Category: Science

MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Sex offenders to be stripped of refugee protections
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

News story

Sex offenders to be stripped of refugee protections

Foreign nationals who commit sex offences will be excluded from asylum protections in the UK as part of the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill.
Tougher border security measures will keep British streets safer, with foreign sex offenders to be excluded from refugee protections as the government announces new measures to slash the asylum backlog and strengthen border security through the Plan for Change.

At present, the Refugee Convention entitles countries to refuse asylum to terrorists, war criminals and individuals convicted of a ‘particularly serious crime’ who present a danger to the community – defined in the UK as an offence carrying a sentence of 12 months or more.

For the first time, any conviction of a crime that qualifies a foreign national for the sex offenders register will lead to them being denied refugee status, toughening our approach to border security through stricter enforcement of the rules.

The law change, which will be introduced through a new amendment to the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, also marks a further step in the government’s landmark mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade, making Britain’s streets safer and sending a clear message that sexual offences will be treated with the seriousness they deserve.

The new law comes alongside stronger measures to cut the asylum backlog and save taxpayer money, by giving the tribunals a new target to reduce the time they take to consider appeals from asylum seekers in accommodation, as well as rolling out artificial intelligence (AI) across asylum processing to speed up decision making.

Under the new measures, the first-tier Tribunal Immigration and Asylum Chamber will have a new 24-week target to decide appeals brought by those receiving accommodation support, or who are foreign offenders. This will help stop lengthy legal battles, moving failed asylum seekers out of hotels faster and removing those with no right to be in the country.

The bill will also introduce tougher measures to weed out people who pose as immigration lawyers or advisers, by offering ‘advice’ to migrants on how to claim asylum in the UK and lodge fraudulent claims. The Immigration Advice Authority (IAA) will get expanded powers to hit these crooks with fines of up to £15,000.

Major progress has already been made in fixing the foundations of the asylum system under the new government, with the return of more than 24,000 people with no right to be in the UK in the first 9 months after the election, including a 16% increase in removals of foreign criminals, and asylum decision-making up 52% in the last 3 months of 2024.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said:

We are restoring order to a broken asylum system that has been mired in delay and dysfunction for far too long, and we are strengthening our system to make sure that the rules are respected and enforced.

Sex offenders who pose a risk to the community should not be allowed to benefit from refugee protections in the UK. We are strengthening the law to ensure these appalling crimes are taken seriously.

Nor should asylum seekers be stuck in hotels at the taxpayers’ expense during lengthy legal battles. That is why we are changing the law to help clear the backlog, end the use of asylum hotels and save billions of pounds for the taxpayer.

This is part of our Plan for Change to strengthen our borders, make our streets safer and restore order to the broken system the last government left behind.

Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls Minister Jess Philips said:

We are determined to achieve our mission of halving violence against women and girls in a decade.

That’s exactly why we are taking action to ensure there are robust safeguards across the system, including by clamping down on foreign criminals who commit heinous crimes like sex offences.

It is right we ensure that convicted, registered sex offenders are not entitled to refugee status, as part of our work to see these awful crimes treated with the seriousness they deserve and perpetrators held to account.

Alongside these measures, AI will be deployed to support caseworkers to make swifter decisions on asylum claims – preventing asylum seekers from being stuck in limbo at the taxpayers’ expense, delivering quicker answers to those in need and removal of those with no right to be here.

Caseworkers will use AI to speed up access to the relevant country advice, and summarise lengthy interview transcripts, streamlining asylum processing without compromising on the quality of human decisions. The tech could save decision makers up to an hour per case.

As announced last month, alongside these critical measures to reform the asylum system, the government will also table an amendment to the bill which requires companies hiring people in the gig economy to carry out checks confirming that anyone working in their name is eligible to work in the UK, bringing them in line with other employers.

These vital checks confirm someone’s immigration status and allow them to legally work in the UK, meaning that for the very first time, employment checks will be extended to cover businesses hiring gig economy and zero-hours workers in sectors like construction, food delivery, beauty salons and courier services.

In addition to these measures, the landmark Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill will empower law enforcement to intervene faster and more effectively, using counterterror-style powers to disrupt the people-smuggling gangs and placing restrictions on foreign offenders living in the community, including mandatory electronic tags, strict night-time curfews and enforced exclusion zones while awaiting removal.

Further background

The measures are to be tabled ahead of report stage of the landmark Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill in the House of Commons.

Foreign sex offenders

Under the UK Borders Act 2007, a deportation order must be made where a foreign national has been convicted of an offence and received a custodial sentence of at least 12 months. This is subject to several exceptions, including where it would breach UK’s obligations under the Refugee Convention.

However, the Refugee Convention allows protection to be denied to those who, having been convicted of a ‘particularly serious crime’, constitute a danger to the community in the UK. The proposed amendment will create a presumption that individuals convicted of sexual offences making them subject to notification requirements will be denied this protection. This does not alter the long-standing principle that all claims must be considered on a case-by-case basis, to ensure they meet the criteria regarding the seriousness of the crime, and the danger posed to the community

Supported accommodation and foreign national offender appeals

Under the new proposals, the first-tier Tribunal of the Immigration and Asylum Chamber will be required to determine an asylum appeal lodged by a person receiving accommodation support, or from a non-detained foreign national offender within 24 weeks where it is reasonably practicable to do so. The latest published statistics show appeals to the tribunal take on average nearly 50 weeks to process.

Currently, there is no set timeframe for the courts to consider these cases. Speeding up these appeals will help keep people moving through the asylum system rather than get stuck in accommodation at a cost to the taxpayer and speed up foreign offender deportations. This will assist with ending the use of hotels as asylum accommodation and facilitate swifter deportations.

Just last month (March 2025), the government also announced more funding to boost the number of days the first-tier and upper-tier tribunals (of the Immigration and Asylum Chamber) can sit at near maximum capacity, helping to speed up decision-making and keep the system moving.

Immigration advice

Providing immigration advice without being registered with the IAA or a recognised legal regulatory body is a criminal offence which can lead to jail time, and the new amendments to the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill will give the IAA stronger powers to pursue those who breach those rules.

The IAA is the only regulatory watchdog that can investigate and prosecute those pretending to be immigration lawyers or qualified advisers without any authority to do so. These sham lawyers could be acting as middlemen for those trying to abuse the immigration system in a bid to stay in the UK or trying to cash in on people’s desperation providing poor quality or outright fraudulent immigration advice.

Illegal working

The government previously announced it will strengthen illegal working checks in a new amendment as set out on GOV.UK.

On wider government AI work

This new tool follows the Prime Minister setting out that he will ‘push forward with the digitisation of government services’ to find £45 billion worth of productivity savings, as the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology sets out how it will put AI and technology to work across public services.

Share this page

The following links open in a new tab

Share on Facebook (opens in new tab)

Share on Twitter (opens in new tab)

Updates to this page

Published 28 April 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
April 29, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Forming new habits can take longer than you think. Here are 8 tips to help you stick with them
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ben Singh, Research Fellow, Allied Health & Human Performance, University of South Australia

SarahMcEwan/Shutterstock

If you’ve ever tried to build a new habit – whether that’s exercising more, eating healthier, or going to bed earlier – you may have heard the popular claim that it only takes 21 days to form a habit.

It’s a neat idea. Short, encouraging and full of promise. But there’s just one problem: it’s not true.

The 21-day myth can be traced back to Maxwell Maltz, a plastic surgeon in the 1960s, who observed it took about three weeks for his patients to adjust to physical changes. This idea was later picked up and repeated in self-help books, eventually becoming accepted wisdom.

But as psychologists and behavioural scientists have since discovered, habit formation is much more complex.

How long does it really take?

A 2010 study followed volunteers trying to build simple routines – such as drinking water after breakfast or eating a daily piece of fruit – and found it took a median of 66 days for the behaviour to become automatic.

We recently reviewed several studies looking at how long it took people to form health-related habits. We found, on average, it took around two to five months.

Specifically, the studies that measured time to reach automaticity (when a behaviour becomes second nature) found that habit formation took between 59 and 154 days. Some people developed a habit in as few as four days. Others took nearly a year.

This wide range highlights that habit formation isn’t one-size-fits-all. It depends on what the behaviour is, how often it’s repeated, how complex it is, and who’s doing it.

Read more:
Here’s what happens in your brain when you’re trying to make or break a habit

What determines whether a habit will stick?

Habit strength plays a key role in consistency. A 2021 systematic review focused on physical activity and found the stronger the habit (meaning the more automatic and less effortful the behaviour felt) the more likely people were to exercise regularly.

It’s not entirely surprising that easy, low-effort behaviours such as drinking water or taking a daily vitamin tend to form faster than complex ones like training for a marathon.

But whatever the habit, research shows sticking to it is not just about boosting motivation or willpower. Interventions that actively support habit formation – through repetition, cues and structure – are much more effective for creating lasting change.

For example, programs that encourage people to schedule regular exercise at the same time each day, or apps that send reminders to drink water after every meal, help build habits by making the behaviour easier to repeat and harder to forget.

Small, everyday actions can grow into powerful routines.
areporter/Shutterstock

Our research, which drew on data from more than 2,600 people, showed habit-building interventions can make a real difference across a range of behaviours – from flossing and healthy eating to regular exercise.

But what stood out most was that even small, everyday actions can grow into powerful routines, when repeated consistently. It’s not about overhauling your life overnight, but about steadily reinforcing behaviours until they become second nature.

8 tips for building lasting habits

If you’re looking to build a new habit, here are some science-backed tips to help them stick:
1. Give it time. Aim for consistency over 60 days. It’s not about perfection – missing a day won’t reset the clock.
2. Make it easy. Start small. Choose a behaviour you can realistically repeat daily.
3. Attach your new habit to an existing routine. That is, make the new habit easier to remember by linking it to something you already do – such as flossing right before you brush your teeth.
4. Track your progress. Use a calendar or app to tick off each successful day.
5. Build in rewards, for example making a special coffee after a morning walk or watching an episode of your favourite show after a week of consistent workouts. Positive emotions help habits stick, so celebrate small wins.
6. Morning is best. Habits practised in the morning tend to form more reliably than those attempted at night. This may be because people typically have more motivation and fewer distractions earlier in the day, making it easier to stick to new routines before daily demands build up.
7. Personal choice boosts success. People are more likely to stick with habits they choose themselves.
8. Repetition in a stable context is key. Performing the same behaviour in the same situation (such as walking right after lunch each day) increases the chances it will become automatic.
Habits practised in the morning tend to form more reliably than those attempted at night.
Ground Picture/Shutterstock

Why the 21-day myth matters

Believing habits form in 21 days sets many people up to fail. When change doesn’t “click” within three weeks, it’s easy to feel like you’re doing something wrong. This can lead to frustration, guilt and giving up entirely.

By contrast, understanding the real timeline can help you stay motivated when things feel slow.

Evidence shows habit formation usually takes at least two months, and sometimes longer. But it also shows change is possible.

Our research and other evidence confirm that repeated, intentional actions in stable contexts really do become automatic. Over time, new behaviours can feel effortless and deeply ingrained.

So whether you’re trying to move more, eat better, or improve your sleep, the key isn’t speed – it’s consistency. Stick with it. With time, the habit will stick with you.

Ashleigh E. Smith receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council, the Medical Research Future Fund and a Dementia Australia Research Foundation Henry Brodaty Mid-Career Fellowship.

Ben Singh 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. Forming new habits can take longer than you think. Here are 8 tips to help you stick with them – https://theconversation.com/forming-new-habits-can-take-longer-than-you-think-here-are-8-tips-to-help-you-stick-with-them-255118
MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –
April 29, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Arsenic is everywhere – but new detection methods could help save lives

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Magdalena Wajrak, Senior Lecturer in Chemistry, Edith Cowan University

Arsenic is a nasty poison that once reigned as the ultimate weapon of deception. In the 18th century, it was the poison of choice for those wanting to kill their enemies and spouses, favoured for its undetectable nature and the way its symptoms mimicked common gastrointestinal issues like stomach pain, diarrhoea and vomiting.

One of the most famous deaths believed to be due to arsenic poisoning was that of French general Napoleon Bonaparte in 1821. While there’s still considerable controversy over the definite cause of Napoleon’s death, there is enough evidence that arsenic did at least contribute.

Analysis of Napoleon’s hair in 1961 found it contained more than ten times the normal concentrations of arsenic. The most likely source of exposure was from an arsenic compound used as a pigment in wallpapers in the 18th century.

Centuries later, arsenic is still widespread in the world, and causing major health problems. But thankfully scientists – including myself – are developing more effective ways of measuring arsenic to reduce the harm it causes to people.

A tasteless poison

Arsenic in its elemental state is a grey, brittle solid. Its nucleus has 33 protons and 42 neutrons, giving it similar chemical properties to phosphorus.

The elemental form of arsenic is actually non-toxic; it is the compounds of arsenic that are poisonous. Pure elements have a tendency to bond to other elements and form compounds, because this provides elements with more stability.

When arsenic combines with oxygen, it forms an extremely toxic compound called arsenic trioxide. Only 70mg of this odourless and tasteless compound is needed to kill an adult human.

When arsenic enters our bodies, it can have major impacts on DNA. Phosphorous is an essential component of the backbone of DNA, but arsenic can replace it. This can lead to genome instability and a higher risk of genetic mutations, which can ultimately increase the risk of developing cancer.

Arsenic also inhibits the enzymes necessary for bodily functions.

When arsenic is inhaled or ingested, it is rapidly distributed around the body. It initially remains in the liver before being stored in the kidneys, then the spleen and lungs. Our bodies are very clever, however, and have a process capable of removing very small amounts of arsenic through urine.

But that process takes time. So if you are exposed to high levels of arsenic, your body will not be able to eliminate it fast enough and damage will occur.

One of the most famous deaths believed to be due to arsenic poisoning was that of Napoleon Bonaparte.
Jacques-Louis David/Wikipedia

Arsenic is everywhere

The main environmental sources of arsenic are volcanoes and the erosion of mineral deposits. This can contaminate groundwater sources, as happened in Bangladesh where the building of tube wells for irrigation and drinking water from the mid 20th century onwards accidentally caused the “world’s worst mass poisoning”.

Human sources of arsenic in the environment are predominantly from smelters of copper, gold and iron ores. These smelters often use arsenic compounds such as copper arsenate to treat and preserve wood. They also use pesticides and antiparasitic chemicals, some of which contain arsenic.

We also find very small amounts of arsenic compounds in LED lights and in bronze.

The most common sources of exposure to arsenic are from cigarettes and food products. Foods grown in arsenic-contaminated soil or exposed to contaminated water will absorb arsenic.

For example, rice is very susceptible to absorbing elements from soil and water, so can contain high levels of arsenic if grown in contaminated areas. However, rice is generally safe to eat and rinsing it removes most of the arsenic it might have absorbed.

Groundwater in Bangladesh is heavily contaminated with arsenic, posing a major public health risk.
HM Shahidul Islam/Shutterstock

Detecting arsenic

Being able to detect and monitor arsenic concentrations in our environment and in our bodies is important for our health.

However, common analytical techniques for arsenic detection are laboratory-based and require complicated infrastructure – such as constant access to argon gas to produce a plasma – and a specifically trained chemist or lab technician.

Thankfully scientists are developing new techniques. These are not only reliable and accurate, but highly portable and simple enough to be used outside laboratories to test for arsenic in environmental, biological and industrial samples.

One of these is an electrochemical technique, known as “anodic stripping voltammetry”.

This technique can detect trace amounts of arsenic. It works by measuring the minute electric current produced by the poison. The amount of current produced is directly proportional to the concentration of arsenic in the sample.

Being able to quickly, simply and accurately detect arsenic in, say, drinking water, could reduce people’s exposure to it. In turn, this would help reduce the likelihood of future health problems, such as skin cancers.

It is impossible to eliminate arsenic from our environment. So constant monitoring of arsenic levels in the environment and food products is the best way to reduce our exposure to this notorious poison.

Magdalena Wajrak 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. Arsenic is everywhere – but new detection methods could help save lives – https://theconversation.com/arsenic-is-everywhere-but-new-detection-methods-could-help-save-lives-248547

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Sorensen Announces Nearly $1 Million for Monmouth College to Grow STEM Workforce Pipeline

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17)

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17) applauded the recent announcement of a $999,764 federal grant awarded to Monmouth College to fund scholarships for low-income students interested in pursuing a science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) degree. The funding will help prepare students for careers in high-paying STEM jobs.

“The best way to grow our economy and create good-paying jobs is to ensure we prepare our next generation with the tools necessary to succeed in a competitive world,” said Congressman Sorensen. “This funding will ensure that everyone – no matter their financial situation – has a chance to pursue a high-paying career in a STEM field.”

Congressman Sorensen has championed efforts to help colleges and universities across Illinois’ 17th district secure federal funding to boost their STEM programs, allowing many more Illinois students to graduate with a degree in a STEM field that prepares them for a high-paying job. In 2023, he announced $4.5 million in federal grant funding to support efforts to create STEAM talent development strategies. Last year, he supported a $15 million project to help Illinois State University build a new STEM/Science Lab building.

MIL OSI USA News –

April 29, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Here’s how to make your backyard safer and cooler next summer
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Pui Kwan Cheung, Research Fellow in Urban Microclimates, The University of Melbourne

Varavin88, Shutterstock

Our backyards should be safe and inviting spaces all year round, including during the summer months.

But the choices we make about garden design and maintenance, such as whether to have artificial turf or real grass for a lawn, can have serious consequences. Children, elderly people and pets are particularly susceptible to burns from contact with artificial turf on a hot day.

Watering your lawn or planting a shady tree can also dramatically change how hot your backyard feels in summer. Ultimately, these factors will influence how much time you and your family spend outside.

No matter where in the world you live, it is never too late to find out how to make your backyard safer and cooler next summer.

The case against artificial turf

Artificial turf or synthetic grass, commonly used on sports fields, has become popular in private outdoor spaces such as backyards.

People may think it’s cheaper and easier to maintain than real turf. Perhaps they like the idea of saving water and having the look of lawn without the hassle of mowing and fertilising it.

But this type of plastic surface is known to become very hot on a sunny day.

We wanted to find out just how hot artificial turf can get in a suburban backyard over summer.

So we set up an experiment to compare the temperatures of artificial turf, dry natural turf, and watered natural turf in Melbourne. We took surface temperature measurements continuously for 51 days during the summer of 2023–24.

The research was part of a project demonstrating the benefits of green space in residential properties. The project received funding from Horticulture Innovation Australia, a grower-owned not-for-profit research and development corporation. That funding, in part, came from three water authorities.

Thermal imaging reveals artificial turf is hotter than natural turf on a hot sunny day.
Pui Kwan Cheung

Feeling the heat

In adults, irreversible burns occur when the skin is in contact with a surface that is 48°C or hotter for ten minutes.

The temperature needed to cause skin burns in children is approximately 2°C lower, because their skin is thinner and more sensitive.

Contact skin burns due to the high surface temperature of artificial turf has been identified as a health risk.

In our latest research, the artificial turf reached a scorching 72°C, which is sufficient to cause irreversible skin burns in just ten seconds. In contrast, the real turf was never hot enough to cause such burns (maximum temperature of 39°C).

Over the course of our experiment, the artificial turf was hot enough to cause adults irreversible skin burns for almost four hours a day. While adults might be expected to move away from the heat before it burns, vulnerable people such as babies and the elderly, as well as pets, are most at risk because they may be unable to move away.

We also took measurements in real backyards on a hot sunny summer’s day. We compared the risk of skin burns on four different surfaces: artificial turf, mulch, timber and real turf. The only surface that did not get hot enough to cause skin burns in adults was real turf.

Watering the grass can cool your backyard in more ways than one.
Stephen Livesley

Why should I water the lawn?

Grass and other plants release water vapour from little holes in their leaves into the atmosphere. This process helps the plant maintain a liveable leaf temperature on a hot day, but it also cools the air around the leaves.

It is a good idea to water your lawn throughout summer for two reasons:
1. well-watered lawn is healthier, stays green for longer, and has more leaves to release water vapour into the air (“transpire”).
2. more water is available to evaporate from the soil and leaves, adding to the cooling effect.
If you’re worried about wasting drinking water on your lawn, you can install a rainwater tank or household water recycling plant. Having access to alternative water sources will become increasingly important as the world warms and the climate dries.

More shade will cool your backyard.
Stephen Livesley

What about shade?

The most effective way to make you feel cooler in your backyard is to provide adequate shade. This reduces the amount of sun energy hitting your body or the ground, heating the surface and warming the surrounding air.

A single tree can lower the level of heat stress from extreme to moderate. This may be the difference between wanting to spend time outside on a hot day and avoiding your backyard altogether.

Even small trees can still make you feel cooler, if they provide some shade.

However, too-dense tree canopy cover may prevent air flow – so there is a happy medium. Air flow is necessary to move the heat away from your backyard and cool your body down.

Taking all the above measures will keep your backyard safe and cool throughout summer. This will allow you and your family to spend more quality time in your backyard, cool your home, and improve your quality of life.

Pui Kwan Cheung receives funding from Horticulture Innovation Australia (Hort Innovation) for the research project “demonstrating the benefits of increasing available green infrastructure in residential homes”, which is relevant to this article.
The project involves co-investment from South East Water, Greater Western Water, Yarra Valley Water, the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (Victoria), Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (New South Wales), The University of Melbourne, and the Australian Government. Hort Innovation is the grower-owned, not-for-profit research and development corporation for Australian horticulture.

Stephen Livesley receives funding from Horticulture Innovation Australia, the Australian Research Council and various water authorities.

– ref. Here’s how to make your backyard safer and cooler next summer – https://theconversation.com/heres-how-to-make-your-backyard-safer-and-cooler-next-summer-254928
MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –
April 29, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Democracy on display or a public eyesore? The case for cracking down on election corflutes

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Hughes, Lecturer in Marketing, Research School of Management, Australian National University

In my time researching political advertising, one common communication method that often generates complaints is the proliferation of campaign corflutes.

Politicians love them. Not so, many members of the general public. People are so fed up with candidate posters that there are numerous tales of late night vandalism, including deliberate acts of road rage aimed at destroying them.

And yet, at every single election – local, state and federal – the hated signs spring up once again to populate front gardens, streetscapes and open spaces.

Given how divisive they are, why do politicians persist with them? What are the laws around their use? And is South Australia on the right track by banning corflutes in public places?

It’s a jungle out there

To begin with, all corflutes must comply with the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC), which includes displaying a “written and authorised” statement

that enables voters to know the source of the electoral or political communication.

Posters can’t mislead voters regarding candidates’ political affiliation. In 2022, corflutes authorised by Advance Australia in the ACT were ruled misleading because they strongly implied independent Senate candidate David Pocock was running for the Greens.

But in terms of size, number, and placement – welcome to the wild west of Australian political communications.

Size varies from the standard 60cm x 90cm corflute, to much larger signs like the one promoting Liberal candidate Amelia Hamer that was stolen by the husband of Teal MP Monique Ryan in the seat of Kooyong.

Neither the number nor the placement of signs are regulated by electoral law, other than a requirement they not be placed within 6 metres of a polling place.

Corflutes are governed by local council laws and regulations relating to political signage. This leads to a wide variation around Australia. Some areas have no rules on number or placement, which is where you usually find the issues.

By contrast, corflutes are strictly regulated in South Australia. Laws passed last year banned election posters from public infrastructure, though they are still permitted on private property.

Democracy on show

Corflutes have several purposes, especially for new candidates.

Independent Jessie Price, who is running for Bean in the ACT, tells me corflutes are important for her to quickly achieve name and face recognition in the campaign.

Then there is their design. Campaign corflutes have traditionally incorporated faces, colours and slogans. These days, they can also include QR codes, URLs, and social media handles. These formal elements also aid differentiation and awareness.

Next is the strategy of placement. Being an offline method, you can’t hit “skip” when you see one. And they are often used as a way of marking out turf, especially when placed in front yards.

For minor parties and independents, they are an affordable way to help level the playing field against Labor and the Coalition. In a way, they act as a basic barometer of the strength of our democracy.

Do they work?

Yes. And no.

When it comes to design, corflutes that closely follow the same principles used for road signs work the most effectively. This is because of the speed at which we process information.

Research has found that around two seconds is needed to absorb the details printed on signs. Up to five seconds’ exposure is needed to commit the information to short-term memory. Repeated exposure to the same sign helps when it comes to recall.

That is why colour, font size and word count are all important. The bigger the font, the better the chances of it being seen from further away, and hitting that two-second count. For example, on a 100km/h road, letters need to be at least 35cm in size.

The same rules apply to election posters. Ideally, an effective corflute would have a single name in 70cm white font on a red background. Two colours for contrast, large lettering and using only two or three words, would have the best chance of being remembered.

Being novel with design, such as independent candidate Kim Huynh’s striking corflute in the 2016 ACT election, can also boost awareness and differentiation.

Just an eyesore

Corflutes will only work if the voter is already predisposed to the candidate being promoted. If that’s not the case, the sign may have the opposite affect by repeatedly reminding the voter of a person they don’t like.

For some, they will hate corflutes regardless of the candidates. That is because the outdoors is the last true escape from political communications in an era of digital and online advertising that runs up until election day. Some also dislike how politicians can get away with it, while most others would be fined.

Do they actually change behaviour? Not directly, but they raise awareness and change perceptions towards candidates and parties, which is their ultimate objective.

Time for a rethink

There is a case to reform the electoral laws to regulate the size, placement, and number of corflutes.

One proposal worth considering would be a strict limit of 50 standard-sized signs per candidate, per electorate and erected in designated places. This would mean more equal opportunity for minor parties and independents, and help reduce public anger over the visual pollution we see at election time.

No matter how much people hate corflutes, they do serve a higher purpose post election. Come Sunday, they will be much sought after as tomato stakes and flooring for chook pens.

Andrew Hughes 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. Democracy on display or a public eyesore? The case for cracking down on election corflutes – https://theconversation.com/democracy-on-display-or-a-public-eyesore-the-case-for-cracking-down-on-election-corflutes-255219

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Juggling dynamite? At 100 days in office, Donald Trump is no Franklin D. Roosevelt
Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Ronald W. Pruessen, Emeritus Professor of History, University of Toronto

Watching United States President Donald Trump weave and chainsaw his way through the first 100 days of his second term in office, I’ve been reminded of what Anthony Eden, the United Kingdom’s foreign secretary in the 1930s and later its prime minister, once said about Franklin D. Roosevelt.

FDR, Eden recalled in his memoirs, was “too like a conjurer, skilfully juggling balls of dynamite, whose nature he failed to understand.”

The image fits the 47th president much better than the 32nd.

The dynamite-wielding Trump

Dynamite has certainly been exploding regularly since Trump took office in January. His actions include:
- The firings (and sometimes re-hirings) of thousands of government employees.
- The attack on government agencies doing work delegated by Congress.
- Pardons for Jan. 6 rioters but deportations of asylum seekers and green card holders with no semblance of due process.
- Campaigns against universities for their supposed dereliction in terms of antisemitism or extravagance in adhering to diversity, equity and inclusion principles, and towards law firms linked to earlier prosecutions of the now-resurrected president.
- Cannonades of tariffs, tariff pauses and threats of re-imposition.
Read more:
How Project 2025 became the blueprint for Donald Trump’s second term

For non-MAGA enthusiasts, it is easy to surmise — similar to Eden’s remarks on FDR — that Trump does not understand the potential damage of the dynamite he is not just juggling, but hurling.

A case might be made that some lobs align with Trump’s personal penchant for retribution, or that the chainsaw is being wielded to make room in the federal budget for new tax cuts for the one per cent.

But such calculations disregard deeply rooted American values like respect for the rule of law and the separation of powers.

Trump’s actions could suggest a lust for mayhem apparently aimed at dismantling a century of efforts to shape a government that serves global security while also meeting the economic, social and health care needs of American citizens, including safety net provisions for senior citizens, children, farmers, veterans and others.

Threats today, damage tomorrow

His apparent fondness for dynamite is already having negative consequences, with seemingly little grasp of the likelihood of worse to come: today, he’s upending the lives of civil servants; tomorrow’s disruptions will likely include an attack on the services provided by agencies like the Social Security Administration and disruption of the flow of funds to many poor school districts.

Today, the U.S. is struggling with a measles outbreak. But the personal beliefs of Health and Human Services Director Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., a notorious vaccination and public health skeptic, doesn’t bode well for a fight against a rapidly evolving avian flu threat on the near horizon.

Today’s stock and bond market volatility creates the possibility of a trade war catastrophe and damage to economic stability as the U.S. appears poised to disregard its longtime status as the world economy’s “safe haven.”

The current tensions in what were once ironclad partnerships with allies that include Canada, the European Union and Ukraine — along with the whiplash reversal of American-Russian dynamics — are reminiscent of the global disruption in the 1930s that featured the Great Depression and the eruption of the Second World War.

How FDR coped with explosions around him

If Eden’s image of FDR as a dangerous juggler of dynamite might also apply to Trump, it fails to capture the essential attributes of the 32nd president’s White House career. Eden’s ego seems to have undercut his appraisal of FDR — compounded by his own failure to understand the historical developments that profoundly weakened the British Empire and brought his own career to an end.

There’s no question dynamite was exploding in 1933, the start of FDR’s 12 years in the White House. But the Depression and its evolving consequences, not FDR’s personal impulses and misconceptions, created a tinderbox decade.

One of Roosevelt’s great strengths, in fact, was his ability to recognize the acute dangers emanating from a fearful cortege of flaming fuses. Another was his success in turning insights into meaningful actions.

Roosevelt knew — far better than his predecessor, Herbert Hoover — that the onset of the Depression would require dramatic actions and fundamental reforms.

His New Deal expanded the government’s role in stimulating the economy (for example, the Public Works Administration), regulation (the Securities Exchange Commission), social welfare initiatives (the Social Security program) and infrastructure development (for example, the Tennessee Valley Authority).

The Depression wasn’t fully eradicated — that didn’t happen until after war broke out — but the lives of millions of Americans still improved significantly.

Of equal importance, FDR’s creative thinking and government transformations created building blocks for further post-war reforms, including Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society efforts three decades later.

Read more:
The Great Society: the forgotten reform movement

Roosevelt also knew that the devastation of the Depression and the unparalleled destruction of the Second World War required a transformation of the global arena. He believed technology — air power especially — had created an integrated world. In his January 1943 State of the Union address, he said:

“Wars grow in size, in death and destruction, and in the inevitability of engulfing all nations, in inverse ratio to the shrinking size of the world as a result of the conquest of the air.”

Sharing responsibilities

FDR believed the world he worked to create would be safer and more prosperous because multilateral organizations would encourage greater emphasis on shared resources and responsibilities. The United Nations, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank took shape during FDR’s presidency — as did long-term plans for decolonization and human rights initiatives.

Roosevelt knew too — better than many of his White House successors — that the U.S. needed to share leadership responsibilities. He believed emphatically in multilateralism, recognizing the limits of American resources and power, and the pragmatism of compromising with the priorities of others, whether they were powerful states or colonial peoples.

His “Four Policemen” approach to maintaining peace — comprising the U.S., the U.K., the Soviet Union and China — would sometimes create unpalatable situations. He was criticized harshly, for example, for naively opening the door to Soviet domination of eastern Europe via the Yalta agreement. Nonetheless, FDR focused on efforts he believed would avert another destructive cataclysm.

FDR was an imperfect leader in various ways — in not appreciating, for example, how global leadership could result in arrogance. He did, however, understand the explosive domestic and international developments of the 20th century and sought constructive solutions to grave challenges.

Trump, on the contrary, is seemingly prioritizing destruction over construction. Propelled by a “move fast and break things” mantra, there’s little evidence that he understands its pain nor the damaging consequences of his impulses.

Ronald W. Pruessen has received funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

– ref. Juggling dynamite? At 100 days in office, Donald Trump is no Franklin D. Roosevelt – https://theconversation.com/juggling-dynamite-at-100-days-in-office-donald-trump-is-no-franklin-d-roosevelt-254773
MIL OSI – Global Reports –
April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: All Kinds of Smart

Source: US State of Connecticut

All Kinds of Smart

Can we create a learning environment that plays to everyone’s strengths?

Having studied learning and brain development with a particular focus on literacy and dyslexia for decades, psychiatrist and cognitive neuroscientist Fumiko Hoeft understands more than most the variations in the ways people think and learn.

Hoeft, who currently serves as UConn Waterbury campus dean and chief administrative officer, has partnered with UConn engineering professor Arash Zaghi to launch the Neurovariability Initiative at her campus. The pilot program aims to create an environment where students are empowered to succeed based on their strengths, and where educators are equipped to support diverse ways of thinking and problem-solving — critical skills for today’s workforce and tomorrow’s leaders.

“Our goal is to cultivate an environment where every student’s potential can be maximized — regardless of how they process information,” says Hoeft.

“This is about unlocking talent that’s often overlooked — not by lowering the bar, but by rethinking how success is defined, supported, and scaled,” adds Zaghi.

Co-created by Hoeft and Zaghi, both of whom bring lived experience as dyslexic, ADHD-identifying individuals — and as parents of neurodivergent learners — the initiative integrates educational neuroscience, responsibly implemented AI tools, and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) into a cohesive framework.

According to the creators, it offers a forward-looking, research-based approach to education that focuses on talent development and innovation. Grounded in neuroscience and learning science, it recognizes that differences in how students think and process information are natural and valuable — not obstacles to overcome.

Rather than relying on labels or diagnoses, this model is about improving educational systems to better serve all learners, according to Hoeft.

This initiative complements university-wide efforts such as CETL’s inclusive teaching programs and UConn Engineering’s Include Program, which also emphasize neuroinclusivity, faculty training, and the responsible use of AI in education.

“The Neurovariability Initiative is a powerful example of how the Waterbury campus is leading with science, innovation, and compassion,” says UConn President Radenka Maric.

“By recognizing that students think and learn in different ways, and by designing systems that build on those strengths, this initiative reflects our UConn-wide commitment to empowering every learner and preparing them to thrive in a rapidly changing world.”

Learn more about the Neurovariability Initiative and the inaugural Neurovariability Level I training held at UConn Waterbury in March.

Big ideas come from out of the blue.

Behind every breakthrough, there’s a story of creativity and commitment. One where individuals come together, fueled by a shared vision and sustained by imagination and persistence.

MIL OSI USA News –

April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Translation of European respiratory infections forecasting into socially available tools – E-001556/2025
Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-001556/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Adam Jarubas (PPE)

EU deaths and hospitalisations due to respiratory infections including respiratory syncytial virus, pneumonia, influenza and COVID-19 are rising, while immunisation rates are declining in some Member Sates. Recent cuts to the EU4Health programme put EU preparedness and response to cross-border health threats under pressure, and clear policies and investment are needed to address Europe’s lung health and its impact on ageing.

The weekly European Respiratory Virus Surveillance Summary by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the WHO, and the ECDC Respiratory Diseases Forecasting Hub (RespiCast), with UK collaboration, are significant, recently launched EU tools for monitoring and forecasting the prevalence of respiratory infections. These portals build on the European health union’s ambition and are fundamental for lung health promotion and cross-border prevention of respiratory diseases.

In the face of rising vaccine hesitancy and healthcare system limitations, civil society calls for the wide dissemination of preventative, science-based information on respiratory infections, to increase awareness, literacy, transparency and trust in public health measures.

1.Does the Commission plan to make data from these portals more accessible to citizens, to enable them to make personal health decisions?

2.Is the Commission considering providing effective tools for healthcare professionals and citizens and promoting awareness of the portals?

3.What has been the reach and use of the portals since their launch?

Submitted: 16.4.2025
Last updated: 28 April 2025
MIL OSI Europe News –
April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI Economics: 4 resources to enrich Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in the classroom
Source: Microsoft

Headline: 4 resources to enrich Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in the classroom

Discover engaging AAPI Heritage Month 2025 classroom activities to explore the rich histories, cultures, and contributions of AAPI communities.

In the US, we dedicate the month of May to Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month—a time to honor and celebrate the deep histories, rich cultures, and significant contributions of these communities. Explore our list of AAPI Heritage Month classroom activities, designed to make learning impactful and engaging. Our focus remains on fostering a workplace that reflects the global communities we engage with, driving innovation and delivering meaningful outcomes for our partners and customers.

Discover four ways to celebrate AAPI Heritage Month 2025 and foster a broad perspective on the contributions and achievements of AAPI communities. These resources help inspire curiosity, support critical thinking, and connect students to the powerful stories of AAPI individuals who have shaped our world.

1. Immerse your classroom in the culture of Ngā Motu

Use Minecraft Education to explore vast worlds outside of your classroom. In Ngā Motu (The Islands), students learn about the indigenous culture of the Māori people, from language to architecture, arts, and economics. Take an immersive visit from the maunga (mountain) to the ākau (shore) and everything in between to learn about the Māori language and culture. Embark on an unforgettable adventure to Ngā Motu and discover the wonders of Māori culture!

Explore Ngā Motu

Classroom connection: Before getting started, review the supporting resources on the Ngā Motu lesson page. You’ll find a lesson plan, an introductory video, and a resource pack that includes traditional pā (settlement) and ride waka hourua (boats) to enhance the experience for students.

2. Explore AAPI topics through targeted reading practice

Reading Coach is a free, standalone Learning Accelerator that helps students develop reading fluency skills through personalized, AI-powered reading practice. When students read aloud, Reading Coach provides real-time feedback on pronunciation, syllabification accuracy, and reading progress.

Use Reading Coach to seamlessly blend AAPI topics into reading practice while supporting each student’s literacy growth. Students can use the “Add your own passage” mode to upload texts, like assigned articles, textbook excerpts, or their own writing. You can tailor practice to individual learning needs and objectives with Reading Coach, while enhancing engagement with AAPI heritage and history. Help learners discover the joy of reading with Reading Coach.

Get started with Reading Coach

Classroom connection: Browse this collection of AAPI books for inspiration and ideas on finding relevant passages for your students. Reading Coach also has built-in passages for each reading level that students can read to learn more about AAPI cultures.

3. Develop communication skills while learning AAPI heritage

Communication skills are essential for success. As students explore AAPI figures, culture, and history, they can develop multimedia presentations to showcase their findings. Use Speaker Progress and Speaker Coach, two Learning Accelerators, to help develop your students’ public speaking skills.

Use Speaker Progress to create presentation assignments and track your students’ growth at the individual, class, grade, and school levels. Then have your students use Speaker Coach to complete the assignment, while receiving real-time, AI-powered feedback on pacing, pitch, clarity and more. Discover how Speaker Progress and Speaker Coach can help build communication confidence in your classroom.

Explore Speaker Progress and Speaker Coach

Classroom connection: Have students present on influential AAPI figures like Suni Lee, Senator Tammy Duckworth, or Shohei Ohtani. They can develop their communication skills and build their confidence by independently practicing their presentation with Speaker Coach before presenting to their class or community.

4. Enhance lesson planning with Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat

Copilot Chat can help you create customized materials, activities, and lessons. Use it to design engaging content that connects students with the history and contributions of AAPI communities.

Try Copilot Chat

Streamline and innovate your lesson planning process by starting with one of these ready-to-use prompts in Copilot Chat and customizing it for your needs:
- Design a STEAM lesson plan for elementary students that explores traditional AAPI art or inventions. Include hands-on activities that connect art and science, step-by-step instructions, and reflection prompts to help students connect culture to creativity and innovation.
- Create a 1-week high school ELA or Humanities lesson plan where students research and analyze the impact of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander artists and writers on contemporary culture. Include learning objectives, suggested artists/authors (e.g., Ruth Asawa, Yo-Yo Ma), and key discussion questions.
- Help me update an existing lesson plan to include meaningful perspectives from Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities. I want to keep the original learning objectives intact but integrate AAPI voices, content, or activities into the texts, resources, and activities sections. [Attach a lesson plan or provide subject, grade, and learning objectives]
Try using Copilot Chat for lesson planning, brainstorming, creating images, getting quick answers to your questions, and more. Build your competency with AI and Copilot with the Copilot Chat learning module.

Start the learning module

Honor AAPI Heritage Month by exploring the remarkable people, vibrant cultures, and significant contributions that have enriched our world. Use the time to design engaging, immersive learning experiences that foster essential skills like literacy, communication, and critical thinking. Inspire a deeper understanding and appreciation both in and beyond your classroom with AAPI Heritage Month classroom activities from Microsoft Education.

The code of us

At Microsoft, we believe different perspectives lead to a brighter future. Discover stories of innovation and inspiration from Microsoft employees and artists. The Code of Us isn’t just what we create—it’s who we are. Employees, their stories, and their truths are what power Microsoft. This Heritage Month, The Code of Us is all about celebrating the vibrant culture and incredible impact of the AAPI community at Microsoft.
MIL OSI Economics –
April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Promotion of Hindi in government work is not just the task of a few departments but a shared responsibility of the society, says Dr. Jitendra Singh

Source: Government of India

Promotion of Hindi in government work is not just the task of a few departments but a shared responsibility of the society, says Dr. Jitendra Singh

Over the last decade under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, the government’s commitment to promoting Hindi had helped bridge many longstanding gaps;

Sustained efforts from all stakeholders essential to achieve the broader vision

Posted On: 28 APR 2025 5:25PM by PIB Delhi

In a strong call for collective responsibility, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology; Earth Sciences and Minister of State for PMO, Department of Atomic Energy, Department of Space, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Dr. Jitendra Singh today emphasized that the promotion of Hindi in government work is not just the task of a few departments but a shared responsibility of the society.

Speaking at the “Hindi Salahkar Samiti” meeting organized by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Dr. Jitendra Singh said that while notable progress has been made in expanding the use of Hindi, sustained efforts from all stakeholders are essential to achieve the broader vision.

Reflecting on the progress made over the last decade under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, Dr. Jitendra Singh noted that the government’s commitment to promoting Hindi had helped bridge many longstanding gaps. He pointed out that historically, despite being the mother tongue for many, Hindi did not enjoy the formal acceptance in official communication it deserved. “Earlier, receiving or sending letters

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Towards a new approach for green hydrogen production

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 28 APR 2025 5:09PM by PIB Delhi

Researcher have developed fresh insights into proton adsorption behaviour at the surface of catalysts, which can help construct electrocatalysts useful for producing green hydrogen.

Plethora of heterostructures have been studied for green hydrogen generation with the effect of built-in electric field (BIEF). However, the metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) based p-n heterojunction can be considered as a promising material to have robust BIEF due to asymmetric electronic environment.

Recent research is focused on leveraging BIEFs at the interface of different electronic environments to improve hydrogen production. Therefore, analysing and correlating parameters such as the work function, BIEF, and Gibbs free energy (a thermodynamic potential that can be used to calculate the maximum amount of work) is crucial for understanding the reaction mechanism. The difference in work functions between two materials is what drives the initial charge redistribution, which in turn sets up the built-in potential across the junction. BIEF directly affects the dynamics of proton adsorption/desorption, which was evaluated by Gibbs free energy of adsorption.

Scientists of Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST), Mohali, grew CuWO₄ (Copper tungsten oxide) nano-particles precursor over Cu (OH)2 (Copper hydroxide) and fabricated CuWO₄-CuO hetero-structure and studied its physical and electrochemical properties. They examined the Gibbs free energy profile for proton adsorption of different regiones and found that near the depletion region and along the interface, the proton adsorption energy shows contrasting behaviour as compared with bulk area. This induces a gradient in Gibbs free energy across and near the depletion region, thereby promoting an improved hydrogen adsorption and desorption.

Fig: Mechanism revealing an interplay of BIEF and Gibbs Free Energy in CuO-CuWO₄ p-n heterojunction for proton adsorption/desorption in HER.

Interestingly, Scientists from INST, an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), demonstrated that the interplay between the built-in electric field (BIEF) and Gibbs free energy in the proposed catalyst gives rise to a favourable regime, where hydrogen bonding to the catalyst is optimized, facilitating efficient hydrogen evolution. They also found that along the heterojunction interface, the ∆G indicates high adsorption affinity of protons toward the CuO phase and significant desorption at the CuWO₄ phase. The CuO-CuWO₄ catalyst unveils an excellent example of ‘negative cooperativity,’ in which the binding of one molecule decreases the affinity of other binding sites for additional molecules. With more and more proton coverage, the affinity of the catalyst’s surface towards the proton adsorption decreases, and promotes alkaline Hydrogen Evolution Reaction by enhancing desorption.

This research published in Adv. Energy Mater. 2025 helped understand the typical proton adsorption behaviour at the surface of the catalyst, which can help others to design and construct similar electrocatalyst which can give robust activity to produce green hydrogen. Improving in electrocatalytic hydrogen production can lead to sustainable environment with advance green technologies.

***

NKR/PSM

(Release ID: 2124882) Visitor Counter : 63

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: PM to participate in YUGM Conclave on 29th April

Source: Government of India

PM to participate in YUGM Conclave on 29th April

In line with Prime Minister’s vision of a self-reliant and innovation-led India, key projects related to Innovation will be initiated during the Conclave

Conclave aims to catalyze large-scale private investment in India’s innovation ecosystem

Deep Tech Startup Showcase at the Conclave will feature cutting-edge innovations from across India

Posted On: 28 APR 2025 7:07PM by PIB Delhi

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will participate in YUGM Conclave on 29th April, at around 11 AM, at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. He will also address the gathering on the occasion.

YUGM (meaning “confluence” in Sanskrit) is a first-of-its-kind strategic conclave convening leaders from government, academia, industry, and the innovation ecosystem. It will contribute to India’s innovation journey, driven by a collaborative project of around Rs 1,400 crore with joint investment from the Wadhwani Foundation and Government Institutions.

In line with Prime Minister’s vision of a self-reliant and innovation-led India, various key projects will be initiated during the conclave. They include Superhubs at IIT Kanpur (AI & Intelligent Systems) and IIT Bombay (Biosciences, Biotechnology, Health & Medicine); Wadhwani Innovation Network (WIN) Centers at top research institutions to drive research commercialization; and partnership with Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) for jointly funding late-stage translation projects and promoting research and innovation.

The conclave will also include High-level Roundtables and Panel Discussions involving government officials, top industry and academic leaders; action-oriented dialogue on enabling fast-track translation of research into impact; a Deep Tech Startup Showcase featuring cutting-edge innovations from across India; and exclusive networking opportunities across sectors to spark collaborations and partnerships.

The Conclave aims to catalyze large-scale private investment in India’s innovation ecosystem; accelerate research-to-commercialization pipelines in frontier tech; strengthen academia-industry-government partnerships; advance national initiatives like ANRF and AICTE Innovation; democratize innovation access across institutions; and foster a national innovation alignment toward Viksit Bharat@2047.

***

MJPS/VJ

(Release ID: 2124948) Visitor Counter : 165

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: National Supercomputing Mission

Source: Government of India

National Supercomputing Mission

Powering India’s Future with Indigenous High-Performance Computing

Posted On: 28 APR 2025 6:00PM by PIB Delhi

“India’s mantra is Atmanirbharta through research, Science for Self-Reliance.”

– Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Introduction

The National Supercomputing Mission (NSM) is a flagship initiative by the Government of India to empower the country with high-performance computing (HPC) capabilities. Launched in 2015, the mission aims to enhance India’s technological prowess in supercomputing, foster research and development (R&D), and support scientific advancements across academia, industry, and government sectors.

The Mission envisages empowering our national academic and R&D institutions spread over the country by installing supercomputers of various capacities. Access to these supercomputers is provided through the National Knowledge Network (NKN). The NKN is another program of the government which connects academic institutions and R&D labs over a high-speed network.

Academic and R&D institutions as well as key user departments/ministries would participate by using these facilities and develop applications of national relevance. The Mission also includes development of highly professional High-Performance Computing (HPC) aware human resource for meeting challenges of development of these applications. HRD activities in this area are steered through five training centres at Pune, Kharagpur, Chennai, Palakkad, and Goa to expand the awareness and familiarization of supercomputing with college students and researchers.

Current Status & Achievements

Under NSM, as of March 2025, a total of 34 supercomputers with a combined compute capacity of 35 Petaflops, have been deployed across various academic institutions, research organizations, and R&D labs, including prominent institutions like IISc, IITs, C-DAC, and other institutions from Tier-II and Tier III cities of the country under NSM. The supercomputing systems commissioned under NSM have achieved an overall utilization rate of over 85%, with many systems exceeding 95%, demonstrating a high level of usage and efficiency in their computational capacity

The contribution of these supercomputing systems to the Research and Development (R&D) sector has been highly impactful, facilitating over 10,000 researchers, including more than 1,700 PhD scholars from over 200 academic institutions and R&D labs across the country. These supercomputing systems have supported research in critical domains such as Drug Discovery, Disaster Management, Energy Security, Climate Modeling, Astronomical Research, Computational Chemistry, Fluid Dynamics, and Material Research. NSM has created opportunities for researchers from Tier II and Tier III cities to conduct research by providing access to state-of-the-art supercomputing facilities. These researchers have completed over 1 crore compute jobs and published more than 1,500 papers in leading national and international journals. Additionally, more than 22,000 individuals have been trained in HPC and AI skills. Start-ups and MSMEs are leveraging these supercomputing resources to advance their HPC-driven projects.

In parallel, under the NSM, C-DAC has developed the indigenous high-speed communication network, “Trinetra,” to enhance data transfer and communication between computing nodes, strengthening India’s supercomputing capabilities. Trinetra is being implemented in three phases: Trinetra-POC, a proof-of-concept system to validate key concepts; Trinetra-A (100 Gigabits per second), a network with advanced connections, successfully deployed and tested in the 1PF PARAM Rudra at C-DAC Pune; and Trinetra-B (200 Gigabits per second), an upgraded version with improved capabilities, set to be deployed in the upcoming 20PF PARAM Rudra supercomputer at C-DAC Bangalore.

In 2024, the Prime Minister dedicated three PARAM Rudra supercomputers to the young researchers, scientists and engineers of nation facilitating advanced studies in physics, earth sciences, and cosmology. These supercomputers have been deployed in Pune, Delhi and Kolkata to facilitate pioneering scientific research. PARAM Rudra supercomputers are built using indigenously designed and manufactured HPC servers, known as “Rudra”, along with an indigenously developed system software stack. “Rudra” Server is the first of its kind in India which is at par with globally available other HPC class Servers.

The Government has initiated a project AIRAWAT for providing a common compute platform for AI research and knowledge assimilation. This AI computing infrastructure will be used by all Technology Innovation Hubs, research labs, scientific community, industry, start-ups and institutions under the NKN. The Proof of Concept (PoC) for AIRAWAT will be developed with 200 petaflops mixed precision AI machine which will be scalable to a peak compute of 790 AI petaflops. The AIRAWAT has secured 75^th position in Top 500 Global Supercomputing List declared at International Supercomputing Conference (ISC 2023), Germany putting India on top of AI Supercomputing nations worldwide.

In 2022, Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru has installed Param Pravega, one of the most powerful Indian supercomputers. Param Pravega having a supercomputing power of 3.3 petaflops, is the largest supercomputer that has been installed in an Indian academic institution.

In 2019, the Prime Minister inaugurated National Supercomputing Mission’s first indigenously build supercomputer ‘Param Shivay’ at Indian Institute of Technology, BHU, Varanasi.

In 2024-25, additional ~45 PF of computing infrastructure creation is envisaged using indigenously developed server and technologies.

NSM Infrastructure

The National Supercomputing Mission aims at achieving the goals of attaining self-reliance in supercomputing, building the culture of using supercomputing for carrying out R&D and problem-solving in various domains of scientific and technological endeavours, and designing solutions for various societal applications, and positioning the supercomputing ecosystem in the country at a globally competitive level. The systems and facilities created as part of the infrastructure under this mission are divided into three phases: Phase I, Phase II, and Phase III.

Phase 1: This phase focused on creating a basic supercomputing infrastructure by installing six supercomputers across various institutions, with a significant portion of the components being assembled domestically. The aim was to build an ecosystem for the assembly of system components within the country.

Phase 2: Building on Phase 1, this phase aimed to move towards indigenous manufacturing of supercomputers, including developing a local software stack. This phase also saw an increase in the value addition from India to 40%.

Phase 3: This phase focuses on complete indigenization of supercomputing, including the design, development, and manufacturing of key components within India. The plan includes installing supercomputers at various academic and research institutions, as well as establishing a national facility with a high-performance computing capability.

The Mission is being steered jointly by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and implemented by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Pune and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru. The Mission implementation would bring supercomputing within the reach of the large scientific & technology community in the country and enable the country with a capacity of solving multi-disciplinary grand challenge problems.

NSM has planned to expand the number of supercomputers to select institutions including IITs with more compute power including 20 Peta Flop systems. An amount of Rs. 1874 crore has been allocated / utilized to develop and provide the super-computing facility for research and other allied areas. This includes funds for infrastructure creation, undertaking R&D in applied areas, applications, HRD and for mission management.

Strengthening NSM through India Semiconductor Mission (ISM)

The India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) is set to give a big boost to the National Supercomputing Mission (NSM). Supercomputers need powerful parts like processors, memory chips, and special accelerators — all of which are made using advanced semiconductor technology. Until now, India had to rely heavily on imports for these components.

With ISM, India is focusing on making these high-tech parts right here at home. This will make supercomputers faster, more energy-efficient, and much more affordable. It will also allow India to build supercomputers that are customized for our own scientific and industrial needs. By developing these technologies within the country, ISM will help NSM move closer to its dream of making India self-reliant and a global leader in supercomputing.

Conclusion

The National Supercomputing Mission is a transformative initiative that strengthens India’s position in global supercomputing. By fostering indigenous development, research, and innovation, NSM supports critical sectors and prepares the nation for future technological challenges. With continued investment and strategic deployment, India is poised to become a global leader in High-Performance Computing.

References

https://nsmindia.in/

https://ism.gov.in/

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1666447

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2081061

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1800356

https://dst.gov.in/pm-launches-country-1st-indigenously-build-supercomputer

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=2087506

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2088268

https://sansad.in/getFile/loksabhaquestions/annex/184/AU2084_k8K63G.pdf?source=pqals

https://sansad.in/getFile/annex/267/AU3905_rZLY5P.pdf?source=pqars

National Supercomputing Mission

***

Santosh Kumar | Sarla Meena | Rishita Aggarwal

(Release ID: 2124920) Visitor Counter : 42

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: The ‘cortisol belly’ myth: when diet culture is rebranded as ‘wellness’

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Nadia Maalin, Lecturer in Psychology, Birmingham City University

Prostock-studio/Shutterstock

The latest viral wellness trends – “cortisol belly” and “cortisol face” – promise a calmer, leaner, more radiant you … if you can just lower your stress hormones. With attention-grabbing claims like “You don’t have a belly fat problem. You have a cortisol problem,” creators promote 30-day transformations that supposedly shrink waistlines and slim faces by targeting cortisol.

These posts often feature hashtags like #cortisolreset, #hormonehealth, and #nervoussystemregulation, along with before-and-after photos claiming reduced bloating, flatter stomachs, and tighter jawlines. The secret? They suggest techniques like cold plunges, cutting caffeine, or taking trendy supplements. However, the truth is that cortisol can’t cause such dramatic physical changes that quickly. The real “secret” is likely a mix of marketing and exaggerated claims.

Cortisol – often called the “stress hormone” – is produced by the adrenal glands in response to stress. This can include everything from daily frustrations (like traffic jams or looming deadlines) to major life changes (like illness or divorce), or persistent stressors such as financial strain.

Cortisol plays a vital role in our fight-or-flight response – an evolutionary function designed to help us respond to threats. It mobilises energy, regulates blood pressure and blood sugar, reduces inflammation and helps control our sleep-wake cycle. Cortisol naturally peaks in the morning to help us wake up, then decreases throughout the day.

While short bursts of cortisol are helpful, chronic (long-term or frequent recurring) stress can keep levels elevated over time – and that’s when it can start to cause health problems.

Sustained cortisol elevation can affect appetite, sleep, cravings (especially for high-calorie comfort foods) and how fat is stored in the body. These factors can contribute to weight gain, particularly around the abdomen.

Abdominal fat includes both subcutaneous fat (just beneath the skin) and visceral fat, which surrounds internal organs. While both may increase under chronic stress, visceral fat is more strongly linked to health risks such as cardiovascular disease and insulin resistance.

Yes, reducing stress is good for your health – both mentally and physically. But framing stress management as a path to visible cosmetic changes – flatter stomachs, sharper cheekbones – reduces a complex health process to an aesthetic issue.

And that’s exactly what many of these viral trends are doing.

Old ideas in new packaging

The appearance-related concerns supposedly “solved” by cortisol regulation – puffiness, belly fat, bloating – closely align with western beauty ideals: thin, toned bodies with flat stomachs and sculpted faces. These ideals are especially gendered, targeting women with the ever elusive hourglass figure: slim waist, fuller breasts and hips.

Internalising these ideals has been consistently linked to body dissatisfaction, disordered eating and poorer psychological wellbeing.

Influencers and wellness brands often co-opt the language of health to sell what are essentially beauty ideals – repackaged as “empowerment” and “self-care”. In this way, wellness culture subtly continues the legacy of diet culture, just with a more palatable aesthetic. Today’s message? Don’t count calories – regulate your hormones.

Many of the quick-fix solutions being promoted – from adaptogenic teas (teas containing herbs, roots and other plant substances believed to help the body adapt to stress and restore balance) and cold plunges to “no-coffee-before-breakfast” rules – are based on limited or inconsistent scientific evidence. While these practices may help reduce stress for some people, their ability to visibly reshape your body in 30 days is unlikely.

Claims that you can “spot-reduce” fat or lose fat in targeted areas (like the belly or face) are not supported by scientific consensus. That said, there are evidence-based ways to lower cortisol and support mental and physical wellbeing – such as mindfulness and meditation or emotion regulation strategies. These practices activate the parasympathetic nervous system (the “rest and digest” state), which slows the heart rate, reduces blood pressure and decreases cortisol. They can also help manage anxiety, sleep and inflammation.

But again, these are not weight-loss hacks – and definitely not quick fixes for belly fat.

Read more:
No, you can’t blame all your health issues on ‘high cortisol’. Here’s how the hormone works

The idea that stress alone can be responsible for face puffiness or belly fat oversimplifies complex physiological processes. Many factors, not just cortisol, influence how and where we store fat, including sex, genetics, hormones – such as insulin and oestrogen – diet and exercise, age, and individual differences in physiology.

Managing stress is important. It supports immune function, sleep, mental clarity, and emotional regulation. But when stress regulation is marketed as a tool to transform your appearance, it risks reinforcing the same body ideals that diet culture thrives on – just under a shinier, more “mindful” label.

Instead of focusing on what cortisol does to your waistline, we should be talking about what chronic stress does to your health, relationships and wellbeing. Instead of striving for a flatter stomach through wellness hacks, we might aim for a healthier, more balanced life – regardless of what we look like.

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

– ref. The ‘cortisol belly’ myth: when diet culture is rebranded as ‘wellness’ – https://theconversation.com/the-cortisol-belly-myth-when-diet-culture-is-rebranded-as-wellness-254362

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Five ways to make cities more resilient to climate change

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Paul O’Hare, Lecturer in Human Geography and Urban Development, Manchester Metropolitan University

John_T/Shutterstock

Climate breakdown poses immense threats to global economies, societies and ecosystems. Adapting to these impacts is urgent. But many cities and countries remain chronically unprepared in what the UN calls an “adaptation gap”.

Building climate resilience is notoriously difficult. Economic barriers limit investment in infrastructure and technology. Social inequities undermine the capacity of vulnerable populations to adapt. And inconsistent policies impede coordinated efforts across sectors and at scale.

My research looks at how cities can better cope with climate change. I have identified five ways to catalyse more effective – and ultimately more progressive – climate adaptation and resilience.

1. Don’t just ‘bounce back’ after a crisis

When wildfires, storms or floods hit, all too often governments prioritise rebuilding as rapidly as possible.

Though understandable, resilience doesn’t just entail coping with the effects of climate change. Instead of “bouncing back” to a pre-shock status, those in charge of responding need to encourage “bouncing forward”, creating places that are at less risk in the first place.

After the Christchurch earthquake in February 2011, the New Zealand authorities “built back better”, improving building codes and regulations and relocating vulnerable communities. Critics suggested reconstruction provided too much uncertainty and failed to acknowledge private property rights. But the rebuild did encourage better integration of planning policies and land use practices.

Read more:
‘Build back better’ sounds great in theory, but does the government really know what it means in practice?

Swales and sustainable urban drainage in Gorton climate resilient park, Manchester, UK.
Paul O’Hare, CC BY-NC-ND

2. Informed by risk

It can be difficult to predict what the consequences of a crisis might be. Cities are complex, interconnected places. Transboundary risks – the consequences that ripple across a place – must be taken into account.

The best climate adaptation plans recognise that vulnerability varies across places, contexts and over time. The most effective are holistic: tailored to specific locations and every aspect of society.

Assessments must also consider both climatic and non-climatic features of risk. In 2015, in the UK, a flood affected one of Lancaster’s electrical substations, causing a city-wide power failure that took several days to rectify. In this instance, as with so many others, people had to deal not just with the direct impacts of flooding, but the ‘cascading’ or knock-on impacts of infrastructure damage.

Read more:
Giving rivers room to move: how rethinking flood management can benefit people and nature

Many existing assessments have limited scope. But others do acknowledge how ageing infrastructures and pressures to develop land to accommodate ever intensifying urban populations exacerbate urban flood risk. Others too, such as the recently published Cambridge climate risk plan, detail how climate risk intersects with the range of services provided by local government.

Systems thinking – an approach to problem-solving that views problems as part of wider, interconnected systems – can be applied to identify interdependencies with other drivers of change.

Good risk assessments will, for example, take note of demographics, age profiles and the socio-economic circumstances of neighbourhoods, enabling targeted support for particularly vulnerable communities. This can help ensure communities and systems adapt to evolving challenges as climate change intensifies, and as society evolves over time.

Complex though this might be, city leaders can access advice about improving risk assessments, including from the C40 network, a global coalition of 100 mayors committed to addressing climate change.

3. Transformative action

There is no such thing as a natural disaster. The effects of disasters including floods and earthquakes are influenced by pre-existing, often chronic, social and economic conditions such as poverty or poor housing.

Progressive climate resilience looks beyond the immediacy of shocks, attending to the underlying root causes of vulnerability and inequality. This ensures that society is not only better prepared to withstand adverse events in the future, but thrives in the face of uncertainty.

Progressive climate resilience therefore demands tailored responses depending on the population and place. In Bangladesh, for instance, communities are building floating gardens to grow crops during floods. These enhance food security and provide a sustainable livelihood option in flood-prone areas.

Floating vegetable gardens in Bangladesh.
Mostafijur Rahman Nasim/Shutterstock

Read more:
Climate change isn’t fair but Tony Juniper’s new book explains how a green transition could be ‘just’

4. Collective approaches

Effective climate resilience demands collective action. Sometimes referred to as a “whole of society” response, this entails collaboration and shared responsibility to address the multifaceted challenges posed by a changing climate.

The most effective initiatives avoid self-protection, of people, buildings and cities alike, and consider both broader and longer-term risks. For instance, developments not at significant risk should still incorporate adaptation measures including rainwater harvesting or enhanced greening to lower a city’s climate risk profile and benefit local communities, neighbouring authorities and surrounding regions.

So, progressive resilience is connected, comprehensive and inclusive. Solidarity is key, leveraging resources to address common challenges and fostering a sense of shared purpose and mutual support.

Solar panels on the surface of a reservoir not only provide a source of renewable energy but also provide shade and therefore help conserve water.
Tom Wang/Shutterstock

5. Exploiting co-benefits

The most effective resilience projects exploit co-benefits – what the UN calls “multiple resilience dividends” – to leverage additional benefits across sectors and policies, reducing vulnerability to shocks while addressing other social and environmental challenges.

In northern Europe, for example, moorlands can be restored to retain water helping alleviate downstream flooding, but also to capture carbon and provide vital habitats for biodiversity.

In south-East Asia solar panels installed on reservoirs generate renewable energy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, while providing shade to reduce evaporation and conserve water resources during droughts.

In short, adaptation is obviously crucial for tackling climate change across the globe. But the real challenge is to deal with the impacts of climate change while simultaneously creating communities that are fairer, healthier, and better equipped to face any manner of future risks.

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

Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 40,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

Paul O’Hare receives funding from the UK’s Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). Award reference NE/V010174/1.

– ref. Five ways to make cities more resilient to climate change – https://theconversation.com/five-ways-to-make-cities-more-resilient-to-climate-change-252853

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Colon cancer rates are rising among young people – could changes to children’s gut bacteria explain why?

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Justin Stebbing, Professor of Biomedical Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University

Irina WS/Shutterstock

Alarming trends show that colon – or bowel – cancer is increasing in younger people. If the rise continues, colorectal cancer is projected to become the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among young adults globally by 2030.

Until recently, the reasons for this surge were largely unclear or unknown. Now research points to a surprising suspect: gut bacteria.

A recent study reveals that exposure during childhood or adolescence to a toxin produced by certain strains of E coli, whose growth is encouraged by highly processed diets, may lay the groundwork for aggressive bowel cancers decades later. This discovery could help explain why people under 50 are at the heart of one of the fastest-growing cancer epidemics of our time.

Colon cancer is currently the second biggest cause of cancer death, yet only one in three cases are diagnosed in the earliest stages. Often symptomless in its early forms, colon cancer typically begins as polyps and can take ten to 15 years to develop. This slow progression makes regular screening crucial, especially because many patients experience no early warning signs.

For the new research, an international team analysed the complete DNA sequences of 981 colorectal cancer tumours from patients across 11 countries. They discovered striking geographic patterns in the mutations that lead to cancer.

Two specific mutational signatures – SBS88 and ID18 – stood out for their association with colibactin, a DNA-damaging toxin produced by some E coli strains. These bacterial “fingerprints” were 3.3 times more common in patients diagnosed before age 40 than in those over 70. Significantly, these mutations appear early in tumour development, suggesting the damage may occur years – even decades – before cancer is diagnosed.

Read more:
Why eating yoghurt regularly could lower your risk of bowel cancer

Gut microbiome

Colibactin doesn’t cause random DNA damage. The study found it tends to target the APC gene, a vital tumour suppressor that normally controls cell growth.

In colibactin-positive cancers, about 25% of APC mutations bore the toxin’s unique signature. This direct hit to the body’s internal “brake system” could explain why these cancers appear earlier in life.

Molecular analysis indicated that colibactin-associated mutations often emerge within the first ten years of life. While this suggests the toxin may silently colonise children’s guts and initiate cancerous changes early, it’s important to note that this remains a theory; the study didn’t directly examine children or young adults.

Still, the research maps out a microbial pattern of cancer risk. These gut bacteria are not the same as those that cause food poisoning – they often live within us and perform beneficial roles.

But their composition can vary widely by region. Countries including Argentina, Brazil, and Russia – where colorectal cancer rates are climbing – showed higher levels of colibactin-related mutations.

This may reflect regional differences in gut microbiomes influenced by diet (particularly ultraprocessed foods), antibiotic use and environmental factors. In contrast, Japan and South Korea, where rates are historically high but stable, showed different mutational patterns, suggesting other causes may dominate there.

Perhaps the most provocative finding relates to when this bacterial damage occurs. Unlike lifestyle risks that build up over decades, colibactin seems to strike during a narrow window – when the microbiome is still forming in childhood or early adulthood.

Potential triggers could include repeated antibiotic use that disrupts healthy gut bacteria, highly processed diets that favour E. coli growth and urban living that reduces exposure to diverse microbial environments.

Not just genes and lifestyle

These findings may also point to new prevention strategies. Screening programs could focus on younger adults carrying these high-risk bacterial strains, using stool tests to detect colibactin genes.

Diets high in fibre and low in processed foods might promote a healthier gut microbiome, potentially suppressing harmful bacteria. The research also adds weight to calls for lowering colorectal cancer screening ages worldwide, since many early-onset cases go undetected under current guidelines.

While this study is a major step forward, many questions remain. Why do some people carry colibactin-producing bacteria but never develop cancer? How do modern lifestyle factors amplify – or mitigate – these microbial risks? What we do know is that cancer results from the complex interplay between our genes and our environment – including the microscopic world within us.

As researchers continue to connect the dots, one thing is clear: the colorectal cancer epidemic of the 21st century may have begun with silent microbial battles in our guts, decades before diagnosis. This emerging view of cancer not just as a genetic or lifestyle disease, but also as a microbial one – could fundamentally reshape how we think about prevention for future generations.

Justin Stebbing 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. Colon cancer rates are rising among young people – could changes to children’s gut bacteria explain why? – https://theconversation.com/colon-cancer-rates-are-rising-among-young-people-could-changes-to-childrens-gut-bacteria-explain-why-255176

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Oskar Fischer: the forgotten pioneer of Alzheimer’s disease research

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Michael Hornberger, Professor of Applied Dementia Research, University of East Anglia

Davide Angelini/Shutterstock

Ever heard of Fischer’s disease? No? Maybe that is not surprising, because it doesn’t exist. But it could have. In fact, the disease we now know as Alzheimer’s disease might just as easily have been called Fischer’s disease or Alzheimer-Fischer disease.

Back in 1907, Dr Oskar Fischer published detailed research on what we now recognise as Alzheimer’s disease. Fischer described cases of older people who had cognitive symptoms in their lifetime and noted tiny plaque-like structures and fibrous tangles in their brains after their death.

These changes were the same as those observed by Alzheimer’s at around the same time. But unlike Alzheimer’s brief two-page publication highlighting this new disease in one person, Fischer’s work, published in 1910, was a meticulous and wide-ranging study – spanning more than 100 pages – including several people he investigated. So why have we never heard of him?

In my new book, Tangled Up: The Science and History of Alzheimer’s disease, I attempt to answer this question.

A promising mind from Prague

But before we get to why Fischer was forgotten, let’s look at who he was.

Oskar Fischer was born in 1876 in a small town near Prague, part of the German-speaking minority in what is now the Czech Republic. After studying medicine in Strasbourg and Prague, he began working at the German University of Prague’s Department of Psychiatry.

Fischer’s career flourished under the leadership of Professor Arnold Pick – another lesser-known scientific giant. Pick was the first to describe a different kind of dementia, now called frontotemporal dementia. It was in this forward-thinking academic environment that Fischer began his research into dementia.

Fischer wasn’t working in isolation. At the time, other doctors had also noticed unusual plaques in the brains of people with dementia. Researchers like Paul Blocq and Georges Marinesco in Paris, Emil Redlich in Vienna and Koichi Miyake in Tokyo had all seen similar features.

But Fischer, like Alzheimer, went a step further: he identified not only plaques but also twisted protein fibres — now known as tau tangles — that disrupt the brain’s function. This combination is still central to how we define Alzheimer’s disease today.

Oskar Fischer, the forgotten great of Alzheimer’s research.
Public Domain

But if both men made this important discovery, why is only one name remembered?

There are two theories as to why Fischer has been forgotten. One is that Fischer believed these brain changes were specific to a type of dementia called presbyophrenia, which was thought to affect people who showed unusual cheerfulness and confusion in old age.

He may have limited his own findings by tying them to this narrow diagnosis. Indeed, in the 1920s it was realised that presbyophrenia was not a separate disease but simply how certain people with dementia presented – and the term was not used anymore.

Another factor might be politics and influence. Alzheimer had a powerful supporter: Emil Kraepelin, one of the most influential psychiatrists of the time, who Alzheimer worked for. Kraepelin included Alzheimer’s work in his bestselling textbook and named the condition after him, helping to cement Alzheimer’s name in medical history.

There’s no record showing whether Kraepelin knew of Fischer’s similar discoveries. If he did, he never acknowledged them in his textbook.

Despite his scientific achievements, Fischer’s academic career stalled. In 1919, he was denied a permanent university position, despite his groundbreaking work. He opened a private practice in Prague and continued to teach, but without the recognition he deserved.

A tragic end

Then came the darkest chapter of his life. In 1941, during the Nazi occupation, Fischer was arrested by the Gestapo. He was imprisoned at Theresienstadt (now Terezín), a ghetto and transit camp for Jews and political prisoners. It’s unclear why he was targeted – perhaps for his Jewish ancestry or his earlier communist activism. He died there in 1942.

Oskar Fischer’s story is a reminder that scientific discovery is rarely the work of one lone genius. It’s built on shared ideas, collaboration, and often forgotten contributors.

It’s somewhat similar to Charles Darwin and Alfred Russell Wallace describing the theory of evolution at the same time but most only remember Darwin now. While Alois Alzheimer certainly made important observations, Fischer’s role in defining this devastating disease was just as significant.

Maybe it’s time we remembered Oskar Fischer and gave him the credit he so rightly deserves.

Michael Hornberger is the author of Tangled Up: The History and Science of Alzheimer’s Disease, published by Canbury Press.

– ref. Oskar Fischer: the forgotten pioneer of Alzheimer’s disease research – https://theconversation.com/oskar-fischer-the-forgotten-pioneer-of-alzheimers-disease-research-254815

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: April 28th, 2025 Heinrich, Luján Blast Trump Admin’s Attacks on Head Start, Demand RFK Jr. Immediately Unfreeze Head Start Funding & Reverse Firings of Early Childhood Education Workers

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), one of only two Head Start graduates to serve in the Senate, sent a letter to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to demand the Trump Administration stop its attacks on Head Start programs. In their letter, Heinrich and Luján reminded Secretary Kennedy of his legal obligation to administer Head Start, and demanded that HHS immediately unfreeze Head Start funding, reverse the mass firing of Head Start workers, and stop gutting offices that ensure high-quality early childhood education services are available for thousands of children and families in New Mexico and nationwide.

In New Mexico, Head Start and early Head Start programs serve 8,800 children living below the poverty line, including 271 children experiencing homelessness, and 139 children in foster care in 2022.

“We write to express our strong opposition to the actions you have taken to directly attack and undermine the federal Head Start program. Since day one, this Administration has taken unacceptable actions to withhold and delay funding, fire Head Start staff, and gut high-quality services for children. Already this year, this Administration has withheld almost $1 billion in federal grant funding from Head Start programs, a 37 percent decrease compared to the amount of funding awarded during the same period last year,” the senators wrote in a letter to Secretary Kennedy. “It is abundantly clear that these actions are part of a broader effort to ultimately eliminate the program altogether, as the Administration reportedly plans to do in its fiscal year 2026 budget proposal.”

The senators detailed how the program plays an instrumental role in supporting kids and families across the country, writing: “Head Start provides early childhood education and comprehensive health and social services to nearly 800,000 young children every year in communities across this country, and employs about 250,000 dedicated staff. Head Start is a critical source of child care for working families, particularly in rural and Tribal communities, where Head Start programs are often the only option for high-quality child care services. Head Start programs ensure children receive appropriate health and dental care, nutrition support, and referrals to other critical services for parents, such as job training, adult education, nutrition services, and housing support.”

“You even acknowledged the value of Head Start following a recent visit to a Virginia Head Start center,” the senators wrote, contrasting that statement of support with the Trump administration’s actions. “However, as a result of your actions to withhold and delay funding and undermine the administration of this vital program, Head Start centers are in serious jeopardy and have already had their day to day operations impacted. Programs are increasingly worried that they will not be able to make payroll, pay rent, and remain open to serve the hundreds of thousands of children and families who depend on their services in communities across the nation.”

“Since the very start of this Administration, Head Start programs have been under attack,” the senators wrote, detailing office closures and funds that were frozen for Head Start grants across the country. “At one point, the National Head Start Association reported 37 programs serving nearly 15,000 children across the country could not access their federal funding. Head Start programs operate with thin margins and on short-term budgets from HHS, and without any communication from the Administration about the status of funding, programs were forced to temporarily close or to lay off staff.”

The senators underscored how the gutting of Head Start offices and the firing of staff who keep the federal program running puts the entire program in jeopardy, “On April 1st, you abruptly closed five of the ten regional offices that help local grantees administer Head Start programs in 22 states. This left hundreds of programs without dedicated points of contact to address mission critical issues like approving grant renewals and modifications, investigating child health and safety incidents, and providing training and technical assistance to ensure high-quality services for children. While some grantees were assigned a new program specialist, we understand many have not been receiving responses to their inquiries. This is on top of the estimated 97 Office of Head Start central office staff that were terminated due to their probationary status and the recent reduction in force. You promised ‘radical transparency’ as Secretary, yet it is unclear how these actions will improve Head Start programs, and you and your staff refuse to respond to basic inquiries and requests for information.”

Importantly, the senators noted that if Head Start funding is kept frozen by the Trump Administration, many more programs could be forced to close.

“Head Start grantees are still waiting on payments and grant renewals from the Office of Head Start, including programs whose grants end on April 30th, 2025. These notices should have gone out by now, yet we are concerned to hear programs report they have received little to no correspondence regarding their grant renewals,” the senators continued, detailing how local HeadStart programs are receiving no notice for the path forward for grant funding. “Additionally, because we started fiscal year 2025 under a short-term continuing resolution, as is usual, some grantees have only received partial funding for the first few months of the year. But with a full year funding bill in place, these grantees should have received full funding by now, yet some are reporting that they have not received the full amount of their grants and will run out of funds this month or next. On Wednesday, April 16th, the delays in Head Start funding led to the closure of Head Start centers serving more than 400 children in Sunnyside, Washington.”

“The Administration has a legal and moral obligation to disburse Head Start funds to programs and to uphold the program’s promise to provide high-quality early education services to low income children and families across this country,” the senators stated. “There is no justifiable reason for the delay in funding we have seen over the last two months, and you have refused to offer any kind of explanation.”

The senators concluded by warning that eliminating Head Start would be devastating, demanding answers on the Trump Administration’s actions, and demanding the reversal of these actions: “[W]e urge you to immediately reinstate fired staff across all Offices of HeadStart, and cease all actions to delay the awarding and disbursement of funding to Head Start programs across this country.”

Community leaders in New Mexico are weighing in on the grave consequences of the Trump Administration’s continuous assault on Head Start for children’s futures:

“As a Head Start Leader for over 40 years, I have witnessed firsthand the transformative impact Head Start has on children, families, and communities. Eliminating Head Start would be nothing less than a national tragedy. It would be a direct attack on the country’s most vulnerable children and families – those who have the least and need the most.” said Patricia Grovey Evans, President of New Mexico Head Start Association.

“Defunding the Head Start program would be a grave injustice to young Zuni children, who depend on this vital resource to embark on their educational journey steeped in cultural identity and moral values. Early childhood education is not merely about teaching; it lays the foundation for self-awareness and community connection that will guide them throughout their lives. Cutting this crucial funding threatens to strip away their opportunity to nurture the skills and cultural heritage essential for their growth and future success,” said Anthony Sanchez, Head Councilman for Zuni Tribe.

“Jemez Pueblo’s Walatowa Head Start Language Immersion Program offers a unique and valuable community-based education delivered solely in our Towa language. Education of our youngest community members is important and to have that education provided in our native language is of the utmost importance. As Native people, it was vital that our Head Start program incorporated the Pueblo’s vibrant traditional calendar through art, music and dance while also incorporating other subjects like math and science. Walatowa Head Start Language Immersion Program serves as a model for other tribal Head Start programs who wish to teach the children in their native language. Our community worked for over a decade to make this education culturally responsive and if funding for Head Start were to disappear, so would our community’s work. We cannot allow this to happen,” said Carnell Chosa, First Lieutenant Governor of Jemez Pueblo.

“As someone working on the front lines of early childhood education in New Mexico, I am deeply alarmed by the proposed cuts to Head Start in President Trump’s leaked budget. At the Now Mexico Association for the Education of Young Children (NMAEYC), we see firsthand how essential this program is especially for families in our rural and underserved communities. Head Start has been a cornerstone for opportunity and stability for low-income families for 60 years. Eliminating this program would jeopardize early learning, health, and nutrition services for more than 150,000 children across the country, including thousands here in New Mexico. Head Start is not just a program- it’s a lifeline. Gutting this critical funding, would harm our most vulnerable children, undermine family stability, and set our state back for generations. Continued investment in Head Start is not optional – it’s essential to ensuring that every New Mexico child, regardless of zip code, has a fair shot at success,” said Alicia B. Borrego, MBA, Executive Director of New Mexico Association for the Education of Young Children.

“Head Start has been a massively important force in changing the game for young children. The science tells us that 85% of brain development happens before age 5, so this is a common sense investment, and one that has contributed to decades of American prosperity,” said Kate Noble, President and CEO of Growing Up New Mexico.

“Thanks to my experience working as a Head Start teacher in Santa Fe, I’ve seen firsthand how the Head Start Program change lives – giving our youngest leaners the solid foundation they need to succeed in school and beyond. Cutting this program would mean turning our backs on the children who need us most. This program isn’t just early education; it’s lifeblood for families who are doing their best with so little. Taking it away would break something sacred in our community.” said Deyanira Contreras, Director of Kids Campus at SFCC.

Alongside Heinrich and Luján, the letter is signed by U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Tim Kaine (D-Minn.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Minn.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Angus King (I-Maine), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), and Mark Warner (D-Va.).

The full text of the letter is here and below:

Dear Secretary Kennedy:

We write to express our strong opposition to the actions you have taken to directly attack and undermine the federal Head Start program. Since day one, this Administration has taken unacceptable actions to withhold and delay funding, fire Head Start staff, and gut high-quality services for children. Already this year, this Administration has withheld almost $1 billion in federal grant funding from Head Start programs, a 37 percent decrease compared to the amount of funding awarded during the same period last year. It is abundantly clear that these actions are part of a broader effort to ultimately eliminate the program altogether, as the Administration reportedly plans to do in its fiscal year 2026 budget proposal.

Head Start provides early childhood education and comprehensive health and social services to nearly 800,000 young children every year in communities across this country, and employs about 250,000 dedicated staff. Head Start is a critical source of child care for working families, particularly in rural and Tribal communities, where Head Start programs are often the only option for high-quality child care services. HeadStart programs ensure children receive appropriate health and dental care, nutrition support, and referrals to other critical services for parents, such as job training, adult education, nutrition services, and housing support.

You even acknowledged the value of Head Start following a recent visit to a Virginia Head Start center, where you said, “I had a very inspiring tour. I saw a devoted staff and a lot of happy children. They are getting the kind of education and socialization they need, and they are also getting a couple of meals a day.”

However, as a result of your actions to withhold and delay funding and undermine the administration of this vital program, Head Start centers are in serious jeopardy and have already had their day to day operations impacted. Programs are increasingly worried that they will not be able to make payroll, pay rent, and remain open to serve the hundreds of thousands of children and families who depend on their services in communities across the nation.

Since the very start of this Administration, Head Start programs have been under attack. On January 27th, 2025, the Office of Management and Budget issued a memo (M-25-13) that suddenly froze the disbursement of grant funding for federal programs and services government-wide, including Head Start. Despite the Administration’s clarification that Head Start programs would not be the target of the funding freeze, many Head Startprograms across the country were unable to draw down their grant funds through the Payment Management System (PMS) for weeks. At one point, the National Head StartAssociation reported 37 programs serving nearly 15,000 children across the country could not access their federal funding. Head Start programs operate with thin margins and on short-term budgets from HHS, and without any communication from the Administration about the status of funding, programs were forced to temporarily close or to lay off staff. In Wisconsin, the National Centers for Learning Excellence, which serves more than 200 children and their families, shut down for a week and laid off staff due to the funding freeze.

On April 1st, you abruptly closed five of the ten regional offices that help local grantees administer Head Start programs in 22 states. This left hundreds of programs without dedicated points of contact to address mission critical issues like approving grant renewals and modifications, investigating child health and safety incidents, and providing training and technical assistance to ensure high-quality services for children. While some grantees were assigned a new program specialist, we understand many have not been receiving responses to their inquiries. This is on top of the estimated 97 Office of Head Start central office staff that were terminated due to their probationary status and the recent reduction in force. You promised “radical transparency” as Secretary, yet it is unclear how these actions will improve Head Start programs, and you and your staff refuse to respond to basic inquiries and requests for information.

On March 14th, 2025, the Office of Head Start (OHS) notified all Head Start programs that “the use of federal funding for any training and technical assistance or other program expenditures that promote or take part in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives” will not be approved and that any questions should be directed to regional offices. Programs have not received any guidance for what would be considered “DEI” but this policy is potentially in direct conflict with statutory and regulatory program requirements, such as providing culturally and linguistically appropriate instructional services for English learners. Many programs cannot direct questions to regional staff, as half of regional offices were abruptly closed, and as unprecedented actions are being taken to delay and withhold funding, Head Start programs have been intentionally left with little to no guidance.

Head Start programs are now arbitrarily required to provide justifications for each draw down of funds that is necessary to operate their programs, despite already receiving a federal grant award for these purposes. As of April 14th, Head Startprograms have reportedly received correspondence from an email address “defendthespend@hhs.gov” requiring programs to submit a “specific description of why the funds are necessary and why they are aligned to the award” before programs can have funding disbursed. It has been reported that political appointees must sign off on every draw down of funds. This creates an illusion of improving oversight but only serves to add unnecessary red tape by requiring the manual sign off on hundreds of thousands of individual actions annually across the Department based on two to three sentence justifications. Already some grantees have reported delays in receiving funds, and have reported that furloughs or closures are imminent if funds are not released. For an administration that purports to value local autonomy and efficiency in federally funded programs, your actions have achieved the exact opposite.

Finally, Head Start grantees are still waiting on payments and grant renewals from the Office of Head Start, including programs whose grants end on April 30th, 2025. These notices should have gone out by now, yet we are concerned to hear programs report they have received little to no correspondence regarding their grant renewals. Additionally, because we started fiscal year 2025 under a short-term continuing resolution, as is usual, some grantees have only received partial funding for the first few months of the year. But with a full year funding bill in place, these grantees should have received full funding by now, yet some are reporting that they have not received the full amount of their grants and will run out of funds this month or next. On Wednesday, April 16th, the delays in Head Start funding led to the closure of Head Start centers serving more than 400 children in Sunnyside, Washington.

The Administration has a legal and moral obligation to disburse Head Start funds to programs and to uphold the program’s promise to provide high-quality early education services to low income children and families across this country. The fiscal year 2025 appropriations act provided $12.3 billion for Head Start, the same as the fiscal year 2024 level. The Head Start Act includes an explicit formula for how appropriated funds should be allocated. There is no justifiable reason for the delay in funding we have seen over the last two months, and you have refused to offer any kind of explanation. However, this week leaked fiscal year 2026 budget documents indicated the Office of Management and Budget was directing the Department, consistent with the Administration’s proposal to eliminate Head Start in fiscal year 2026, to “ensure to the extent allowable FY2025 funds are available to close out the program.” If this explains any of the delay in awarding fiscal year 2025 funding, we want to be clear, no funds were provided in fiscal year 2025 to “close out the program,” and it would be wholly unacceptable and likely illegal if the Department tries to carry out this directive.

Finally, the leaked budget documents provided a justification, albeit brief, for eliminating Head Start in fiscal year 2026 that makes this Administration’s priorities clear and puts the Department’s actions over the last several months in context. The Administration argues that eliminating Head Start, “is consistent with the Administration’s goals of returning education to the States and increasing parental choice.” It is shocking to see an argument that eliminating a program that provides comprehensive early childhood care and education to 800,000 children and their families would increase parental choice. It is particularly concerning to see that argument in the context of the significant delay in awarding fiscal year 2025 appropriated funds and what that indicates about the intent behind the Department’s actions. We believe it is obvious that eliminating Head Start would be detrimental to hundreds of thousands of children and families. Similarly, we believe it is obvious that delaying funding like we have seen over the last two months, forcing Head Startprograms to close, and leaving families to scramble to find quality, affordable alternatives puts the education and well-being of some of the most vulnerable young children in America at risk. In our view, that is unacceptable.

Therefore, we urge you to immediately reinstate fired staff across all Offices of HeadStart, and cease all actions to delay the awarding and disbursement of funding to HeadStart programs across this country.

Please provide us with a written response to the questions below no later than 10 days from receipt:

1. Will you reinstate the staff who administer Head Start programs and reopen the closed regional offices responsible for overseeing Head Start programs in 22 states?

a) When is HHS going to share information on the reorganization plan for the consolidation of the regional offices?

b) Please provide the contact information for each program specialist designated to the 22 states who lost their regional office.

c) Who is responsible for ensuring there are no delays or lapses in funding, nor any disruptions to Head Start program operations now that these states do not have a regional office?

2. How many employees at the Offices of Head Start have been terminated, including the five regional offices and the central office?

a) Which officials at HHS were involved in the staffing reduction decisions for OHS and what planning, if any, was undertaken prior to these reductions? Please describe the events that unfolded and name each office that was involved in the decision. Further, please name the official(s) who approved the staffing reductions.

3. Can you confirm that the Administration will distribute all Head Start funds appropriated by Congress to Head Start programs in FY 25, as required by the HeadStart Act?

4. Please provide a list of all grantees with 5-year Head Start grant renewals that startbetween now and the end of the fiscal year: May 1st, June 1st, July 1st, August 1st, and September 1st.

a) Will any funding be delayed for grantees that are due to receive their annual funding on May 1st or beyond?

5. Why are funding awards delayed for grantees that received partial awards during the first continuing resolution for FY25?

a) When can HHS guarantee that all funds will be awarded for partially funded Head Start programs?

6. What is the “Tier 2” department for review that is delaying drawn down for HeadStart programs in the Payment Management System?

a) When should programs expect to receive their funds?

b) Please provide all communication that went to Head Start grantees on the new review process.

7. What guidance and clarifications have been provided to Head Start grantees on DEI expenditures?

a) How is HHS evaluating Head Start programs’ expenditures and grant awards for DEI?

b) What justifications are being used to prohibit DEI?

MIL OSI USA News –

April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Energy Secretary Chris Wright Delivers Keynote Remarks at the Three Seas Business Forum in Warsaw, Poland

Source: US Department of Energy

WARSAW, POLAND— U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright delivered keynote remarks today at the Inaugural Session of the Three Seas Business Forum.

Secretary Wright’s full remarks from the Three Seas Business Forum are below:

It is a great honor to stand here before you all at the 2025 Three Seas. A truly visionary idea from 10 years ago to unite the proud Central European nations in building infrastructure and investment in pursuit of opportunity and prosperity.

Eight years ago, President Trump addressed the Three Seas right here in Poland and I will quote his words: “We support your drive for greater prosperity and security. We applaud your initiative to expand infrastructure. And we welcome this historic opportunity to deepen our economic partnership with your region.”

I can’t top those words, but I can reiterate them today. The United States stands here in partnership with all of you. We seek to work with you all for much betterment via energy, economic and strategic cooperation.

President Trump’s agenda is simple: Prosperity at home and peace abroad. He was elected by the American people to bring back commonsense to Washington and focus on bettering the lives of our citizens and our allies. I am in a room full of allies. Thank you all for that.

I thank Poland for hosting this fabulous conference and for inviting me to attend. I thank Poland and its people for its steadfast alliance with the United States that began with our Revolutionary War and continues today, as evidenced by our growing cooperation in LNG and our large-scale partnership in nuclear energy that was highlighted earlier today with a signing ceremony and press conference.

This nuclear partnership is strategic and long-lasting. It will grow and scale as we jointly pursue expansions of nuclear deployment in Poland and other countries. I am here to celebrate this emerging nuclear partnership between the United States and Poland, made possible through the tireless efforts of President Duda and Prime Minister Tusk.

Partnership in energy, if chosen wisely, tends to be very long lasting. The U.S. nuclear relationship with Poland will tightly bind our nations through the next century. I will come back to natural gas and nuclear at the end of my words.

This visit is personal to me. I love the Three Seas nations. You have faced grave geopolitical challenges throughout history and have always faced them with courageous resolve.

I traveled on my own to Czechoslovakia — yes, that was a country then — and Hungary in 1987. I saw a people struggling under an external yoke and stymied in their pursuit of freedom and prosperity. Yet, I also saw unbowed commitment to our universal values and a yearning for freedom. I engaged in hushed conversations with those that I met. I left with the conclusion that surely this externally imposed suppression cannot last forever.

Little did I realize then that it would all come crashing down only two and half years later. Amen. A fork in the road arrived and Central Europe chose freedom and prosperity.

As a lifelong energy entrepreneur, please allow me to be blunt regarding another fork in the road. This is a “time for choosing”, to quote the late, great President Ronald Reagan.

After the Global Financial Crisis 15 years ago, the major nations of Western Europe — not Central Europe — choose one side of a fork in the road and the U.S. chose the other side. On one side is energy for the sake of human flourishing. Energy that is abundant, secure, affordable and reliable. Energy that comes from innovation and choice.

This is the road to economic growth, advancing the interests of our citizens and securing the economic and national security of our nations. A simple realization that energy’s true purpose is to better human lives. Full stop.

I testified in the British House of Lords more than a decade ago, urging the U.K. to choose our side of the fork. I failed.

The other side of the fork deprives citizens, consumers of choice. It is top-down imposition of mandates for the energy system. This top-down imposition of enforced “climate policies” is justified as necessary to save the world from climate change.

Might the causation actually run in the opposite direction? Could it be instead that a desire to grow centralization and re-establish top-down control is best served by climate alarmism? Is it the chicken or the egg? I don’t know.

But I can say that climate alarmism has clearly reduced energy freedom, and, hence, prosperity and national security across Western Europe. Let me say that again. Climate alarmism has reduced freedom, prosperity, and national security.

On the other hand, top-down diktats have not been successful in reducing global greenhouse gas emissions. They have indeed reduced local Western European greenhouse gas emissions. Europe, however, represents only 8% of global emissions and this impoverishing energy model is unlikely to spread globally because the emissions reductions are mainly due to two highly undesirable factors:

First, as Germany and the U.K. have both illustrated, an expensive and unreliable energy system drives industry and economic activity out of national borders and towards other nations with more rational energy policies. Moving industry from your nation and to another nation. Is that success? I suggest it is not.

Second, we have seen that more expensive energy imposes on citizens an economic necessity to reduce energy consumption and shrink families spending power, which limits a nation’s citizens’ pursuit of hopes and dreams.

Germany has more than doubled its electricity generation capacity over the last 15 years, yet German electricity production today is 20% below where it was 15 years ago. And each unit of electricity has tripled in cost. Is that success?

Let me illustrate my point via a macroeconomic comparison of the EU and the U.S. over the last 15 years since the fork in the road.

In 2010, the U.S. and the EU each represented roughly 25% of global consumption. Today, U.S. consumption has risen to 28% of global consumption and EU consumption has declined to only 18% in dollar terms. This data is from 2023, but I have not seen any recent reversal of this trend.

Surely many things are responsible for this dramatic divergence. It is my belief that diverging energy pathways has been the largest driver of economic outcomes. Affordable, reliable, secure energy is essential to economic prosperity and national security.

The previous U.S. administration worked hard to move the United States onto that same fork. The fork with mandated, top-down, expensive, unreliable energy that would drive de-industrialization of America. The American people rejected this pathway after seeing the ruinous toll that lay down that road. Instead, they re-elected President Trump to bring back freedom and prosperity.

Before I conclude let me say a few more words about climate change. I have been engaged in the climate discussion for over 20 years, mostly in the areas of physical science and economics.

Unfortunately, most of the climate action we hear today in the media has been in the politics and social science areas of climate change. I urge a little more focus on the science and economics. I believe that might help drive a more balanced and beneficial approach.

While climate change is a real physical phenomenon, nothing in the data indicates that climate change is even close to the world’s most urgent problem. In fact, the clarion conclusion from economic studies of climate change is that Net Zero 2050 is absolutely the wrong goal. Not only is it unachievable, but the blind pursuit of it will cause, is causing, far more human damage than climate change itself.

Over two billion people today still lack access to basic energy services like clean cooking fuels. Millions annually die from indoor air pollution from burning wood and dung indoors. More than half of humanity is still living their lives in hand washed cloths still not utilizing the enormous time-saving and women-liberating benefits of washing machines.

Today, folks struggling to pay their bills while aspiring to live highly energized lifestyles like you and I is a far bigger global challenge than climate change. Energy access is far too important to get wrong.

Only a billion people live the highly energized lifestyles of the people in this room traveling to conferences, having custom controls on our temperatures, turning off our cooking stoves when we want, driving around in motorized transport or riding in motorized transport. Seven billion people only aspire to what we have. Fulfilling their energy aspirations is the energy challenge of our time.

For my friends tightly focused on climate change, no nation has reduced greenhouse gas emissions more than the United States. While the U.S. gets a little more than 80% of our energy from hydrocarbons, Germany still gets 74%. A little difference. Not a lot. Although the difference in human opportunity through energy cost and availability is a lot.

It turns out to be very hard to transform energy systems. Decarbonization will likely take generations. Only time and innovation will deliver the low-carbon affordable, reliable secure energy that will gain widespread adoption.

The two biggest “climate solutions” in the coming decades are the same as they were in the last two decades, natural gas and nuclear, for the simple reason that they work. They supply affordable, reliable, secure energy.

Central Europe faces a time for choosing. You all have a long history of choosing freedom and sovereignty for your citizens.

We warmly welcome you to join us on Team Energy Freedom and prosperity for citizens. President Trump’s agenda of prosperity at home and peace abroad is a team sport! God bless you all.

MIL OSI USA News –

April 29, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Five ways to make cities more resilient to climate change

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul O’Hare, Lecturer in Human Geography and Urban Development, Manchester Metropolitan University

John_T/Shutterstock

Climate breakdown poses immense threats to global economies, societies and ecosystems. Adapting to these impacts is urgent. But many cities and countries remain chronically unprepared in what the UN calls an “adaptation gap”.

Building climate resilience is notoriously difficult. Economic barriers limit investment in infrastructure and technology. Social inequities undermine the capacity of vulnerable populations to adapt. And inconsistent policies impede coordinated efforts across sectors and at scale.

My research looks at how cities can better cope with climate change. I have identified five ways to catalyse more effective – and ultimately more progressive – climate adaptation and resilience.

1. Don’t just ‘bounce back’ after a crisis

When wildfires, storms or floods hit, all too often governments prioritise rebuilding as rapidly as possible.

Though understandable, resilience doesn’t just entail coping with the effects of climate change. Instead of “bouncing back” to a pre-shock status, those in charge of responding need to encourage “bouncing forward”, creating places that are at less risk in the first place.

After the Christchurch earthquake in February 2011, the New Zealand authorities “built back better”, improving building codes and regulations and relocating vulnerable communities. Critics suggested reconstruction provided too much uncertainty and failed to acknowledge private property rights. But the rebuild did encourage better integration of planning policies and land use practices.

Read more:
‘Build back better’ sounds great in theory, but does the government really know what it means in practice?

Swales and sustainable urban drainage in Gorton climate resilient park, Manchester, UK.
Paul O’Hare, CC BY-NC-ND

2. Informed by risk

It can be difficult to predict what the consequences of a crisis might be. Cities are complex, interconnected places. Transboundary risks – the consequences that ripple across a place – must be taken into account.

The best climate adaptation plans recognise that vulnerability varies across places, contexts and over time. The most effective are holistic: tailored to specific locations and every aspect of society.

Assessments must also consider both climatic and non-climatic features of risk. In 2015, in the UK, a flood affected one of Lancaster’s electrical substations, causing a city-wide power failure that took several days to rectify. In this instance, as with so many others, people had to deal not just with the direct impacts of flooding, but the ‘cascading’ or knock-on impacts of infrastructure damage.

Read more:
Giving rivers room to move: how rethinking flood management can benefit people and nature

Many existing assessments have limited scope. But others do acknowledge how ageing infrastructures and pressures to develop land to accommodate ever intensifying urban populations exacerbate urban flood risk. Others too, such as the recently published Cambridge climate risk plan, detail how climate risk intersects with the range of services provided by local government.

Systems thinking – an approach to problem-solving that views problems as part of wider, interconnected systems – can be applied to identify interdependencies with other drivers of change.

Good risk assessments will, for example, take note of demographics, age profiles and the socio-economic circumstances of neighbourhoods, enabling targeted support for particularly vulnerable communities. This can help ensure communities and systems adapt to evolving challenges as climate change intensifies, and as society evolves over time.

Complex though this might be, city leaders can access advice about improving risk assessments, including from the C40 network, a global coalition of 100 mayors committed to addressing climate change.

3. Transformative action

There is no such thing as a natural disaster. The effects of disasters including floods and earthquakes are influenced by pre-existing, often chronic, social and economic conditions such as poverty or poor housing.

Progressive climate resilience looks beyond the immediacy of shocks, attending to the underlying root causes of vulnerability and inequality. This ensures that society is not only better prepared to withstand adverse events in the future, but thrives in the face of uncertainty.

Progressive climate resilience therefore demands tailored responses depending on the population and place. In Bangladesh, for instance, communities are building floating gardens to grow crops during floods. These enhance food security and provide a sustainable livelihood option in flood-prone areas.

Floating vegetable gardens in Bangladesh.
Mostafijur Rahman Nasim/Shutterstock

Read more:
Climate change isn’t fair but Tony Juniper’s new book explains how a green transition could be ‘just’

4. Collective approaches

Effective climate resilience demands collective action. Sometimes referred to as a “whole of society” response, this entails collaboration and shared responsibility to address the multifaceted challenges posed by a changing climate.

The most effective initiatives avoid self-protection, of people, buildings and cities alike, and consider both broader and longer-term risks. For instance, developments not at significant risk should still incorporate adaptation measures including rainwater harvesting or enhanced greening to lower a city’s climate risk profile and benefit local communities, neighbouring authorities and surrounding regions.

So, progressive resilience is connected, comprehensive and inclusive. Solidarity is key, leveraging resources to address common challenges and fostering a sense of shared purpose and mutual support.

Solar panels on the surface of a reservoir not only provide a source of renewable energy but also provide shade and therefore help conserve water.
Tom Wang/Shutterstock

5. Exploiting co-benefits

The most effective resilience projects exploit co-benefits – what the UN calls “multiple resilience dividends” – to leverage additional benefits across sectors and policies, reducing vulnerability to shocks while addressing other social and environmental challenges.

In northern Europe, for example, moorlands can be restored to retain water helping alleviate downstream flooding, but also to capture carbon and provide vital habitats for biodiversity.

In south-East Asia solar panels installed on reservoirs generate renewable energy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, while providing shade to reduce evaporation and conserve water resources during droughts.

In short, adaptation is obviously crucial for tackling climate change across the globe. But the real challenge is to deal with the impacts of climate change while simultaneously creating communities that are fairer, healthier, and better equipped to face any manner of future risks.

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

Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 40,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

Paul O’Hare receives funding from the UK’s Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). Award reference NE/V010174/1.

– ref. Five ways to make cities more resilient to climate change – https://theconversation.com/five-ways-to-make-cities-more-resilient-to-climate-change-252853

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI Economics: Investing in American leadership in quantum technology: the next frontier in innovation

Source: Microsoft

Headline: Investing in American leadership in quantum technology: the next frontier in innovation

Artificial intelligence has captured the public imagination—and with good reason. It’s transforming how we work, create, learn, and navigate the world. But as AI carries the headlines, we also are on the cusp of another technological frontier: quantum computing. Long the domain of theory, quantum technologies are edging closer to reality, with profound implications for the world and American national competitiveness and security. As basic research and private sector advancements accelerate, a new global race is picking up steam. Now is the time for the United States and its allies to double down and invest in their strengths to claim the quantum frontier.

Quantum technologies harness the mysterious and powerful behaviors of particles at the atomic level, offering unprecedented capabilities in computing, communication, and sensing. A single quantum computer at scale could offer more computing power than collectively exists in all of today’s computers. And like AI, quantum computing not only has the potential to transform entire sectors of our economy, but tackle previous insurmountable problems, opening pathways in science, medicine, and technology. The possibilities for chemistry, drug discovery, materials, energy, and agriculture provide promise in solving some of the defining challenges of our time.

Microsoft’s recent quantum breakthrough adds to the breadth and pace of quantum science innovation. The development of our Majorana quantum chip leverages the unique properties of so-called “Majorana quasiparticles,” creating qubits that are more stable and less prone to decoherence. This approach promises to overcome one of the biggest challenges in quantum computing, enabling the construction of scalable and more efficient quantum systems. We believe it’s the type of advancement that can help accelerate the timeline for practical quantum applications.

Countries around the world understand the criticality of quantum technology to their own economic competitiveness and security. During his confirmation hearing earlier this year, Michael Kratsios, the White House Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), rightfully emphasized that the shape of the global order “will be defined by whomever leads across AI, quantum, nuclear, and other critical and emerging technologies.” It is no surprise that over the past decade, governments around the world have poured resources into the fiercely competitive global quantum race. China, in particular, seeks to challenge American leadership in quantum through significant investments in infrastructure, research, and workforce skilling.

The Trump administration’s long-standing leadership in quantum science

Since the earliest days of quantum sciences, the United States has led the research and development of this technology. While most believe that the United States still holds the lead position, we cannot afford to rule out the possibility of a strategic surprise or that China may already be at parity with the United States. Simply put, the United States cannot afford to fall behind, or worse, lose the race entirely.

The Trump administration understands well the national imperative and the risks of falling behind. During his first term, President Trump set the foundation for sustained leadership in the quantum sciences. This included the passage of the National Quantum Initiative Act in December 2018 (currently up for reauthorization), which accelerated quantum research and development. The Trump administration inaugurated the National Quantum Coordination Office (NQCO) within the OSTP. This office was empowered to oversee interagency coordination, serve as a central point of contact for federal quantum activities, and promote public outreach and early application of quantum technologies. These initiatives underscored the administration’s commitment to maintaining the American leadership and fostering quantum innovation.

Last month, President Trump emphasized that actions during his first term “established the foundation for national quantum supremacy” and tasked newly confirmed Director Kratsios to “blaze a trail to the next frontiers of science.” Meeting the moment demands another round of decisive action—one that must be rooted in the very principles that gave rise to the past century of American primacy in the sciences.

Harnessing America’s heritage of scientific innovation

For the last 80 years, the United States has led the world with its scientific and technological prowess, resulting in transformative products and capabilities. This federally funded science and technology ecosystem is essentially America’s golden goose. It generates immense wealth and benefits for society by supporting scientific progress that in turn drives economic growth, extends life expectancy, and boosts national power. In many respects, it is the envy of the world.

The United States has not always prioritized federal funding in scientific research. In fact, before World War II, the United States played a minor role in supporting research at U.S. colleges and universities. Instead, research institutions relied on philanthropic endowments or funding from private companies, often with vested interests. “Curiosity-driven” science, a cornerstone of discovery and innovation, was stymied in the process.

This limitation changed dramatically after World War II when the federal government recognized the strategic importance of scientific research. In November 1944, thinking ahead to the end of the war, President Franklin D. Roosevelt wrote to Director of the Office of Scientific Research and Development, Vannevar Bush, asking how the successful application of scientific knowledge to wartime problems could be carried over into peacetime—and requesting recommendations on a national policy for science. This initiative led to the creation of many of the research institutions and funding mechanisms that have driven American innovation for decades.

For 80 years, American innovation has been driven by two critical ingredients. The first is basic research. This is based on curiosity rather than a profit motive, supported by federal funding, and pursued mostly by scientists at our universities and national labs. The second is private sector investment in product development by companies of all sizes. The United States, more than any other country, has mastered the process of bringing these together.

This combination has led to spectacular discoveries with profound implications for our health, safety, and quality of life. Innovative cancer treatments, the laser, MRI, touchscreens, GPS, the internet, and even artificial intelligence are just a few of the successes from federal investment in research. These innovations have not only advanced science and improved lives but have also created entirely new industries and millions of jobs.

The United States will need this extraordinary combination of resources more than ever to sustain its quantum leadership, especially as China invests more in its own quantum work.

China’s focus on gaining quantum supremacy

Since at least 2000, China has made quantum technology a cornerstone of its national technological strategy and has invested heavily to assert dominance in the quantum sciences. Over this time, China’s public spending on overarching R&D has grown 16-fold, placing it second in the world behind the United States for total spending. It surpassed Japan in 2009 and the combined R&D expenditures of the European Union countries over a dozen years ago, in 2013.

The scale and focus of China’s efforts continue to accelerate. Last year alone, China announced a 10 percent increase in R&D with public reports indicating that China has increased government spending in quantum research to approximately $15 billion. This represents more than double what the European Union has pledged in quantum spending and eight times what the U.S. government previously planned to allocate. And earlier this year, China launched a government-backed venture fund worth 1 trillion yuan (approximately $138 billion) to support high-risk, long-term projects across various sectors, including quantum computing.

In addition to state-directed quantum R&D funding, China has prioritized quantum infrastructure and domestic capabilities. The creation of the National Laboratory for Quantum Information Sciences, backed by over $1 billion, alongside a separate $10 billion investment in key projects such as the Micius satellite^[1], and the Beijing–Shanghai backbone, underscores China’s ambition to dominate quantum technology—with the Chinese government hoping this institutional infrastructure will provide it with a significant advantage in developing and deploying quantum technologies at scale.^[2] Moreover, during the last five years, China has methodically nationalized quantum efforts to pursue strategic, government-coordinated efforts that transition scientific breakthroughs into practical applications.^[3]

The importance of the federal research triad

Given these coordinated efforts in China, sustained American quantum leadership will require continuing support across the federal government. Coordinated in substantial part by OSTP, American strength rests in substantial part on three federal agencies that collectively serve as the driving force of this leadership. The Department of Defense (DOD), the Department of Energy (DOE), and the National Science Foundation (NSF) possess the legislative authority and institutional capability to advance quantum technology research and development under existing Congressional mandates. This “research triad” provides a resilient science and technology research infrastructure as a bulwark against threats to our technological superiority. Indeed, perhaps more than any military capability, this American research triad is largely responsible for the preeminence of the United States’ global leadership over the past century.

Each prong of this triad uniquely and collectively contributes to ensuring American technological superiority.

For example, DOD, through the military labs and defense industrial base, provides a strong and reliable foundation for military readiness and battlefield dominance. There are several notable examples of research efforts funded by DOD for military applications that eventually found enormous civilian uses—the internet, GPS, and voice recognition are among countless other breakthrough technologies.

DOE, through the network of national laboratories and university partnerships, provides a vital link to state and local communities across a range of national security priorities, such as maintenance of our strategic weapons (e.g., our nuclear weapons arsenal), energy security and innovation, and high-performance computing.

And the NSF is perhaps the most robust frontline agency that supports workforce development goals in addition to promoting hugely important translational research through federal grants. Specifically, the NSF provides critical incentives for U.S. students to enter STEM fields from early education through post-graduate schooling by way of subsidizing their apprenticeships in research laboratories in colleges and institutions so they can learn from leading scientists and engineers who otherwise would not have the funds or resources to take on students.

Three strategic actions to ensure American quantum leadership

Winning the quantum race will require us to deploy and reinvest in our greatest American strengths: our intellect, our curiosity, and our drive to innovate and build. All these qualities are carried forward by the three great and enduring federal agencies that comprise our research triad. We will need to activate all three to succeed in the race to develop next-generation quantum technologies. More specifically, to win this race, we must deploy our research triad in three key areas: driving innovation through robust government-funded quantum research and innovation; developing quantum talent and a skilled quantum workforce; and directing efforts to secure the quantum supply chain.

These strategic actions—described more fully below—will require DOD, DOE, and the NSF to work together to ensure our competitive edge in the face of intense global competition.

1. Increase funding for quantum research and development

To ensure leadership in quantum research, the U.S. government should consider prioritizing federal funding in quantum technologies through a directed approach. A survey by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), a Washington-based think tank, suggested that China’s centralized funding approach might offer comparative advantages over the fragmented approach in the United States, where competing priorities can hinder systemic progress.

To start with, the United States cannot win the quantum race without significant and sustained federally funded quantum research. While federal funding in quantum sciences more than doubled between 2019 and 2022 (from $456M in FY 2019 to $1,041M in FY2022), this funding started to decline during the last three years of the Biden Administration (from $1,041M in FY2022 to $998M in President Biden’s requested budget authority for FY25).^[4] This means that the United States is not keeping pace—either with itself or with our global competitors.

The first and most important step this Administration must take is fully funding research and grant programs in the basic and fundamental sciences across DOD, DOE national labs, and the NSF. As noted above, this research triad has been largely responsible for the sustained period of American technological leadership. We cannot make strides in the quantum race without reinvesting and building on these critical capabilities.

Specific to the quantum sciences, Congress can begin by reauthorizing the National Quantum Initiative Act and this administration should work to ensure that all its programs are fully funded. This must include the Quantum Leap Challenge Institutes funded through the NSF, as well as the important work being led by the DOE’s National Quantum Initiative Centers. These initiatives were established through the National Quantum Initiative Act and are already demonstrating results, with each dollar of federal funding typically leveraging additional private sector investment. Expanding these proven programs would spur innovation in every region of the country while advancing American leadership in critical technologies of strategic importance.

But even as we expand federal funding for the basic sciences and quantum research, the administration must simultaneously increase funding for government evaluation and validation programs that are focused on identifying scientific breakthroughs and supporting their continued development. DARPA’s Quantum Benchmarking Initiative (QBI) is the nation’s flagship program and must be expanded as public and private sector investments in quantum technology begin to bear fruit and achieve tangible results.

2. Promote workforce and talent development

Winning the quantum race requires the world’s best talent. While the United States and its institutions—both public and private—have thus far been able to leverage unique, highly skilled technical talent, the state of the domestic talent pipeline is alarming and requires immediate action. At a topline level, the U.S. science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce is comprised of 36.8 million people of which foreign-born individuals make up 43 percent of doctorate-level scientists and engineers. That number is likely to increase given the wide gap between the United States and global competitors at the undergraduate level. In 2000, for example, the United States awarded 900,000 undergraduate degrees in STEM fields, compared to 2 million degrees in China and 2.5 million in India.^[5]

It is therefore no surprise that, when including all education levels, India and China were the leading birthplaces of foreign-born STEM workers in the United States, accounting for 29 percent and 12 percent respectively. The good news is that many international students have chosen to stay in the United States after completing their studies, contributing to the country’s technology innovation ecosystem. For example, according to the 2024 State of U.S. Science and Engineering Report, from 2018-2021, temporary visa holders—primarily from China or India—represented 37 percent of U.S. science and engineering research doctorate recipients. Over 70 percent of these doctorate recipients expressed an intention to reside in the United States following graduation. The same report indicated that when these doctorate recipients were surveyed in 2021 across all countries of citizenship and degree fields, the 5-year stay rate for those who were on temporary visas at graduation was 71 percent and the 10-year stay rate was 65 percent.

In the quantum fields specifically, the number of quantum job postings globally outstrips qualified talent by as much as three to one. Currently, the European Union has the highest concentration of quantum talent, followed by India, China, and then the United States.^[6] The United States faces a critical shortage of quantum-ready talent, particularly as other nations invest significant resources in their own national quantum programs and quantum research capabilities. Without concerted action by the federal government to address this skilling gap, even the most advanced quantum research programs will fail to translate into practical capabilities or economic benefits.

The Trump administration can begin by launching a series of concerted efforts to expand the domestic pipeline. One historical analog is the National Defense Education Act of 1958, enacted in response to the Sputnik challenge. The NDEA provides a useful precedent for how targeted federal investment in technical education can rapidly address strategic workforce gaps.

For starters, comprehensive STEM education programs must be introduced at all levels of education, from primary schools to universities, to develop a robust domestic pipeline of talent. Research has shown that elementary and secondary education in mathematics and science are the foundation for entry into postsecondary STEM majors and STEM-related occupations. To develop this pipeline, the Trump administration can leverage the existing strength and reach of the NSF. NSF programs, such as those specifically focused on the quantum sciences like the National Q-12 Education Partnership, are ready-made vehicles to promote awareness of STEM and quantum technology in K-12 institutions.

Second, the United States can provide grants for quantum research and education to encourage students to pursue careers in this field, focusing not only on traditional four-year colleges but also community colleges and vocational programs that are often entry points for many Americans pursuing higher education. In 2021, the U.S. government supported 15 percent of full-time STEM graduate students (mostly doctoral degree students), a decline from the most recent high of 21 percent in 2004. Here, again, the administration should activate and expand NSF research initiatives, including the NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) and Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) programs,^[7] as well as those focused specifically on the quantum sciences such as the Next Generation Quantum Leaders Pilot Program envisioned by the CHIPS and Science Act. The National Quantum Virtual Laboratory is another promising initiative that would create shared research infrastructure and make quantum education more accessible to students and researchers across the country. Collectively, these national incentives enable the best and brightest of the world to conduct their cutting-edge research in the labs of the United States as opposed to the labs of our adversaries.

Beyond looking to the NDEA to attract and develop the unique talent to lead the world in quantum development, the Trump administration can focus on three additional priorities.

First, building on the themes described above, the administration should address the current talent gap in the current STEM workforce. Although there is no substitute for graduate degree programs to drive innovation in the quantum sciences, the broader quantum ecosystem would benefit greatly from an increase in the STEM workforce. To this end, the administration can again utilize the reach of the NSF to promote adult education, retraining, and professional development programs to facilitate current workers’ transition into quantum-related roles.

Second, research universities also play a pivotal role as powerful economic engines in their communities, often ranking among the largest employers in their congressional districts while generating high-tech spin-off companies that create well-paying jobs. The presence of federally-funded research and development centers (FFRDCs) and university-affiliated research centers (UARCS)—which are not-for-profit organizations established to meet special long-term engineering, research, development, or other analytic needs—also attract private sector investment and create innovation clusters. But most importantly, these entities lead to organic skilling initiatives to up-level the existing labor market.

Finally, with regard to foreign talent, it’s imperative that the United States continue to attract the world’s best and brightest. This requires developing fast-track immigration pathways for highly skilled individuals with unique technical expertise in the quantum sciences, and expanding the number of visas available to employ quantum STEM PhDs trained at American institutions. This also requires the United States to promote, coordinate, and potentially fund international research initiatives with strategic allies to facilitate cross-pollination of expertise and develop the talent pool within a sphere of select, like-minded countries.

This includes deepening ties with strategic allies to advance our collective success in the quantum race. Denmark, for example, has continued the great legacy of Niels Bohr by creating a vibrant hub for quantum innovation—one that benefits not only Denmark, but the entire Nordic region and the United States. Through a steady, long-term strategy that has brought together the government, academic, private sector, and startup communities—including multilateral institutions, such as NATO’s Deep Tech Lab-Quantum hosted at the Niels Bohr Institute—Denmark has become a hotbed for quantum talent, as well as quantum research and early commercialization. For our part, Microsoft has benefited greatly from this rich ecosystem of talent and innovation through the Microsoft Quantum Lab on the outskirts of Copenhagen, where later this year we will expand our presence by opening a new state-of-the-art quantum research center.

3. Ensure supply chain security for quantum technologies

Securing our leadership in quantum technology requires a reliable supply chain and onshoring of key capabilities within the United States. This is a complex task that cannot be achieved without direct action by the federal government that tightly aligns to specific strategic objectives. To that end, the Trump administration could task the National Quantum Initiative Advisory Committee or another board of advisors to develop a detailed national strategy and execution plan aimed at de-risking the quantum supply chain. This strategy would focus on making the supply chain more independent, increasing the availability of quantum components, lowering prices, and introducing incentives to encourage the private sector to make the necessary investments in the United States for chip fabrication and assembly.

More specifically, the U.S. strategy to secure the quantum supply chain must include at least three critical action items. First, the federal government can take a direct role through the Departments of Commerce and Energy to promote the diversification of essential quantum components and materials. This can be achieved through government-organized long-term purchase agreements and the deployment of strategic capital for widely needed components such as dilution refrigerators, superconducting cables, amplifiers, circulators, attenuators, lasers, and fiber at frequencies relevant for quantum technologies.

Second, the administration should work to establish specialized facilities dedicated to the fabrication, packaging, prototyping, and manufacturing of quantum systems and their essential components, such as cryogenic systems, lasers, and advanced chips. By developing, testing, and ultimately producing essential components domestically, this initiative would reduce our dependence on foreign sources and work to mitigate the risk of supply chain disruptions.

Finally, and most importantly, it is imperative to onshore domestic manufacturing of advanced technologies tailored for quantum devices and additional capabilities needed by American companies and research organizations. This includes design and fabrication of advanced lasers and optics, amplifiers, and advanced chip design and fabrication. It also includes critical capabilities for domestic cryogenic electronics fabrication and design, advanced metrology to characterize chips for quantum computing, and advanced packaging and 3D integration for quantum components.

The way forward

At the start of his second term, President Trump signed an executive order to advance American leadership in artificial intelligence. President Trump should now do the same with quantum by setting national priorities that support robust funding, promote a skilled workforce, and protect supply chain security through incentivized onshoring. Taken together, these strategic actions will not only bolster our nation’s security and competitive edge against competitors and adversaries, but it will also drive innovation and economic growth at home towards a new frontier of American prosperity.

[1] Karen Kwon, “China Reaches New Milestone in Space-Based Quantum Communications,” Scientific American, June 29, 2020, https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/china-reaches-new-milestone-in-space-based-quantum-communications.

[2] One likely goal of these massive projects is undoubtedly to signal that the People’s Republic of China backs these investments, thereby attracting and retaining skilled professionals. According to the 2024 State of U.S. Science and Engineering Report developed, a regular report mandated by Congress, China is the top overall producer of science and engineering publications and international patents. For decades, the United States was the unparalleled leader in science and engineering doctorate awards until 2019 when we were surpassed by China. That being said, the United States remains the destination of choice for internationally mobile students, hosting 15% of all international students worldwide in 2020. National Science Board, The State of U.S. Science and Engineering 2024, March 2024, https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsb20243/talent-u-s-and-global-stem-education-and-labor-force.

[3] Hodan Omaar and Martin Makaryan, How Innovative is China, Information Technology & Innovation Foundation, September 2024, https://www2.itif.org/2024-chinese-quantum-innovation.pdf.

[4] National Science and Technology Council: Subcommittee on Quantum Information Science, National Supplement to the President’s FY 2025 Budget, April 24, 2025, https://nqi.gov/supplement-fy2025-budget.

[5] National Science Board, “The State of U.S. Science and Engineering 2024,” March 2024, https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsb20243/talent-u-s-and-global-stem-education-and-labor-force.

[6] McKinsey & Company, “Quantum Technology Monitor,” April 2023, https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/mckinsey/business functions/mckinsey digital/our insights/quantum technology sees record investments progress on talent gap/quantum-technology-monitor-april-2023.pdf (defining quantum talent as “[g]raduates of master’s level or equivalent in 2019 in biochemistry, chemistry, electronics and chemical engineering, information and communications technology, mathematics and statistics, and physics.”).

[7] National Science Foundation, “NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates,” accessed April 24, 2025, https://www.nsf.gov/funding/initiatives/reu; National Science Foundation, “NSF 24-503: Research Experiences for Teachers in Engineering and Computer Science,” accessed April 24, 2025, https://www.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/research-experiences-teachers-engineering-computer-science/nsf24-503/solicitation.

Tags: AI, quantum, STEM, Technology, United States

MIL OSI Economics –

April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Reps. Huffman, Pallone, and Castor Introduce Bills to Permanently Protect the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans from Offshore Drilling
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jared Huffman Representing the 2nd District of California

April 22, 2025

Washington, D.C. – On Earth Day, Representatives Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), and Kathy Castor (D-Fla.), along with Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Jack Reed (D-R.I.), announced a package of legislation to permanently protect the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean from the dangers of fossil fuel drilling. This package includes Rep. Huffman’s West Coast Ocean Protection Act, Rep. Pallone’s Clean Ocean and Safe Tourism (COAST) Anti-Drilling Act, and Rep. Castor’s Florida Coast Protection Act.

This legislation comes days after the 15^th anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, which resulted in the deaths of 11 workers, 134 million gallons of oil spilled into the Gulf over 87 days, the demise of thousands of marine mammals and sea turtles, and billions of dollars in economic losses from the fishing, outdoor recreation, and tourism industries.

“It’s clear that in the 15 years since the most catastrophic oil spill disaster in history, Republicans in the pocket of Big Oil have learned nothing. Offshore drilling poses significant threats to our public health, coastal economies, and marine life. The science is clear, and so is the public sentiment: we need to speed up our transition to a clean energy future, not lock ourselves into another generation of fossil fuel fealty,” said Ranking Member Huffman. “We cannot let history repeat itself. My Democratic colleagues aren’t standing idly by as the Trump administration tries to reverse all of our progress so they can give handouts to Big Oil. Our legislation will cut pollution and ramp up clean energy, ensuring our coasts remain safe, clean, and open to all Americans— not turned into open season for fossil fuel billionaires looking to drill, spill, and cash in.”

“We must end offshore oil drilling in coastal waters once and for all,” said Senator Padilla. “Over 50 years ago, after a catastrophic oil spill off the coast of Santa Barbara, Californians rose up and demanded environmental protections, spurring the modern environmental movement and creating the very first Earth Day. As the Trump Administration threatens to recklessly open our coasts to new drilling, California and the West Coast need permanent safeguards to protect our communities from the devastation of fossil fuels and disastrous oil spills. We must act now to fulfill the promises we made to our children and our constituents to meet the urgency of this environmental crisis with bold action.”

“This week marks both Earth Day and the 15th anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster,” said Senator Booker. “I’m standing alongside my colleagues in the House and Senate to reaffirm our commitment to protecting our communities and our environment. Offshore drilling endangers our coastal communities – both their lives and their livelihoods – and threatens marine species and ecosystems. The COAST Act, along with this critical package of legislation, will ensure that marine seascapes along the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts, and the wildlife, industries, and communities that rely on them, are protected from the dangers of fossil fuel drilling.

“Offshore drilling in the Atlantic Ocean would open up the eastern seaboard to considerable risk, and we have seen the destruction that an accident can cause. This legislation is about more than simply protecting the environment, it’s also about protecting the tourism and fishing industries that create jobs and help power Rhode Island’s economy,” said Senator Reed.

“For decades, I’ve fought to protect our coasts from the dangers of oil and gas development, and this legislative package reaffirms that commitment. Offshore drilling risks devastating spills, accelerates climate change, and threatens the livelihoods of coastal communities like those in New Jersey. On Earth Day and every day, we must stand up to Big Oil and prioritize renewable energy that actually protects our planet,” Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr., Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

“Florida is a beautiful but fragile place, and we depend on clean water and healthy beaches,” said Rep. Castor. “I’m proud to lead the Florida Coastal Protection Act as part of this larger package to stop dangerous oil drilling near our coasts for good. The Deepwater Horizon disaster served as a wake-up call, as the blowout hurt people, our environment and our economy. We can’t let that happen again. Our beaches, fishing, and tourism are too important to risk. We must protect our oceans, our way of life and our future.”

These bills reaffirm vital protections for America’s coastal communities and ecosystems. Under President Biden, more than 625 million acres of U.S. ocean waters—including the entire East Coast, the eastern Gulf of Mexico, the Pacific coasts of Washington, Oregon, and California, and parts of the Northern Bering Sea—were permanently protected from offshore oil and gas drilling. President Trump wasted no time trying to rollback those protections, attempting to illegally reopen those same areas to drilling on day one of his second term. His record speaks for itself: during his first administration, the Interior Department proposed a sweeping plan to open 47 offshore oil and gas lease areas across nearly every U.S. coastline, from California to New England.

Congressional Democrats are taking a stand to protect coastal communities, economies, and ecosystems. U.S. coastal counties support 54.6 million jobs, $10 trillion in goods and services, and pay $4 trillion in wages. Offshore drilling poses significant threats to our public health, coastal economies, and marine life. Our oceans are home to diverse marine wildlife, including the California sea lion, North Atlantic right whale, yellowtail flounder, and countless other economically, ecologically, and culturally important species. There is a long history of bipartisan efforts to protect U.S. coasts from offshore drilling to safeguard our oceans’ enormous environmental, economic, and cultural values, safeguard coastal communities, restore ecosystems, and defend against climate change.

Rep. Huffman’s West Coast Ocean Protection Act prohibits new oil and gas leases off the coast of California, Oregon, and Washington. Companion legislation was introduced today by Sen. Padilla.

Rep. Pallone’s COAST Anti-Drilling Act permanently prohibits the U.S. Department of Interior from issuing leases for the exploration, development, or production of oil and gas in the North Atlantic, Mid-Atlantic, South Atlantic, and Straits of Florida Planning Areas of the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf. Companion legislation was introduced by Sen. Booker and Sen. Reed.

Rep. Castor’s Florida Coast Protection Act places a permanent moratorium on oil and natural gas preleasing, leasing, and related activities off Florida’s coast.

Other offshore drilling legislation introduced by House Democrats include:
- New England Coastal Protection Act of 2025 (Rep. Magaziner)
- Defend our Coast Act (Rep. Ross)
- California Clean Coast Act of 2025 (Rep. Carbajal)
- Southern California Coast and Ocean Protection Act (Rep. Levin)
- Central Coast of California Conservation Act of 2025 (Rep. Panetta)
Original cosponsors of the West Coast Ocean Protection Act

House: Representatives Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), Nanette Barragán (D-Calif.), Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.), Julia Brownley (D-Calif.), Lou Correa (D-Calif.), Judy Chu (D-Calif.), Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.), Mark DeSaulnier (D-Calif.), Val Hoyle (D-Ore.), Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.), Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), Rick Larsen (D-Wash.), Mike Levin (D-Calif.), Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), Doris Matsui (D-Calif.), Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.), Scott Peters (D-Calif.), Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaii), Kathy Castor (D-Fla.), Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.), Adam Smith (D-Wash.), Brad Sherman (D-Calif.), Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), Dave Min (D-Calif.), Kevin Mullin (D-Calif.), Lou Correa (D-Calif.), and Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.),

Senate: Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

Original cosponsors of the COAST Anti-Drilling Act

House: Representatives Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.), Ed Case (D-Hawaii), Kathy Castor (D-Fla.), Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), Thomas Kean Jr. (R-N.J.), Mike Levin (D-Calif.), Seth Magaziner (D-R.I.), Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), Robyn McIver (D-N.C.), Rob Menendez (D-N.J.), Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.), Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), Nellie Pou (D-N.J.), Deborah Ross (D-N.C.), David Scott (D-Ga.), Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaii), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.).

Senate: Senators Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Angus King (I-Maine), Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

Original cosponsors of the Florida Coast Protection Act

House: Representatives Kathy Castor (D-Fla.), Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.), Darren Soto (D-Fla.), Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.), Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.), Lois Frankel (D-Fla.), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.).

Read Statements of Support

Supporters of the COAST Anti-Drilling Act include Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Oceana, Surfrider Foundation, Earthjustice, Turtle Island Restoration Network, Nassau Hiking & Outdoor Club, Lee (MA) Greener Gateway Committee, South Shore Audubon Society (Freeport, NY), Sierra Club, League of Conservation Voters, Futureswell, Ocean Conservancy, Environment America, Food & Water Watch, Waterspirit, Business Alliance to Protect the Atlantic, Clean Ocean Action, Jersey Coast Anglers Association (NJ), American Littoral Society, Save Coastal Wildlife, Environmental Protection Information Center, Defenders of Wildlife, Ocean Defense Initiative, Center for Biological Diversity, The Ocean Project, North Carolina Coastal Federation, Animal Welfare Institute, Wild Cumberland, Climate Reality Project – North Broward and Palm Beach County Chapter, U.S. Climate Action Network, National Aquarium, American Bird Conservancy, and Hispanic Access Foundation.

Supporters of the West Coast Protection Act include Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Oceana, Defenders of Wildlife, Earthjustice, Surfrider Foundation, Seattle Aquarium, Turtle Island Restoration Network, Nassau Hiking & Outdoor Club, Lee (MA) Greener Gateway Committee, South Shore Audubon Society (Freeport, NY), Sierra Club, League of Conservation Voters, Futureswell, Ocean Conservancy, Environment America, WILDCOAST, Food & Water Watch, Environmental Protection Information Center, Ocean Defense Initiative, Center for Biological Diversity, The Ocean Project, Business Alliance to Protect the Pacific Coast, Animal Welfare Institute, Wild Cumberland, Climate Reality Project – North Broward and Palm Beach County Chapter, U.S. Climate Action Network, American Bird Conservancy, Surf Industry Members Association, Business Alliance for Protecting the Pacific Coast (BAPPC), Clean Ocean Action, and Hispanic Access Foundation.

Supporters of the Florida Coastal Protection Act include Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Oceana, Defenders of Wildlife, Earthjustice, Healthy Gulf, League of Conservation Voters, Environment America, Surfrider Foundation, Turtle Island Restoration Network, Nassau Hiking & Outdoor Club, Lee (MA) Greener Gateway Committee, South Shore Audubon Society (Freeport, NY), Sierra Club, Ocean Conservancy, Food & Water Watch, Ocean Defense Initiative, Center for Biological Diversity, The Ocean Project, Animal Welfare Institute, Wild Cumberland, Climate Reality Project – North Broward and Palm Beach County Chapter, U.S. Climate Action Network, American Bird Conservancy, Clean Ocean Action, and Hispanic Access Foundation.

MIL OSI USA News –
April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Young Kim Leads Bipartisan Resolution Supporting Math, STEM Education

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Young Kim (CA-39)

Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Reps. Young Kim (CA-40), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Tom Kean (NJ-07), and Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08) introduced a bipartisan resolution to designate the month of April as “Mathematics and Statistics Awareness Month” and recognize the importance of science, technology, education, and math (STEM) education.

“Math isn’t just numbers – it’s the universal language of innovation and the backbone of many industries shaping our future,” said Kim. “STEM education opens new doors for students, drives economic growth, strengthens our national security, and ensures America remains globally competitive. I’m proud to lead this bipartisan resolution recognizing Mathematics and Statistics Awareness Month and reaffirming our commitment to investing in STEM education so that future generations can achieve their American Dream.”

“As one of only a handful of engineers in Congress, I know firsthand the immense value of a STEM education. A key way we support and strengthen math and statistical sciences is by ensuring a diverse array of talented students have the tools and educational opportunities they need to pursue these fields. I’m proud to join my colleagues in uplifting the current and future mathematicians and statisticians who move our country forward and improve our lives,” said Tonko.

“Mathematics is foundational to our understanding of the world, driving innovation and progress across science and engineering,” said Kean. “I am pleased to cosponsor this resolution recognizing the essential role math and statistics play in our daily lives. I thank Congresswoman Kim for partnering to ensure America remains a global leader in STEM education, technological advancement, and scientific discovery.”

“Math and statistics are the foundation of innovation, national security, and economic competitiveness. As we face growing global challenges—from AI to advanced manufacturing—it’s more important than ever to equip the next generation with the analytical tools they need to lead. I’m proud to support this resolution recognizing the critical role these fields play in shaping America’s future,” said Krishnamoorthi.

MIL OSI USA News –

April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Heinrich, Luján Blast Trump Admin’s Attacks on Head Start, Demand RFK Jr. Immediately Unfreeze Head Start Funding & Reverse Firings of Early Childhood Education Workers

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-New Mexico)
In a letter to RFK Jr., Heinrich & Luján demand answers on Trump Admin’s actions to undermine Head Start as Trump reportedly plans to eliminate the program
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), one of only two Head Start graduates to serve in the Senate, sent a letter to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to demand the Trump Administration stop its attacks on Head Start programs. In their letter, Heinrich and Luján reminded Secretary Kennedy of his legal obligation to administer Head Start, and demanded that HHS immediately unfreeze Head Start funding, reverse the mass firing of Head Start workers, and stop gutting offices that ensure high-quality early childhood education services are available for thousands of children and families in New Mexico and nationwide.
In New Mexico, Head Start and early Head Start programs serve 8,800 children living below the poverty line, including 271 children experiencing homelessness, and 139 children in foster care in 2022.
“We write to express our strong opposition to the actions you have taken to directly attack and undermine the federal Head Start program. Since day one, this Administration has taken unacceptable actions to withhold and delay funding, fire Head Start staff, and gut high-quality services for children. Already this year, this Administration has withheld almost $1 billion in federal grant funding from Head Start programs, a 37 percent decrease compared to the amount of funding awarded during the same period last year,” the senators wrote in a letter to Secretary Kennedy. “It is abundantly clear that these actions are part of a broader effort to ultimately eliminate the program altogether, as the Administration reportedly plans to do in its fiscal year 2026 budget proposal.”
The senators detailed how the program plays an instrumental role in supporting kids and families across the country, writing: “Head Start provides early childhood education and comprehensive health and social services to nearly 800,000 young children every year in communities across this country, and employs about 250,000 dedicated staff. Head Start is a critical source of child care for working families, particularly in rural and Tribal communities, where Head Start programs are often the only option for high-quality child care services. Head Start programs ensure children receive appropriate health and dental care, nutrition support, and referrals to other critical services for parents, such as job training, adult education, nutrition services, and housing support.”
“You even acknowledged the value of Head Start following a recent visit to a Virginia Head Start center,” the senators wrote, contrasting that statement of support with the Trump administration’s actions. “However, as a result of your actions to withhold and delay funding and undermine the administration of this vital program, Head Start centers are in serious jeopardy and have already had their day to day operations impacted. Programs are increasingly worried that they will not be able to make payroll, pay rent, and remain open to serve the hundreds of thousands of children and families who depend on their services in communities across the nation.”
“Since the very start of this Administration, Head Start programs have been under attack,” the senators wrote, detailing office closures and funds that were frozen for Head Start grants across the country. “At one point, the National Head Start Association reported 37 programs serving nearly 15,000 children across the country could not access their federal funding. Head Start programs operate with thin margins and on short-term budgets from HHS, and without any communication from the Administration about the status of funding, programs were forced to temporarily close or to lay off staff.”
The senators underscored how the gutting of Head Start offices and the firing of staff who keep the federal program running puts the entire program in jeopardy, “On April 1st, you abruptly closed five of the ten regional offices that help local grantees administer Head Start programs in 22 states. This left hundreds of programs without dedicated points of contact to address mission critical issues like approving grant renewals and modifications, investigating child health and safety incidents, and providing training and technical assistance to ensure high-quality services for children. While some grantees were assigned a new program specialist, we understand many have not been receiving responses to their inquiries. This is on top of the estimated 97 Office of Head Start central office staff that were terminated due to their probationary status and the recent reduction in force. You promised ‘radical transparency’ as Secretary, yet it is unclear how these actions will improve Head Start programs, and you and your staff refuse to respond to basic inquiries and requests for information.”
Importantly, the senators noted that if Head Start funding is kept frozen by the Trump Administration, many more programs could be forced to close.
“Head Start grantees are still waiting on payments and grant renewals from the Office of Head Start, including programs whose grants end on April 30th, 2025. These notices should have gone out by now, yet we are concerned to hear programs report they have received little to no correspondence regarding their grant renewals,” the senators continued, detailing how local Head Start programs are receiving no notice for the path forward for grant funding. “Additionally, because we started fiscal year 2025 under a short-term continuing resolution, as is usual, some grantees have only received partial funding for the first few months of the year. But with a full year funding bill in place, these grantees should have received full funding by now, yet some are reporting that they have not received the full amount of their grants and will run out of funds this month or next. On Wednesday, April 16th, the delays in Head Start funding led to the closure of Head Start centers serving more than 400 children in Sunnyside, Washington.”
“The Administration has a legal and moral obligation to disburse Head Start funds to programs and to uphold the program’s promise to provide high-quality early education services to low income children and families across this country,” the senators stated. “There is no justifiable reason for the delay in funding we have seen over the last two months, and you have refused to offer any kind of explanation.”
The senators concluded by warning that eliminating Head Start would be devastating, demanding answers on the Trump Administration’s actions, and demanding the reversal of these actions: “[W]e urge you to immediately reinstate fired staff across all Offices of Head Start, and cease all actions to delay the awarding and disbursement of funding to Head Start programs across this country.”
Community leaders in New Mexico are weighing in on the grave consequences of the Trump Administration’s continuous assault on Head Start for children’s futures:
“As a Head Start Leader for over 40 years, I have witnessed firsthand the transformative impact Head Start has on children, families, and communities. Eliminating Head Start would be nothing less than a national tragedy. It would be a direct attack on the country’s most vulnerable children and families – those who have the least and need the most.” said Patricia Grovey Evans, President of New Mexico Head Start Association.
“Defunding the Head Start program would be a grave injustice to young Zuni children, who depend on this vital resource to embark on their educational journey steeped in cultural identity and moral values. Early childhood education is not merely about teaching; it lays the foundation for self-awareness and community connection that will guide them throughout their lives. Cutting this crucial funding threatens to strip away their opportunity to nurture the skills and cultural heritage essential for their growth and future success,” said Anthony Sanchez, Head Councilman for Zuni Tribe.
“Jemez Pueblo’s Walatowa Head Start Language Immersion Program offers a unique and valuable community-based education delivered solely in our Towa language. Education of our youngest community members is important and to have that education provided in our native language is of the utmost importance. As Native people, it was vital that our Head Start program incorporated the Pueblo’s vibrant traditional calendar through art, music and dance while also incorporating other subjects like math and science. Walatowa Head Start Language Immersion Program serves as a model for other tribal Head Start programs who wish to teach the children in their native language. Our community worked for over a decade to make this education culturally responsive and if funding for Head Start were to disappear, so would our community’s work. We cannot allow this to happen,” said Carnell Chosa, First Lieutenant Governor of Jemez Pueblo.
“As someone working on the front lines of early childhood education in New Mexico, I am deeply alarmed by the proposed cuts to Head Start in President Trump’s leaked budget. At the Now Mexico Association for the Education of Young Children (NMAEYC), we see firsthand how essential this program is especially for families inour rural and underserved communities. Head Start has been a cornerstone for opportunity and stability for low-income families for 60 years. Eliminating this program would jeopardize early learning, health, and nutrition services for more than 150,000 children across the country, including thousands here in New Mexico. Head Start is not just a program- it’s a lifeline. Gutting this critical funding, would harm our most vulnerable children, undermine family stability, and set our state back for generations. Continued investment in Head Start is not optional – it’s essential to ensuring that every New Mexico child, regardless of zip code, has a fair shot at success,” said Alicia B. Borrego, MBA, Executive Director of New Mexico Association for the Education of Young Children.
“Children are our most precious resource. Cutting funding for Head Start and Early Head Start, which serve nearly 8,800 of New Mexico’s most vulnerable children, jeopardizes our children’s future, our community’s wellbeing, and our economy. These programs provide vital education and support families and their health, improving immunization rates, healthcare access, and social-emotional, language, and cognitive development. While New Mexico has made bold investments in early childhood, strong federal support is essential for every child to succeed in school and to flourish in life,” said Gabrielle Uballez, Executive Director of New Mexico Voices for Children.
“Head Start has been a massively important force in changing the game for young children. The science tells us that 85% of brain development happens before age 5, so this is a common sense investment, and one that has contributed to decades of American prosperity,” said Kate Noble, President and CEO of Growing Up New Mexico.
“Thanks to my experience working as a Head Start teacher in Santa Fe, I’ve seen firsthand how the Head Start Program change lives – giving our youngest leaners the solid foundation they need to succeed in school and beyond. Cutting this program would mean turning our backs on the children who need us most. This program isn’t just early education; it’s lifeblood for families who are doing their best with so little. Taking it away would break something sacred in our community.” said Deyanira Contreras, Director of Kids Campus at SFCC.
Alongside Heinrich and Luján, the letter is signed by U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Tim Kaine (D-Minn.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Minn.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Angus King (I-Maine), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), and Mark Warner (D-Va.).
The full text of the letter is here and below:
Dear Secretary Kennedy:
We write to express our strong opposition to the actions you have taken to directly attack and undermine the federal Head Start program. Since day one, this Administration has taken unacceptable actions to withhold and delay funding, fire Head Start staff, and gut high-quality services for children. Already this year, this Administration has withheld almost $1 billion in federal grant funding from Head Start programs, a 37 percent decrease compared to the amount of funding awarded during the same period last year. It is abundantly clear that these actions are part of a broader effort to ultimately eliminate the program altogether, as the Administration reportedly plans to do in its fiscal year 2026 budget proposal.
Head Start provides early childhood education and comprehensive health and social services to nearly 800,000 young children every year in communities across this country, and employs about 250,000 dedicated staff. Head Start is a critical source of child care for working families, particularly in rural and Tribal communities, where Head Start programs are often the only option for high-quality child care services. HeadStart programs ensure children receive appropriate health and dental care, nutrition support, and referrals to other critical services for parents, such as job training, adult education, nutrition services, and housing support.
You even acknowledged the value of Head Start following a recent visit to a Virginia Head Start center, where you said, “I had a very inspiring tour. I saw a devoted staff and a lot of happy children. They are getting the kind of education and socialization they need, and they are also getting a couple of meals a day.”
However, as a result of your actions to withhold and delay funding and undermine the administration of this vital program, Head Start centers are in serious jeopardy and have already had their day to day operations impacted. Programs are increasingly worried that they will not be able to make payroll, pay rent, and remain open to serve the hundreds of thousands of children and families who depend on their services in communities across the nation.
Since the very start of this Administration, Head Start programs have been under attack. On January 27th, 2025, the Office of Management and Budget issued a memo (M-25-13) that suddenly froze the disbursement of grant funding for federal programs and services government-wide, including Head Start. Despite the Administration’s clarification that Head Start programs would not be the target of the funding freeze, many Head Startprograms across the country were unable to draw down their grant funds through the Payment Management System (PMS) for weeks. At one point, the National Head StartAssociation reported 37 programs serving nearly 15,000 children across the country could not access their federal funding. Head Start programs operate with thin margins and on short-term budgets from HHS, and without any communication from the Administration about the status of funding, programs were forced to temporarily close or to lay off staff. In Wisconsin, the National Centers for Learning Excellence, which serves more than 200 children and their families, shut down for a week and laid off staff due to the funding freeze.
On April 1st, you abruptly closed five of the ten regional offices that help local grantees administer Head Start programs in 22 states. This left hundreds of programs without dedicated points of contact to address mission critical issues like approving grant renewals and modifications, investigating child health and safety incidents, and providing training and technical assistance to ensure high-quality services for children. While some grantees were assigned a new program specialist, we understand many have not been receiving responses to their inquiries. This is on top of the estimated 97 Office of Head Start central office staff that were terminated due to their probationary status and the recent reduction in force. You promised “radical transparency” as Secretary, yet it is unclear how these actions will improve Head Start programs, and you and your staff refuse to respond to basic inquiries and requests for information.
On March 14th, 2025, the Office of Head Start (OHS) notified all Head Start programs that “the use of federal funding for any training and technical assistance or other program expenditures that promote or take part in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives” will not be approved and that any questions should be directed to regional offices. Programs have not received any guidance for what would be considered “DEI” but this policy is potentially in direct conflict with statutory and regulatory program requirements, such as providing culturally and linguistically appropriate instructional services for English learners. Many programs cannot direct questions to regional staff, as half of regional offices were abruptly closed, and as unprecedented actions are being taken to delay and withhold funding, Head Start programs have been intentionally left with little to no guidance.
Head Start programs are now arbitrarily required to provide justifications for each draw down of funds that is necessary to operate their programs, despite already receiving a federal grant award for these purposes. As of April 14th, Head Startprograms have reportedly received correspondence from an email address “defendthespend@hhs.gov” requiring programs to submit a “specific description of why the funds are necessary and why they are aligned to the award” before programs can have funding disbursed. It has been reported that political appointees must sign off on every draw down of funds. This creates an illusion of improving oversight but only serves to add unnecessary red tape by requiring the manual sign off on hundreds of thousands of individual actions annually across the Department based on two to three sentence justifications. Already some grantees have reported delays in receiving funds, and have reported that furloughs or closures are imminent if funds are not released. For an administration that purports to value local autonomy and efficiency in federally funded programs, your actions have achieved the exact opposite.
Finally, Head Start grantees are still waiting on payments and grant renewals from the Office of Head Start, including programs whose grants end on April 30th, 2025. These notices should have gone out by now, yet we are concerned to hear programs report they have received little to no correspondence regarding their grant renewals. Additionally, because we started fiscal year 2025 under a short-term continuing resolution, as is usual, some grantees have only received partial funding for the first few months of the year. But with a full year funding bill in place, these grantees should have received full funding by now, yet some are reporting that they have not received the full amount of their grants and will run out of funds this month or next. On Wednesday, April 16th, the delays in Head Start funding led to the closure of Head Start centers serving more than 400 children in Sunnyside, Washington.
The Administration has a legal and moral obligation to disburse Head Start funds to programs and to uphold the program’s promise to provide high-quality early education services to low income children and families across this country. The fiscal year 2025 appropriations act provided $12.3 billion for Head Start, the same as the fiscal year 2024 level. The Head Start Act includes an explicit formula for how appropriated funds should be allocated. There is no justifiable reason for the delay in funding we have seen over the last two months, and you have refused to offer any kind of explanation. However, this week leaked fiscal year 2026 budget documents indicated the Office of Management and Budget was directing the Department, consistent with the Administration’s proposal to eliminate Head Start in fiscal year 2026, to “ensure to the extent allowable FY2025 funds are available to close out the program.” If this explains any of the delay in awarding fiscal year 2025 funding, we want to be clear, no funds were provided in fiscal year 2025 to “close out the program,” and it would be wholly unacceptable and likely illegal if the Department tries to carry out this directive.
Finally, the leaked budget documents provided a justification, albeit brief, for eliminating Head Start in fiscal year 2026 that makes this Administration’s priorities clear and puts the Department’s actions over the last several months in context. The Administration argues that eliminating Head Start, “is consistent with the Administration’s goals of returning education to the States and increasing parental choice.” It is shocking to see an argument that eliminating a program that provides comprehensive early childhood care and education to 800,000 children and their families would increase parental choice. It is particularly concerning to see that argument in the context of the significant delay in awarding fiscal year 2025 appropriated funds and what that indicates about the intent behind the Department’s actions. We believe it is obvious that eliminating Head Start would be detrimental to hundreds of thousands of children and families. Similarly, we believe it is obvious that delaying funding like we have seen over the last two months, forcing Head Startprograms to close, and leaving families to scramble to find quality, affordable alternatives puts the education and well-being of some of the most vulnerable young children in America at risk. In our view, that is unacceptable.
Therefore, we urge you to immediately reinstate fired staff across all Offices of HeadStart, and cease all actions to delay the awarding and disbursement of funding to HeadStart programs across this country.
Please provide us with a written response to the questions below no later than 10 days from receipt:
1. Will you reinstate the staff who administer Head Start programs and reopen the closed regional offices responsible for overseeing Head Start programs in 22 states?
a) When is HHS going to share information on the reorganization plan for the consolidation of the regional offices?
b) Please provide the contact information for each program specialist designated to the 22 states who lost their regional office.
c) Who is responsible for ensuring there are no delays or lapses in funding, nor any disruptions to Head Start program operations now that these states do not have a regional office?
2. How many employees at the Offices of Head Start have been terminated, including the five regional offices and the central office?
a) Which officials at HHS were involved in the staffing reduction decisions for OHS and what planning, if any, was undertaken prior to these reductions? Please describe the events that unfolded and name each office that was involved in the decision. Further, please name the official(s) who approved the staffing reductions.
3. Can you confirm that the Administration will distribute all Head Start funds appropriated by Congress to Head Start programs in FY 25, as required by the HeadStart Act?
4. Please provide a list of all grantees with 5-year Head Start grant renewals that startbetween now and the end of the fiscal year: May 1st, June 1st, July 1st, August 1st, and September 1st.
a) Will any funding be delayed for grantees that are due to receive their annual funding on May 1st or beyond?
5. Why are funding awards delayed for grantees that received partial awards during the first continuing resolution for FY25?
a) When can HHS guarantee that all funds will be awarded for partially funded Head Start programs?
6. What is the “Tier 2” department for review that is delaying drawn down for HeadStart programs in the Payment Management System?
a) When should programs expect to receive their funds?
b) Please provide all communication that went to Head Start grantees on the new review process.
7. What guidance and clarifications have been provided to Head Start grantees on DEI expenditures?
a) How is HHS evaluating Head Start programs’ expenditures and grant awards for DEI?
b) What justifications are being used to prohibit DEI?

MIL OSI USA News –

April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to power outages across Spain and Portugal

Source: United Kingdom – Science Media Centre

April 28, 2025

Scientists comment on power outages across Iberian Peninsula, possibly caused by induced atmospheric vibration.

Professor Solomon Brown, Professor of Process and Energy Systems at the University of Sheffield, said:

“My understanding is that the power systems are connected through ‘interconnectors’ in the same way that Scotland and the rest of the GB network are connected, and also GB with other parts of Europe. This means that there is interdependency between the networks but also that they will have to be re-started separately.

“As the two networks have gone down they will have to be re-powered, which means that the grid operator will slowly bring on key generators matched with users (so that production and consumption of electricity match) in regions of the network that slowly expand until the whole system is back on and can then be reconnected to external networks. This process can take a number of hours and may have to be attempted more than once if things don’t go smoothly.”

Declared interests

Professor Solomon Brown “No interests to Declare”

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI: Hedge Funds Down-shifted on Pro-Growth Positions During Q1 2025
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

NEW YORK, April 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Unlimited, an asset management firm and ETF sponsor that uses proprietary technology to provide low-cost, alternative strategies to a variety of investors, today published its Q1 2025 Hedge Fund Barometer, which showed a significant reversal of pro-growth positions in both U.S. equities and corporate bonds over the quarter as well as an increase in bets on gold.

According to Unlimited’s proprietary technology, hedge fund managers came into the year with relatively low conviction and modest views but subsequently ramped up pro-growth positions including long the U.S. dollar, and credit spread and equity bets in line with increased expectations of U.S. growth from the new administration. The majority of those positions were reversed starting in February with the exception of extending bullish positions on gold.

“Hedge fund positioning shows some of the lowest conviction in the direction of asset prices that we have seen in decades,” said Bob Elliott, CEO and CIO of Unlimited and portfolio manager of actively-managed ETFs. “Those positions were a dramatic transition from the beginning of the quarter when hedge funds were ramping up their bullish bets on the U.S. economy. The prominence of policy volatility likely triggered managers’ reluctance to hold significant directional positions.”

Hedge funds eked out modestly positive performance in the first quarter with the mix of sub-strategy returns largely reversing the moves of the previous quarter. Emerging Market funds outperformed meaningfully as Chinese stocks surged meanwhile Equity Long/Short and Event Driven strategies came in weak.

1Q25 Hedge Fund Strategy Performance, Gross of Fees
- Industry Return: 1.7%
- Best Performing Fund Style: Emerging Markets 6.3%
- Worst Performing Fund Style: Event Driven -0.8%
Unlimited’s Hedge Fund Barometer showed other notable moves during the quarter included:
- Bearish outlook on oil shifted towards neutral bullish positioning in Chinese and Japanese equities
- Notable underweight in U.S. biotech
- Equity Long/Short managers remain bearish on U.S. small and mid-cap companies
Click here to view a video on how Unlimited’s technology works.

About Unlimited
Founded in 2022 by Bob Elliott, Bruce McNevin and Matt Salzberg, Unlimited is an investment firm using proprietary technology to create strategies that offer lower-cost access to 2 & 20-style alternative investment strategies, such as hedge funds, to a wide variety of investors. Mr. Elliott has built innovative hedge fund strategies for more than two decades, including at Bridgewater Associates, the world’s largest hedge fund. Mr. McNevin is a Professor of Economics at New York University and has held various data science positions at hedge funds Clinton Group and Midway Group, along with positions at Bank of America and BlackRock. Mr. Salzberg serves as a Managing Partner at Material and Board Director of Unlimited. Learn more at unlimitedfunds.com.

For informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as investment advice. The data shown herein represents past performance and should not be construed as providing any assurance or guarantee as to returns that may be realized in the future. No representation is being made that any investment will or is likely to achieve profits or losses similar to those shown herein. No investment strategy or risk management technique can guarantee return or eliminate risk in any market environment.

Media Contacts:

Sarah Lazarus Zach Kouwe

Dukas Linden Public Relations Dukas Linden Public Relations

+1 617-335-7823 +1 551-655-4032

sarah@dlpr.com zkouwe@dlpr.com

The MIL Network –
April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: 28 April 2025 News release GOARN marks 25 years of advancing global health emergency preparedness and response

Source: World Health Organisation

The Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN), an initiative coordinated by the World Health Organization (WHO), marks its 25th anniversary today. Since its inception in April 2000, the network has been at the forefront of the global fight against health emergencies. By leveraging the expertise of global partners – facilitating alerts, deploying rapid support capacities, and strengthening capacities – it has significantly enhanced country-level operations and strengthened regional development, playing a critical role in health preparedness and response.

“GOARN is a vital part of the global health architecture,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “Through the network, countries get the expert support they need to respond to health emergencies, and to enhance their own capacities for preparedness and response. This means faster, more effective responses and more lives saved.”

GOARN was created in response to the need for better coordination during global health emergencies. While many partner organizations were sending teams to assist during emergencies, there was a lack of coordination which hindered the overall effectiveness of these responses. It was also clear that no single institution could address all components of a response alone. GOARN was thus born following an international meeting organized by WHO in Geneva on 26&ndasg;28 April 2000. Some 121 representatives from 67 partner institutions discussed the growing challenge of epidemic-prone and emerging diseases, and the urgent need to build a global network based on existing partnerships to address these threats.

In October 2000, GOARN played a key role in responding to the major Ebola outbreak in Gulu, Uganda – marking a significant milestone in what would evolve into a quarter-century of pivotal global health responses.

“As one of the first responders deployed during the Ebola outbreak in Uganda 25 years ago, I witnessed firsthand the evolution of our response efforts and GOARN’s role,” said Dr Mike Ryan, Executive Director of WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme and Deputy Director-General of WHO. “When I returned to Uganda earlier this year for another Ebola response, I was immensely proud to see how strong the national capacities have become, led by the Ministry of Health with the support of WHO and GOARN partners. GOARN is an example of how multilateralism works to save lives. To this day, I wear the orange GOARN lanyard alongside my blue WHO one to show my respect for and pride in this network.”

GOARN leverages the expertise of its partner institutions to address global health challenges. Operating as a unified international community, the network has responded swiftly and effectively to public health threats by deploying technical experts to ensure the right expertise is in the right place at the right time. GOARN’s goal is to strengthen countries’ capacities and help build strong, resilient systems for response to emergencies.

GOARN ensures that the experts are well-trained and equipped with the right skills before they’re deployed where they are needed most, fostering seamless collaboration for swift, coordinated, and impactful responses.

GOARN has now grown into a network of over 310 institutions, including national public health agencies, nongovernmental organizations, UN agencies, academic, and other technical organizations. GOARN has responded to over 175 public health emergencies in 114 countries, deploying more than 3645 international responders who integrate within national responses, collaborating with thousands of national professionals to strengthen and enhance local efforts. The network has tackled major global public health events, including outbreaks of SARS, Ebola virus disease, Marburg virus disease, COVID-19, mpox, cholera, yellow fever, disasters such as floods and earthquakes, and war. GOARN has deployed expertise in epidemiology, disease surveillance, case management, clinical care, infection prevention and control, risk communication and community engagement, and others. These efforts have also delivered hands-on training to hundreds of national teams, bolstering their immediate response capacity and long-term resilience.

“Looking back over the past 25 years, it’s remarkable to see how GOARN has evolved from a visionary concept to an indispensable network in the global health emergency landscape,” said Ray R. Arthur, PhD, Director, Global Disease Detection Operations Center, CDC (retired) and Former Chair of the GOARN Steering Committee. “As an early participant in establishing the network and as former chair of the Steering Committee, I witnessed firsthand the commitment and collaboration that drove the network’s success. GOARN has not only facilitated rapid response to public health emergencies but has also been instrumental in strengthening global health, ensuring that countries are better prepared for the challenges of tomorrow. It’s an honour to see the network continue to grow and play such a vital role in protecting public health worldwide.”

Today, GOARN is a vital pillar in the Global Health Emergency Corps ensuring a well-coordinated health emergency workforce, centered in countries and connected regionally and globally. The 25-year milestone marks a significant evolution of GOARN’s role in preparedness and response. Rather than deploying large numbers of international professionals across every field, GOARN now brings in only the necessary expertise to address critical gaps on the ground. Paired with the focus on capacity strengthening and training initiates, GOARN has demonstrated the effectiveness of its mandate and efforts empowering countries to manage emergencies themselves.

GOARN calls on all Member States, partners and the global community to continue working together to build a global health emergency architecture that is resilient, equitable, and capable of addressing future health challenges.

Voices from GOARN, past and present

Dr Mohannad Al-Nsour, Executive Director, Eastern Mediterranean Public Health Network (EMPHNET), current Chair of the GOARN Steering Committee:
“As the world faces the growing threats of epidemics, conflict, and humanitarian crises, GOARN’s role has never been more vital. The network is being called to respond in increasingly complex environments – where conflict is more widespread, and public health emergencies unfold alongside deep humanitarian challenges. GOARN must continue to evolve, expanding its reach and strengthening collaboration to meet these urgent needs.”

Daniela Garone, Infectious Diseases Specialist and International Medical Coordinator, Médecins Sans Frontières, current Co-Deputy Chairs of the GOARN Steering Committee and Dr Edmund Newman, Director, UK Public Health Rapid Support Team (UK-PHRST):
“Reflecting on GOARN’s 25 years of advancing global health emergency preparedness and response, we are proud to be active partners of a network that has been instrumental in saving lives and strengthening health response systems around the world. From its humble beginnings to its current role as a vital pillar in global health response, GOARN has demonstrated the power of collaboration and expertise in tackling public health emergencies. As we look to the future, we remain committed to supporting countries in building resilient public health systems and ensuring that our collective efforts continue to evolve in response to the growing challenges of global health. Together, we will continue to foster stronger partnerships and be ready for whatever comes next.”

Myriam Henkens MD, MPH, Senior Health Adviser, Médecins Sans Frontières, former member of GOARN Steering Committee:
“For 25 years, GOARN has been a cornerstone in the global response to health emergencies. As a proud participant, MSF has been working alongside GOARN to strengthen health systems and ensure a more effective global response to the challenges of tomorrow. The collaborative spirit and shared expertise across the network have made a real difference in the field, and I’m proud to have been part of this journey.”

Gail Carson, Director of Network Development at ISARIC Pandemic Sciences Institute, University of Oxford and former Chair of the GOARN Steering Committee (2022–2024):
“Serving as Chair of the GOARN Steering Committee from 2022 to 2024 was one of the greatest honours of my career. But my connection to this network goes back much further—to GOARN’s first response to Ebola in Uganda. Over the past 25 years, I’ve seen firsthand how this global community of experts supports countries in times of crisis, delivering trusted, timely, and lifesaving technical assistance. Today, GOARN continues to evolve to meet new and complex challenges. What hasn’t changed is its core strength: GOARN remains the partner you can count on when a health emergency hits.”

John S Mackenzie, Emeritus Professor and former Chair of the GOARN Steering Committee:
“GOARN was born from a visionary belief that global outbreak response could be stronger through coordinated action. I was proud to serve on its first Steering Committee, and those 14 years remain among the most fulfilling of my career. GOARN continues to grow as a powerful force in global public health – driven by collaboration, expertise, and an enduring spirit of service.”

Pat Drury, former GOARN Manager:
“GOARN has been more than just a professional milestone—it has been a journey of saving lives and making a real difference in the face of some of the world’s most challenging outbreaks, from Ebola, and SARS to COVID-19. The network’s strength is its ability to connect people, and institutions, knowledge and expertise in real time, turning alerts into rapid responses. As the challenges have grown, so have the stakes. In an increasingly polarised world, GOARN’s role in mobilizing science, and fostering trust has never been more vital. Congratulations on 25 years of extraordinary impact, and thank you to the countless individuals who make this mission possible.”

MIL OSI United Nations News –

April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI: What Real AI Business Transformation Means: Insights from Forbes Tech Council and Intetics Live Webinar
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

NAPLES, Fla., April 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Intetics Inc., a leading global technology company specializing in custom software development and digital transformation, is proud to announce the publication of an insightful article by President and CEO Boris Kontsevoi in Forbes Technology Council. Titled “AI-Driven Business Transformation: Will You Fade Away or Forge the Future?”, the article delivers a powerful call to action for business leaders navigating the era of AI.

In the piece, Boris Kontsevoi emphasizes that AI is no longer optional for companies that aim to stay competitive. Drawing parallels between historic labor transformations and today’s digital revolution, he argues that businesses must move beyond basic AI tool deployment and embrace AI as a core strategic asset.

“The next five years will define the winners and losers of the AI revolution. Companies that fail to integrate AI into their operational core risk becoming irrelevant,” – Boris Kontsevoi warns.

The article outlines:
- The Evolution of Labor — tracing economic progress from ancient systems to today’s AI-driven future.
- The Five Levels of AI Maturity — a framework guiding companies from simple automation to autonomous organizational intelligence.
- Best Starting Projects — real-world examples such as AI-powered troubleshooting assistants and sales automation tools that deliver measurable impact.
- AI Implementation Best Practices — clear guidelines for companies starting or refining their AI journeys.
Boris Kontsevoi also highlights a key Intetics innovation: Enterprise Knowledge Assistant (EKA), which exemplifies how businesses can move beyond off-the-shelf AI tools to build customized, transformational solutions.

This latest contribution underscores Intetics’ commitment to helping organizations worldwide harness the full potential of AI to drive meaningful, sustainable growth.

Read the full article here.

Upcoming Webinar: “How AI Agents Fixed Our SDLC”

In continuation of the insights shared in the article, Intetics invites technology leaders, project managers, and innovation enthusiasts to its exclusive webinar, “How AI Agents Fixed Our SDLC”.

Participants will see first-hand how AI-driven solutions boosted project efficiency by 18% — without overhauling entire systems. The session will include:
- Real-world demos of AI integration with Jira, GitHub, Slack, and Confluence.
- How AI Knowledge Keepers provide instant, reliable answers to team queries.
- Step-by-step examples of how AI improves workload estimation and delivery speed.
Learn more and register here: https://bit.ly/3S80nZN

About Intetics
Intetics Inc. is a leading American technology company providing custom software application development, distributed professional teams’ creation, software product quality assessment, and “all-things-digital” solutions built with SMAC, RPA, AI/ML, IoT, blockchain, and GIS/UAV/LBS technologies. Based on proprietary pioneering business models of Offshore Dedicated Team^® and Remote In-Sourcing^®, an advanced Technical Debt Reduction Platform (TETRA™) and measurable SLAs for software engineering, Intetics helps innovative organizations capitalize on global talent with our in-depth engineering expertise based on our Predictive Software Engineering framework. Intetics core strength lays in design of software products in conditions of incomplete specifications. We have extensive industry expertise in Education, Healthcare, Logistics, Life Sciences, Finance, Insurance, Communications, and custom ERP, CRM, Intelligent Automation and Geospatial solutions. Our advanced software engineering background and outstanding quality management platform, along with an unparalleled methodology for talent acquisition, team building and talent retention, guarantee that our clients receive exceptional results for their projects. At Intetics, our outcomes do not just meet clients’ expectations, they have been exceeding them for a quarter of a century. Intetics operates from multiple offices in the USA, Europe and Latin America, hiring the best talent available worldwide. Intetics is ISO 9001 (quality) and ISO 27001 (security) certified and a Microsoft Gold, Amazon, and UiPath Silver partner. The company’s innovation and growth achievements are reflected in winning prestigious titles and awards, including Inc5000, Software 500, CRN 100, American Business, Deloitte Fast 50, European IT Excellence, Best European BPO, Stevie People’s Choice, Clutch and ACQ5 Awards, IAOP Global Outsourcing 100 and Fortune Innovative 300 lists.

Learn more: www.intetics.com

The MIL Network –
April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Communities and AFSCME Sue to Save Efforts to Stop Trump Cuts, RFK Jr. Anti-Science Meddling

Source: American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Union

Municipalities in Texas, Tennessee, Ohio, and Missouri Unite to Prevent Pandemic-Prevention Programs

Washington, D.C. – A coalition of major municipalities, including Harris County, Texas; Columbus, Ohio; the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee; and Kansas City, Missouri, along with public service workers represented by the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) are uniting to challenge unlawful budget cuts at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that will cancel grants the municipalities rely on to protect people from infectious diseases and pandemics.

The municipalities filed suit today in District Court for the District of Columbia, and the case is Harris County et. al v. Kennedy et. al. Nashville and Davidson County, Kansas City, and Columbus are represented by Democracy Forward and the Public Rights Project. AFSCME is also represented by Democracy Forward. Harris County is represented by Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee.

“The pandemic exposed just how urgently we need strong public health systems,” said AFSCME President Lee Saunders. “In response, Congress stepped up — delivering crucial funding to local health departments to track, prepare for, and fight infectious diseases. But now, this administration is sidestepping the law and withholding taxpayer dollars meant to protect our communities so they can hand out massive tax breaks to billionaires. AFSCME members are on the front lines, vaccinating, educating and saving lives every single day. These actions threaten their ability to tackle threats like the flu and measles and jeopardize public health. We are filing this lawsuit with our partners because that funding belongs to our neighborhoods, not the ultra-rich.”

“Harris County was set to receive funds to support critical public health services—programs that help us detect and prevent disease outbreaks, run vaccination clinics, and keep our residents healthy,” said Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee. “The Trump administration doesn’t get to override Congress just because it wants to score political points. This funding is the backbone of our local public health response – especially during disease outbreaks. You don’t get to break the law just because you don’t like how Congress spent the money.”

“The Trump administration’s termination of billions of dollars in infectious disease funding is both dangerous and unconstitutional,” said Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein.“Cities cannot stay quiet on the sidelines as extremists within this administration continue to defy the constitution and recklessly endanger the health and safety of our children and the public. That’s why we’re in the arena fighting to see this funding released as Congress intended—so that health departments can do their jobs and prevent needless deaths of children and our most vulnerable from outbreaks of deadly diseases like measles.”

“The federal government’s mass termination of local health programs has caused an immediate disruption in life-saving health care services. Metro Nashville joined this lawsuit because the federal government’s unlawful termination of health programs has forced layoffs of Health Department employees, termination of lab testing for infectious disease, including lab tests where the patient is waiting on a result, elimination of programs for childhood vaccination, and more. We were on the verge of providing these life saving services to our unhoused population but that initiative is halted in its tracks,” said Wally Dietz, Director of Law, Metropolitan Government of Nashville.

On March 24, 2025, President Trump and controversial anti-science HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. unlawfully eliminated the congressionally-appropriated federal grants under Centers for Disease Control’s COVID-19 related grant programs, which provide more than $11 billion worth of federal grants to local municipalities for the vital public health work of identifying, monitoring, and addressing infectious diseases; ensuring access to necessary immunizations, including immunizations for children; and strengthening emergency preparedness to avoid future pandemics.

“Cancelling programs that seek to prevent the spread of infectious diseases – in the middle of active pandemics – is not just unconstitutional, it is unconscionable,” said Skye Perryman, President and CEO of Democracy Forward. “The Trump administration’s destructive agenda threatens to deprive residents of essential public health services in the midst of continuing dangers posed by COVID-19 and other diseases, including a deadly measles outbreak centered in Texas that has spread to Ohio, Tennessee, and other states across the country. The stakes here are real and immediate. Democracy Forward is honored to work with the Public Rights Project and Harris County to represent these municipalities, which are fighting to preserve crucial and lifesaving public health efforts.”

“Our government partners have been left scrambling to fill gaps from the loss of vital local initiatives,” said Jill Habig, founder and CEO of Public Rights Project. “These grants were more than a response to the pandemic — they were investments in the people and programs that keep our communities healthy every day.”

Bizarrely, though the reasoning offered by the Trump administration for canceling the grants was the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, the programs canceled were not limited to work on COVID-19, and include work to stop outbreaks of avian flu and measles, two infectious diseases currently spreading in American neighborhoods.

Please find the full complaint here.

– # # # –

Democracy Forward is a national legal organization that advances democracy and social progress through litigation, policy, public education, and regulatory engagement. For more information, please visit www.democracyforward.org.

MIL OSI USA News –

April 29, 2025

Media Contacts:
Sarah Lazarus	Zach Kouwe
Dukas Linden Public Relations	Dukas Linden Public Relations
+1 617-335-7823	+1 551-655-4032
sarah@dlpr.com	zkouwe@dlpr.com

Category: Science

Sex offenders to be stripped of refugee protections

Further background

Foreign sex offenders

Supported accommodation and foreign national offender appeals

Immigration advice

Illegal working

On wider government AI work

Share this page

Updates to this page

How long does it really take?

What determines whether a habit will stick?

8 tips for building lasting habits

Why the 21-day myth matters

A tasteless poison

Arsenic is everywhere

Detecting arsenic

The case against artificial turf

Feeling the heat

Why should I water the lawn?

What about shade?

It’s a jungle out there

Democracy on show

Do they work?

Just an eyesore

Time for a rethink

The dynamite-wielding Trump

Threats today, damage tomorrow

How FDR coped with explosions around him

Sharing responsibilities

All Kinds of Smart

Can we create a learning environment that plays to everyone’s strengths?

Big ideas come from out of the blue.

1. Immerse your classroom in the culture of Ngā Motu

2. Explore AAPI topics through targeted reading practice

3. Develop communication skills while learning AAPI heritage

4. Enhance lesson planning with Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat

The code of us

PM to participate in YUGM Conclave on 29th AprilIn line with Prime Minister’s vision of a self-reliant and innovation-led India, key projects related to Innovation will be initiated during the Conclave

National Supercomputing MissionPowering India’s Future with Indigenous High-Performance Computing

Old ideas in new packaging

1. Don’t just ‘bounce back’ after a crisis

2. Informed by risk

3. Transformative action

4. Collective approaches

5. Exploiting co-benefits

Gut microbiome

Not just genes and lifestyle

A promising mind from Prague

A tragic end

1. Don’t just ‘bounce back’ after a crisis

2. Informed by risk

3. Transformative action

4. Collective approaches

5. Exploiting co-benefits

The Trump administration’s long-standing leadership in quantum science

Harnessing America’s heritage of scientific innovation

China’s focus on gaining quantum supremacy

The importance of the federal research triad

Three strategic actions to ensure American quantum leadership

1. Increase funding for quantum research and development

2. Promote workforce and talent development

3. Ensure supply chain security for quantum technologies

The way forward

April 28, 2025

Voices from GOARN, past and present

PM to participate in YUGM Conclave on 29th April

In line with Prime Minister’s vision of a self-reliant and innovation-led India, key projects related to Innovation will be initiated during the Conclave

National Supercomputing Mission

Powering India’s Future with Indigenous High-Performance Computing