking polynomial equations like ax² + bx + c = 0 or plots of polynomial functions like y = ax² + bx + c.

You might remember learning about the quadratic formula to figure out the solutions to these equations and find where the plot crosses the x-axis, too.

Graph of a quadratic equation and its roots via the quadratic formula.
Jacob Rus, CC BY-SA

Equations and plots like these are part of algebra, but they’re not the whole story. What unifies algebra is the practice of studying things – like the moves you can make on a Rubik’s cube or the numbers on a clock face you use to tell time – and the way they behave when you put them together in different ways. What happens when you string together the Rubik’s cube moves or add up numbers on a clock?

In my work as a mathematician, I’ve learned that many algebra questions come down to classifying objects by their similarities.

Sets and groups

How did equations like ax² + bx + c = 0 and their solutions lead to abstract algebra?

The short version of the story is that mathematicians found formulas that looked a lot like the quadratic formula for polynomial equations where the highest power of x was three or four. But they couldn’t do it for five. It took mathematician Évariste Galois and techniques he developed – now called group theory – to make a convincing argument that no such formula could exist for polynomials with a highest power of five or more.

So what is a group, anyway?

It starts with a set, which is a collection of things. The fruit bowl in my kitchen is a set, and the collection of things in it are pieces of fruit. The numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 also form a set. Sets on their own don’t have too many properties – that is, characteristics – but if we start doing things to the numbers 1 through 12, or the fruit in the fruit bowl, it gets more interesting.

In clock addition, 3 + 12 = 3.
OpenStax, CC BY-SA

Let’s call this set of numbers 1 through 12 “clock numbers.” Then, we can define an addition function for the clock numbers using the way we tell time. That is, to say “3 + 11 = 2” is the way we would add 3 and 11. It feels weird, but if you think about it, 11 hours past 3 o’clock is 2 o’clock.

Clock addition has some nice properties. It satisfies:

closure, where adding things in the set gives you something else in the set,
identity, where there’s an element that doesn’t change the value of other elements in the set when added – adding 12 to any number will equal that same number,
associativity, where you can add wherever you want in the set,
inverses, where you can undo whatever an element does, and
commutativity, where you can change the order of which clock numbers you add up without changing the outcome: a + b = b + a.

By satisfying all these properties, mathematicians can consider clock numbers with clock addition a group. In short, a group is a set with some way of combining the elements layered on top. The set of fruit in my fruit bowl probably can’t be made into a group easily – what’s a banana plus an apple? But we can make a set of clock numbers into a group by showing that clock addition is a way of taking two clock numbers and getting to a new one that satisfies the rules outlined above.

Rings and fields

Along with groups, the two other fundamental types of algebraic objects you would study in an introduction to modern algebra are rings and fields.

We could introduce a second operation for the clock numbers: clock multiplication, where 2 times 7 is 2, because 14 o’clock is the same as 2 o’clock. With clock addition and clock multiplication, the clock numbers meet the criteria for what mathematicians call a ring. This is primarily because clock multiplication and clock addition together satisfy a key component that defines a ring: the distributive property, where a(b + c) = ab + ac. Lastly, fields are rings that satisfy even more conditions.

At the turn of the 20th century, mathematicians David Hilbert and Emmy Noether – who were interested in understanding how the principles in Einstein’s relativity worked mathematically – unified algebra and showed the utility of studying groups, rings and fields.

It’s all fun and games until you do the math

Groups, rings and fields are abstract, but they have many useful applications.

For example, the symmetries of molecular structures are categorized by different point groups. A point group describes ways to move a molecule in space so that even if you move the individual atoms, the end result is indistinguishable from the molecule you started with.

The water molecule H₂O can be flipped horizontally and the end result is indistinguishable from the original position.
Courtney Gibbons, CC BY-SA

But let’s take a different example that uses rings instead of groups. You can set up a pretty complicated set of equations to describe a Sudoku puzzle: You need 81 variables to represent each place you can put a number in the grid, polynomial expressions to encode the rules of the game, and polynomial expressions that take into account the clues already on the board.

To get the spaces on the game board and the 81 variables to correspond nicely, you can use two subscripts to associate the variable with a specific place on the board, like using x₃₅ to represent the cell in the third row and fifth column.

The first entry must be one of the numbers 1 through 9, and we represent that relationship with (x₁₁ – 1)(x₁₁ – 2)(x₁₁ – 3) ⋅⋅⋅ (x₁₁ – 9). This expression is equal to zero if and only if you followed the rules of the game. Since every space on the board follows this rule, that’s already 81 equations just to say, “Don’t plug in anything other than 1 through 9.”

The rule “1 through 9 each appear exactly once in the top row” can be captured with some sneaky pieces of algebraic thinking. The sum of the top row is going to add up to 45, which is to say x₁₁ + x₁₂ + ⋅⋅⋅ + x₁₉ – 45 will be zero, and the product of the top row is going to be the product of 1 through 9, which is to say x₁₁ x₁₂ ⋅⋅⋅ x₁₉ – 9⋅8⋅7⋅6⋅5⋅4⋅3⋅2⋅1 will be zero.

If you’re thinking that it takes more time to set up all these rules than it does to solve the puzzle, you’re not wrong.

Turning Sudoku into algebra takes a fair bit of work.
Courtney Gibbons

What do we get by doing this complicated translation into algebra? Well, we get to use late-20th century algorithms to figure out what numbers you can plug into the board that satisfy all the rules and all the clues. These algorithms are based on describing the structure of the special ring – called an ideal – these game board clues make within the larger ring. The algorithms will tell you if there’s no solution to the puzzle. If there are multiple solutions, the algorithms will find them all.

This is a small example where setting up the algebra is harder than just doing the puzzle. But the techniques generalize widely. You can use algebra to tackle problems in artificial intelligence, robotics, cryptography, quantum computing and so much more – all with the same bag of tricks you’d use to solve the Sudoku puzzle or Rubik’s cube.

Courtney Gibbons is affiliated with the Association for Women in Mathematics and the American Mathematical Society.

– ref. Algebra is more than alphabet soup – it’s the language of algorithms and relationships – https://theconversation.com/algebra-is-more-than-alphabet-soup-its-the-language-of-algorithms-and-relationships-234541

MIL-OSI Global: Unprecedented cuts to the National Science Foundation endanger research that improves economic growth, national security and your life

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Paul Bierman, Professor of Natural Resources and Environmental Science, University of Vermont

The National Science Foundation funds America’s next great innovations, including space-related research. Heritage Space/Heritage Images/Getty Images

Look closely at your mobile phone or tablet. Touch-screen technology, speech recognition, digital sound recording and the internet were all developed using funding from the U.S. National Science Foundation.

No matter where you live, NSF-supported research has also made your life safer. Engineering studies have reduced earthquake damage and fatalities through better building design. Improved hurricane and tornado forecasts reflect NSF investment in environmental monitoring and computer modeling of weather. NSF-supported resilience studies reduce risks and losses from wildfires.

Using NSF funding, scientists have done research that amazes, entertains and enthralls. They have drilled through mile-thick ice sheets to understand the past, visited the wreck of the Titanic and captured images of deep space.

NSF funding supports research to help minimize risk and harm from natural hazards, including wildfires.
FEMA/Michael Mancino

NSF investments have made America and American science great. At least 268 Nobel laureates received NSF grants during their careers. The foundation has partnered with agencies across the government since it was created, including those dealing with national security and space exploration. The Federal Reserve estimates that government-supported research from the NSF and other agencies has had a return on investment of 150% to 300% since 1950, meaning for every dollar U.S. taxpayers invested, they got back between $1.50 and $3.

However, that funding is now at risk.

Since January, layoffs, leadership resignations and a massive proposed reorganization have threatened the integrity and mission of the National Science Foundation. Hundreds of research grants have been terminated. The administration’s proposed federal budget for fiscal year 2026 would cut NSF’s funding by 55%, an unprecedented reduction that would end federal support for science research across a wide range of discipines.

At my own geology lab, I have seen NSF grants catalyze research and the work of dozens of students who have collected data that’s now used to reduce risks from earthquakes, floods, landslides, erosion, sea-level rise and melting glaciers.

I have also served on advisory committees and review panels for the NSF over the past 30 years and have seen the value the foundation produces for the American people.

American science’s greatness stemmed from war

In the 1940s, with the advent of nuclear weapons, the space race and the intensification of the Cold War, American science and engineering expertise became increasingly critical for national defense. At the time, most basic and applied research was done by the military.

Vannevar Bush, an electrical engineer who oversaw military research efforts during World War II, including development of the atomic bomb, had a different idea.

He articulated an expansive scientific vision for the United States in Science: The Endless Frontier. The report was a blueprint for an American research juggernaut grounded in the expertise of university faculty, staff and graduate students.

The National Science Foundation funded some of the earliest weather equipment on satellites. The gold sphere is the Navy Vanguard (SLV-3) satellite, launched in 1958 to monitor cloud cover.
Bettmann/Getty Images

On May 10, 1950, after five years of debate and compromise, President Harry Truman signed legislation creating the National Science Foundation and putting Bush’s vision to work. Since then, the foundation has become the leading funder of basic research in the United States.

NSF’s mandate, then as now, was to support basic research and spread funding for science across all 50 states. Expanding America’s scientific workforce was and remains integral to American prosperity. By 1952, the foundation was awarding merit fellowships to graduate and postdoctoral scientists from every state.

There were compromises. Control of NSF rested with presidential appointees, disappointing Bush. He wanted scientists in charge to avoid political interference with the foundation’s research agenda.

NSF funding matters to everyone, everywhere

Today, American tax dollars supporting science go to every state in the union.

The states with the most NSF grants awarded between 2011 and 2024 include several that voted Republican in the 2024 election – Texas, Florida, Michigan, North Carolina and Pennsylvania – and several that voted Democratic, including Massachusetts, New York, Virginia and Colorado.

More than 1,800 public and private institutions, scattered across all 50 states, receive NSF funding. The grants pay the salaries of staff, faculty and students, boosting local employment and supporting college towns and cities. For states with major research universities, those grants add up to hundreds of millions of dollars each year. Even states with few universities each see tens of millions of dollars for research.

As NSF grant recipients purchase lab supplies and services, those dollars support regional and national economies.

When NSF budgets are cut and grants are terminated or never awarded, the harm trickles down and communities suffer. Initial NSF funding cuts are already rippling across the country, affecting both national and local economies in red, blue and purple states alike.

An analysis of a February 2025 proposal that would cut about US$5.5 billion from National Institutes of Health grants estimated the ripple effect through college towns and supply chains would cost $6.1 billion in GDP, or total national productivity, and over 46,000 jobs.

An uncertain future for American science

America’s scientific research and training enterprise has enjoyed bipartisan support for decades. Yet, as NSF celebrates its 75th birthday, the future of American science is in doubt. Funding is increasingly uncertain, and politics is driving decisions, as Bush feared 80 years ago.

A list of grants terminated by the Trump administration, collected both from government websites and scientists themselves, shows that by early May 2025, NSF had stopped funding more than 1,400 existing grants, totaling over a billion dollars of support for research, research training and education.

Most terminated grants focused on education – the core of science, technology and engineering workforce development critical for supplying highly skilled workers to American companies. For example, NSF provided 1,000 fewer graduate student fellowships in 2025 than in the decade before − a 50% drop in support for America’s best science students.

American scientists are responding to NSF’s downsizing in diverse ways. Some are pushing back by challenging grant terminations. Others are preparing to leave science or academia. Some are likely to move abroad, taking offers from other nations to recruit American experts. Science organizations and six prior heads of the NSF are calling on Congress to step up and maintain funding for science research and workforce development.

If these losses continue, the next generation of American scientists will be fewer in number and less well prepared to address the needs of a population facing the threat of more extreme weather, future pandemics and the limits to growth imposed by finite natural resources and other planetary limits.

Investing in science and engineering is an investment in America. Diminishing NSF and the science it supports will hurt the American economy and the lives of all Americans.

Paul Bierman receives funding from the National Science Foundation.

– ref. Unprecedented cuts to the National Science Foundation endanger research that improves economic growth, national security and your life – https://theconversation.com/unprecedented-cuts-to-the-national-science-foundation-endanger-research-that-improves-economic-growth-national-security-and-your-life-256556

MIL-OSI Global: Congress began losing power decades ago − and now it’s giving away what remains to Trump

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Charlie Hunt, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Boise State University

Where did Congress go? Julia Nikhinson/Bloomberg Creative via Getty Images

Republicans in Congress have been making behind-the-scenes efforts to pass major domestic legislation via the federal budget process. They include potential cuts to Medicaid and extending the 2017 Trump tax cuts.

But even though it’s Congress’ job to pass a budget and set tax policy, most media outlets have been content to frame key elements of the legislation as being driven not by Congress but by the president.

So the news media say that the purpose of the bill is to “deliver Trump’s agenda” or to pass the “Trump tax cuts.” Many have even adopted President Donald Trump’s trademark name for the legislation: his “big, beautiful bill.”

Along with Casey Burgat and SoRelle Wyckoff Gaynor, I am co-author of a textbook titled “Congress Explained: Representation and Lawmaking in the First Branch.” In that book, it was important to us to highlight Congress’ clear role as the preeminent lawmaking body in the federal government.

But since Trump’s inauguration, Congress has ceded huge swaths of its policymaking responsibility to the president. That makes the media’s focus on Trump unsurprising. And there’s no denying that Trump has had enormous impact during his first 100 days in office.

During that time, Congress has been unwilling to assert itself as an equal branch of government. Beyond policymaking, Congress has been content to hand over many of its core constitutional powers to the executive branch. As a Congress expert who loves the institution and profoundly respects its constitutionally mandated role, this renunciation of responsibility has been difficult to watch.

And yet, Congress’ path to irrelevance as a body of government did not begin in January 2025.

It is the result of decades of erosion that created a political culture in which Congress, the first branch of government listed in the Constitution, is relegated to second-class status.

President Donald Trump holds one of the many executive orders he has signed during his second term.
Alex Wroblewski/AFP via Getty Images

The Constitution puts Congress first

The 18th-century framers of the Constitution viewed Congress as the foundation of republican governance, deliberately placing it first in Article 1 to underscore its primacy. Congress was assigned the pivotal tasks of lawmaking and budgeting because controlling government finances was seen as essential to limiting executive power and preventing abuses that the framers associated with monarchy.

Alternatively, a weak legislature and an imperial executive were precisely what many of the founders feared. With legislative authority in the hands of Congress, power would at least be decentralized among a wide variety of elected leaders from different parts of the country, each of whom would jealously guard their own local interests.

But Trump’s first 100 days turned the founders’ original vision on its head, leaving the “first branch” to play second fiddle.

Like most recent presidents, Trump came in with his party in control of the presidency, the House and the Senate. Yet despite the lawmaking power that this governing trifecta can bring, the Republican majorities in Congress have mostly been irrelevant to Trump’s agenda.

Instead, Congress has relied on Trump and the executive branch to make changes to federal policy and in many cases to reshape the federal government completely.

Trump has signed more than 140 executive orders, a pace faster than any president since Franklin D. Roosevelt. The Republican Congress has shown little interest in pushing back on any of them. Trump has also aggressively reorganized, defunded or simply deleted entire agencies, such as the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

These actions have been carried out even though Congress has a clear constitutional authority over the executive branch’s budget. Again, Congress has shown little to no interest in reasserting its power, even during recent budget talks.

Many causes, no easy solutions

Even so, Congress’ weakening did not begin with Trump. There’s no one culprit but instead a collection of factors that have provided the ineffectual Congress of today.

One overriding factor is a process that has unfolded over the past 50 or more years called political nationalization. American politics have become increasingly centered on national issues, parties and figures rather than more local concerns or individuals.

This shift has elevated the importance of the president as the symbolic and practical leader of a national party agenda. Simultaneously, it weakens the role of individual members of Congress, who are now more likely to toe the party line than represent local interests.

A participant holds a sign during a GOP town hall meeting with U.S. Reps. Celeste Maloy and Mike Kennedy on March 20, 2025, in Salt Lake City.
AP Photo/Rick Egan

As a result, voters focus more on presidential elections and less on congressional ones, granting the president greater influence and diminishing Congress’ independent authority.

The more Congress polarizes among its members on a party-line basis, the less the public is likely to trust the legitimacy of their opposition to a president. Instead, congressional pushback − sometimes as extreme as impeachment − can thus be written off not as principled or substantive but as partisan or politically motivated to a greater extent than ever before.

Congress has also been been complicit in giving away its own power. Especially when dealing with a polarized Congress, presidents increasingly steer the ship in budget negotiations, which can lead to more local priorities – the ones Congress is supposed to represent – being ignored.

But rather than Congress staking out positions for itself, as it often did through the turn of the 21st century, political science research has shown that presidential positions on domestic policy increasingly dictate – and polarize – Congress’ own positions on policy that hasn’t traditionally been divisive, such as funding support for NASA. Congress’ positions on procedural issues, such as raising the debt ceiling or eliminating the filibuster, also increasingly depend not on bedrock principles but on who occupies the White House.

In the realm of foreign policy, Congress has all but abandoned its constitutional power to declare war, settling instead for “authorizations” of military force that the president wants to assert. These give the commander in chief wide latitude over war powers, and both Democratic and Republican presidents have been happy to retain that power. They have used these congressional approvals to engage in extended conflicts such as the Gulf War in the early 1990s and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan a decade later.

What’s lost with a weak Congress

Americans lose a lot when Congress hands over such drastic power to the executive branch.

When individual members of Congress from across the country take a back seat, their districts’ distinctly local problems are less likely to be addressed with the power and resources that Congress can bring to an issue. Important local perspectives on national issues fail to be represented in Congress.

Even members of the same political party represent districts with vastly different economies, demographics and geography. Members are supposed to keep this in mind when legislating on these issues, but presidential control over the process makes that difficult or even impossible.

Maybe more importantly, a weak Congress paired with what historian Arthur Schlesinger called the “Imperial Presidency” is a recipe for an unaccountable president, running wild without the constitutionally provided oversight and checks on power that the founders provided to the people through their representation by the first branch of government.

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

– ref. Congress began losing power decades ago − and now it’s giving away what remains to Trump – https://theconversation.com/congress-began-losing-power-decades-ago-and-now-its-giving-away-what-remains-to-trump-254984

MIL-OSI Europe: What Trump Means for Europe: A Discussion Between Luis Vassy and Zaki Laïdi

Source: Universities – Science Po in English

On 28 April, a round table of the monthly “LUNDIS DU CEVIPOF” (Sciences Po’s Centre for Political Research) brought together Zaki Laïdi, Director of Research at CEVIPOF and Former Special Adviser of the High representative of the European Union (2020-2024), Luis Vassy, President of Sciences Po and Kevin Arceneaux, Director of CEVIPOF.

The event was titled “What Trump Means for Europe“.

By its very nature, the Trump project aims to build, beyond the United States, a new world order dominated by illiberal powers. Those who, in spite of their differences, agree on a certain number of values, which clash head-on with those promoted by the European Union.

This is why Trump sees Europe as a major political obstacle in his path. This is one of the reasons why he shows a thinly veiled hostility towards it. That involves political support for illiberal forces, economic retaliation and a potential strategic abandonment for which Europe is not really prepared.

Will this project really see the light of day? Does Europe have the means to face it in order to defend its values, its economic interests and build its strategic autonomy? Are EU countries really unified to face this challenge?

> Watch the video replay now:

MIL OSI Europe News –

MIL-OSI Russia: Denis Manturov: Russian mechanical engineering sectors demonstrate stability

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

Denis Manturov took part in a joint meeting of the bureau of the Union of Mechanical Engineers and the association “League for Assistance to Defense Enterprises”

First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov took part in a joint meeting of the bureau of the Union of Mechanical Engineers and the League for Assistance to Defense Enterprises association.

The event was also attended by the Minister of Industry and Trade Anton Alikhanov, the Minister of Science and Higher Education Valery Falkov, the Chairman of the Union of Mechanical Engineers of Russia, General Director of the Rostec State Corporation Sergey Chemezov, the First Deputy Chairman of the Union, Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Industry and Trade Vladimir Gutenev, General Director of the Roscosmos State Corporation Dmitry Bakanov, heads of regions, members of the bureau – heads of corporations and large industrial enterprises.

Welcoming the participants of the meeting, Denis Manturov noted that today the Russian mechanical engineering industries are demonstrating resilience and readiness to respond to the most difficult challenges.

“The development of a number of strategic areas depends on the dynamics of qualitative changes in this sector of industry. I mean, first of all, the country’s defense capability, its energy and food security, transport connectivity, and sovereignty in the field of space services. In the same vein, we consider the importance of mechanical engineering for the fundamental renewal of the production base of the entire industrial sector,” the First Deputy Prime Minister noted.

The implementation of specialized national projects contributes to the enhancement of the technological status of the designated areas. Hundreds of mechanical engineering enterprises participate in them, ensuring the development of components and the supply of finished products, forming new cooperation chains.

“In the current challenges, Russia continues to demonstrate high resilience. Enterprises are coping with the tasks set by our President. Manufacturing production in the first quarter showed growth of 4.7% in annual terms. The tasks of strengthening the economy, increasing industrial potential, ensuring the country’s defense capability are not just a priority for the near future. These are permanent, strategic goals that determine our development for years to come,” said Sergey Chemezov.

The report was delivered by the president of the league, Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Industry and Trade Vladimir Gutenev. The parliamentarian emphasized that the union and the league are in constant dialogue with the real sector and the expert community, and the Government is considering initiatives aimed at supporting defense industry enterprises. Among them is a draft law on deferment from military service for graduates who have found jobs in the defense industry in targeted areas, as well as a law on protecting accounts involved in state defense procurement from automatic write-offs based on writs of execution.

Anton Alikhanov drew attention to the current issues of providing the industries with personnel. “We are well aware of the main obstacle to the rapid replenishment of personnel. This is the extremely low level of employment in the specialty of university graduates and the claims of enterprises to the level of their training. We have well-established work with the Ministry of Education and Science and the Ministry of Education on advanced engineering schools and educational and industrial clusters. Therefore, I propose that those companies that have their own corporate universities and basic departments provide an opportunity to train specialists at the request of the cooperative enterprises. We can consider the possibility of creating industry databases under the wing of Soyuzmash, connecting potential employers and applicants. Such a resource already works well in the military-industrial complex,” the head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade noted.

The Minister of Education and Science, Valery Falkov, outlined systemic steps aimed at developing engineering education at universities and higher education in general. According to the Minister, today 42% of budget places are allocated for engineering and technical specialties. In order to improve the quality of education, work is underway to revise the list of specialties and areas of training, the mechanism of targeted admission is being improved, and a pilot project for industrial postgraduate studies will begin this year. Also, on the instructions of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the flagship project of the Ministry of Education and Science, Advanced Engineering Schools, has been continued. Valery Falkov noted that from this year, only those applicants who are applying for priority specialties, including engineers, will be able to use a preferential educational loan at a rate of 3%.

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.

MIL OSI Russia News –

MIL-OSI: Beeline Appoints Veteran Public Company Executive Frank Knuettel II to Board of Directors

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Providence, RI, May 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Beeline Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: BLNE), a next-generation digital mortgage lender focused on transforming real estate investment financing, today announced the appointment of Frank Knuettel II to its Board of Directors, effective immediately.

Mr. Knuettel brings more than two decades of executive leadership experience across dynamic, early-stage public companies in the technology and life sciences sectors. He currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of Channel Therapeutics Corporation since 2023, having started as CFO in 2022. Known for his operational discipline and M&A acumen, Mr. Knuettel has helped companies scale aggressively, including spearheading a revenue expansion at Unrivaled Brands from $10 million to $100 million annualized in just six quarters through strategic acquisitions.

“Frank’s addition to the board marks a pivotal moment in Beeline’s growth story,” said Nick Liuzza, CEO of Beeline. “His deep capital markets knowledge, proven ability to lead and scale businesses, and transactional experience across more than 15 M&A deals will be invaluable as we expand our footprint and product offerings in the investment lending market.”

Throughout his career, Mr. Knuettel has raised over $400 million in public and private capital and has held leadership roles at multiple high-growth companies, including CFO of IP Commerce, a fintech platform provider, and Chief Strategy Officer at MJardin Group. He currently serves on the board of Etheros Pharmaceuticals Corp. and has held board seats at both public and private companies.

Mr. Knuettel holds a BA with honors in Economics from Tufts University and earned his MBA in Finance and Entrepreneurial Management from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

“I’m excited to join the Beeline board at such a dynamic time,” said Mr. Knuettel. “The company’s technology-driven approach to simplifying investment property financing has significant potential, and I look forward to supporting the team as they execute on their ambitious vision.”

About Beeline Beeline Financial Holdings, Inc. is a trailblazing mortgage fintech transforming the way people access property financing. Through its fully digital, AI-powered platform, Beeline delivers a faster, smarter path to home loans—whether for primary residences or investment properties. Headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, Beeline is reshaping mortgage origination with speed, simplicity, and transparency at its core. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Beeline Holdings and also operates Beeline Labs, its innovation arm focused on next-generation lending solutions.

Contact:
ir@makeabeeline.com

MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Garamendi, Sen. Mark Kelly, Sen. Young, Rep. Trent Kelly Introduce SHIPS for America Act to Boost American Shipbuilding, Strengthen US Economy and National Security

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman John Garamendi – Representing California’s 3rd Congressional District

WASHINGTON D.C – Today, Representative John Garamendi (D-CA-8), Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Senator Todd Young (R-IN), and Representative Trent Kelly (R-MS-1) re-introduced the Shipbuilding and Harbor Infrastructure for Prosperity and Security (SHIPS) for America Act, comprehensive legislation to revitalize the United States shipbuilding and commercial maritime industries.

There are currently 80 U.S.-flagged vessels in international commerce while China has 5,500. The SHIPS for America Act aims to close this gap and boost the U.S. Merchant Marine by establishing national oversight and consistent funding for U.S. maritime policy, making U.S.-flagged vessels commercially competitive in international commerce by cutting red tape, rebuilding the U.S. shipyard industrial base, and expanding and strengthening mariner and shipyard worker recruitment, training, and retention.

“With China’s growing influence in the global maritime sector, the United States can no longer afford to overlook our maritime industries. The SHIPS for America Act will give our shipyards and merchant mariners the tools they need to rebuild America’s maritime industry and create good-paying American jobs,” said Congressman John Garamendi. “I’m proud to lead this effort alongside Senator Kelly, Senator Young, and Representative Kelly to strengthen America’s national security, economic strength, and global leadership on the high seas.”

“After decades of dangerously neglecting our shipbuilding industry, we’re finally doing something about it. The SHIPS for America Act is the most ambitious effort in a generation to revitalize the U.S. shipbuilding and commercial maritime industries and counter China’s dominance over the oceans,” said Senator Kelly, a U.S. Navy veteran and the first U.S Merchant Marine Academy graduate to serve in Congress. “Building and staffing more U.S.-flagged ships will create good-paying American jobs, make our supply chains more resilient, lower costs, and strengthen our ability to resupply our military at times of war. We’ll keep working with our colleagues in Congress, this administration, and our partners in the industry to make our country safer and competitive by passing the SHIPS for America Act.”

“America has been a maritime nation since our founding, and seapower was a significant contributor to our rise to being the most powerful nation on earth. Unfortunately, the bottom line now is America needs more ships. Shipbuilding is a national security priority and a stopgap against foreign threats and coercion. Our bill will revitalize the U.S. maritime industry, grow our shipbuilding capacity, rebuild America’s shipyard industrial base, and support nationwide workforce development in this industry. This legislation is critical to our warfighting capabilities and keeping pace with China,” said Senator Young, a U.S. Naval Academy graduate.

The SHIPS for America Act would:

Coordinate U.S. maritime policy by establishing the position of Maritime Security Advisor within the White House, who would lead an interagency Maritime Security Board tasked with making whole-of-government strategic decisions for how to implement a National Maritime Strategy. The bill also establishes a Maritime Security Trust Fund that would reinvest duties and fees paid by the maritime industry into maritime security programs and infrastructure supporting maritime commerce.
Establish a national goal of expanding the U.S.-flag international fleet by 250 ships in 10 years by creating the Strategic Commercial Fleet Program, which would facilitate the development of a fleet of commercially operated, U.S.-flagged, American crewed, and domestically built merchant vessels that can operate competitively in international commerce.
Enhance the competitiveness of U.S.-flagged vessels in international commerce by establishing a Rulemaking Committee on Commercial Maritime Regulations and Standards to cut through the U.S. Coast Guard’s bureaucracy and red tape that limits the international competitiveness of U.S.-flagged vessels, modify duties to make cargo on U.S.-flag vessel’s more competitive, requiring that government-funded cargo move aboard U.S.-flag vessels, and requiring a portion of commercial goods imported from China to move aboard U.S.-flag vessels starting in 2030.
Expand the U.S. shipyard industrial base, for both military and commercial oceangoing vessels, by establishing a 25 percent investment tax credit for shipyard investments, transforming the Title XI Federal Ship Financing Program into a revolving fund, and establishing a Shipbuilding Financial Incentives program to support innovative approaches to domestic ship building and ship repair.
Accelerate U.S. leadership in next-generation ship design, manufacturing processes, and ship energy systems by establishing the U.S. Center for Maritime Innovation and supporting regional hubs for maritime innovation across the country by establishing a Maritime Prosperity Zone program.
Make historic investments in maritime workforce by supporting a Maritime Workforce Promotion and Recruitment Campaign, allowing mariners to retain their credentials through a newly established Merchant Marine Career Retention Program, investing in long-overdue infrastructure needs for the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, and supporting State Maritime Academies and Centers for Excellence for Domestic Maritime Workforce Training and Education. The bill also makes long-overdue changes to streamline and modernize the U.S. Coast Guard’s Merchant Mariner Credentialing system.

The legislation will be introduced in two pieces in the Senate, the SHIPS for America Act and the Building SHIPS in America Act.

Background:

Since introducing the SHIPS for America Act in December, the urgency to boost American shipbuilding has emerged as a priority of bipartisan consensus this year, particularly after the USTR revealed its findings regarding China’s shipbuilding dominance and President Trump’s signing of his shipbuilding executive order.

Sen. Kelly earned his B.S. degree in marine engineering and nautical science from the United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) and later an M.S. degree in aeronautical engineering from the United States Naval Postgraduate School. He spent 25 years in the United States Navy as a pilot and is the first ever USMMA alumnus to serve in Congress. In 2023, he was elected chair of the USMMA Board of Visitors for the 118th Congress.

See a full list of endorsing statements from maritime leaders and stakeholders here.

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MIL-OSI USA: CAHNR Commencement 2025: A Day of Pride, Celebration, and New Beginnings

Source: US State of Connecticut

On May 10, 2025, more than 600 students from UConn’s College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources (CAHNR) reached a major academic milestone as they officially became UConn graduates. Students were celebrated in true CAHNR fashion, with a horse processional, performance by student acapella singers, and a visit from both Jonathan XIV and XV. With cheers from family, friends, faculty, and staff, the graduates commemorated years of commitment and growth at the 146th Commencement.

A Moment of Connection and Tradition

The festivities began with a celebratory reception at the Student Union, offering graduates and their guests a chance to reconnect and reflect on their time at UConn. Soon after, the group gathered at the Field House to prepare for the traditional procession to the main event.

In a much-loved revival of a pre-pandemic tradition, horses from CAHNR’s equine program led graduates along Hillside Road to Gampel Pavilion, setting the tone for the special ceremony ahead.

Students at a CAHNR reception before 2025 Commencement (Jason Sheldon/UConn Photo)

CAHNR students lining up for 2025 Commencement processional. (Stella Dibernardo/UConn Photo)

Karina Cangas ’25 (CAHNR) prior to Commencement. (Jason Sheldon/UConnPhoto)

Students from the CAHNR Equine Program leading the student commencement processional. (Jason Sheldon/UConn Photo)

CAHNR students proceeding to 2025 Commencement (Jason Sheldon/UConn Photo)

A Ceremony to Remember

Inside Gampel Pavilion, CAHNR faculty and staff joined the graduates for a ceremony filled with encouragement, reflection, and celebration. The event featured remarks from student speaker Eliza Demiri ’25 (Allied Health Sciences) and keynote speaker Rodney Butler ’99 (BUS), Chairman of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation.

Butler expressed the value students can find in being open to where life takes them, whether it is anticipated or not:

“It’s important to understand in live how much your paths can and will change, regardless of what you plan for. Life rarely follows a straight path, and often the directions we didn’t plan for lead to the most meaningful destinations.”

The program was hosted by Kristen Govoni, associate dean for academic programs, and included additional remarks from Dean Chaubey, Prvosot D’Alleva, and other CAHNR leadership.

CAHNR students are 2025 Commencement. (Stella Dibernardo/UConn Photo)

Eliza Demiri ’25 (CAHNR) gives the student Commencement address. (Sydney Herdle/UConn Photo)

Rodney Butler ’99 (BUS) provides the 2025 Commencement speech. (Sydney Herdle/UConn Photo)

From left, Dean Indrajeet Chaubey, Provost Anne D’Alleva, and speaker Chairman of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation Rodney Butler ’99 (BUS). (Sydney Herdle/UConn Photo)

CAHNR students at 2025 Commencement (Sydney Herdle/UConn Photo)

CAHNR students at 2025 Commencement with Jonathans XIV and SV (Stella Dibernardo/UConn Photo)

A Minor, Premiere A Cappella Group. Their graduating senior from CAHNR, Benjamin Angus an Environmental Sciences and Environmental and Natural Resources Economics major dressed in a cap and gown (Jason Herdle/UConn Photo)

CAHNR students at Commencement 2025 (Stella Dibernardo/UConn Photo)

CAHNR student at Commencement 2025. (Stella Dibernardo/UConn Photo)

CAHNR students at Commencement 2025 (Stella Dibernardo/UConn Photo)

CAHNR students at Commencement 2025 (Sydney Herdle/UConn Photo)

Cheers to the Future

As the ceremony concluded, the celebration continued outside Gampel Pavilion, where graduates gathered with family and friends to capture the moment with photos and plenty of smiles.

The Class of 2025 leaves UConn with a wealth of knowledge, a foundation of real-world experiences, and lasting memories from their time in CAHNR. Wherever their journeys take them next, their future is bright and their UConn roots remain strong.

CAHNR students after Commencement 2025 (Jason Sheldon/UConn Photo)

Graduates of the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources greet their families and friends outside Gampel Pavilion following the college’s Commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 10, 2025. (Sydney Herdle/UConn Photo)

CAHNR students after Commencement 2025 (Sydney Herdle/UConn Photo)

Other CAHNR Commencement Coverage

Learn more about some of our featured graduates and this year’s Commencement speaker, Rodney Butler ’99.

MIL-OSI USA: Working to Understand Why Mercury Levels are so High in the Arctic

Source: US State of Connecticut

Mercury (Hg) is a naturally occurring element found across the globe, yet it becomes highly toxic as it accumulates up the food chain. Pollution from human activities has pumped increasing amounts of mercury into the atmosphere, and for reasons that are not well understood, the Arctic region has significantly higher levels of mercury, despite having a relatively sparse population and less pollution.

Mercury is found in the environment as both inorganic and organic compounds, such as monomethylmercury (MMHg), which is the most bioavailable form of mercury that enters the food web and accumulates to toxic levels in wildlife and humans. Most people are exposed to MMHg from seafood consumption, but in the Arctic, people are at higher risk due to the consumption of marine mammals. Climate change also impacts Hg in polar regions, especially the increased melting of ice and glaciers, bringing changing inputs of Hg to the marine waters.

To examine the cycling of Hg in the Arctic, a team of researchers, including UConn Department of Marine Science Professor Robert Mason and his students, Yipeng He and Hannah Inman, developed a study focused at the air-sea interface to answer questions about why mercury (Hg) levels are higher in the Arctic. Their findings from a research expedition in spring 2021 are published in Science Advances.

One focus of the study was another organic form of Hg, dimethylmercury (DMHg), which is also very toxic, says Mason, and is found predominantly in deeper ocean waters but can cycle to the surface through upwelling of these waters. DMHg doesn’t accumulate to the same degree as MMHg in the food chain as it’s a dissolved gas in water. Another focus was MMHg, which can also be found in the atmosphere attached to aerosols or in precipitation and the source of this MMHg is highly debated.

Mason and his team collected samples in the Arctic from the water, the surface snow on top of the ice, and the ice to analyze levels of MMHg. They found the snow contained significantly higher concentrations than the ice. (Contributed photo)

Mason says some have wondered if this MMHg is the result of reactions taking place in the precipitation or in the atmosphere. Earlier studies found higher concentrations of mercury off the coast of California in cloud water and speculated about its sources so Mason says he and his research team were interested in focusing on the exchange of MMHg and DMHg at the sea-air interface in the Arctic to see if they could study these puzzling aspects of mercury cycling in more detail, specifically if DMHg originating from the upwelling of deep-sea waters in this area plays a critical role in how much MMHg ends up in the Arctic Ocean waters and in marine organisms.

“Dimethylmercury can be lost from the ocean if it’s at high concentrations in the surface waters. The idea put forward was that in California, there must be an upwelling of deep ocean water to the surface that brings the dimethylmercury to the surface. However, no one had put all the bits together in one study,” Mason says.

This is the first study to make all of the measurements in the atmosphere and seawater at the same time to piece together this dynamic puzzle and emphasizes the impacts DMHg can play in ecosystems far from the source.

Mason says a key aspect of this research that enabled them to assemble the clues was the ability to take constant measurements of the forms of Hg in the atmosphere and surface waters while aboard a research cruise, and taking advantage of a new instrument his research group developed that allows for continuous, high-resolution collection of DMHg while the ship is moving.

“Most research ships have a way of bringing surface water into the ship to measure the temperature, salinity, nutrients, and other chemicals. We developed an DMHg analyzer that could take a measurement every hour, and that was something no one had been able to do previously,” he says.

The sampling took place aboard the research vessel Sikuliaq, which set off from Dutch Harbor, Alaska into the Bering and Chukchi Seas as far north as the ship could go because of ice, and then returned back to Seward, Alaska. Weather conditions and aspects of the landscape, such as permafrost, and the seascape, such as glaciers and sea ice impact mercury’s movement through Arctic ecosystems, and its transport from the atmosphere and terrestrial environment to the marine waters. On the return trip, the ship encountered upwelled waters off the coast of the Aleutian Islands. Here, the researchers found high concentrations of DMHg. Mason explains that DMHg is unstable in sunlight and is degraded to MMHg in surface waters.

“Basically, the rate at which DMHg is coming up from the deep ocean to the surface has to be greater than the rate at which it’s being decomposed for it to escape to the atmosphere,” says Mason. “We took measurements of it and MMHg in the surface water, in the rain, and in the aerosols and found very high concentrations close to the source. Further north there was no more upwelling and the surface water sampled would have been sitting there since the ice retreated. Given that we were there in May and June, and we were following the retreating ice, the surface water is fresher because of the melting ice, and there’s very little mixing of that water because of density differences.”

The cruise navigated through relatively shallow water and about 15 miles into ice, which Mason said was around a meter thick. As long as the coast was clear of polar bears, the researchers took turns leaving the ship to collect samples. Mason and his team collected samples from the water, the surface snow on top of the ice, and the ice. They tested the samples for MMHg and found the snow contained significantly higher concentrations than the ice.

“The higher concentrations in this surface snow, which had been recently deposited on the ice, demonstrates the removal of methylmercury from the atmosphere, and that’s part of the story of why we saw decreasing concentrations away from the source,” says Mason.

They determined the DMHg is coming out of the ocean, is transported north, and then degraded in the atmosphere to MMHg. This MMHg is then attached to the aerosol particles and removed by precipitation.

“Our study showed that the amount of DMHg evaded to the atmosphere from the upwelling region was enough to account for the MMHg in the precipitation and aerosols over thousands of kilometers from the source,” says Mason.

He explains that this makes it a complicated story, and is what has been the focus of much of his research on the exchange of Hg between the ocean and the atmosphere.

“In addition to DMHg, elemental Hg is also a dissolved gas in water and its loss to the atmosphere is a major removal mechanism for ocean Hg. Inorganic Hg comes into the ocean from the atmosphere primarily, although in the Arctic coastal inputs from rivers, glaciers and groundwater are more important than other oceans,” says Mason. “Overall, Hg is moving back and forth all the time between the ocean and the atmosphere and the net input of inorganic Hg and MMHg is what controls the amount of MMHg in ocean waters and its bioaccumulation into organisms consumed by humans and wildlife.”

MIL-OSI: OSS Appoints Lieutenant General David Bassett (Ret.) Board Member

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Former Director of the Defense Contract Management Agency brings decades of defense acquisition and modernization expertise to support OSS’s AI and edge compute growth opportunities

ESCONDIDO, Calif., May 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — One Stop Systems, Inc. (OSS or the Company) (Nasdaq: OSS), a leader in rugged Enterprise Class compute for artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) and sensor processing at the edge, today announced that it has appointed Lieutenant General David Bassett (Ret.) to its Board of Directors, effective May 14, 2025. OSS’s Board of Directors consists of five current directors: Mike Knowles, Greg Matz, Mike Dumont, Mitch Herbets, and David Bassett.

“We are excited to welcome Lieutenant General Bassett to OSS’ Board of Directors,” stated OSS President and CEO, Mike Knowles. “Attracting a Director of David’s caliber reflects the significant opportunities OSS is pursuing to improve the compute power and competitive edge of the U.S. Armed Forces. His experience managing modernization efforts and Ground Combat Systems programs across the U.S. Army is well aligned with our growth initiatives, including current programs underway to improve the situational awareness of U.S. Army vehicles. I look forward to David’s contributions and guidance.”

“I’m honored to join the Company’s Board at such a pivotal moment in defense innovation,” said Lieutenant General David Bassett (Ret.). “I believe OSS’s advanced commercial AI and edge computing technologies are critical enablers for the modernization of our military platforms. Delivering resilient capability to our soldiers means processing data at the tactical edge and the Army needs to accelerate the deployment of these commercial capabilities where speed, resiliency, and data-driven decision-making are paramount.”

Lieutenant General David Bassett (Ret.) Bio
Bassett currently serves as a Senior Counselor at The Cohen Group, a consulting firm based in Washington DC, where he advises on business development, regulatory affairs, and capital raising activities. Bassett’s distinguished 35-year military career was marked by leadership in modernization efforts and the management of large-scale acquisition programs.

From 2020-2023, Bassett served as Director of the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA), where he led more than 11,000 civilian and military personnel who managed more than 250,000 contracts with total value in excess of $3.5 trillion. Prior to his role at DCMA, he served as Program Executive Officer for Command, Control, and Communications-Tactical (PEO C3T), where he led the development and acquisition of the Army’s tactical network—one of the service’s top modernization priorities. Earlier, he served as Program Executive Officer for Ground Combat Systems (PEO GCS), where he led modernization efforts for the Army’s fleet of ground combat vehicles, including the Abrams, Bradley, and Stryker. His previous assignments include Deputy Program Executive Officer for Combat Support and Combat Service Support (PEO CS&CSS) and manager of the Joint Program Office, Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTV).

He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering and a master’s degree in computer science from the University of Virginia, is a graduate of the Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and is a distinguished graduate of the Industrial College of the Armed Forces.

About One Stop Systems
One Stop Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: OSS) is a leader in AI enabled solutions for the demanding ‘edge’. OSS designs and manufactures Enterprise Class compute and storage products that enable rugged AI, sensor fusion and autonomous capabilities without compromise. These hardware and software platforms bring the latest data center performance to harsh and challenging applications, whether they are on land, sea or in the air.

OSS products include ruggedized servers, compute accelerators, flash storage arrays, and storage acceleration software. These specialized compact products are used across multiple industries and applications, including autonomous trucking and farming, as well as aircraft, drones, ships and vehicles within the defense industry.

OSS solutions address the entire AI workflow, from high-speed data acquisition to deep learning, training and large-scale inference, and have delivered many industry firsts for industrial OEM and government customers.

As the fastest growing segment of the multi-billion-dollar edge computing market, AI enabled solutions require-and OSS delivers-the highest level of performance in the most challenging environments without compromise.

OSS products are available directly or through global distributors. For more information, go to www.onestopsystems.com. You can also follow OSS on X, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

Forward-Looking Statements
One Stop Systems cautions you that statements in this press release that are not a description of historical facts are forward-looking statements. Words such as, but not limited to, “anticipate,” “aim,” “believe,” “contemplate,” “continue,” “could,” “design,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “suggest,” “strategy,” “target,” “will,” “would,” and similar expressions or phrases, or the negative of those expressions or phrases, are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. These statements are based on the Company’s current beliefs and expectations. The inclusion of forward-looking statements should not be regarded as a representation by One Stop Systems or its partners that any of our plans or expectations will be achieved, including but not limited to the potential and/or the results of current or future programs with defense contractors and the U.S. Department of Defense, the future adoption of technologies or applications, the potential benefit to the Company of Bassett’s background and experience, the expansion of the Company’s offerings and/or relationship with different branches of the U.S. Armed Forces. Actual results may differ from those set forth in this press release due to the risk and uncertainties inherent in our business, including risks described in our prior press releases and in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including under the heading “Risk Factors” in our latest Annual Report on Form 10-K and any subsequent filings with the SEC. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof, and the company undertakes no obligation to revise or update this press release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement, which is made under the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

Media Contacts:
Robert Kalebaugh
One Stop Systems, Inc.
Tel (858) 518-6154
Email contact

Investor Relations:
Andrew Berger
Managing Director
SM Berger & Company, Inc.
Tel (216) 464-6400
Email contact

MIL-OSI United Nations: 15 May 2025 Departmental update 2025 edition of global survey to track antimicrobial resistance launches

Source: World Health Organisation

On 15 April 2025, the ninth round of the Tracking Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Country Self-assessment Survey (TrACSS) began, for completion by June 2025. TrACSS is a key component of the global AMR monitoring and evaluation framework. Since its first iteration in 2017, TrACSS has enabled countries to assess their progress in implementing multisectoral AMR national action plans (NAPs) annually.

The Quadripartite organizations – the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) – jointly develop, launch, manage and analyze the results and WHO systems are used to administer the survey. The survey is available in all six official UN languages, and it continues to evolve in scope and depth each year.

Being multisectoral, TrACSS covers human health, animal health, food, agriculture and environment sectors in countries. Relevant national authorities and technical focal points from the different sectors complete it online. Throughout the survey process, the Quadripartite organizations provide support at the national, regional and global levels — ensuring that countries and focal points can accurately complete the survey and act on its findings.

Eight rounds of the survey have been completed since 2017, and the results are available at TrACSS Global Database, an interactive platform that visualizes progress and trends over time, compares performance across countries, regions and income levels, and generates country profiles and maps.

In 2024, a record 186 countries (96%) responded to the survey. Member States reiterated their support to TrACSS in the political declaration of the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on AMR and set a target of at least 95% submission rate to the survey by 2030.

National AMR multisectoral coordination mechanisms can use data from TrACSS to identify gaps and priorities for follow-up actions, supporting decision-making to strengthen the implementation of AMR NAPs. The data is also used to assess progress of the Global Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance, adopted in 2015 and that will be revised by 2026.

Countries have been invited to participate through a dedicated platform. Data from the 2025 cycle of TRACSS will be published later this year. For any questions, please contact tracss@who.int. The continued commitment of countries to participate in and use the findings from TrACSS remains critical for monitoring and advancing both national and global responses to AMR.

About the Quadripartite organizations:

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

FAO is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Its goal is to achieve food security for all and make sure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. With 195 members – 194 countries and the European Union, FAO works in over 130 countries worldwide. www.fao.org

UN Environment Programme (UNEP)

UNEP is the leading global voice on the environment. It provides leadership and encourages partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations. For more information, please contact: UN Environment Programme www.unep.org

World Health Organization (WHO)

Dedicated to the well-being of all people and guided by science, the World Health Organization leads and champions global efforts to give everyone, everywhere an equal chance at a safe and healthy life. We are the UN agency for health that connects nations, partners and people on the front lines in 150+ locations – leading the world’s response to health emergencies, preventing disease, addressing the root causes of health issues and expanding access to medicines and health care. Our mission is to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable. www.who.int

World Organisation for Animal Health:

WOAH is a global organisation, working to ensure the health of animals across the world. Since 1924, we have focused on the complexities of animal health. We disseminate information on animal diseases and use science-based strategies to limit their potentially negative impact on society. www.woah.org

MIL OSI United Nations News –

May 15, 2025

MIL-OSI New Zealand: Return to EIT for new Head of Research

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

2 days ago

Dr Sally Rye (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Porou) has been appointed as Head of Research at EIT, marking a return to the institution where her academic journey began.

She brings more than a decade of experience across education, health, and social development, with a strong focus on kaupapa Māori and community-led research.

Sally returns to Hawke’s Bay after holding national roles in the tertiary and public sectors, most recently at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa.

Dr Sally Rye (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Porou) has been appointed Head of Research at EIT.

Her interdisciplinary background includes business development, social work, youth development, mental health, addictions, and teaching.

She is widely recognised for her innovative approach to research centred on wellbeing, equity, and mātauranga Māori.

She says the decision to take on the role was grounded in a desire to contribute to her own community and invest in the future of her mokopuna.

“EIT is deeply embedded in this region. For me, this role is about returning home — not just geographically, but to a place that shaped who I am. I’m here to support a research culture that reflects our people, our priorities and our potential,” she says.

Her vision includes strengthening communities of practice, where staff and external partners can collaborate on shared kaupapa, and making research more visible, vibrant, and relevant to everyday life.

“I want to shift the perception of research from something isolated or academic to something aspirational, creative and community driven. Whether it’s improving local health outcomes, celebrating cultural knowledge, or informing how we teach, research should be part of everything we do.”

Sally also brings a deeply personal connection to her research practice. Her doctoral work explored the relationship between gut health, brain function and wellbeing — a journey inspired by her own health challenges. This work evolved into a holistic, kaupapa Māori programme that helped hundreds of wāhine Māori reclaim their hauora through nutrition, spirituality, connection, and movement.

She remains active in both national and international research spaces and recently presented at the Eru Pōmare Centre at Otago University in Wellington.

Sally was formally welcomed onto the Taradale campus at a pōwhiri in February and officially began her role in March. She is currently connecting with staff across all EIT campuses and welcomes interest from those keen to collaborate or join a community of research practice.

Dr Helen Ryan-Stewart, EIT’s Executive Dean, Education, Humanities and Health Science, said: “We are delighted to welcome Sally to EIT”.

“Her experience across various disciplines combined with her passion for research and rangahau provide a perfect fit for our institution. Sally’s vision aligns with EIT’s goals and values, and her leadership will drive our research and innovation space forward.”

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

May 15, 2025

MIL-OSI: SHELL PLC – REPORT ON PAYMENTS TO GOVERNMENTS FOR THE YEAR 2024

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Shell plc – Report on Payments to Governments for the year 2024

Basis for preparation – Report on Payments to Governments for the year 2024
This Report provides a consolidated overview of the payments to governments made by Shell plc and its subsidiary undertakings (hereinafter referred to as “Shell”) for the year 2024 as required under the UK’s Reports on Payments to Governments Regulations 2014 (as amended in December 2015). These UK Regulations enact domestic rules in line with Directive 2013/34/EU (the EU Accounting Directive (2013)) and apply to large UK incorporated companies like Shell that are involved in the exploration, prospection, discovery, development and extraction of minerals, oil, natural gas deposits or other materials. This Report is also filed with the National Storage Mechanism (https://data.fca.org.uk/#/nsm/nationalstoragemechanism) intended to satisfy the requirements of the Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules of the Financial Conduct Authority in the United Kingdom. This Report is also published pursuant to article 5:25e of the Dutch FMSA (Wft) and is furnished with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) according to Section 13(q) under the US Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

This Report is available for download from www.shell.com/payments.

Legislation
This Report is prepared in accordance with The Reports on Payments to Governments Regulations 2014 as enacted in the UK in December 2014 and as amended in December 2015.

Reporting entities
This Report includes payments to governments made by Shell plc and its subsidiary undertakings (Shell). Payments made by entities where Shell has joint control are excluded from this Report.

Activities
Payments made by Shell to governments arising from activities involving the exploration, prospection, discovery, development and extraction of minerals, oil and natural gas deposits or other materials (extractive activities) are disclosed in this Report. It excludes payments related to refining, natural gas liquefaction or gas-to-liquids activities. For a fully integrated project, which does not have an interim contractual cut-off point where a value can be attached or ascribed separately to the extractive activities and to other processing activities, payments to governments are not artificially split but are disclosed in full.

Government
Government includes any national, regional or local authority of a country, and includes a department, agency or entity that is a subsidiary of a government, including a national oil company.

Project
Payments are reported at project level, except those payments that are not attributable to a specific project which are reported at entity level. Project is defined as operational activities which are governed by a single contract, licence, lease, concession or similar legal agreement, and form the basis for payment liabilities with a government. If such agreements are substantially interconnected, those agreements are to be treated as a single project.

“Substantially interconnected” means forming a set of operationally and geographically integrated contracts, licences, leases or concessions or related agreements with substantially similar terms that are signed with a government giving rise to payment liabilities. Such agreements can be governed by a single contract, joint venture, production sharing agreement or other overarching legal agreement. Indicators of integration include, but are not limited to, geographic proximity, the use of shared infrastructure and common operational management.

Payment
The information is reported under the following payment types:

Production entitlements
These are the host government’s share of production in the reporting period derived from projects operated by Shell. This includes the government’s share as a sovereign entity or through its participation as an equity or interest holder in projects within its sovereign jurisdiction (home country). Production entitlements arising from activities or interests outside of its home country are excluded.

In certain contractual arrangements, typically a production sharing contract, a government through its participation interest may contribute funding of capital and operating expenditure to projects, from which it derives production entitlement to cover such funding (cost recovery). Such cost recovery production entitlement is included.

In situations where a government settles Shell’s income tax obligation on behalf of Shell by utilising its share of production entitlements (typically under a tax-paid concession), such amount will be deducted from the reported production entitlement.

Taxes
These are taxes paid by Shell on its income, profits or production (which include resource severance tax and petroleum resource rent tax), including those settled by a government on behalf of Shell under a tax-paid concession. Payments are reported net of refunds. Consumption taxes, personal income taxes, sales taxes, property and environmental taxes are excluded.

Royalties
These are payments for the rights to extract oil and gas resources, typically at a set percentage of revenue less any deductions that may be taken.

Dividends
These are dividend payments other than dividends paid to a government as an ordinary shareholder of an entity unless paid in lieu of production entitlements or royalties. For the year ended December 31, 2024, there were no reportable dividend payments to a government.

Bonuses
These are payments for bonuses. These are usually paid upon signing an agreement or a contract, or when a commercial discovery is declared, or production has commenced, or production has reached a milestone.

Licence fees, rental fees, entry fees and other considerations for licences and/or concessions
These are fees and other sums paid as consideration for acquiring a licence for gaining access to an area where extractive activities are performed. Administrative government fees that are not specifically related to the extractive sector, or to access to extractive resources, are excluded. Also excluded are payments made in return for services provided by a government.

Infrastructure improvements
These are payments which relate to the construction of infrastructure (road, bridge or rail) not substantially dedicated for the use of extractive activities. Payments which are a social investment in nature, for example building of a school or hospital, are excluded.

Other
Operatorship
When Shell makes a payment directly to a government arising from a project, regardless of whether Shell is the operator, the full amount paid is disclosed even where Shell as the operator is proportionally reimbursed by its non-operating venture partners through a partner billing process (cash-call).

When a national oil company is the operator of a project to whom Shell makes a reportable payment, which is distinguishable in the cash-call, it is included in this Report.

Cash and in-kind payments
Payments are reported on a cash basis. In-kind payments are converted to an equivalent cash value based on the most appropriate and relevant valuation method for each payment, which can be at cost or market value, or such value as stated in the contract. In-kind payments are reported in both volumes and the equivalent cash value.

Materiality level
For each payment type, total payments below £86,000 to a government are excluded from this Report.

Exchange rate
Payments made in currencies other than US dollars are translated for this Report based on the foreign exchange rate at the relevant quarterly average rate.

Report on Payments to Governments [1]

Summary report (in USD)
Countries	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Europe
Germany	–	243,935,441	–	–	–	–	243,935,441
Italy	–	4,128,063	74,213,782	–	80,220,786	–	158,562,631
Norway	2,083,221,642	1,300,962,023	–	–	122,391	–	3,384,306,056
United Kingdom	–	-16,649,747	–	–	11,483,529	–	-5,166,218
Asia
Brunei	3,983,642	44,229,620	8,660,091	–	–	–	56,873,353
China	–	10,343,616	–	–	–	–	10,343,616
India	–	-17,715,638	–	–	–	–	-17,715,638
Kazakhstan	–	242,741,780	–	–	–	–	242,741,780
Malaysia	2,317,002,807	305,924,901	500,008,822	–	–	–	3,122,936,530
Middle East
Oman	633,711,368	3,954,062,451	–	–	900,000	–	4,588,673,819
Qatar	1,801,453,896	1,507,244,066	–	–	30,538,723	–	3,339,236,685
Oceania
Australia	–	1,277,737,693	468,579,450	–	13,412,457	266,428	1,759,996,028
Africa
Egypt	–	41,164,348	–	1,836,435	–	–	43,000,783
Nigeria	3,804,949,166	648,734,398	780,231,463	–	102,925,166	–	5,336,840,193
Sao Tome and Principe	–	–	–	1,300,000	–	–	1,300,000
Tanzania	–	–	–	–	140,000	–	140,000
Tunisia	–	24,904,580	4,941,633	–	–	–	29,846,213
North America
Canada	–	172,567,072	4,697,991	–	1,423,783	–	178,688,846
Mexico	–	–	–	–	21,527,002	–	21,527,002
USA	–	53,238,500	1,187,594,021	–	80,678,527	860,822	1,322,371,870
South America
Argentina	53,082,051	1,984,309	143,969,668	–	123,276	–	199,159,304
Brazil	327,688,819	656,740,954	1,147,687,680	9,540,351	1,556,282,443	–	3,697,940,247
Colombia	–	–	–	–	489,880	–	489,880
Trinidad and Tobago	362,690,585	561,771	2,210,566	300,000	13,719,070	–	379,481,992
Total	11,387,783,976	10,456,840,201	4,322,795,167	12,976,786	1,913,987,033	1,127,250	28,095,510,413

[1] The figures in this Report are rounded.

Germany

Government report (in USD) [1]
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Governments
FEDERAL CENTRAL TAX OFFICE	–	294,891,077	–	–	–	–	294,891,077
MUNICIPALITY OF COLOGNE	–	-2,763,591	–	–	–	–	-2,763,591
MUNICIPALITY OF DINSLAKEN	–	-386,534	–	–	–	–	-386,534
MUNICIPALITY OF GELSENKIRCHEN	–	-483,145	–	–	–	–	-483,145
MUNICIPALITY OF OSTSTEINBEK	–	584,685	–	–	–	–	584,685
MUNICIPALITY OF WESSELING	–	-3,943,262	–	–	–	–	-3,943,262
TAX AUTHORITY HAMBURG	–	-43,963,789	–	–	–	–	-43,963,789
Total	–	243,935,441	–	–	–	–	243,935,441

Project report (in USD)
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Entity level payment
DEUTSCHE SHELL HOLDING GmbH	–	243,935,441	–	–	–	–	243,935,441
Total	–	243,935,441	–	–	–	–	243,935,441

[1] For the definitions of any terms used in this chart (e.g. activities and payment types), please refer to pages 1-2 of this Report.

Italy

Government report (in USD) [1]
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Governments
CALVELLO MUNICIPALITY	–	–	884,083	–	–	–	884,083
CORLETO PERTICARA MUNICIPALITY	–	–	1,964,671	–	–	–	1,964,671
GORGOGLIONE MUNICIPALITY	–	–	302,257	–	–	–	302,257
GRUMENTO NOVA MUNICIPALITY	–	–	505,190	–	–	–	505,190
MARSICO NUOVO MUNICIPALITY	–	–	378,893	–	–	–	378,893
MARSICOVETERE MUNICIPALITY	–	–	126,298	–	–	–	126,298
MONTEMURRO MUNICIPALITY	–	–	126,298	–	–	–	126,298
REGIONE BASILICATA	–	–	44,157,199	–	79,302,465	–	123,459,664
TESORERIA PROVINICIALE DELLO STATO	–	4,128,063	22,264,135	–	718,305	–	27,110,503
VIGGIANO MUNICIPALITY	–	–	3,504,758	–	200,016	–	3,704,774
Total	–	4,128,063	74,213,782	–	80,220,786	–	158,562,631

Project report (in USD)
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Projects
ITALY UPSTREAM ASSET	–	4,128,063	74,213,782	–	80,220,786	–	158,562,631
Total	–	4,128,063	74,213,782	–	80,220,786	–	158,562,631

[1] For the definitions of any terms used in this chart (e.g. activities and payment types), please refer to pages 1-2 of this Report.

Norway

Government report (in USD) [1]
	Production entitlements		Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Governments
EQUINOR ASA	853,946,278	[A]	–	–	–	–	–	853,946,278
PETORO AS	1,229,275,364	[B]	–	–	–	–	–	1,229,275,364
SKATTEETATEN	–		1,300,962,023	–	–	–	–	1,300,962,023
SOKKELDIREKTORATET	–		–	–	–	122,391	–	122,391
Total	2,083,221,642		1,300,962,023	–	–	122,391	–	3,384,306,056

Project report (in USD)
	Production entitlements		Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Projects
ORMEN LANGE	2,083,221,642	[C]	–	–	–	–	–	2,083,221,642
Entity level payment
A/S NORSKE SHELL	—		1,300,962,023	–	–	122,391	–	1,301,084,414
Total	2,083,221,642		1,300,962,023	–	–	122,391	–	3,384,306,056

[1] For the definitions of any terms used in this chart (e.g. activities and payment types), please refer to pages 1-2 of this Report.

[A] Includes payment in kind of $853,946,278 for 12,291 thousand barrels of oil equivalent (kboe) valuated at market price.

[B] Includes payment in kind of $1,229,275,364 for 17,693 kboe valuated at market price.

[C] Includes payment in kind of $2,083,221,642 for 29,984 kboe valuated at market price.

United Kingdom

Government report (in USD) [1]
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Governments
HM REVENUE AND CUSTOMS	–	-16,649,747	–	–	–	–	-16,649,747
NORTH SEA TRANSITION AUTHORITY	–	–	–	–	11,355,210	–	11,355,210
THE CROWN ESTATE SCOTLAND	–	–	–	–	128,319	–	128,319
Total	–	-16,649,747	–	–	11,483,529	–	-5,166,218

Project report (in USD)
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Projects
BRENT AND OTHER NORTHERN NORTH SEA PROJECTS	–	-32,113,820	–	–	563,325	–	-31,550,495
ONEGAS WEST	–	–	–	–	3,232,597	–	3,232,597
UK EXPLORATION PROJECTS	–	–	–	–	1,117,783	–	1,117,783
UK OFFSHORE OPERATED	–	–	–	–	2,119,313	–	2,119,313
WEST OF SHETLAND NON-OPERATED	–	–	–	–	1,076,456	–	1,076,456
Entity level payment
SHELL U.K. LIMITED	–	15,464,073	–	–	3,374,055	–	18,838,128
Total	–	-16,649,747	–	–	11,483,529	–	-5,166,218

[1] For the definitions of any terms used in this chart (e.g. activities and payment types), please refer to pages 1-2 of this Report.

Brunei

Government report (in USD) [1]
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Governments
MINISTRY OF FINANCE AND ECONOMY	–	44,229,620	–	–	–	–	44,229,620
PETROLEUM AUTHORITY OF BRUNEI DARUSSALEM	3,983,642	–	8,660,091	–	–	–	12,643,733
Total	3,983,642	44,229,620	8,660,091	–	–	–	56,873,353

Project report (in USD)
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Entity level payment
SHELL DEEPWATER BORNEO B.V.	–	39,001,133	–	–	–	–	39,001,133
SHELL EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION BRUNEI B.V.	3,983,642	5,228,487	8,660,091	–	–	–	17,872,220
Total	3,983,642	44,229,620	8,660,091	–	–	–	56,873,353

[1] For the definitions of any terms used in this chart (e.g. activities and payment types), please refer to pages 1-2 of this Report.

China

Government report (in USD) [1]
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Governments
TIANJIN MUNICIPAL TAXATION BUREAU	–	5,911,867	–	–	–	–	5,911,867
YULIN MUNICIPAL TAXATION BUREAU	–	4,431,749	–	–	–	–	4,431,749
Total	–	10,343,616	–	–	–	–	10,343,616

Project report (in USD)
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Entity level payment
SHELL CHINA EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION COMPANY LIMITED	–	10,343,616	–	–	–	–	10,343,616
Total	–	10,343,616	–	–	–	–	10,343,616

[1] For the definitions of any terms used in this chart (e.g. activities and payment types), please refer to pages 1-2 of this Report.

India

Government report (in USD) [1]
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Governments
INCOME TAX DEPARTMENT	–	-17,715,638	–	–	–	–	-17,715,638
Total	–	-17,715,638	–	–	–	–	-17,715,638

Project report (in USD)
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Entity level payment
BG EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION INDIA LIMITED	–	-17,715,638	–	–	–	–	-17,715,638
Total	–	-17,715,638	–	–	–	–	-17,715,638

[1] For the definitions of any terms used in this chart (e.g. activities and payment types), please refer to pages 1-2 of this Report.

Kazakhstan

Government report (in USD) [1]
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Governments
WEST KAZAKHSTAN TAX COMMITTEE	–	242,741,780	–	–	–	–	242,741,780
Total	–	242,741,780	–	–	–	–	242,741,780

Project report (in USD)
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Projects
KARACHAGANAK	–	242,741,780	–	–	–	–	242,741,780
Total	–	242,741,780	–	–	–	–	242,741,780

[1] For the definitions of any terms used in this chart (e.g. activities and payment types), please refer to pages 1-2 of this Report.

Malaysia

Government report (in USD) [1]
	Production entitlements		Taxes	Royalties		Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Governments
BRUNEI NATIONAL PETROLEUM COMPANY SENDIRIAN BERHAD	301,048,915	[A]	–	–		–	–	–	301,048,915
LEMBAGA HASIL DALAM NEGERI	–		305,924,901	–		–	–	–	305,924,901
MALAYSIA FEDERAL AND STATE GOVERNMENTS	–		–	469,060,363	[B]	–	–	–	469,060,363
PETROLEUM SARAWAK EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION SDN. BHD.	74,656,856	[C]	–	–		–	–	–	74,656,856
PETROLIAM NASIONAL BERHAD	990,078,563	[D]	–	30,948,459		–	–	–	1,021,027,022
PETRONAS CARIGALI SDN. BHD.	951,218,473	[E]	–	–		–	–	–	951,218,473
Total	2,317,002,807		305,924,901	500,008,822		–	–	–	3,122,936,530

Project report (in USD)
	Production entitlements		Taxes	Royalties		Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Projects
SABAH GAS (NON-OPERATED)	–		16,208,714	3,017,327		–	–	–	19,226,041
SABAH INBOARD AND DEEPWATER OIL	1,435,194,825	[F]	158,435,164	303,452,674	[G]	–	–	–	1,897,082,663
SARAWAK OIL AND GAS	881,807,982	[H]	116,047,586	193,538,821	[I]	–	–	–	1,191,394,389
Entity level payment
SABAH SHELL PETROLEUM COMPANY LIMITED	–		4,502,043	–		–	–	–	4,502,043
SARAWAK SHELL BERHAD	–		3,394,907	–		–	–	–	3,394,907
SHELL ENERGY ASIA LIMITED	–		2,616,753	–		–	–	–	2,616,753
SHELL OIL AND GAS (MALAYSIA) LLC	–		595,653	–		–	–	–	595,653
SHELL SABAH SELATAN SENDRIAN BERHAD	–		4,124,081	–		–	–	–	4,124,081
Total	2,317,002,807		305,924,901	500,008,822		–	–	–	3,122,936,530

[1] For the definitions of any terms used in this chart (e.g. activities and payment types), please refer to pages 1-2 of this Report.

[A] Includes payment in kind of $301,048,915 for 3,355 thousand barrels of oil equivalent (kboe) valuated at market price.

[B] Includes payment in kind of $342,702,511 for 3,909 kboe valuated at market price and $126,357,852 for 6,336 kboe valuated at fixed price.

[C] Includes payment in kind of $59,554,178 for 3,011 kboe valuated at fixed price and $15,102,678 for 201 kboe valuated at market price.

[D] Includes payment in kind of $783,520,240 for 8,933 kboe valuated at market price and $209,732,743 for 10,921 kboe valuated at fixed price.

[E] Includes payment in kind of $624,146,940 for 7,163 kboe valuated at market price and $327,071,533 for 16,397 kboe valuated at fixed price.

[F] Includes payment in kind of $1,435,194,825 for 15,977 kboe valuated at market price.

[G] Includes payment in kind of $297,371,578 for 3,339 kboe valuated at market price.

[H] Includes payment in kind of $596,358,454 for 30,329 kboe valuated at fixed price and $288,623,948 for 3,675 kboe valuated at market price.

[I] Includes payment in kind of $126,357,852 for 6,336 kboe valuated at fixed price and $45,330,933 for 570 kboe valuated at market price.

Oman

Government report (in USD) [1]
	Production entitlements		Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Governments
MINISTRY OF ENERGY AND MINERALS	633,711,368	[A]	–	–	–	–	–	633,711,368
MINISTRY OF FINANCE	–		3,954,062,451	–	–	900,000	–	3,954,962,451
Total	633,711,368		3,954,062,451	–	–	900,000	–	4,588,673,819

Project report (in USD)
	Production entitlements		Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Projects
BLOCK 6 CONCESSION	–		3,954,062,451	–	–	–	–	3,954,062,451
BLOCK 10 CONCESSION	633,711,368	[A]	–	–	–	400,000	–	634,111,368
BLOCK 11 CONCESSION	–		–	–	–	250,000	–	250,000
BLOCK 55 CONCESSION	–		–	–	–	250,000	–	250,000
Total	633,711,368		3,954,062,451	–	–	900,000	–	4,588,673,819

[1] For the definitions of any terms used in this chart (e.g. activities and payment types), please refer to pages 1-2 of this Report.

[A] Includes payment in kind of $60,839,756 for 4,551 kboe valuated at fixed price and of $572,871,612 for 7,095 kboe valuated at the government’s selling price.

Qatar

Government report (in USD) [1]
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Governments
QATARENERGY	1,801,453,896	1,507,244,066	–	–	30,538,723	–	3,339,236,685
Total	1,801,453,896	1,507,244,066	–	–	30,538,723	–	3,339,236,685

Project report (in USD)
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Projects
PEARL GTL	1,801,453,896	1,507,244,066	–	–	30,538,723	–	3,339,236,685
Total	1,801,453,896	1,507,244,066	–	–	30,538,723	–	3,339,236,685

[1] For the definitions of any terms used in this chart (e.g. activities and payment types), please refer to pages 1-2 of this Report.

Australia

Government report (in USD) [1]
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Governments
AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE	–	1,277,737,693	–	–	–	–	1,277,737,693
BANANA SHIRE COUNCIL	–	–	–	–	217,920	–	217,920
FEDERAL DEPARTMENT OF INDUSTRY, SCIENCE AND RESOURCES	–	–	111,989,284	–	–	–	111,989,284
QUEENSLAND REVENUE OFFICE	–	–	356,590,166	–	–	–	356,590,166
QUEENSLAND DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND SCIENCE	–	–	–	–	935,554	–	935,554
QUEENSLAND DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND MINES	–	–	–	–	581,472	–	581,472
RESOURCES SAFETY AND HEALTH QUEENSLAND	–	–	–	–	1,359,992	–	1,359,992
WESTERN DOWNS REGIONAL COUNCIL	–	–	–	–	10,317,519	266,428	10,583,947
Total	–	1,277,737,693	468,579,450	–	13,412,457	266,428	1,759,996,028

Project report (in USD)
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Projects
NORTH WEST SHELF	–	–	111,989,284	–	–	–	111,989,284
QGC	–	583,570,540	356,590,166	–	13,412,457	266,428	953,839,591
Entity level payment
SHELL AUSTRALIA PTY LTD	–	694,167,153	–	–	–	–	694,167,153
Total	–	1,277,737,693	468,579,450	–	13,412,457	266,428	1,759,996,028

[1] For the definitions of any terms used in this chart (e.g. activities and payment types), please refer to pages 1-2 of this Report.

Egypt

Government report (in USD) [1]
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Governments
EGYPTIAN GENERAL PETROLEUM CORPORATION	–	41,164,348	–	1,836,435	–	–	43,000,783
Total	–	41,164,348	–	1,836,435	–	–	43,000,783

Project report (in USD)
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Projects
EGYPT OFFSHORE DEVELOPMENT	–	41,164,348	–	540,000	–	–	41,704,348
Entity level payment
SHELL EGYPT N.V.	–	–	–	1,296,435	–	–	1,296,435
Total	–	41,164,348	–	1,836,435	–	–	43,000,783

[I] For the definitions of any terms used in this chart (e.g. activities and payment types), please refer to pages 1-2 of this Report.

Nigeria

Government report (in USD) [1]
	Production entitlements		Taxes		Royalties		Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Governments
FEDERAL INLAND REVENUE SERVICE	–		648,734,398	[A]	–		–	–	–	648,734,398
NATIONAL AGENCY FOR SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING INFRASTRUCTURE	–		–		–		–	3,931,917	–	3,931,917
NIGER DELTA DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION	–		–		–		–	97,260,899	–	97,260,899
NIGERIAN NATIONAL PETROLEUM CORPORATION	3,804,949,166	[B]	–		–		–	–	–	3,804,949,166
NIGERIAN UPSTREAM PETROLEUM REGULATORY COMMISSION	–		–		780,231,463	[C]	–	1,732,350	–	781,963,813
Total	3,804,949,166		648,734,398		780,231,463		–	102,925,166	–	5,336,840,193

Project report (in USD)
	Production entitlements		Taxes		Royalties		Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Projects
EAST ASSET	1,300,681,939	[D]	–		–		–	–	–	1,300,681,939
PSC 1993 (OML 133)	–		136,652,153	[E]	–		–	–	–	136,652,153
PSC 1993 (OPL 212/OML 118, OPL 219/OML 135)	649,948,707	[F]	303,125,852	[G]	452,170,096	[H]	–	32,015,797	–	1,437,260,452
WEST ASSET	1,854,318,520	[I]	–		–		–	–	–	1,854,318,520
Entity level payment
SHELL NIGERIA EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION COMPANY LIMITED			–		–		–	440,468	–	440,468
THE SHELL PETROLEUM DEVELOPMENT COMPANY OF NIGERIA LIMITED			208,956,393		328,061,367			70,468,901		607,486,661
Total	3,804,949,166		648,734,398		780,231,463		–	102,925,166	–	5,336,840,193

[1] For the definitions of any terms used in this chart (e.g. activities and payment types), please refer to pages 1-2 of this Report.

[A] Includes payment in kind of $439,778,005 for 5,293 kboe valuated at market price.

[B] Includes payment in kind of $3,804,949,166 for 80,289 kboe valuated at market price.

[C] Includes payment in kind of $452,170,096 for 5,432 kboe valuated at market price.

[D] Includes payment in kind of $1,300,681,939 for 49,766 kboe valuated at market price.

[E] Includes payment in kind of $136,652,153 for 1,654 kboe valuated at market price.

[F] Includes payment in kind of $649,948,707 for 7,916 kboe valuated at market price.

[G] Includes payment in kind of $303,125,852 for 3,639 kboe valuated at market price.

[H] Includes payment in kind of $452,170,096 for 5,432 kboe valuated at market price.

[I] Includes payment in kind of $1,854,318,520 for 22,607 kboe valuated at market price.

Sao Tome and Principe

	Government report (in USD) [1]
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Governments
AGÊNCIA NACIONAL DO PETRÓLEO DE SÃO TOMÉ E PRÍNCIPE	–	–	–	1,300,000	–	–	1,300,000
Total	–	–	–	1,300,000	–	–	1,300,000

	Project report (in USD)
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Projects
DW BLOCK 4	–	–	–	1,300,000	–	–	1,300,000
Total	–	–	–	1,300,000	–	–	1,300,000

[1] For the definitions of any terms used in this chart (e.g. activities and payment types), please refer to pages 1-2 of this Report.

Tanzania

	Government report (in USD) [1]
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Governments
PETROLEUM UPSTREAM REGULATORY AUTHORITY	–	–	–	–	140,000	–	140,000
Total	–	–	–	–	140,000	–	140,000

	Project report (in USD)
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Projects
BLOCK 1 AND 4	–	–	–	–	140,000	–	140,000
Total	–	–	–	–	140,000	–	140,000

[1] For the definitions of any terms used in this chart (e.g. activities and payment types), please refer to pages 1-2 of this Report.

Tunisia

	Government report (in USD) [1]
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties		Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Governments
ENTREPRISE TUNISIENNE D’ACTIVITÉS PÉTROLIÈRES	–	–	2,140,627	[A]	–	–	–	2,140,627
LE RECEVEUR DES FINANCES DU LAC	–	24,904,580	2,801,006		–	–	–	27,705,586
Total	–	24,904,580	4,941,633		–	–	–	29,846,213

	Project report (in USD)
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties		Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Projects
HASDRUBAL CONCESSION	–	24,904,580	4,941,633	[A]	–	–	–	29,846,213
Total	–	24,904,580	4,941,633		–	–	–	29,846,213

[1] For the definitions of any terms used in this chart (e.g. activities and payment types), please refer to pages 1-2 of this Report.

[A] Includes payment in kind of $2,140,627 for 37 kboe valuated at market price.

Canada

Government report (in USD) [1]
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Governments
GOVERNMENT OF ALBERTA	–	–	656,638	–	119,099	–	775,737
MINISTRY OF FINANCE (BRITISH COLUMBIA)	–	–	2,915,313	–	625,526	–	3,540,839
MINISTRY OF JOBS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND INNOVATION (BRITISH COLUMBIA)	–	–	–	–	679,158	–	679,158
PROVINCIAL TREASURER OF ALBERTA	–	60,864,405	–	–	–	–	60,864,405
RECEIVER GENERAL FOR CANADA	–	111,702,667	1,126,040	–	–	–	112,828,707
Total	–	172,567,072	4,697,991	–	1,423,783	–	178,688,846

Project report (in USD)
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Projects
ATHABASCA OIL SANDS	–	172,567,072	–	–	–	–	172,567,072
FOOTHILLS	–	–	1,126,040	–	–	–	1,126,040
GREATER DEEP BASIN	–	–	656,638	–	119,099	–	775,737
GROUNDBIRCH	–	–	2,915,313	–	1,304,684	–	4,219,997
Total	–	172,567,072	4,697,991	–	1,423,783	–	178,688,846

[1] For the definitions of any terms used in this chart (e.g. activities and payment types), please refer to pages 1-2 of this Report.

Mexico

Government report (in USD) [1]
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Governments
FONDO MEXICANO DEL PETRÓLEO PARA LA ESTABILIZACIÓN Y EL DESARROLLO	–	–	–	–	17,154,483	–	17,154,483
SERVICIO DE ADMINISTRACIÓN TRIBUTARIA	–	–	–	–	4,372,519	–	4,372,519
Total	–	–	–	–	21,527,002	–	21,527,002

Project report (in USD)
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Entity level payment
MEXICO EXPLORATION DEEPWATER	–	–	–	–	21,527,002	–	21,527,002
Total	–	–	–	–	21,527,002	–	21,527,002

[1] For the definitions of any terms used in this chart (e.g. activities and payment types), please refer to pages 1-2 of this Report.

USA

Government report (in USD) [1]
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Governments
ALASKA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES	–	–	–	–	243,408	–	243,408
COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA	–	-400,000	–	–	–	–	-400,000
INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE	–	53,638,500	–	–	–	–	53,638,500
LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND DEVELOPMENT	–	–	–	–	–	860,822	860,822
OFFICE OF NATURAL RESOURCES REVENUE	–	–	1,187,594,021	–	80,435,119	–	1,268,029,140
Total	–	53,238,500	1,187,594,021	–	80,678,527	860,822	1,322,371,870

Project report (in USD)
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Projects
ALASKA EXPLORATION	–	–	–	–	243,408	–	243,408
GULF OF AMERICA (CENTRAL)	–	–	1,076,187,269	–	282,312	–	1,076,469,581
GULF OF AMERICA (WEST)	–	–	111,406,752	–	126,720	–	111,533,472
GULF OF AMERICA EXPLORATION	–	–	–	–	80,026,087	–	80,026,087
Entity level payment
SHELL EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION COMPANY	–	-400,000	–	–	–	–	-400,000
SHELL OFFSHORE INC.	–	–	–	–	–	860,822	860,822
SHELL PETROLEUM INC.	–	53,638,500	–	–	–	–	53,638,500
Total	–	53,238,500	1,187,594,021	–	80,678,527	860,822	1,322,371,870

[1] For the definitions of any terms used in this chart (e.g. activities and payment types), please refer to pages 1-2 of this Report.

Argentina

Government report (in USD) [1]
	Production entitlements		Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Governments
AGENCIA DE RECAUDACIÓN Y CONTROL ADUANERO	–		1,984,309	–	–	–	–	1,984,309
GAS Y PETRÓLEO DEL NEUQUÉN S.A.	53,082,051	[A]	–	–	–	–	–	53,082,051
PROVINCIA DE SALTA	–		–	2,475,819	–	–	–	2,475,819
PROVINCIA DEL NEUQUÉN	–		–	141,493,849	–	123,276	–	141,617,125
Total	53,082,051		1,984,309	143,969,668	–	123,276	–	199,159,304

Project report (in USD)
	Production entitlements		Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Projects
ACAMBUCO	–		–	2,475,819	–	–	–	2,475,819
ARGENTINA UNCONVENTIONAL PROJECTS	53,082,051	[A]	1,984,309	141,493,849	–	123,276	–	196,683,485
Total	53,082,051		1,984,309	143,969,668	–	123,276	–	199,159,304

[1] For the definitions of any terms used in this chart (e.g. activities and payment types), please refer to pages 1-2 of this Report.

[A] Includes payment in kind of $53,082,051 for 785 kboe valuated at market price.

Brazil

Government report (in USD) [1]
	Production entitlements		Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Governments
AGÊNCIA NACIONAL DO PETRÓLEO GÁS NATURAL E BIOCOMBUSTÍVEIS	–		–	–	9,540,351	–	–	9,540,351
MINISTÉRIO DA FAZENDA	–		–	1,147,687,680	–	1,556,282,443	–	2,703,970,123
PRÉ-SAL PETRÓLEO S.A.	327,688,819	[A]	–	–	–	–	–	327,688,819
RECEITA FEDERAL DO BRASIL	–		656,740,954	–	–	–	–	656,740,954
Total	327,688,819		656,740,954	1,147,687,680	9,540,351	1,556,282,443	–	3,697,940,247

Project report (in USD)
	Production entitlements		Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Projects
BASIN EXPLORATION PROJECTS	–		–	–	9,540,351	3,244,993	–	12,785,344
BC-10	–		–	31,254,519	–	1,251,598	–	32,506,117
BIJUPIRA AND SALEMA	–		–	–	–	501,608	–	501,608
BM-S-9, BM-S-9A, BM-S-11, BM-S-11A AND ENTORNO DE SAPINHOÁ	29,716,011	[B]	–	882,483,636	–	1,551,284,244	–	2,463,483,891
LIBRA PSC	297,972,808	[C]	–	233,949,525	–	–	–	531,922,333
Entity level payment
SHELL BRASIL PETROLEO LTDA.	–		656,740,954	–	–	–	–	656,740,954
Total	327,688,819		656,740,954	1,147,687,680	9,540,351	1,556,282,443	–	3,697,940,247

[1] For the definitions of any terms used in this chart (e.g. activities and payment types), please refer to pages 1-2 of this Report.

[A] Includes payment in kind of $327,688,819 for 4,585 kboe valuated at market price.

[B] Includes payment in kind of $29,716,011 for 410 kboe valuated at market price.

[C] Includes payment in kind of $297,972,808 for 4,175 kboe valuated at market price.

Colombia

Government report (in USD) [1]
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Governments
AGENCIA NACIONAL DE HIDROCARBUROS	–	–	–	–	489,880	–	489,880
Total	–	–	–	–	489,880	–	489,880

Project report (in USD)
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Projects
COLOMBIA EXPLORATION (OPERATED)	–	–	–	–	489,880	–	489,880
Total	–	–	–	–	489,880	–	489,880

[1] For the definitions of any terms used in this chart (e.g. activities and payment types), please refer to pages 1-2 of this Report.

Trinidad and Tobago

Government report (in USD) [1]
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Governments
MINISTRY OF FINANCE	–	561,771	–	–	–	–	561,771
MINISTRY OF ENERGY AND ENERGY INDUSTRIES	362,690,585	–	2,210,566	300,000	13,719,070	–	378,920,221
Total	362,690,585	561,771	2,210,566	300,000	13,719,070	–	379,481,992

Project report (in USD)
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Projects
BLOCK 5C	84,428,910	–	–	–	1,714,071	–	86,142,981
CENTRAL BLOCK	–	561,771	2,210,566	–	900,921	–	3,673,258
COLIBRI	120,876,414	–	–	–	3,332,208	–	124,208,622
DEEPWATER ATLANTIC AREA	–	–	–	–	537,570	–	537,570
EAST COAST MARINE AREA	99,098,428	–	–	–	2,100,156	–	101,198,584
EXPLORATION	–	–	–	300,000	2,017,530	–	2,317,530
MANATEE	–	–	–	–	847,999	–	847,999
NORTH COAST MARINE AREA 1	58,286,833	–	–	–	2,268,615	–	60,555,448
Total	362,690,585	561,771	2,210,566	300,000	13,719,070	–	379,481,992

[1] For the definitions of any terms used in this chart (e.g. activities and payment types), please refer to pages 1-2 of this Report.

Cautionary note
The companies in which Shell plc directly and indirectly owns investments are separate legal entities. In this Report “Shell”, “Shell Group” and “Group” are sometimes used for convenience to reference Shell plc and its subsidiaries in general. Likewise, the words “we”, “us” and “our” are also used to refer to Shell plc and its subsidiaries in general or to those who work for them. These terms are also used where no useful purpose is served by identifying the particular entity or entities. ‘‘Subsidiaries’’, “Shell subsidiaries” and “Shell companies” as used in this Report refer to entities over which Shell plc either directly or indirectly has control. The terms “joint venture”, “joint operations”, “joint arrangements”, and “associates” may also be used to refer to a commercial arrangement in which Shell has a direct or indirect ownership interest with one or more parties. The term “Shell interest” is used for convenience to indicate the direct and/or indirect ownership interest held by Shell in an entity or unincorporated joint arrangement, after exclusion of all third-party interest.