NewzIntel.com

Category: Science

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Ministry of Mines Issues Guidelines for Setting up of Centres of Excellence Under the National Critical Mineral Mission

    Source: Government of India

    Ministry of Mines Issues Guidelines for Setting up of Centres of Excellence Under the National Critical Mineral Mission

    Recognized Centres of Excellence to Promote R&D in all Spheres of Critical Minerals

    Posted On: 16 APR 2025 7:11PM by PIB Delhi

    The Ministry of Mines has today issued the guidelines for setting up of Centres of Excellence (CoE) under the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM). This is in pursuance to a key pillar of the Mission, which is research and technology development in critical minerals.

    Critical raw materials form the crucial supply chain for emerging sectors of clean energy and mobility transition, in addition to advanced technology and strategic sectors like electronics, defence, space, etc. In order to develop, demonstrate and deploy technologies in an end-to-end systems approach, it is essential to conduct R&D so as to reach higher Technology Readiness Levels (TRL). CoEs will identify, develop and implement extraction process and beneficiation technologies for a host of critical minerals from multiple sources and conduct directed R&D to reach TRL 7 / 8 pilot plant and pre-commercial demonstration and create a competency center.

    Under this new initiative, reputed academic/R&D institutions, as per eligibility prescribed, will be evaluated and recognized as CoEs for R&D in critical minerals. CoEs will undertake innovative and transformational research to strengthen and advance the nation’s science and technology capability in the area of critical minerals. CoEs will aim at undertaking cutting edge research and promoting inter-/multi-disciplinary approaches to problem solving in critical minerals domain.

    A CoE will operate as a consortium, on a Hub & Spoke model, to leverage R&D in critical minerals and pooling the core competence of each constituent under one umbrella. The CoE (Hub Institute) will bring in at least two industry partners and at least two R&D/ academic partners in the consortium.

    As part of the process to recognize CoEs, the Ministry will call for proposals from eligible institutes shortly.

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    Shuhaib T

    (Release ID: 2122219) Visitor Counter : 41

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 10 billion Milky Way stars might have habitable exoplanets after all

    Source: US Government research organizations

    Study uses computer model to predict existence of habitable zones in white dwarf star systems

    A research team led by the recipient of a U.S. National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development grant used computer simulations to determine that white dwarf stars have greater potential to host habitable planets than previously realized. The team concluded that many more stars in the Milky Way galaxy might be home to planets that could support life.

    There are approximately 10 billion white dwarf stars in the Milky Way. Because such stars are colder than others, scientists have thought they likely would not support habitable exoplanets. Led by Aomawa Shields, a University of California, Irvine professor of physics and astronomy, researchers used a supercomputer provided by the NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, to simulate conditions on a theoretical rocky planet orbiting a white dwarf. Using data from real exoplanets orbiting the non-white dwarf star Kepler-62, the researchers found that their simulated rocky planet could have liquid water if it closely orbited a white dwarf and had certain rotational characteristics. Their findings were published in The Astrophysical Journal.

    “Not much consideration has been given to these stars’ ability to host habitable exoplanets,” says Shields. “Our computer simulations suggest that if rocky planets exist in their orbits, these planets could have more habitable real estate on their surfaces than previously thought.”

    Credit: Steve Zylius / UC Irvine

    Aomawa Shields, UC Irvine associate professor of physics and astronomy, headed a study comparing the climates of two exoplanets. Computer simulations led her team to conclude that white dwarf stars – previously considered inhospitable to life-supporting exoplanets – could, in fact, host planets in their habitable zones with comparatively temperate climates.

    These exoplanets would likely be locked into a synchronous orbit with a permanent dayside and a perpetual nightside, but the fast rotation of the simulated model effectively thins cloud circulation around the planet enough to allow heat from the host star to reach its surface, warming the planet above freezing.

    “These findings suggest that we have many more targets of opportunity for finding potentially habitable worlds all across our galaxy,” says Jacqueline Keane, program director in the NSF Division of Astronomical Sciences.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Bridgeport Gang Member Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LUIS GARCIA, also known as “Ebk Lou,” 27, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 240 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his participation in a violent Bridgeport street gang.

    Today’s announcement was made by Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; Joseph T. Corradino, State’s Attorney for the Fairfield Judicial District; Bridgeport Police Chief Roderick Porter; Anish Shukla, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, and Acting U.S. Marshal Lawrence Bobnick.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, the FBI, ATF, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Connecticut State Police and Bridgeport Police have been investigating multiple Bridgeport-based gangs whose members are involved in narcotics trafficking, murder, and other acts of violence.  Garcia was a member of the Original North End (“O.N.E.”), a gang based in the Trumbull Gardens area of Bridgeport that committed acts of violence against rival gangs, including the East End gang, the East Side gang, and the PT Barnum gang.  O.N.E. members also robbed drug dealers, customers, and others, sold narcotics, and stole cars from inside and outside Connecticut, often using the cars to commit crimes.  They frequently used social media to promote and coordinate their criminal activities.

    Text messages and social media posts reviewed during the investigation confirmed that Garcia possessed and sold narcotics and firearms, stole vehicles, and was involved in related violent criminal activity alongside other O.N.E. members and associates.

    On August 9, 2018, O.N.E. members stole a Jeep Grand Cherokee in Newburgh, New York, and drove it back to Bridgeport.  In the following days, O.N.E. members conspired to use the car to kill East End gang members and their allies who they had learned through social media were at a deli on Stratford Avenue in Bridgeport.  Although that plan fell through, in the early morning hours of August 13, 2018, Garcia, Ta’Ron Pharr, and Lorenzo Carter drove the stolen Jeep to Stratford and Union Avenues in Bridgeport where they shot and killed Len Smith, 25, who they mistook for a rival East End group member, and shot and seriously wounded Smith’s female companion, both of whom were seated in a parked car.  After the shooting, O.N.E. members transported the Jeep to Indian Wells State Park in Shelton where they burned the vehicle in an effort to destroy evidence of the murder.

    O.N.E. members committed other violent crimes, including murder.

    Garcia has been detained since his arrest on September 8, 2021.  On September 6, 2023, he pleaded guilty to conspiring to engage in a pattern of racketeering activity.

    Approximately 47 members and associates of multiple Bridgeport-based gangs have been convicted of federal offenses stemming from this investigation, which has solved eight murders and approximately 20 attempted murders.

    Pharr pleaded guilty and, on August 30, 2022, was sentenced to 18 years of imprisonment.  On November 21, 2023, a jury found Carter guilty of racketeering conspiracy.  He awaits sentencing.

    This investigation has been conducted by the FBI’s Safe Streets and Violent Crimes Task Forces, ATF, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Bridgeport Police Department, Connecticut State Police, and the Bridgeport State’s Attorney’s Office, with the assistance of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory, Waterbury Police Department, and Naugatuck Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen L. Peck, Jocelyn C. Kaoutzanis, Stephanie T. Levick, and Rahul Kale.

    This prosecution is a part of the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), Project Longevity and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) programs.

    PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. 

    Project Longevity is a comprehensive initiative to reduce gun violence in Connecticut’s major cities.  Through Project Longevity, community members and law enforcement directly engage with members of groups that are prone to commit violence and deliver a community message against violence, a law enforcement message about the consequences of further violence and an offer of help for those who want it.  If a group member elects to engage in gun violence, the focused attention of federal, state and local law enforcement will be directed at that entire group.

    OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.  Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to study of vegan protein consumption and amino acid intake

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    A study published in PLOS One looks at protein consumption and amino acid intake in vegan.

    Prof Tom Sanders, Professor emeritus of Nutrition and Dietetics, King’s College London, said:

    “Protein consists of mixtures of 20 amino acids and 8 of these are regarded as dietary essential because they cannot be synthesised from other amino acids in adults. This cross-sectional study has calculated the intakes of essential amino acids in adult vegans from food tables and compared them with reference intakes. The authors report that intakes of lysine and leucine are lower than reference amounts in vegans. 

    “Limitations include:

    1) There is no omnivore control group for comparison. 

    2) The amino acid compositional data on foods were limited particularly on the amounts that may be digestible. 

    3) No account was made of contribution by gut microbiota to dietary intake of lysine. 

    4) Was the comparator reference intake appropriate? While vegans probably do have lower intakes of lysine and leucine it does not been the intakes suggest deficiency especially as the reference intakes are based mainly on American studies where intakes of protein were high and based mainly on animal products. 

    “Interpretation of the results: 

    “Human leucine deficiency has not been described. However, higher intakes have been promoted for body building in the form of whey protein. On the other hand, there is growing evidence that the growth promoting effects of high intakes of leucine and other branch chain amino acids may be linked to increased risk of cancer (especially prostate cancer). 

    “In practice, protein requirements are estimated for the amounts required to maintain nitrogen balance and support growth. Although plant proteins when tested alone have a lower biological value than milk, eggs, meat and fish (measured by how they support growth in rats) when mixtures of plant proteins (e.g. cereals and pulses) are tested they have high biological value. In most human diets lysine is regarded as the amino acids most likely to limit protein quality. Physiological adaptations do occur on low protein intakes and lysine may be salvaged from lysine synthesised by gut microbiota in the large bowel.  This concept was supported by a recent study comparing vegans and omnivores (https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-021-02790-y). That study measured plasma lysine concentrations did find levels to be 25% lower in vegans compared with omnivores but concluded the difference was unlikely to be of any significance.”

    ‘Evaluation of protein intake and protein quality in New Zealand vegans’ by Bi Xue Patricia Soh et al. was published in PLOS One at 19:00 UK time on Wednesday 16th April.

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0314889

    Declared interests

    Prof Tom Sanders: I have received grant funding for research on vegans in the past. I have been retired for 10 years but during my career at King’s College London, I formerly acted as consultant for companies that made artificial sweeteners and sugar substitutes.

    I am a member of the Programme Advisory Committee of the Malaysia Palm Oil Board which involves the review of research projects proposed by the Malaysia government.

    I also used to be a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Global Dairy Platform up until 2015.

    I did do some consultancy work on GRAS affirmation of high oleic palm oil for Archer Daniel Midland more than ten years ago.

    My research group received oils and fats free of charge from Unilever and Archer Daniel Midland for our Food Standards Agency Research.

    Tom was a member of the FAO/WHO Joint Expert Committee that recommended that trans fatty acids be removed from the human food chain.

    Member of the Science Committee British Nutrition Foundation.  Honorary Nutritional Director HEART UK.

    Before my retirement from King’s College London in 2014, I acted as a consultant to many companies and organisations involved in the manufacture of what are now designated ultraprocessed foods.

    I used to be a consultant to the Breakfast Cereals Advisory Board of the Food and Drink Federation.

    I used to be a consultant for aspartame more than a decade ago.

    When I was doing research at King’ College London, the following applied: Tom does not hold any grants or have any consultancies with companies involved in the production or marketing of sugar-sweetened drinks.  In reference to previous funding to Tom’s institution: £4.5 million was donated to King’s College London by Tate & Lyle in 2006; this funding finished in 2011. This money was given to the College and was in recognition of the discovery of the artificial sweetener sucralose by Prof Hough at the Queen Elizabeth College (QEC), which merged with King’s College London. The Tate & Lyle grant paid for the Clinical Research Centre at St Thomas’ that is run by the Guy’s & St Thomas’ Trust, it was not used to fund research on sugar. Tate & Lyle sold their sugar interests to American Sugar so the brand Tate & Lyle still exists but it is no longer linked to the company Tate & Lyle PLC, which gave the money to King’s College London in 2006.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Against All Odds: Wyoming Guard Airmen make history with Antarctic cardiac evacuation

    Source: US State of Wyoming

    Wyoming Air National Guard

    By Tech. Sgt. Lee Murphy

     MCMURDO STATION, Antarctica – In a historic feat of teamwork, precision, and lifesaving expertise, members of the Wyoming Air National Guard’s 187th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron played a critical role in the first successful evacuation of a cardiac arrest patient from McMurdo Station, Antarctica, in more than 35 years.

    The patient, a U.S. civilian contractor and veteran of more than 20 Operation Deep Freeze missions, suffered a massive heart attack at McMurdo Station. The station, a key hub for the U.S. Antarctic Program, is home to over 500 personnel during the harsh winter months when flights in or out are nearly impossible.

    Temperatures had hovered near -35°C (-31°F), and a prior rescue attempt had been thwarted by severe blizzards.

     Race Against Time

    The emergency began when the approximately 60-year-old male collapsed in the station’s galley. Medical professionals from McMurdo’s fire department, National Science Foundation, and U.S. Air Force responded instantly, finding the man in cardiac arrest — a “widow maker” heart attack caused by a complete blockage of the left anterior descending artery.

    First responders initiated CPR and delivered multiple defibrillator shocks en route to the station clinic. After nearly 40 minutes of intensive efforts, including CPR, epinephrine injections, and eight defibrillation shocks, the team stabilized the patient and began planning an immediate medical evacuation.

    “This was a truly remarkable case,” said Maj. Nate Krueger, flight nurse with the Wyoming Air National Guard. “From the moment of collapse to the successful evacuation, every step was executed with precision and urgency. The coordination between emergency responders, the clinic team, and the flight crew made all the difference.”

    A Dangerous Flight, A Life Saved

    Krueger and Master Sgt. Lyndsey Glotfelty, an aeromedical technician also with the 187th AES, were deployed to support Operation Deep Freeze — the U.S. military’s logistical mission in Antarctica since 1955 — and led the patient’s stabilization and transport efforts.

    In a place where help is measured not in minutes, but miles and hours, the airlift was no routine mission. A Royal New Zealand Air Force Orion aircraft carrying additional medical staff landed on McMurdo’s icy runway during a brief daylight window. Following about 90 minutes on the ground, a U.S. Air Force LC-130 flew the patient 2,500 miles to Christchurch, New Zealand — a seven-hour flight across one of the world’s most unforgiving terrains.

    Upon arrival, the patient was rushed to a hospital catheterization lab where two stents were placed to reopen his arteries. In total, the ordeal lasted about 12 hours from collapse to advanced cardiac care — and ended with the patient walking out of the hospital days later.

    An Unmatched Partnership

    “This was a win through teamwork and rapid emergency response,” said Maj. Thomas Powell, McMurdo Station flight surgeon. “Having a robust cooperative partnership between the National Science Foundation and the military was key to ensuring rapid medical care and evacuation of the patient.”

    The success of this mission highlights the strength of the longstanding partnership between the U.S. military and the National Science Foundation in supporting scientific operations in Antarctica. It also underscores the critical importance of readiness and training in environments where help is hours — or even days — away.

    “This was more than a mission — it was a life saved against all odds,” said Brig. Gen. Michelle Mulberry, Director of Joint Staff for the Wyoming National Guard. “What our Airmen and their teammates accomplished is extraordinary. The 187 AES embodied what it means to be Citizen-Airmen — bringing compassion and expert care to one of the most remote places on Earth. Great job Krueger and Glotfelty.”

     

    Master Sgt. Lyndsey Glotfelty, 187th Wyoming Air National Guard aeromedical evacuation technician, provided in-flight care for a heart attack victim aboard an LC-130 en route to Christchurch, New Zealand, on Feb. 13, 2025. The Antarctic is as remote as it gets, with great distance to the nearest help and limited resources, so the mission contained a standardized response plan for medical incidents and select personnel trained to handle them. Maj. Nate Krueger and Master Sgt. Lyndsey Glotfelty of the 187th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron delivered critical care during a life-saving patient transport mission in Antarctica. Their actions and expert care helped make history with the first successful cardiac arrest evacuation from the continent in over 35 years. (U.S. Air Force courtesy photo)

    The U.S. National Science Foundation’s McMurdo Station is the largest of the U.S. year-round stations and the largest station on the continent. It is the central logistical hub for the U.S. Antarctic Program (USAP), supporting research on the continent and at NSF Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station. Maj. Nate Krueger and Master Sgt. Lyndsey Glotfelty of the 187th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron delivered critical care during a life-saving patient transport mission in Antarctica. Their actions and expert care helped make history with the first successful cardiac arrest evacuation from the continent in over 35 years. (U.S. National Science Foundation courtesy photo)

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: New Attractions and Easter Break Activities at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on April 16, 2025

    Just in time for the Easter break, the Royal Saskatchewan Museum has added two exciting new attractions to the museum’s already amazing line-up of world-class exhibits and displays.

    Saskatchewan – North to South Saskatchewan is a stunning introduction to the Life Science Gallery using high-definition photography and videos to explore Saskatchewan’s four ecozones and 11 ecoregions through an interactive display. The regions light up on a large map while showing Saskatchewan’s beauty through vignettes on a large video wall.

    “This new exhibit will showcase breathtaking vistas and will be one of the first things visitors see when arriving at the Museum,” Parks, Culture and Sport Minister Alana Ross said. “These beautiful and remote locations, from Saskatchewan’s far north to its southern plains, show the diversity of the province while providing wonderful backdrops that will appear as if you are actually there.”  

    Some of the featured images are from Saskatchewan Provincial Parks, such as Lac La Ronge and Duck Mountain.  

    The Animal Sounds interactive display is the second new attraction opening at the museum. Visitors can listen to eight different audio files recorded in natural settings from the province’s four ecozones. As the recording plays, visitors will see the animals in the recording on a video screen along with a visual representation of the audio recording.  

    An interactive guessing game of 58 animals making various sounds is also part of the new display. The sounds are played randomly, giving visitors a chance to guess what is making the sound before a video reveals the animal.  

    The handheld speakers in Animal Sounds also includes an audio induction loop – a special type of sound system for use by people with hearing aids.

    All the work in these two new exhibits was completed by Saskatchewan companies, including Hillman AV, Twisted Pair, Christi Lighting, Mark Greschner Photography and Sticks and Doodles, as well as the museum’s exhibits team and the support of Saskatchewan Tourism.

    With fun-filled activities, programs and amazing exhibits for guests of all ages, there is always an adventure waiting around the next corner at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum.

    Easter Break Programing

    Learning Lab: All About Eggs – April 18-27 (1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.)
    In the SaskTel Be Kind Online Learning Lab, Royal Saskatchewan Museum staff will have drop-in activities that focus on bird egg specimens from around the province.  

    Scotty’s Dino Egg Hunt – April 18 to April 27
    Take part in Scotty’s Dino Egg Hunt where visitors search for “dino eggs” hidden throughout our galleries. Record the letters from each egg and unscramble the puzzle for a chance to WIN a prize basket from the Museum Shop!  

    Share your Dino Egg Hunt fun with #EggHuntRSM.

    Earth Day 2025 at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum – Tuesday, April 22

    • Reflect & Learn (10 a.m. to 11 a.m.) – SOS Theatre (Ages 12+)
      • Join Royal Saskatchewan Museum curators as they share details of their ecological research in our Science-on-a-Sphere theatre, then enjoy an introduction to environmental mindfulness with a guided meditation from Deb Froh, who leads the prairie-wide Climate Compassion Circle.
      • Note: 15 online signups; 10 more spaces for walk-ins.
    • Connect & Celebrate (1 p.m. to 4 p.m.) – Lower T Rex Gallery (All Ages)
      • Join Royal Saskatchewan Museum staff as they kick off an entire afternoon of green activities with songs under Scotty, then host some of Saskatchewan’s sustainability superheroes in our galleries. Craft a biodegradable noisemaker in the Learning Lab and sound off during an eco-parade at 3 p.m. – led by our very own Munchie the T. rex.

    To learn more about the Royal Saskatchewan Museum’s exhibits, events, programming and world class research, visit: https://royalsaskmuseum.ca/.  

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    For more information, contact:

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Vice premier stresses need to consolidate development confidence, innovation-driven growth

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

    Vice premier stresses need to consolidate development confidence, innovation-driven growth

    XI’AN, April 16 — Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang has called for the consolidation of development confidence and strengthened innovation-driven growth to enable steady progress in the country’s high-quality development.

    Ding, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during an inspection tour in northwest China’s Shaanxi Province from Monday to Wednesday.

    He stressed the importance of promoting the integrated development of sci-tech innovation and industrial innovation, and of accelerating the development of a modern industrial system.

    Work must be done to maintain a fair, organized market order and prevent rat-race competition, Ding said, adding that basic research in the applied sciences should be enhanced.

    He urged more efforts to make breakthroughs in key and core technologies, and efforts to increase support for investment in startups. More should be done to improve vocational education and help graduates find suitable jobs quickly, he said.

    Opening to the outside world is a fundamental national policy for China, and the country is willing to deepen cooperation with all parties to achieve mutual benefits, Ding said.

    Shaanxi should be integrated more deeply into the process of the joint construction of the Belt and Road, and move faster to build a highland for inland reform and opening-up, he noted.

    At a symposium during the tour, Ding called for the effective implementation of central decisions and plans, and for the expansion of domestic demand on all fronts. He also stressed the need to help foreign trade enterprises overcome difficulties, and to make greater efforts to stabilize employment.

    Ding expressed the hope that Shaanxi will give full play to its advantages and strive to write its own chapter of Chinese modernization.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Commencement Student Speaker Spotlight: Kristina Delgado

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    Meet Kristina Delgado. She was born in Mexico City, Mexico, raised in Cuenca, Ecuador, and moved to the U.S. at 18. Growing up in a multicultural household, she developed resilience, a strong work ethic, and a deep appreciation for diversity. Seeking purpose, she enlisted in the U.S. Navy, serving aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, where she achieved the highest rank within her enlistment and was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal. Her military service strengthened her leadership and teamwork skills while exposing her to critical gaps in healthcare, igniting her passion for biomedical research.

    Why did you choose UConn and your UConn Graduate School program?

    My path to UConn and the Biomedical Science Graduate School program was shaped by a fortunate opportunity to work as a technician in the Spirochete Research Laboratory at UConn School of Medicine. There, my passion for infectious disease research, particularly on Treponema pallidum, was sparked. The hands-on experience and guidance from exceptional mentors solidified my decision to pursue further education at UConn, where I knew I could grow both academically and professionally.

    Tell us more about your path to grad school.

    My career path began with my military service, which strengthened my leadership and teamwork skills while exposing me to critical gaps in healthcare, sparking my passion for biomedical research. Afterward, I earned my B.S. in Biological Sciences from Georgia State University, leading to an opportunity at the USDA Foreign Animal Disease Laboratory at Plum Island. There, I gained hands-on experience in virology, further fueling my interest in infectious diseases. This passion ultimately led me to work as a technician in the Spirochete Research Laboratory at UConn Health, where the mentorship of Drs. Radolf, Hawley, and Caimano solidified my decision to pursue a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences, focusing on infectious disease research and vaccine development.

    What activities were you involved with as a grad student?

    As a graduate student, I was fully immersed in my research, but I also made it a priority to support diversity in STEM. As an active member of the Graduate School DEI Committee, I worked alongside a dedicated team to foster an inclusive academic environment. It was incredibly rewarding to give back by mentoring and advising younger students, sharing the opportunities and experiences that shaped my own journey. Being part of something bigger—helping to support and inspire the next generation of scientists—was one of the most fulfilling aspects of my time at UConn.

    What’s one thing that surprised you about UConn?

    One thing that truly surprised me about UConn was how welcoming and supportive everyone is, as well as the incredible depth and diversity of research being conducted here. I wasn’t sure what to expect at first, but I quickly found myself in a collaborative and inspiring community. Being in an environment driven by innovation and curiosity has made my time at UConn both enriching and rewarding.

    What’s one thing every student should do during their time at UConn?

    Every student should take a moment to step beyond their research or career goals and get involved in the broader community. It’s easy to fall into tunnel vision when you’re deep in academic work, but engaging in other aspects of the UConn community helps you gain perspective, connect with others, and see the bigger picture. Whether it’s through mentorship, outreach, or organizations like the DEI Committee, these experiences help you grow in ways that go beyond the lab or classroom. Stepping back from the laboratory bench every now and then reminds us that we’re part of something bigger—and that we have so much to offer to the people and communities around us.

    Who has inspired you most?

    I was incredibly fortunate to be surrounded by an amazing group of mentors who showed me the true impact of our work. They taught me that what we do in the lab isn’t just about experiments—it’s about making a real difference in healthcare. Beyond my mentors, I was also blessed with the unwavering support of my family and friends, who constantly encouraged me and stood by my decision. Their belief in me kept me moving forward, reinforcing my passion and commitment to this field.

    What are your plans after graduation?

    Ah, the dreaded question! I’m happy to say that I still have a deep passion for research and want to continue expanding my scientific expertise. While I don’t know exactly where my career will take me—whether in academia, industry, or teaching—I do know that I want to bridge the gap between basic science and its real-world applications. My goal is to develop the skills needed to move into translational research, connecting fundamental discoveries with clinical trials and patient care. No matter the path I take, I want my work to have a tangible impact on healthcare and the scientific community.

    What’s one thing that will always make you think of UConn?

    One thing that will always make me think of UConn is the sense of community here. Whether it’s the camaraderie among fellow students, the support from mentors, or the collaborative spirit in research, UConn has a unique way of bringing people together. It’s this feeling of connection and shared purpose that I’ll carry with me long after graduation.

    What does being a part of UConn mean to you?

    Being a part of UConn means being part of a supportive and innovative community that fosters growth, collaboration, and inclusion. It’s where I’ve been able to challenge myself, advance my research, and contribute to a diverse environment. The connections I’ve made here, and the shared purpose have shaped me both personally and professionally, and that’s something I’ll carry with me throughout my career.

    What’s it going to be like to walk across the Commencement stage and get your degree?

    Walking across the Commencement stage will be a moment of immense pride and reflection. It will mark the culmination of years of hard work, challenges, and growth. But beyond the academic achievement, it will be a moment to celebrate the support of my family, friends, mentors, and the UConn community that helped me get here. It will be a symbol of not just earning a degree, but of the journey and the people who’ve shaped my path. It’ll be a bittersweet farewell to this chapter, but an exciting step into the next.

    Any final words of wisdom for incoming students?

    No matter how many roadblocks or challenges life throws your way, the key is to face them head-on, learn from them, and keep moving forward. Don’t give up, and remember to enjoy the journey along the way. It’s easy to get caught up in the stress, but make sure you take time to have fun, find balance, and celebrate the small wins. Growth comes from persistence, and the experience will be all the richer if you embrace both the challenges and the moments of joy.

    Delgado’s doctoral dissertation focused on “Cracking the Code of Treponema pallidum Immunity: Lessons from the Rabbit Model to Drive Syphilis Vaccine Innovation.”

    Watch the livestream of UConn Health’s 54th Commencement on May 12, 2025, at 1:00 p.m.

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Human connections to seagrass meadows date back 180,000 years, study reveals

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Benjamin Jones, Chief Conservation Officer, Project Seagrass & Research Affiliate, Swansea University

    Benjamin Jones/Project Seagrass, CC BY

    For millennia, humans lived as hunter-gatherers. Savannas and forests are often thought of as the cradle of our lineage, but beneath the waves, a habitat exists that has quietly supported humans for over 180,000 years.

    Archaeological evidence suggests that early humans migrated along coasts, avoiding desert and tundra. So, as Homo spread from Africa, they inevitably encountered seagrasses – flowering plants evolved to inhabit shallow coastal environments that form undersea meadows teeming with life.

    Our recently published research pieces together historical evidence from across the globe, revealing that humans and seagrass meadows have been intertwined for millennia – providing food, fishing grounds, building materials, medicine and more throughout our shared history.

    Our earliest known links to seagrass date back around 180,000 years. Tiny seagrass-associated snails were discovered in France at Paleolithic cave sites used by Neanderthals. Too small to be a consequence of food remains, these snails were likely introduced with Posidonia oceanica leaves used for bedding – a type of seagrass found only in the Mediterranean. Neanderthals didn’t just use seagrass to make sleeping comfortable – 120,000 year old evidence suggests they harvested seagrass-associated scallops too.

    A bountiful supply of food

    Seagrass meadows provide shelter and food for marine life, such as fish, invertebrates, reptiles and marine mammals. Because they inhabit shallow waters close to shore, seagrass meadows have been natural fishing grounds and places where generations have speared, cast nets, set traps and hand-gathered food to survive and thrive.

    Long before modern fishing fleets, ancient communities recognised the value of these underwater grasslands. Around 6,000 years ago, the people of eastern Arabia depended on seagrass meadows to hunt rabbitfish – a practice so prevalent here that remnants of their fishing traps are still visible from space.

    Seagrass meadows have even been directly harvested as food. Around 12,000 years ago, some of the first human cultures in North America, settling on Isla Cedros off the coast of Baja California, gathered and consumed seeds from Zostera marina, a species commonly called eelgrass. These seeds were milled into a flour and baked into breads and cakes, a process alike to wheat milling today.

    Further north, the Indigenous Kwakwaka’wakw peoples, as far back as 10,000 years ago, developed a careful and sustainable way of gathering eelgrass for consumption. By twisting a pole into the seagrass, they pulled up the leaves, and broke them off near the rhizome – the underground stem that is rich in sugary carbohydrates. After removing the roots and outer leaves, they wrapped the youngest leaves around the rhizome, dipping it in oil before eating. Remarkably, this method was later found to promote seagrass health, encouraging new growth and resilience.



    Read more:
    Seagrass, protector of shipwrecks and buried treasure

    Today, seagrass meadows remain a lifeline for coastal communities, particularly across the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Here, fishing within seagrass habitats is shown to be more reliable than other coastal habitats and women often sustain their families by gleaning – a fishing practice that involves carefully combing seagrass meadows for edible shells and other marine life. For these communities, seagrass fishing is vital during periods when fishing at sea is not possible, for example, during tropical storms.

    When seagrasses returned to the sea around 100 million years ago, they evolved to have specialised leaves to tolerate both saltwater submergence and periods of time exposed to the sun during tidal cycles. This allowed seagrasses to flourish across our coastlines, but also made them useful resources for humans.

    Seagrass leaves, once dry, are relatively moist- and rot-proof – properties likely discovered by ancient civilisations when exploring the uses of plants for different purposes. Bronze age civilizations like the Minoans, used seagrass in building construction, reinforcing mudbricks with seagrass. Analysis of these reveal superior thermal properties of seagrass mudbricks compared to bricks made with other plant fibres – they kept buildings warmer in winter and cooler in summer.

    These unique properties may have been why early humans used seagrass for bedding and by the 16th century, seagrass-stuffed mattresses were prized for pest resistance, requested even by Pope Julius III.

    By the 17th century, Europeans were using seagrass to thatch roofs and insulate their homes. North American colonialists took this knowledge with them, continuing the practice. In the 19th century, commercial harvesting of tens of thousands of tonnes of seagrass began across North America and northern Europe.

    In the US, Boston’s Samuel Cabot Company patented an insulation material called Cabot’s “Quilt”, sandwiching dried seagrass leaves between two layers of paper. These quilts were used to insulate buildings across the US, including New York’s Rockefeller Center and the Capitol in Washington DC.

    A legacy ecosystem – and a living one

    The prevalence of seagrass throughout human civilisation has fostered spiritual and cultural relations with these underwater gardens, manifesting in rituals and historical customs. In Neolithic graves in Denmark, scientists found human remains wrapped in seagrass, representing a close connection with the sea.

    Our new research tells us that seagrass meadows are not just biodiversity hotspots or carbon storage systems. They are ancient human allies. This elevates their value beyond conservation – they’re repositories of cultural heritage and traditional knowledge. They were practical, valuable, and deeply integrated into human cultures.

    We have depended on seagrass for 180,000 years – for food, homes, customs – so investing in their conservation and restoration is not just ecological, it’s deeply human.

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

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

    Nicole Foster receives funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe Training and mobility actions.

    Oscar Serrano receives funding from the Spanish National Research Council

    Benjamin Jones 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. Human connections to seagrass meadows date back 180,000 years, study reveals – https://theconversation.com/human-connections-to-seagrass-meadows-date-back-180-000-years-study-reveals-253307

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI: NextNav Announces Appointment of H. Wyman Howard and Lorin Selby to its Board of Directors

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    RESTON, Va., April 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NextNav Inc. (NASDAQ: NN), a leader in next-generation position, navigation and timing (PNT) and 3D geolocation, today announced that its board of directors has elected Rear Admiral H. Wyman Howard and Rear Admiral Lorin Selby to serve as board members, effective May 1, 2025.

    “We are honored to welcome Rear Admiral Howard and Rear Admiral Selby to the NextNav Board of Directors,” said Mariam Sorond, NextNav’s Chief Executive Officer and Board Chair. “Their extensive military and national security leadership, experience in technology research and development, and management capabilities will be invaluable to NextNav as we execute on our strategic goals in providing a terrestrial backup and complement to GPS to address a major national security threat.”

    Rear Admiral Howard (Retired) served 32 years in the U.S. Navy, including serving most recently as Commander, Naval Special Warfare Command and previously as Commander, Special Operations Command Central, Assistant Commander, Joint Special Operational Command, and Director of Operations for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. He has commanded at all levels of naval special operations, including as the commanding officer of the Naval Special Warfare Development Group from 2011-2013. Admiral Howard also serves on the board of Bridger Aerospace Group Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: BAER), an aerial firefighting and aerospace services company, and Invitation Homes Inc. (NYSE: INVH), a single-family home leasing and management company. Admiral Howard graduated from the United States Naval Academy and holds a Master of Business Administration from the TRIUM consortium of the London School of Economics, HEC Paris School of Management, and New York University’s Stern School of Business. Admiral Howard holds a Master of Science in National Security and Resource Strategy with a focus on commercial, civil, and military space sectors from the Eisenhower School and a Professional Certificate in Artificial Intelligence and Business Strategy from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory.

    Rear Admiral Selby (Retired) served nearly 37 years in the U.S. Navy, including serving most recently as the Chief of Naval Research, leading the workforce at the Office of Naval Research and the Naval Research Laboratory where they develop leading-edge technologies for the Navy and Marine Corps. Prior assignments include serving as the Commander of the Naval Surface Warfare Centers and as the Chief Engineer of the United States Navy and Deputy Commander for Ship Design, Integration, and Naval Engineering at the Naval Sea Systems Command, where he drove innovation, optimized performance, and generated new ways of doing business. Admiral Selby also held highly visible roles like the Deputy Director of the Navy Office of Legislative Affairs to the U.S. House of Representatives and command of a fast-attack nuclear submarine. Following his retirement, he has taken on various consulting roles, advising small and mid-sized technology companies. He currently serves as President and CEO of Selby Partners Consulting LLC and is a founding partner in a maritime-focused growth equity fund, Mare Liberum Capital Partners. Admiral Selby holds a B.S. in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Virginia, an M.S. in Nuclear Engineering, and a Nuclear Engineer Degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He has also completed extensive executive business coursework, and his achievements have been recognized through numerous personal and unit awards.

    About NextNav
    NextNav Inc. (Nasdaq: NN) is a leader in next-generation positioning, navigation and timing (PNT), enabling a whole new ecosystem of applications and services that rely upon 3D geolocation and PNT technology. Powered by low-band licensed spectrum, NextNav’s positioning and timing technologies deliver accurate, reliable, and resilient 3D PNT solutions for critical infrastructure, GPS resiliency and commercial use cases.

    For more information, please visit https://nextnav.com/ or follow NextNav on X at https://x.com/NextNav or LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/nextnav/.

    Source: NN-FIN

    Contacts:
    Investor Contact:
    IR@nextnav.com

    Media Contact:
    NNmedia@nextnav.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why were people so drawn to phrenology?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Fenneke Sysling, Assistant Professor in History of Science, Medicine and Colonialism, Leiden University

    B.erne/Shutterstock

    It’s hard to imagine now, but people once believed that the bumps on your head could reveal your personality. For one thing, it’s so hard to locate the bumps on your head, let alone the thirty or so bumps the phrenologists said could be discerned. So why was phrenology such an attractive idea for such a long time?

    Phrenology was the belief that the brain’s activity could be studied by examining the bumps on the skull, in places where the brain pushed outwards. Phrenologists claimed they could read your personality based on how big different bumps were. Initially, after German physiologist Franz Joseph Gall developed the new doctrine around 1800, it was a subject of serious scientific debate. But it was soon labelled quackery by the academic elite.

    But that wasn’t the end of phrenology. In fact, it became more popular in the 19th century, thanks to physician Johann Gaspar Spurzheim who wrote books and gave public lectures in Britain and France – focusing less on skulls and brains, and more on reading the living people. It remained a popular pastime for more than a century, mainly in English-speaking parts of the world but also outside it, for example in China.

    Front page of the American Phrenological Journal and Science of Health, 1880.
    AKaiser/Shutterstock

    Part of the appeal of phrenology was that it gave people a vocabulary to understand themselves and others. With urbanisation and a growing middle class, outside rigid class and religious structures, people were curious about new ways to categorise humankind. In the city, you wouldn’t necessarily know everyone nearby or even your neighbours, so your place in society was less determined.

    This may have led to more freedom but also to insecurity about what your and everyone else’s place was. Phrenology was a new way of classifying others. But it was not only meant to study others, it was also a way to know yourself, just like diary writing which also gained popularity in this period. With the help of phrenology, people could now see themselves as having an individual self, reflected in the shape of their head.

    Those interested could go to a lecture or read a book about phrenology or – if you lived in New York – visit the Phrenological Cabinet, a display of skulls, busts and portraits. If you really wanted to learn something about yourself, you asked a phrenologist for an examination. In the US this would cost you about half a dollar, (US$20 dollars (£15) today). Many popular phrenologists in the UK and the US offered readings. They were often itinerant, setting up shop in hotel rooms or at Brighton Pier in southern England.

    After a reading, clients sometimes received a written assessment, but more usually
    received a cheaper standardised chart that detailed their characteristics. On it, they received a score for typical phrenological characteristics such as adhesiveness (or friendship), spirituality, benevolence and time (the ability to judge the lapse of time, “essential for musicians”).

    The score was based on the phrenologist’s approach. They tended to gauge the size of the bumps in relative size, compared to your other bumps and to other people’s bumps. They claimed that this was a scientific approach, but it gave phrenologists a great deal of freedom in interpretation.

    And – surprise surprise – my analysis of about 160 charts between 1840 and 1940 showed that every single person who received a chart scored above average in most if not all traits.

    The positive results partly explain the appeal of a visit to the phrenologist. Another explanation, writes history professor Michael Sokal, is the Barnum effect. This is the tendency of people to rate descriptions of their personality that supposedly are tailored for them as accurate. In fact, they are often so vague and general that they would apply to almost all people.

    Many people, for example, would agree with the suggestion that they are of above-average intelligence but also experience anxiety and self-doubt sometimes. And, indeed, in my collections of phrenological charts, the trait that on average gets the lowest score was “self-esteem”. If only you work a bit on your self-esteem, is the implicit message, you can be an even better version of yourself.

    Phrenologists were often deterministic when they judged criminals or non-white
    people, based on the skulls or busts they had of people from these categories. Their irregular features or skull shapes apparently condemned them to a life in prison or in slavery.

    But they took a different approach to the middle-class visitors of their offices. The character trait of “destructiveness”, for example, was seen the trait of a murderer, but for a middle-class individual was usually explained as energy for overcoming difficulties.

    According to phrenologists, everyone could play a role in their destiny and people could use their self-knowledge for improvement. Taking time to reflect on the relationship between cause and effect, for example, could slowly increase the size of your “causality” bump, phrenologists said.

    According to early 20th-century phrenologist Stephen Tracht, it took three weeks for a child, three years for a young man, and more once you were 45 or 50, to develop a specific part of the brain.

    These practices show how in phrenology self-knowledge and self-improvement came to be seen as two sides of the same coin. And while not everyone will have accepted their phrenological assessment as an absolute truth and customers often took only the information from it that they liked, phrenology did become part of people’s vocabulary, and with it the message that with the right tools, they could become a better version of themselves.

    Fenneke Sysling received funding from the Dutch Research Council

    – ref. Why were people so drawn to phrenology? – https://theconversation.com/why-were-people-so-drawn-to-phrenology-246646

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Four ways to get out of bed in the morning – and beat grogginess

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Trudy Meehan, Lecturer, Centre for Positive Psychology and Health, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences

    Studio Romantic/Shutterstock

    If you feel like “waking up is the hardest thing I do all day” then you’re not alone. The experience has been termed “sleep inertia” and while it’s a normal part of the sleep-wake experience, it can be frustrating to wake up feeling tired.

    Much of the research on sleep inertia focuses on reducing the risk of performance impairment and we are yet to find clear empirical evidence to support the use of any one single reactive countermeasure.

    The most promising evidence is for the use of caffeine: taken before a short nap of less than 30 minutes, it has been shown to reduce the effects of sleep inertia. While this is helpful if you need to recover after a rest during the day, heading back to bed for a nap just after waking up isn’t very practical for most of us.

    So here are some more practical tips that you can use to help you get out of bed.

    Get an alarm clock

    If you’re struggling to get out of bed in the morning the first thing to ask is, where is your smart phone? Do you keep it next to the bed as an alarm clock? Make getting an old fashioned alarm clock your priority.

    The mere presence of the phone near you as you sleep reduces sleep quality – if it’s nearby, it’s too hard to resist. It’s not just through disruptive notifications (putting it on silent isn’t good enough). Having the phone next to you as you sleep can induce anticipatory anxiety and increase emotional arousal. Just knowing it’s there will keep you at a level of alertness that is not conducive to falling off into a deep sleep.

    There’s an additional benefit to keeping the phone out of your room: you are less likely to check it first thing in the morning. There are many reasons to avoid this habit, one of the most compelling centres around the problem of micro-dosing ourselves with dopamine before we even get enough motivation to get out of the bed.

    Dopamine plays a central role in motivation and craving. It peaks and troughs throughout our day, dopamine dips are functional because we feel discomfort and that propels us to seek relief. Think cave men and women needing the motivation to leave the safety of the cave to find food, water or a mate. Leaving the cave was high risk, and the push from our dopamine drop discomfort would have been essential to get us up and out.

    We forget how much of our brain still works in these ancient ways. Humans still rely on the same system to get out of bed. When we reach for a smartphone, we’re met with rapid, bite-sized dopamine hits – notifications, beautiful people, likes, novel information. These micro-stimuli may blunt the natural dip in dopamine, circumventing the discomfort we need to motivate us to get moving. Instead of experiencing a rise in drive, we feel artificially satisfied, making it easier to stay curled up under the warm covers.

    Don’t hit snooze

    You’ve got the devices out of your bedroom – but now you need to work on your relationship with your alarm clock. Don’t hit snooze.

    Hitting snooze increases the likelihood of dropping back into a deep sleep phase and will induce regular sleep disruptions and unwanted sleep stage transitions. These all increase the impact of sleep inertia and reduce vigour.

    If you really struggle to avoid the seductive snooze button, there are alarm clocks available that usually come with wheels that will take themselves out of your reach. A bit of movement to help get you out of bed as a bonus.

    Or, think about getting an alarm clock that opens your curtains to let in the morning light. Brief bright light exposure has been shown to improve alertness and energy

    Remember when your parents pulled the covers off the bed?

    Anyone who had older siblings, or a parent or caregiver involved in getting them out of bed when you were an adolescent will have experienced having the cover pulled off the bed as a last ditch effort to move you along. It turns out that there may have been some wisdom to this method.

    Cooling the extremities immediately after waking up is a promising way to accelerate recovery from sleep inerita. And while we are staying old school, if all else fails, wash your face.

    Maybe you need to stay in bed?

    Most importantly of all, maybe you are just tired and need to stay in bed. That’s not a moral failing or a collapse of your will power. You might just actually need more rest.

    If you’re someone who is genuinely sleep deprived or living with an energy sapping illness or a life event that’s taking all your resources, maybe you need to make space for staying in bed. Critical disability scholar Ellen Samuels writes about “crip time”. Sometimes illness or disability change our relationship with time and we need to go at a different pace. Samuels and other scholars reflect on the paradox of needing to slow down in order to keep up.

    So sometimes the problem is the expectation that we force our minds and bodies into unrealistic performances of competency and productivity – and sometimes it’s going to have to be okay to not get out of bed.

    Trudy Meehan 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. Four ways to get out of bed in the morning – and beat grogginess – https://theconversation.com/four-ways-to-get-out-of-bed-in-the-morning-and-beat-grogginess-254334

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How could Canada deter an invasion? Nukes and mandatory military service

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Aisha Ahmad, Associate Professor, Political Science, University of Toronto

    United States President Donald Trump has been loud and clear. America’s liberal democratic allies cannot rely on the U.S. to protect them.

    Trump has also suggested using illegal force to achieve his own imperialist ambitions, even against former allies.

    Message received.

    Canadians and Europeans understand the American partnership is over.

    They’re now processing the implications of America’s apparent democratic collapse for global security.

    Does Trump’s stance mean that liberal democracies are now vulnerable to invasions, annexations and theft of natural resources? Yes, it does.



    Read more:
    An American military invasion of Canada? No longer unthinkable, but highly unlikely

    International security scholarship shows that, unless they are deterred, predatory superpowers use force to seize territory and natural resources for the purpose of aggrandizement.

    While an invasion of Canada is not imminent, the threats to democratic nations are now fully detectable and predictable.

    The responsible time to deter these threats is right now.

    Asymmetric deterrence

    Deterrence works when the imposed cost of an action is higher than its expected benefit. That means a hostile power won’t attack Canada if the risks of invasion are higher than the value of seizing our natural resources.

    Given that Canada is extremely resource-rich, that’s a challenge.

    While the Canadian government can make smart choices on military procurement, there is little any Canadian leader can do to transform the Canadian Armed Forces into a superpower army.

    Even if Canada redirected every penny of its budget to defence spending, it could not catch up with American, Russian or Chinese military power. Given this asymmetry, is deterrence possible?

    Absolutely.

    To get there, Canada must take two big steps: first, adopt a “whole-of-society” defence system to protect the homeland; and second, contribute to a democratic nuclear umbrella.



    Read more:
    Amid U.S. threats, Canada’s national security plans must include training in non-violent resistance

    Whole-of-society defence

    In “whole-of-society” defence, all citizens play a role in national security and emergency response. This approach requires mandatory military service and nationwide civil defence preparations.

    Whole-of-society defence not only improves societal resilience, but it also scares away potential invaders.

    Ordinary citizens can in fact defeat superpowers using nothing more than small arms and light weapons. The U.S. and Russia have both been trounced in the past by well-armed resistance movements.

    For a power-drunk dictator, whole-of-society defence is a sobering reality check.

    The presence of a large, well-armed and well-trained domestic population promises invaders a bloody, expensive and protracted ground war. That means high risks, low rewards, skyrocketing costs and decades-long timelines.

    That’s enough to deter a predatory superpower.



    Read more:
    Why annexing Canada would destroy the United States

    Many of Canada’s democratic allies have already embraced whole-of-society defence. Norway, Finland, Sweden and Switzerland all have mandatory military service and civil defence, and sensible gun regulations that allow law-abiding citizens to contribute to national security.

    Canada has every reason to adopt the Scandinavian approach to national defence, including mandatory military and civil service and the removal of some restrictions on Canadian firearms. An excellent model to consider is Sweden’s brand new “Total Defence” system.

    Norwegians, Finns and Swedes are peaceful people who have learned to survive next to a dangerous superpower. Canadians must look at their own vulnerabilities and see the logic and wisdom behind the Scandinavian approach.

    A democratic nuclear umbrella

    Although the 1968 Non-Proliferation Treaty prohibits nuclear weapons development, the Trump administration’s utter disdain for democratic allies has prompted a global rethink. Trump has demanded NATO countries stop relying on the U.S. military and spend more on their own defence.

    Nuclear weapons acquisition complies with his demand.

    Germany and Poland have reopened the nuclear debate, but most European democracies lack the materials to develop their own weapons. Instead, they are looking to France and the United Kingdom to create a new European nuclear umbrella.

    Some Canadians hope the U.K. and French umbrellas could protect Canada, too.

    That’s the wrong mentality.

    The U.K. and France have a combined 515 nuclear weapons. Russia has 5,580.

    Instead of asking the U.K. and France to further stretch their limited arsenals, Canada could step up and contribute to the solution.

    Canada is already a nuclear-threshold state with both the know-how and raw materials to develop a nuclear weapon. It would take time and money, but Canada is in a better position to help than most other European countries.

    Once across the nuclear threshold, Canada would have a bulletproof defence of its homeland. It could then work with the U.K. and France as an equal and reliable partner, contributing to a democratic nuclear umbrella to protect vulnerable allies.

    This would require formal withdrawal from the Non-Proliferation Treaty, but that action doesn’t need to be provocative or unilateral. Canada could co-ordinate its withdrawal with European allies as part of a collective defence of liberal democracies.

    In the face of rising tyranny and superpower conquest, Canada can either choose to be a burden on its overstretched French and British allies or a source of renewed safety for its democratic friends.

    Defending democracy

    Deterrence is hard work, but it is infinitely better than the horrors of invasion.

    Mandatory military service and nuclear weapons may be new ideas for Canadians, but other friendly democracies have been using these strategies for decades.

    The good news is that successful deterrence means stability and peace, so citizens can relax and carry on with their lives. Canadians want this safety for themselves, and for their allies, too.

    The time for Canada to act is now, when threats are foreseeable but not imminent. Waiting until an army amasses at the border is too late.

    To deter aggression, Canadians need to step up and be a little more like their Scandinavian, British and French allies. That is the price of continued freedom.

    Aisha Ahmad receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

    – ref. How could Canada deter an invasion? Nukes and mandatory military service – https://theconversation.com/how-could-canada-deter-an-invasion-nukes-and-mandatory-military-service-253414

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to study looking at lab-grown chicken muscle tissue chunks

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    A study published in Trends in Biotechnology looks at lab grown chicken chunks. 

    Dr Rodrigo Amaro-Ledesma, Director of the Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein,  Imperial College London, said:

    “One of the key goals for cultivated meat is replicating the texture and structure of whole-cut products, such as chicken breast or steak.  Muscle tissue needs oxygen and nutrients delivered deep into the structure to remain viable.  As a result, most cultivated meat companies have initially focused on producing unstructured or ‘mince-style’ products, which are more feasible to produce at scale with current technologies.

    “This new paper presents an innovative approach to addressing the whole-cut challenge by using a Hollow Fiber Bioreactor (HFB), which mimics a circulatory system to deliver nutrients and oxygen across thick tissue constructs.  What is unique about this system is the cell alignment and muscle cell differentiation, showing potential for fibrous aligned products generated by the cells themselves.

    “It’s a meaningful technical achievement that they have produced a cultivated chicken meat several centimetres thick.  If you combine that with the research we’re conducting at the Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein – fine-tuning flavour profiles and exploring alternative, cost-effective raw materials – we’re comfortably on track towards an exciting and appealing new range of products.

    “While the study highlights remaining hurdles such as the use of edible or food-safe materials and improving oxygen delivery at scale, broader challenges for the field remain.

    “Cultivated meat is a promising alternative to conventional meat because it offers the potential to reduce environmental impacts (e.g. greenhouse gas emissions, land and water use), eliminate the need for animal slaughter, and improve food safety by avoiding the use of antibiotics and reducing the risk of zoonotic diseases, amongst other advantages.

    “In order for cultivated meat products to hit the supermarket shelves in a big way, they need to also be a hit with consumers.  In the UK, we have the legacy of alternative proteins like Quorn, which are already more popular here than abroad.  More widely, there’s not only a taste, texture and nutrition barrier, but cultural, religious and habitual factors can prevent people trying new products no matter how appealing they can be.  At the Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein at Imperial College London, we are combining cutting edge research, innovation, education and gastronomy to make headway on safety, quality and consumer acceptance.”

    Prof Derek Stewart, Director of the Advanced Plant Growth Centre and Co-Director of the National Alternative Protein Innovation Centre, The James Hutton Institute, said:

    “The science on display here is solid and robust, with a significant level of supplementary material to support the conclusions.  This is an exciting advance in the alternative protein sector and specifically culture meat, and addresses many of the challenges that were seen as stumbling blocks such as aligned cell growth to deliver the meat texture sensory experience as well as the fundamental issues of getting nutrients and oxygen to the growing solid meat tissue.  The use of hollow fibre supports (in essence scaffolds) and the advances herein will open up many areas of allied research (and undoubtedly investment) with scaleup options now seemingly achievable with the progression from this paper in terms of better sensors, robotics and ultimately AI for control.

    “Limitations of the system presented are identified with the need to create better conveyable oxygen in the nutrient media, pressure control in media deliver in scaled up systems and the precise removal of the hollow fibres to deliver a uniform and appetising cut of whole meat.  However, these issues seem solvable.

    “As for all cultured meat production, the issues of energy use and associated sustainability need to be addressed but the proliferation of renewables and private wire connections could be a route to solving that conundrum.”

    ‘Scalable tissue biofabrication via perfusable hollow fiber arrays for cultured meat applications’ by Minghao Nie et al. was published in Trends in Biotechnology at 16:00 UK time on Wednesday 16 April 2025. 

    DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2025.02.022

    Declared interests

    Dr Rodrigo Amaro-Ledesma: “Nothing beyond that I am the Director of the Bezos Centre.”

    Prof Derek Stewart: “Prof Stewart has no conflicts of interest in relation to this research.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: South Africa’s domestic workers still battle with echoes of a racist past

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Amy Jo Murray, Social psychologist, University of Johannesburg

    There are 861,000 domestic workers employed in South Africa. They make up about 25% of the informal (non-agricultural) labour sector. By and large, it is still uneducated, black working-class females who clean and care for the country’s middle- to upper-class homes. It’s an eerily familiar scene.

    Paid domestic work provides a microcosm of South Africa’s continuing struggle with its apartheid past. While the slavery of the colonial era and the servitude of black people under apartheid’s white minority rule are now gone, paid domestic work has adapted to post-apartheid realities. A great deal has changed in the country’s legal landscape, but domestic labour preserves racial identities and inequalities.

    Read more: What is apartheid? New book for young readers explains South Africa’s racist system

    We have researched domestic labour in South Africa extensively for more than a decade, including the first author’s PhD. We have done in-depth interviews with over 70 employers and workers through a range of studies in the province of KwaZulu-Natal.

    Our research shows that these racial identities and inequalities persist, particularly when domestic employers and workers avoid discussing the racial aspects of their relationships, feeling these are “too close for comfort” and liable to evoke explosive apartheid-era stereotypes.

    It’s clear that the injustices of paid domestic labour cannot be solved through legislation alone. The history, norms, and pain from the country’s past run too deep. They touch people personally, and affect the way they engage each other (or don’t).

    Social change requires innovative solutions to disrupt the status quo, while also facing the country’s haunting past.

    Changes on paper

    The end of apartheid in 1994 brought about a wave of changes, including equal rights for all citizens. Labour laws were extensively reformed. Rights and standards for domestic workers were introduced to address wages, working conditions, and other aspects of employment, theoretically ensuring fair treatment.

    These legal advancements led to some improvements in the minimum wage and the use of employment contracts of domestic workers. But they didn’t stop entrenched practices like payments-in-kind (for example giving groceries or housing instead of cash) and unpaid overtime.

    Read more: Why Nigerian women in Oyo state use child domestic workers

    The informal and private nature of domestic work makes it difficult to regulate. Progressive laws cannot reach here to eliminate cultural attitudes and behaviours that echo apartheid.

    In other words…

    In her 1980 book Maids and Madams, South African sociologist Jacklyn Cock was one of the first researchers to treat paid domestic labour as a reflection of broad structures of oppression in the country. She set out how apartheid racial hierarchies were overt, widely acknowledged, and crudely enacted. Domestic workers faced conditions close to slavery, with employers wielding unchecked power over their lives. Domestic work reinforced a rigid racial hierarchy, clearly demarcating the roles and status of the “madam” and the “maid”.

    Through a close analysis of extensive interviews, our research shows how language underpins this relationship today, both through what is said and what isn’t. Domestic workers and employers go to great lengths not to talk about themselves as the “maid” or the “madam”. They focus instead on intimacy, reciprocation, and mutual support, avoiding the need to negotiate their employment relationship or any other topic that might arouse issues relating to race or inequality.

    Read more: Household gardeners in South Africa: a survivalist life with little protection

    Middle- to upper-class employers are particularly sensitive to racial stereotypes and avoid language that hints at hierarchy or power. They sometimes say that domestic workers “feel like one of the family”, which obscures the underlying power dynamics.

    This matters because it allows potentially unfair or exploitative labour practices to be carried out under the guise of “familial” relations. For example, we might expect an aunt to go the extra mile for the family, staying late to help out and showing she cares about the household. Outside of these familial boundaries, an “employee” should not have these obligations.

    An employer supervises a domestic worker in the kitchen. David Turnley/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images

    Polite language can create a veneer of equality that hides ongoing exploitation. To avoid sounding like “the baas” (boss) or “the madam”, with racial overtones, many employers are reluctant to give direct feedback or set clear boundaries for their employees.

    Instead, we found that many give ambiguous instructions, or no instructions at all, avoiding the uncomfortable post-apartheid situation of being a middle-class white woman telling a working-class black woman what to do. This can lead to confusion, frustration, and potentially unfair treatment. As a result, employers may feel that their expectations go unfulfilled and workers don’t know what is required of them.

    Read more: Male domestic workers in South Africa – study sheds light on the experiences of Malawian and Zimbabwean migrants

    Calculations based on Quarterly Labour Force Statistics consistently demonstrate that only 20% of domestic workers are registered for the state’s Unemployment Insurance Fund. Instead, work relationships are regulated by informal understandings between parties, a fact that became apparent when domestic workers could not access unemployment insurance benefits during the COVID-19 lockdowns.

    A contract requires negotiations that would make the employment-centred nature of the relationship, with its hierarchy and expectations, undeniable for all involved.

    Perhaps unsurprisingly, these sensitivities and avoidances are apparent in conversations with domestic workers too. Workers prefer to focus on the value of their labour and justify, subvert, and evaluate their place in their employer’s household. Sometimes they talk about themselves as being “the boss” or “the owner” of the house, based on the responsibilities they have, the types of work they do – like caring for children or the elderly in the household – and the amount of time that they spend tending the home.

    However, these assertions have a hollow ring when workers are excluded from big decisions in the household, like their right to have visitors, or small decisions like where to place household furniture. Feeling like part of the family is ruptured by exclusion from intimate moments like family celebrations, creating an all too familiar reminder of race and hierarchy.

    Moving forward

    The very real progress that has been made over the past 30 years of democracy should be celebrated. Legal reforms have achieved basic rights for domestic workers. Nevertheless, the spectre of apartheid still haunts South Africa and it’s clear that much work remains to be done.

    It’s our view that disrupting the patterns that seem so ingrained in this relationship will take fresh thinking. Mutually negotiated employment contracts should be a norm. Professionalising paid domestic labour provides the opportunity to break the informality that has come to define domestic labour relations in South Africa.

    And, with increasing access to the internet in South Africa, the digitisation of domestic labour holds promise for instituting social change through technology.

    This has been successful in the developing world, including the African continent.

    Read more: 12% of working women in South Africa are domestic workers – yet they don’t receive proper maternity leave or pay

    Workers have greater agency to market themselves, choose where and who to work for, and to rate and regulate employers. Online platforms could also provide the opportunity for vetting each other and for negotiating compliance with regulations.

    – South Africa’s domestic workers still battle with echoes of a racist past
    – https://theconversation.com/south-africas-domestic-workers-still-battle-with-echoes-of-a-racist-past-250302

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Africa’s traditional fermented foods – and why we should keep consuming them

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Florence Malongane, Senior lecturer, University of South Africa

    Fermentation is a process where microorganisms like bacteria and yeast work together to break down complex carbohydrates and protein into simpler, more digestible forms.

    The fermentation process not only extends the shelf life of food but also enhances its nutritional content. During fermentation, beneficial microorganisms produce essential vitamins and minerals.

    Fermented foods have many benefits and have been shown to reduce inflammation and infections.

    As nutrition researchers we undertook an in-depth assessment of fermented African foods and their potential to improve human health cost-effectively.

    By gaining a deeper understanding of the diverse microbiomes present in various fermented indigenous African foods, we aim to enhance human health through targeted dietary interventions.

    Going back in history

    Fermentation as a preservation method can be traced back a long way.

    In the Middle East, between 1,000 and 15,000 years ago, people moved from foraging and hunting to organised food cultivation and production.

    Evidence of the alcoholic fermentation of barley into beer and grapes into wine dates back to between 2000 and 4000 BC.

    In the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent milk was fermented to create yoghurt and other sweet and savoury fermented milks. White cabbage pickles and fermented olives are very popular in the Middle East.

    In India and the Philippines, rice flour was fermented to produce products like noodles.

    Africa’s traditions

    In Africa, fermented foods hold great cultural significance and health benefits, yet this topic has not been thoroughly researched.

    Foods are mostly fermented at home and trends vary by region.

    The primary ingredients in African fermented foods are mainly cereals, tubers and milk.

    Most of the fermented foods are plants that grow on their own in the wild and are often considered weeds in cropped and cultivated land. These include amaranths, Bidens pilosa, cleome and Corchorus species. The increased availability of African indigenous foods could expand the range of commercially available fermented African foods.

    While some products like marula beer have entered the commercial market, the overall consumption of fermented foods among Africans has declined.

    This drop is largely due to the widespread availability of refrigeration systems and a growing loss of interest in traditional African foods.

    Harvesting baobab fruits in Limpopo province in South Africa. Getty Images

    Improving health in Africa

    Fermented root plants such as cassava and yam have been shown to decrease creatinine levels, which may indicate enhanced renal function and kidney health. This suggests that the fermentation process not only enriches these root plants with probiotics, but also promotes better physiological responses in the body.

    Among the diverse array of fruits native to Africa, baobab and marula are the most popular fermented fruits. Fermenting them enhances their protein and fibre content. Consuming fermented baobab fruits has been shown to reduce the activity of α-amylase, an enzyme that may have implications for regulating blood sugar.

    Millet, maize, African rice and sorghum are the most fermented grains in Africa. When these foods are fermented, they can help reduce blood glucose levels, serum triglycerides and cholesterol.

    Amahewu is a traditional beverage produced through the fermentation of sorghum or maize, mostly enjoyed in South Africa and Zimbabwe for its tangy flavour and smooth texture.

    In Kenya, a similar fermented cereal beverage known as uji is made of millet and flavoured with milk, adding to its rich and nutritious profile.

    Ghana boasts its own version called akasa, which is prepared from a combination of sorghum, corn and millet and known for its unique taste and cultural significance.

    In Sudan, the beverage referred to as abreh varies in preparation but shares the same essence of fermentation, while in Nigeria, ogi is another fermented cereal paste, from similar small grains like sorghum and millet, which produce a creamy beverage.

    Fermenting sorghum and millet provides essential nutrients and supports metabolic health and gut function.

    In Nigeria, fermented cereal beverages are widely used to control diarrhoea in young children.

    Sour milk is the most fermented food in Africa, celebrated for its rich flavour and numerous health benefits.

    During the fermentation process, bacteria convert the milk sugar, called lactose, into lactic acid.

    Kulenaoto, a traditional fermented milk drink enjoyed in Kenya, is known for its creamy texture and slightly tangy flavour. South Africa produces sour milk known as amasi. Nigeria and Togo share a common fermented dairy product known as wara, which is made from fermented soybeans and is often served as a snack.

    In Ghana, nyamie is a rich, thick yogurt-like product. In Cameroon, pendidam is a unique fermented milk product that is cherished for its distinctive taste and nutritional benefits, making it a staple in many households.

    Regular consumption of fermented sour milk can play a significant role in weight management, decreasing visceral (gut) fat, which is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases.

    Moreover, fermented milk offers valuable protection against folate deficiency.

    Looking forward

    African fermented foods could be the easiest and least expensive way of introducing beneficial microbes to the gastrointestinal tract, replacing expensive pharmaceutical probiotics.

    These processes should be encouraged, and younger generations need to be exposed to the benefits of these traditions.

    Vanishing plants could be preserved and distributed through seed banks.

    The tradition of fermentation should be encouraged at both household and commercial levels to promote overall health.

    – Africa’s traditional fermented foods – and why we should keep consuming them
    – https://theconversation.com/africas-traditional-fermented-foods-and-why-we-should-keep-consuming-them-243287

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Africa’s traditional fermented foods – and why we should keep consuming them

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Florence Malongane, Senior lecturer, University of South Africa

    Fermentation is a process where microorganisms like bacteria and yeast work together to break down complex carbohydrates and protein into simpler, more digestible forms.

    The fermentation process not only extends the shelf life of food but also enhances its nutritional content. During fermentation, beneficial microorganisms produce essential vitamins and minerals.

    Fermented foods have many benefits and have been shown to reduce inflammation and infections.

    As nutrition researchers we undertook an in-depth assessment of fermented African foods and their potential to improve human health cost-effectively.

    By gaining a deeper understanding of the diverse microbiomes present in various fermented indigenous African foods, we aim to enhance human health through targeted dietary interventions.

    Going back in history

    Fermentation as a preservation method can be traced back a long way.

    In the Middle East, between 1,000 and 15,000 years ago, people moved from foraging and hunting to organised food cultivation and production.

    Evidence of the alcoholic fermentation of barley into beer and grapes into wine dates back to between 2000 and 4000 BC.

    In the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent milk was fermented to create yoghurt and other sweet and savoury fermented milks. White cabbage pickles and fermented olives are very popular in the Middle East.

    In India and the Philippines, rice flour was fermented to produce products like noodles.

    Africa’s traditions

    In Africa, fermented foods hold great cultural significance and health benefits, yet this topic has not been thoroughly researched.

    Foods are mostly fermented at home and trends vary by region.

    The primary ingredients in African fermented foods are mainly cereals, tubers and milk.

    Most of the fermented foods are plants that grow on their own in the wild and are often considered weeds in cropped and cultivated land. These include amaranths, Bidens pilosa, cleome and Corchorus species. The increased availability of African indigenous foods could expand the range of commercially available fermented African foods.

    While some products like marula beer have entered the commercial market, the overall consumption of fermented foods among Africans has declined.

    This drop is largely due to the widespread availability of refrigeration systems and a growing loss of interest in traditional African foods.

    Improving health in Africa

    Fermented root plants such as cassava and yam have been shown to decrease creatinine levels, which may indicate enhanced renal function and kidney health. This suggests that the fermentation process not only enriches these root plants with probiotics, but also promotes better physiological responses in the body.

    Among the diverse array of fruits native to Africa, baobab and marula are the most popular fermented fruits. Fermenting them enhances their protein and fibre content. Consuming fermented baobab fruits has been shown to reduce the activity of α-amylase, an enzyme that may have implications for regulating blood sugar.

    Millet, maize, African rice and sorghum are the most fermented grains in Africa. When these foods are fermented, they can help reduce blood glucose levels, serum triglycerides and cholesterol.

    Amahewu is a traditional beverage produced through the fermentation of sorghum or maize, mostly enjoyed in South Africa and Zimbabwe for its tangy flavour and smooth texture.

    In Kenya, a similar fermented cereal beverage known as uji is made of millet and flavoured with milk, adding to its rich and nutritious profile.

    Ghana boasts its own version called akasa, which is prepared from a combination of sorghum, corn and millet and known for its unique taste and cultural significance.

    In Sudan, the beverage referred to as abreh varies in preparation but shares the same essence of fermentation, while in Nigeria, ogi is another fermented cereal paste, from similar small grains like sorghum and millet, which produce a creamy beverage.

    Fermenting sorghum and millet provides essential nutrients and supports metabolic health and gut function.

    In Nigeria, fermented cereal beverages are widely used to control diarrhoea in young children.

    Sour milk is the most fermented food in Africa, celebrated for its rich flavour and numerous health benefits.

    During the fermentation process, bacteria convert the milk sugar, called lactose, into lactic acid.

    Kulenaoto, a traditional fermented milk drink enjoyed in Kenya, is known for its creamy texture and slightly tangy flavour. South Africa produces sour milk known as amasi. Nigeria and Togo share a common fermented dairy product known as wara, which is made from fermented soybeans and is often served as a snack.

    In Ghana, nyamie is a rich, thick yogurt-like product. In Cameroon, pendidam is a unique fermented milk product that is cherished for its distinctive taste and nutritional benefits, making it a staple in many households.

    Regular consumption of fermented sour milk can play a significant role in weight management, decreasing visceral (gut) fat, which is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases.

    Moreover, fermented milk offers valuable protection against folate deficiency.

    Looking forward

    African fermented foods could be the easiest and least expensive way of introducing beneficial microbes to the gastrointestinal tract, replacing expensive pharmaceutical probiotics.

    These processes should be encouraged, and younger generations need to be exposed to the benefits of these traditions.

    Vanishing plants could be preserved and distributed through seed banks.

    The tradition of fermentation should be encouraged at both household and commercial levels to promote overall health.

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

    – ref. Africa’s traditional fermented foods – and why we should keep consuming them – https://theconversation.com/africas-traditional-fermented-foods-and-why-we-should-keep-consuming-them-243287

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Have Trump’s tariffs affected his popularity? Here’s what approval data shows

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Paul Whiteley, Professor, Department of Government, University of Essex

    When Donald Trump launched a trade war on April 2, he produced enormous volatility in stock markets around the world, but since then upheaval in the bond market has forced him to row back on some of his tariffs.

    Investors traditionally consider US Treasury bonds to be a safe asset with a guaranteed return and therefore preferable to stocks when the latter are falling in price. However, instead of buying these bonds investors have been selling them, and this produced a rapid fall in their price.

    While stock prices have recovered somewhat in Europe and Asia they have continued to fall in the US. But what do US consumers make of all this? Has the shifting of the bond market and economic uncertainty affected voter confidence, and approval, in the US president?

    A round up of recent polls suggest US voters expect to see higher prices for goods as a result of the tariffs, with 75% expecting short-term price hikes, and 48% long-term. While 51% like Trump’s trade goals, only 37% approve of his approach. Meanwhile, 91% of Republicans think the president has a clear plan for tariffs and trade, but only 16% of Democrats and 43% of independent voters do. Republican voters are also much more willing to take a longer time to make up their minds about Trump’s trade policy, with 49% saying they will assess it in a year’s time or longer, compared to 36% of independents and 21% of Democrats who are willing to wait that long.

    The latest Morning Consult poll on April 14 gives Trump his lowest approval rating yet for his second term, at 45%. A few weeks ago it was clear from the polls that there were massive differences between Democrats and Republicans when it came to approval for Trump’s handling of his job. An Economist/YouGov poll completed on March 18 showed that 6% of Democrats, 90% of Republican and 37% of independents approved of his performance at that time.

    A more recent Economist/YouGov poll, completed on April 8 after the trade war began, shows a significant change in the views of independent voters. The Democrat and Republican approval/disapproval ratings are about the same as in the earlier survey by the Economist, but approval among voters who class themselves as independents has fallen by 5% to 32%.

    Put simply, the nonaligned voters in America have shifted against Trump over tariffs. This is significant because they are the largest political group in the US, at 37% of electors compared with 34% Democrats and 29% Republicans. Also significant is that, according to Morning Consult, the average voter is more likely to hold positive than negative views about Democrats in Congress, for the first time since the 2024 election, at 47% to 46%.

    If this shift continues, and independent voters support Democrat candidates in the 2026 mid-term elections, it means that the Democrats are likely to take control of Congress. This will give them greater opportunity to block presidential initiatives to introduce new bills, which must be passed by both the House of Representatives and the Senate to became law

    If, at some point, the Democratic party wanted to try and impeach Trump they would need far more Congressional votes than they currently have. The Republicans currently have majorities in both Houses. Impeachment requires a simple majority in the House of Representatives, but a two-thirds majority in the Senate, so it is not an easy thing to do.

    That said, the point is often made that Trump is a transactional politician and as a result attracts little personal loyalty from many of the people around him, particularly in Congress. However, if his approval ratings started to rapidly deteriorate, and the midterm elections turn into a disaster for their party, some Republicans may be ready to turn on Trump.

    Presidential approval and mid terms

    We can get an idea of the likelihood of a midterm swing by looking at the relationship between presidential approval and support for the president’s party in all 20 midterm elections since the second world war.

    Presidential approval in October and changes in House seats in November midterm elections in the US (1946-2022)

    The chart above compares presidential approval ratings in the month prior to elections with seat changes in the president’s party in the House of Representatives. There are 435 members of the House, and they are all up for re-election next year.

    It is clear that there is a strong positive relationship between presidential approval and the success of his party in the mid-term elections (correlation = 0.57). In other words when the president is popular his party does well and when he is unpopular it does badly.

    Donald Trump did rather badly in the midterm elections in 2018 during his first term of office. On that occasion the Republicans lost 40 House seats, a significantly greater number than the post-war average loss of 23 seats for Republican presidents. The last time the Republicans lost more seats than 2018 was in 1974 after Gerald Ford took over from Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal.

    Currently, the president’s current approval ratings might suggest that the loss of seats by Republicans is likely to be greater in next year’s midterm elections than it was in 2018. In October 2018 Trump’s approval rating was 41%, whereas it currently stands at 45% (with 52% disapproving) in the Economist/YouGov survey.

    However, the current approval rating does not take into account the medium to longer term effects of the economic turmoil and market instability triggered by his policies. Tariffs, in particular, are very likely to increase inflation and slow economic growth both in the US and the rest of the world. This is likely to damage his approval ratings.

    In the UK Conservative prime minister Liz Truss spooked the bond market in the autumn of 2022 by proposing large unfunded tax cuts. She was rapidly removed by her party from the job of leader and prime minister. This was followed by a crushing defeat for the party in the 2024 election. The same could happen to the Republicans, although the voters will have to wait until next year to make their presence felt.

    Paul Whiteley has received funding from the British Academy and the Economic & Social Research Council.

    – ref. Have Trump’s tariffs affected his popularity? Here’s what approval data shows – https://theconversation.com/have-trumps-tariffs-affected-his-popularity-heres-what-approval-data-shows-254725

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Denying compensation to ‘Waspi’ women over pension changes could be a missed opportunity

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jane Falkingham, Dean of the Faculty of Social, Human and Mathematical Sciences, University of Southampton

    Serenity Images23/Shutterstock

    Governments around the world have addressed the challenge of increasing life expectancy and declining birth rates by raising the pension age. The UK is no exception. The challenge this creates for governments is the thorny dual issue of rising care costs for the ageing population while fewer taxpayers support the economy.

    Between the 1940s and 2010, the UK state pension age was 65 for men and 60 for women. This gender difference reflected long-standing norms about men’s and women’s employment patterns, as well as typical age differences at marriage.

    These days, there is more acceptance of an equal age for women and men to receive the state pension. But in the process of levelling the playing field, some women feel they have been penalised by the government. So how did it happen?

    The Pensions Act 1995 equalised things, setting out a plan to gradually increase women’s state pension age to 65. But ten years later, an independent Pensions Commission report found that a state pension age fixed at 65 was no longer sustainable or affordable.

    Between 2007 and 2014 the law changed three times. This accelerated the equalisation of women’s and men’s state pension age, bringing forward the increase from 65 to 66 by five and a half years to 2020.

    Further changes accelerated the increase in the state pension age for both men and women to 67 by 2028. This was eight years earlier than the previous timetable. Another review suggested increasing the state pension age from 67 to 68 in 2039. This would bring it forward by seven years in response to continued gains in life expectancy.

    The Waspi campaign

    These changes in the state pension age led to a long-running campaign by a group known as the Waspi (Women Against State Pension Inequality) women. This group claims that women born between April 6 1950 and April 5 1960 have been badly affected by the way the government equalised the state pension ages.

    They are campaigning for compensation – but the government has repeatedly refused to pay out the recommended amounts of up to £2,950 per woman. These payment could have cost the government more than £10 billion.

    The group’s argument rests on the way the increases in the state pension age were communicated and the amount of notice women were given to plan their finances in retirement. Some women in this cohort were affected by more than one increase in the state pension age.

    The Waspi group estimates that about 3.8 million women are affected. Analysis from the House of Commons puts that figure just above 1.5 million women.

    Analysis of data from the UK’s largest household panel study, the UK Household Longitudinal Study, shows that the impact of the rise in the state pension age has been positive for older women’s employment rates. But it has been harmful for their wellbeing.

    The government’s analysis has also shown that younger women in the 1950-58 birth cohort have stayed in employment for longer.

    Studies analysing the Family Resources Survey have shown that the women affected by the increased state pension age have a reduced household income, and this effect is larger for those in lower-income households.

    The changes in the state pension age, and their effect on women born in the 1950s, has been the topic of both parliamentary debates and (unsuccessful) legal challenges by women affected by these changes.

    In March 2024, the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman found the Department for Work and Pensions had demonstrated maladministration in its communication about the 1995 Pensions Act. This resulted in women losing opportunities to make informed decisions about their future. But it found that this did not result in an injustice or the women suffering direct financial loss.

    How the UK state pension age was equalised – and raised

    Whatever the outcome of the debate about women born in the 1950s, this topic raises broader issues – and lessons – about social policy. Change in social policies is inevitable. Social structures shift, as do norms and patterns in a population’s health and economic circumstances.

    However, introducing change in a way that is both informed by evidence and transparent is vital for ensuring that reforms are acceptable.

    Far from always creating “winners and losers”, social policy change can be a tool that demonstrates a collective sense of responsibility and adaptability to changing times.

    Gender differences have consistently permeated employment and pensions, and women tend to fare worse than men. More women are working in the UK than ever before and benefit from state, workplace and personal pensions. But gender gaps are persistent across areas that directly affect someone’s ability to have enough money to live comfortably in later life.

    Women are still less likely to work and to work full-time than men. And they are more likely to provide informal care within and beyond the household (except from age 75 and over). These realities result in lower earnings and a lower capacity to save for later life.

    In the broader context of stubborn financial gender inequalities over lifetimes, the issue of changing the state retirement age for women born in the 1950s is a missed opportunity. The government could play a critical part in evening out gender differences for the Waspi women – and for the millions of others coming up after them.

    Jane Falkingham receives funding from the Economic and Social Research Council.

    Athina Vlachantoni receives funding from the Economic and Social Research Council.

    Yifan Ge receives funding from the Economic and Social Research Council.

    – ref. Denying compensation to ‘Waspi’ women over pension changes could be a missed opportunity – https://theconversation.com/denying-compensation-to-waspi-women-over-pension-changes-could-be-a-missed-opportunity-254018

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The world could stop central Africa’s deadly mpox outbreak if it wanted to

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Chloe Orkin, Professor of Infection and Inequities, Centre for Immunobiology, Blizard Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London

    MIA Studio/Shutterstock

    The global outbreak of mpox in 2022-23 affected more than 100 countries and grabbed the attention of the scientific community. Research on mpox has intensified since.

    The virus behind the outbreak, technically mpox clade IIb, is spread through close physical contact. During the 2022 outbreak it was found in both sperm and vaginal fluid for the first time. This suggests it is sexually transmissible.

    Overall, deaths in the 2022 outbreak were very low: 0.1%. However, in people with very weak immune systems – such as those with advanced HIV – deaths were much higher, at around 15%.

    The outbreak was curtailed through public health agencies and doctors working in partnership with those most at risk of the disease – sexually active men who have sex with men. Key interventions included ensuring that people knew what signs to look for and how to protect themselves, as well as offering vaccinations.

    The more a virus spreads, the greater the likelihood it will mutate. Mutations can allow the virus to be more easily transmissible. This happened with the clade II virus, which branched into two and resulted in the clade IIb global outbreak in 2022. Something very similar has now happened with clade I. Clade I virus caused 14,626 mpox cases and 654 deaths in 2023.

    Health inequality is a killer

    Doctors in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have been battling to contain exponentially rising cases of the more severe clade I mpox, mainly affecting children under 15 and their caregivers.

    Mpox can be lethal, especially for children under five years old. The mortality rate for clade I is between 3% and 10%. The variation in mortality rates is due to differences in access to healthcare, such as access to antibiotics, as well as specialist care in hospital and intensive care.

    This strain, which has caused significant harm in central African countries such as the DRC, has not attracted the world’s attention in the same way as it has in the west – even though the number of people with the disease was rising year on year. Sadly, it’s very common in global public health for infectious diseases to be neglected unless they affect people in wealthy countries.

    Clade I virus is transmitted through close physical contact, respiratory droplets and contact with infected materials like bedding and infected animals. Historically affected countries, like the DRC, have not had access to the vaccine that helped curtail the outbreak in the US, Europe and the UK.

    The vaccine – called Jynneos in the US and Imvanex in Europe – has not been made or sold in Africa so far. And at US$100 per dose (£76), it is beyond the affordability of most low- and middle-income countries.

    These countries have relied on donations from philanthropic organisations or from governments. However, during the 2022 mpox outbreak, insufficient vaccines were donated to African countries, and local laboratory capacity – needed to test, monitor and respond to cases – was not significantly strengthened. According to experts, wealthier nations, international health agencies and global health donors should have taken the lead in addressing these gaps, but their support fell far short of what was needed.

    In 2024, the mpox virus spread very quickly from the Kivu area of the DRC, which is on the eastern border with Uganda, Burundi and Rwanda – and caused over 16,000 new cases and 511 deaths. The rapid spread among heterosexual people who were moving across porous borders with neighbouring countries – and within camps of internally displaced people – prompted scientists to study the virus to see if it had mutated.

    The virus has changed significantly enough to warrant being named as a new sub-variant: clade Ib.

    These changes may have enabled the rapid spread to several other African countries and the first ever case of clade I virus in Europe (Sweden) in a returning traveller.

    Vaccine accessibility

    So what does this mean for people in wealthy countries? The risk to the general population is very low. However, travellers to affected countries who mix with affected communities are at risk of contracting mpox and transmitting it to close contacts on return.

    We live in an interconnected world, so cases of the new strain are extremely likely to be identified in the coming weeks and months in many countries. But this does not make a global outbreak of clade Ib inevitable. The tools needed to limit the virus from spreading are in use already: community engagement, contact tracing, laboratory surveillance of new cases to monitor spread of clade Ib virus, and vaccination.

    Anyone who develops symptoms after being in contact with a returning traveller should isolate and follow national guidance on where to attend for medical care. It’s essential to do this as soon as possible after noticing symptoms because being vaccinated within four days of exposure can limit the likelihood of getting mpox and the severity – and length – of infection.

    Mpox causes skin lesions that look like blisters which become filled with pus after a few days – and it can cause ulcers in the mouth and on the genitals and bottom. People diagnosed with mpox should isolate and limit close physical and sexual contact while they have lesions.

    Stopping this outbreak is possible if affected countries are equipped with three things: access to free diagnostic tests, laboratory capacity to determine the mpox clade so the extent of the outbreak can be monitored and, most important, equal access to the vaccine.

    Millions of doses will be needed to protect people in affected countries. The declaration of a public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organization will allow better coordination of the international response, such as emergency licensing of the vaccine in all countries and greater capacity to buy and make the vaccine where it is needed most.

    Chloe Orkin 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 world could stop central Africa’s deadly mpox outbreak if it wanted to – https://theconversation.com/the-world-could-stop-central-africas-deadly-mpox-outbreak-if-it-wanted-to-236981

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: The Beginning and End of Summer Make Me Anxious

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    Time to bolster ourselves for another year of climate crisis and action

    FILE PHOTO (2024): A thermal image (inset) shows surface temperatures reaching as high as 61.1℃ along Plaza Miranda and Quiapo Church. The Philippines has been experiencing severe El Niño, aggravated by the climate crisis. © Greenpeace

    I used to enjoy Holy Week—the Visita Iglesia in the day, candlelit nights, the circulating bands of door-to-door prayer squads greeted by every household with whispers and reverence. This was the 90s, the height of the long summer blackouts. Even if your family had AC, you wouldn’t have enjoyed it most nights. I remember playing in the streets. It was very hot, but not intolerable. Patintero under the moon, taguan under stars.

    This is obviously a whole lot of children’s-book nostalgia, but there must be some truth to the feeling. I bring it up because I don’t look forward to summer anymore. Now, all I can think of when the days start getting warmer is the inevitable heat stroke I’ve gotten every year since 2020, more record-breaking temperatures, the bloated Meralco bills. I don’t remember daytime ever being so white hot and skin searing that every moment outdoors in the hours around noon feels like an assault. And while we know relief will come in a few months–it will be in the form of torrential rains capable of submerging all the cars in my neighborhood.

    In other words, the beginning and end of summer gives me, an adult in my 40s, anxiety. Right now is the end of the short season of reprieve: after the storms but before the high heat–which will be lifted by a new round of typhoons and supertyphoons.

    FILE PHOTO (2020): A man rests on debris following the onslaught of Typhoon Ulysses, international name ‘Vamco’ in Rodriguez town in Rizal province east of Manila, Philippines. Typhoon Ulysses battered the northern Philippines with heavy rains and strong winds knocking out power in several provinces including areas in Metro Manila and leaving thousands homeless and damaged or destroyed establishments along its path as it blew west. © Basilio Sepe / Greenpeace

    It is not lost on me that I am privileged: I live in a relatively sheltered, less flood-prone area of the capital. Millions of Filipinos live in impoverished communities hit hard and often by extreme weather that causes sickness, destruction, loss of livelihood and life. For many, this relentless cycle could be interpreted as a Sisyphean ordeal—endure one disaster after another and try to rebuild, only to be met with new threats and new loss. The reality of climate change looms large, with anxiety hanging thick in the air, never far from mind.

    Do you remember Frank Nicol Melgar Marba, the teacher and public servant from Dinagat Islands? He made headlines joining a transnational climate lawsuit against a French fossil fuel company. In 2021, Super Typhoon Odette, one of the strongest recorded storms on Earth, destroyed Frank’s family home, and left them traumatized. He once told the press: “Whenever there’s news of a typhoon coming our way, my grandmother still shakes in fear.”

    Polls and studies stretching back a decade tell us this is increasingly becoming the norm. The majority of the nation is worried about the climate crisis. Many Filipinos, especially the young, are burdened by climate anxiety.

    In 2013, Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) killed thousands and displaced millions in Eastern Visayas. A year later, a study found that an estimated 800,000 people in affected areas were reported to be suffering from anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

    Many may still be feeling the effects to this day. Social Weather Stations (SWS) conducted a poll in 2023 which determined that 8 in 10 Filipinos believe climate change poses dangers to physical and mental health. 87% say they have personally experienced climate impacts in the past three years. 81% consider climate change a threat to their mental well-being.

    It does not help that much needed climate action by world governments is sluggish and lackluster. Majority of governments are missing deadlines for crucial greenhouse gas emissions cuts. Almost half of corporations around the world abandoned pledged climate targets and got away with it scott free. Fossil fuel consumption is on the rise, which is heating the planet. The heating planet is driving more energy consumption which then prompts the release of more emissions. It feels like being alive today–facing the notion of this escalation of climate change and its consequences–comes in two flavors: 1) aware and in despair or 2) blissfully ignorant, possibly in denial.

    Despite all of this, though, the kids seem to be alright–to a degree. True to the trope (and no, please don’t bring the resilience thing into this) Filipinos, especially the youth, are powering through even the worst circumstances. Climate anxiety is translating to climate awareness, which, in the best of cases, translates to motivation to act.

    The same cadre of local and international pollsters have found that Filipino youth are some of the most eager to do their part in addressing climate change. The 2023 SWS, for instance, says 74% of respondents agree with the statement: “People like me can do something to reduce climate risks.” Another survey from 2023 said 81% of Filipino young people are aware their actions could make a positive change in improving climate policies in the country.

    FILE PHOTO (2020): Children wearing protective masks stay inside a modular tent at the Rosauro Almario Elementary School in Tondo, Manila evacuation center. About 22 families living in flood-prone areas in San Juan were forced to evacuate due to super typhoon Rolly, international name Goni. © Basilio Sepe / Greenpeace

    I wonder if today’s young people ever got to experience childhood summers like mine. Or were they, armed early with access to all the world’s information, too addled by early onset awareness of what we’ve done to the environment? Give them a platform, place, and opportunity to channel anxiety into something. Give them support, encouragement, solidarity. Join them. Action, especially collective action, bodes well for the planet, and can ease a little panic.

    Holy Week is for rest and fortification–mental, emotional, or spiritual–for the year ahead. It’s an opportunity to decide, in the quiet of our own company, or in the company of family and friends, on who to vote for in the coming elections, on what we can do to contribute; if it is in us to be brave, for ourselves and for others, in the midst of a crisis larger than any of our fears.

    You might want to check out Greenpeace Philippines’ petition called Courage for Climate, a drive in support of real policy and legal solutions in the pursuit of climate justice.

    Courage for Climate

    The climate crisis may seem hopeless, but now is the time for courage, not despair. Join Filipino communities taking bold action for our planet.

    Make an Act of Courage Today!

    Pocholo Goitia is a writer and environmental advocate from Quezon City.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Dubai event invites researchers from across world to tackle global challenges – apply to attend

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Adam Smith, Senior Consultant, Universal Impact

    Are you a researcher with an idea that could help solve one of today’s most pressing problems? A conference in Dubai this November will showcase research addressing a wide range of global social and environmental issues. And you can now apply to be involved – and present your work.

    Prototypes for Humanity, the organisation behind the event, will invite a group of senior academics to attend the three-day forum, which will promote innovative scientific solutions from around the world and act as a platform for international research collaboration.

    As part of the newly established Professors’ Programme, selected researchers will travel to the United Arab Emirates, with the event organisers covering the cost of flights and accommodation.

    If you’re interested, simply submit a brief abstract for an academic paper addressing one of the key themes:

    1. Wellbeing and Health Futures
    How can we best harness the latest technological developments to help people live longer and better lives? From precision medicine to artificial intelligence systems, this category encompasses crucial questions around access to healthcare and how to support an ageing society.

    2. Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure
    This theme explores how we design, build, and maintain infrastructure that’s not only functional but future-proof. Submissions could include how to develop cities which are better able to cope with extreme climates, methods of improving water management and new models for sustainable transport.

    3. Artificial and Augmented Intelligence
    Artificial intelligence is reshaping nearly every aspect of modern life with crucial questions around citizenship, cybersecrutiy and where to draw the lines in human-AI collaboration, this theme investigates the risks and rewards inherent in our new technological age.

    4. Environmental Sustainability and Climate Action
    Many of today’s most important research questions relate to the climate crisis, whether its accelerating the uptake of green technologies, reducing pollution, or moving towards a circular economy, innovation is essential for driving sustainability and protecting the future of our planet.

    5. Socio-Economic Empowerment and Innovation
    Submissions are also welcome on how to make economic growth work for everyone including research into the evolving dynamics of the gig economy, micro-credit initiatives and questions around gender equality, as well as the use of technology for social good.

    There are also “Open” and “Speculative” categories for potentially impactful research that doesn’t fit within a single theme and studies in uncharted or emerging fields.

    Researchers should apply and submit their brief, 200- to 300-word abstracts by May 16 using this link. Those selected for the Professors’ Programme by the panel will then be asked to develop their abstract into a 1,500- to 2,000-word paper, which they will share at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers from November 17 to 20, 2025, alongside the other finalists of the Prototypes for Humanity programme.

    Big ideas

    Last year, more than 2,700 entries were submitted to the Prototypes for Humanity programme. And they came from 800 universities around the world – many from institutions which are members of The Conversation’s global media network.

    More than 100 projects were presented at the final event, which was attended by Stephen Khan, editor of The Conversation UK, who wrote a blog about his experience.

    “For The Conversation, it was an introduction to some projects that I expect you’ll hear and read more about in our content in the months to come,” he said.

    “While we rightly assess and explain events as they happen, delivering information about new research, and particularly innovative solutions that are born in the labs, studios and seminars of our partner universities is also a central element of our mission as we strive to be the comprehensive conveyor of academic knowledge.”

    Prototypes for Humanity is supported by the government of Dubai and seeks to place the Middle Eastern city at the heart of academic, research-driven solutions. The forum also awards US$100,000 to innovative research projects, recognising the commitment of academics to finding solutions to the world’s biggest issues.

    At last year’s event, Tadeu Baldani Caravieri, Director of Prototypes for Humanity, elaborated on the team’s vision of the project “as the world’s most comprehensive convener of academic innovation”.

    “The diversity, depth and range of applications received – covering all fields of sciences, technology and creative studies – make the initiative reflect the current global state of innovation and how complex global issues are manifested, and addressed, by top academic talent.

    “Together, we’re raising awareness of academia’s essential role in driving progress and collaboratively developing solutions that create tangible impacts on people’s lives.”

    This year, the event is being supported by Universal Impact, The Conversation’s commercial subsidiary, which offers specialist research communication services to academics around the world – donating profits back to its parent charity.

    The Professors’ Programme, which will help academics around the world exchange knowledge and collaborate on shared goals, fits with our mission to help researchers make real world change.

    If you, or any of your colleagues are interested in being part of the programme, you can find more information here – or apply here. Abstracts can be submitted until May 16, 2025, and successful participants will be notified by June 13, 2025.

    Universal Impact offers specialist training, mentoring and research communication services – donating profits back to The Conversation, our parent charity. If you’re a researcher or research institution and you’re interested in working together, please get in touch – or subscribe to our weekly newsletter to find out more.

    – ref. Dubai event invites researchers from across world to tackle global challenges – apply to attend – https://theconversation.com/dubai-event-invites-researchers-from-across-world-to-tackle-global-challenges-apply-to-attend-254724

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The sudden dismissal of public records staff at health agencies threatens government accountability

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Reshma Ramachandran, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Yale University

    Mass layoffs at the Department of Health and Human Services are continuing as the agency makes good on its intention, announced on March 27, 2025, to shrink its workforce by 20,000 people. Among workers dismissed in early April were several teams responsible for fulfilling requests for access to previously unreleased government data, information and records under a federal law known as the Freedom of Information Act, or FOIA.

    At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the offices that fulfill such requests have been eliminated, according to press reports. In 2024 alone, CDC received 1,800 requests for access to public records. At the Food and Drug Administration and National Institutes of Health, which together responded to almost 14,000 requests in 2024, multiple teams of FOIA staff were fired. FOIA offices at other HHS agencies were affected, too.

    Most people may never file a public records request with a federal agency. But the fact that anyone is allowed by law to do so enables the public to hold government accountable and has catalyzed important government reforms. FOIA requests at federal health agencies have been particularly consequential. They have pushed companies to take unsafe drugs off the market, led to reforms that prevent unnecessary delays in communicating public health risks, and prompted policies that lower prices and improve access to taxpayer-funded health technologies.

    I am a health services researcher who studies the effects of public health regulation, and I have observed how the transparency enabled by FOIA can benefit patients, clinicians and researchers. Although HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has stated that federal public health agencies will embrace “radical transparency”, closure of these offices suggests otherwise.

    What is an FOIA public records request?

    The Freedom of Information Act was passed in 1966 to increase government transparency in response to a rise in government secrecy during the Cold War.

    Anyone can request documents from the federal government through FOIA.

    The law requires agencies within the federal government’s executive branch to proactively publish certain procedural and other materials and to publicly disclose certain types of information. It also requires the federal government to disclose any documents that don’t fall into those categories in response to a written request, as long as they are not exempt due to issues of national security, foreign policy or business interests.

    Any member of the public, citizen or not, can file a FOIA request.

    Notably, private companies are the top requesters. They use FOIA to gain competitive advantage, support litigation and become familiar with regulations and policies that affect their business model. The next most frequent requesters are everyday people. After them come law firms, which are often supporting private companies, followed by the news media and nonprofit organizations.

    What can FOIA requests to federal health agencies reveal?

    FOIA requests to HHS agencies have led to significant shifts in public health regulation and policy.

    In one example from the early 2000s, researchers and media outlets filed FOIA requests to the FDA related to a drug called Vioxx, or rofecoxib. The drug, manufactured by the pharmaceutical company Merck, was approved by the FDA as a supposedly safer alternative for osteoarthritis pain. But the documents revealed that Merck had significantly downplayed the drug’s increased risk for heart attacks and strokes.

    Information disclosed through these requests prompted congressional investigations that led to new laws requiring companies to report results of all clinical trials in a public online database – including when trials show that treatments have no meaningful benefit or are unsafe.

    The new laws also authorized the FDA to require companies to conduct additional safety studies after a drug’s approval. This means the agency can take faster action to prevent patient harm by adding warnings to drug labels, issuing warnings of potential harms directly to doctors or withdrawing unsafe treatments entirely.

    Importantly, FOIA enables ongoing oversight. In 2021, my colleagues and I published an investigation that used FOIA to determine whether the FDA and NIH were enforcing those clinical trial transparency laws. We found that companies had failed to update thousands of clinical trials in the database with their results, and that the FDA and NIH were doing little to compel them. Using the FOIA data as evidence, we successfully petitioned the FDA to step up its enforcement and to publicly list the companies that were still not complying.

    There are countless other examples of how stakeholders have used FOIA to hold the government accountable. FOIA requests filed by lawyers, news outlets and citizens of Flint, Michigan, in 2016 revealed that state and local public health officials withheld information about the contamination of the city’s drinking water. Their secrecy potentially delayed response measures that could have prevented a recurrent disease outbreak.

    Flint residents protest outside the Michigan State Capitol in January 2016.
    Shannon Nobles/Amsterdam News via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

    During the COVID-19 pandemic, FOIA requests to HHS agencies filed by news outlets and nonprofit organizations revealed that despite billions of taxpayer dollars and other resources invested into COVID-19 vaccine development, the U.S. government had waived away their ability to take future action and not negotiated terms to ensure affordable access if companies later hiked up prices.

    What now for FOIA at HHS?

    The sudden dismissal of FOIA teams at the CDC, FDA, NIH and other federal public health agencies will limit these agencies’ ability to respond to new and ongoing requests as required by law. This will worsen an already hefty FOIA backlog at HHS agencies.

    Cuts to FOIA staff also hinder the public from using this law to examine and potentially challenge recent agency actions under the new administration. On April 5, 2025, the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington filed several FOIA requests on the involvement of the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, in disbanding the FOIA team and on the CDC’s reported suppression in March of an expert assessment of the Texas measles outbreak.

    Based on the automated response – which read that FOIA staff had been placed on administrative leave and could not respond to requests – the group filed a lawsuit challenging the FOIA office closure, arguing that it violates the Freedom of Information Act and other administrative law.

    Limited staff capacity may also curtail agencies’ ability to proactively disclose information, such as data on drug efficacy and safety posted by the FDA. Patients and clinicians access such information to make decisions about using and prescribing medications.

    HHS representatives have stated that they will resume FOIA processing, centralizing the various agency offices under HHS in a more streamlined approach. Whether such an office with significantly diminished capacity and a lack of agency-specific expertise will be able to effectively and efficiently respond to the over 50,000 requests for records received annually remains unclear.

    A pattern of barriers to public input and accountability

    FOIA is far from a perfect tool for achieving transparency in how the government regulates health and biomedical research and policy. In fact, at least at the FDA, FOIA is costly and inefficient – partly, as my colleagues and I have written, because of the agency’s self-imposed, burdensome protocols. But without an enforceable replacement strategy, it is the only tool available to the public.

    The Trump administration has taken several other steps to reduce transparency of federal public health agencies, leaving the public with limited formal avenues outside of the courts to weigh in on agency actions.

    On March 3, 2025, HHS rescinded a long-standing policy requiring it to solicit public comments on regulations related to public property, loans, grants, benefits or contracts. Advisory committee meetings where agencies convene independent experts to provide recommendations and where public stakeholders can provide input have been canceled or postponed.

    Additionally, the newly formed Make America Healthy Again Commission led by Kennedy has met behind closed doors and without prior public notice, attended only by select, aligned members. It remains unclear if future meetings will be public.

    Not only is closure of FOIA offices across HHS agencies yet another blow to government transparency, but it also prevents the public from holding agencies accountable and pushing for changes that improve health.

    Reshma Ramachandran receives research funding support from Arnold Ventures and previously received research funding support from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Stavros Niarchos Foundation. She serves on the board of directors in unpaid capacity for the non-profit organization, Doctors for America.

    – ref. The sudden dismissal of public records staff at health agencies threatens government accountability – https://theconversation.com/the-sudden-dismissal-of-public-records-staff-at-health-agencies-threatens-government-accountability-254024

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Wide variety of old-growth ecosystems across the US makes their conservation a complex challenge

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Reed Frederick Noss, Conservation Science Coordinator, University of Florida

    In the longleaf pine savannas of the southeastern U.S., most of the biodiversity is found in the ground cover and depends on frequent fires. Reed Noss

    In an old-growth longleaf pine savanna, the absurdly long pine needles sing in the wind. Once considered forests, these landscapes in the southeastern U.S. coastal plain are open-canopied and sunny, more grassland than forest, with underbrush kept clear by frequent fires.

    Longleaf pines – their needles can be up to 18 inches long – are among the longest-lived trees in eastern North America, surpassing 500 years if they are lucky enough to escape lightning strikes from the region’s frequent thunderstorms. Almost more fascinating is the ground cover, with up to 50 species per square meter, including some plants that are thousands of years old, with the vast majority of their biomass below ground. Picture an underground forest.

    In the American West, there are other types of old-growth forest. Dry ponderosa pine woodlands are similarly open in structure and contain trees up to nearly 1,000 years old. But perhaps the most familiar old-growth forests are the complex, wet old-growth forests of the Pacific Northwest, which stretch from northwestern California to southeastern Alaska.

    These forests, which contain Douglas fir, coast redwood, western hemlock, western red cedar, Sitka spruce and many other tree species, have been compared to cathedrals, providing an otherworldly experience of gigantic, ancient trees festooned with mosses and lichens and with fallen trees strewn like buses across the forest floor.

    A view of the Hall of Mosses Trail in the Hoh Rain Forest in Washington’s Olympic National Park.
    Thomas O’Neill/NurPhoto via Getty Images

    I’m fortunate to have lived among and studied both southeastern pine savannas and Pacific Northwest conifer forests. The contrast between them could not be greater. And there are many other old-growth forests across the continent – including northeastern spruce fir and northern hardwoods forests, Great Lakes red pine and jack pine woodlands, southern Appalachian mixed mesophytic forests, and Great Basin bristlecone pines reaching nearly 5,000 years old. Each of these forests has a unique ecology, but all are under threat from human activity and climate change.

    I recently co-authored a research paper with two colleagues and my collaborator, Carlos Carroll, who is a conservation biologist at the Klamath Center for Conservation Research. In it, we explain that there are some key reasons it’s so difficult to conserve the nation’s varied old-growth landscapes.

    In general, the challenge is that it’s possible to conceive of all these areas as a single group – old growth landscapes – where large, old trees dominate the canopy but where small-scale disturbances such as treefall gaps create a mosaic of age classes. Foresters often call this an “uneven-age forest.”

    But they really constitute a wide range of landscapes with different, often unique needs for protection, restoration and management. For example, in some old-growth forests, the trees live thousands of years, whereas in others the maximum lifespan of the dominant tree species is much less, sometimes only around 200 years. And some old-growth forests have abundant deadwood, both standing and on the ground, whereas others are kept largely clear of deadwood by frequent fires.

    Widely different local conditions

    Large, old trees can be removed quickly but require hundreds of years to be replaced. When seeking to balance conservation goals with other priorities, including local economic needs, some foresters use a method called “thinning,” in which wooded areas aren’t clear-cut completely. Instead, only some trees are cut down. This can involve cutting smaller, younger trees while protecting older trees from logging – but at times it has included logging older trees as well. Even if it spares old trees, though, thinning can still harm biodiversity and old-growth ecosystems.

    But it isn’t always clear how old a tree must be to protect it from logging. Some conservationists argue that the rules should protect some or all forests that are considered mature – say, 80 or so years old – but not yet old growth. As those stands of trees age, they will become old growth, taking the place of trees logged in the past.

    A northern spotted owl sits on a branch in Muir Woods in California.
    Robert Alexander/Getty Images

    However, a rule as simple as sparing trees above a certain age is not necessarily best for every old-growth region. In longleaf pine savannas, for instance, the standard practice of rapidly extinguishing wildfires has meant hardwood trees typically associated with denser, moister forests have grown up amid the pines. Some threatened species, such as the red-cockaded woodpecker, has adapted to survive only in areas that are extensive open-canopy, old-growth pine savannas with few hardwoods.

    Restoration of those forests may require cutting down the invading hardwoods, even if they are decades old, as well as using fire to manage the resulting pine-dominated landscape. In some other types of old-growth forests, careful use of fire may be enough to restore the ecosystem without cutting any trees.

    Long-term and short-term at the same time

    A key challenge for protecting old-growth areas is the importance of balancing immediate risks with long-term needs, considering how ecosystems change as trees age and die, and across larger areas such as watersheds.

    Old-growth forests are rare – less than 7% of the area of U.S. forests today – and are still often logged. To recover forest ecosystems across the U.S., it will not be enough to protect just old-growth areas.

    Especially valuable for biodiversity are areas of regenerating forests that grow after fires or other disturbances such as windstorms, in places where live and dead trees in the disturbed forests have not been cut. These disturbed forests provide habitats for species associated with more open conditions. Many woodpeckers, epitomized by the black-backed woodpecker in western North America, depend on conditions created by severe fires.

    Populations of the threatened red-cockaded woodpecker in the southeastern U.S. depend on large areas of scattered, old-growth longleaf pines for their survival.
    Reed Noss

    Observing the broader value

    Beyond trees, there are many species of plants and animals that depend on old-growth landscapes. Perhaps most famous among them are the red-cockaded woodpecker of the southeastern U.S. and the northern spotted owl of the Pacific Northwest.

    Those plants’ and animals’ needs can give conservationists and ecologists insights into what territory is most useful to preserve, not just for the trees but for the larger ecosystem. That includes finding ways to connect conservation areas across the landscape so life can grow and spread.

    Efforts to preserve old-growth landscapes protect more than just the trees. These forests also store carbon, keeping it out of the atmosphere where it drives climate change. They help provide clean water for people and aquatic ecosystems, along with space for recreation, reflection and other cultural activities.

    Ecological science cannot resolve the debates about how to prioritize and preserve old-growth forest. But it can help inform the public about the rising costs of doing nothing, and of the wide benefits of maintaining, recovering and restoring functioning old-growth ecosystems.

    Carlos Carroll, a conservation biologist at the Klamath Center for Conservation Research, also contributed to this article.

    Reed Frederick Noss receives funding from the University of Florida and the Southeastern Grasslands Institute.

    – ref. Wide variety of old-growth ecosystems across the US makes their conservation a complex challenge – https://theconversation.com/wide-variety-of-old-growth-ecosystems-across-the-us-makes-their-conservation-a-complex-challenge-253004

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Miami researchers are testing a textured seawall designed to hold back water and create a home for marine organisms

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Sara Pezeshk, Postdoctoral Fellow in Architecture, Florida International University

    A rendering of BIOCAP tiles installed along a seawall at Morningside Park in Miami.
     Sara Pezeshk, CC BY-SA

    Morningside Park, a beloved neighborhood park in Miami with sweeping views of Biscayne Bay, will soon pilot an innovative approach to coastal resilience.

    BIOCAP tiles, a 3D-printed modular system designed to support marine life and reduce wave impact along urban seawalls, will be installed on the existing seawall there in spring 2025. BIOCAP stands for Biodiversity Improvement by Optimizing Coastal Adaptation and Performance.

    Developed by our team of architects and marine biologists at Florida International University, the uniquely textured prototype tiles are designed to test a new approach for helping cities such as Miami adapt to rising sea levels while simultaneously restoring ecological balance along their shorelines.

    The project receives funding from the National Science Foundation and the Environmental Protection Agency.

    Ecological costs of traditional seawalls

    Seawalls have long served as a primary defense against coastal erosion and storm surges. Typically constructed of concrete and ranging from 6 to 10 feet in height, they are built along shorelines to block waves from eroding the land and flooding nearby urban areas.

    However, they often come at an ecological cost. Seawalls disrupt natural shoreline dynamics and can [wipe out the complex habitat zones] that marine life relies on.

    Marine organisms are crucial in maintaining coastal water quality by filtering excess nutrients, pollutants and suspended particles. A single adult oyster can filter 20-50 gallons of water daily, removing nitrogen, phosphorus and solids that would otherwise fuel harmful algal blooms. These blooms deplete oxygen levels and damage marine ecosystems.

    Filter-feeding organisms also reduce turbidity, which is the cloudiness of water caused by suspended sediment and particles. Less water turbidity means more light can penetrate, which benefits seagrasses that require sunlight for photosynthesis. These seagrasses convert carbon dioxide into oxygen and energy-rich sugars while providing essential food and habitat for diverse marine species.

    A robotic 3D printer extrudes concrete in layered, intricate channels.
    Sara Pezeshk, CC BY-SA

    Swirling shapes, shaded grooves

    Unlike the flat, lifeless surfaces of typical concrete seawalls, each BIOCAP tile is designed with shaded grooves, crevices and small, water-holding pockets. These textured features mimic natural shoreline conditions and create tiny homes for barnacles, oysters, sponges and other marine organisms that filter and improve water quality.

    The tile’s swirling surface patterns increase the overall surface area, offering more space for colonization. The shaded recesses are intended to help regulate temperature by providing cooler, more stable microenvironments. This thermal buffering can support marine life in the face of rising water temperatures and more frequent heat events driven by climate change.

    Another potential benefit of the tiles is reducing the impact of waves.

    When waves hit a natural shoreline, their energy is gradually absorbed by irregular surfaces, tide pools and vegetation. In contrast, when waves strike vertical concrete seawalls, the energy is reflected back into the water rather than absorbed. This wave reflection – the bouncing back of wave energy – can amplify wave action, increase erosion at the base of the wall and create more hazardous conditions during storms.

    The textured surfaces of the BIOCAP tiles are designed to help diffuse wave energy by mimicking the natural dissipation found on undisturbed shorelines.

    The design of BIOCAP takes cues from nature. The tile shapes are based on how water interacts with different surfaces at high tide and low tide. Concave tiles, which curve inward, and convex tiles, which curve outward, are installed at different levels along the seawall. The goal is to deflect waves away from the seawall, reduce direct impact and help minimize erosion and turbulence around the wall’s foundation.

    A collection of 3D-printed concrete BIOCAP tiles.
    Sara Pezeshk, CC BY-SA

    How we will measure success

    After the BIOCAP tiles are installed, we plan to assess how the seawall redesign enhances biodiversity, improves water quality and reduces wave energy. This two-year pilot phase will help assess the long-term value of ecologically designed infrastructure.

    To evaluate biodiversity, we will use underwater cameras to capture time-lapse imagery of the marine life that colonizes the tile surfaces. These observations will aid in documenting species diversity and habitat use over time.

    To assess water quality, we have developed a specialized prototype tile with sensors that can measure pH, dissolved oxygen levels, salinity, turbidity and temperature in real time. This data will provide insight into how the tiles affect local water conditions.

    Finally, to measure wave attenuation and the reduction of wave force, we will mount pressure sensors on both the BIOCAP tiles and the adjacent traditional seawall sections. This comparison will allow us to quantify differences in wave energy across varying tidal conditions and storm events.

    As coastal cities confront the dual challenges of increasing threats from climate change and environmental degradation, the BIOCAP project offers what we hope will be an example of a resilient, nature-based solution that benefits both humans and the environment.

    In the coming year, we’ll be watching with hope as the new BIOCAP tiles begin to welcome marine life, offering a glimpse into how nature might reclaim and thrive along our urban shorelines.

    Read more of our stories about South Florida.

    Shahin Vassigh receives funding from the National Science Foundation and the Environmental Protection Agency

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

    – ref. Miami researchers are testing a textured seawall designed to hold back water and create a home for marine organisms – https://theconversation.com/miami-researchers-are-testing-a-textured-seawall-designed-to-hold-back-water-and-create-a-home-for-marine-organisms-252488

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Railways were essential to carrying out the Holocaust – decades later, corporate reckoning continues

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Sarah Federman, Associate Professor of Conflict Resolution, Kroc School of Peace Studies, University of San Diego

    Liliane Lelaidier-Marton stands in front of the kind of car her parents were forced into in Drancy, France, when deported to their deaths. Sarah Federman

    The Holocaust could not have happened without the railways.

    Preeminent Holocaust scholar Raul Hilberg underscored that almost everyone murdered at a camp arrived by train, including Jews, political prisoners and other “undesirables.” Since the 1990s, groups of survivors have asked European railway companies to acknowledge and atone for their critical role – a reminder that war, genocide and other atrocities cannot occur without corporate participation.

    One long-running attempt met a setback on Feb. 21, 2025, when the U.S. Supreme Court threw out an appeals court ruling in favor of survivors seeking atonement from Hungary’s state railways. The lower court held that plaintiffs could sue the company over looting during the deportation of 440,000 Jews, most of whom were murdered at Auschwitz-Birkenau. The Supreme Court disagreed, however, saying the case did not warrant an exception to law protecting foreign governments from being sued in U.S. courts.

    SS personnel select Hungarian Jews for life or death after their arrival at Auschwitz.
    Bernhard Walter/Yad Vashem via Wikimedia Commons

    Even without legal rulings, however, survivors have sometimes mobilized enough public support to force rail companies to confront their complicity.

    I wrote a book about one such case: the French national railways’ multiple roles in World War II, and the company’s 30-year struggle to make amends. I dug through archives and legal documents and spoke to over 120 experts – including historians, legislators, executives and more than 90 Holocaust survivors – about what obligations, if any, they believe railways have today.

    The French national railways’ wartime activities and slow roll to accountability helped me better understand and articulate productive ways that companies can respond to demands for atonement decades or more after the events.

    The author stands with Daniel Urbejtel, one of the youngest people who survived deportation to Auschwitz.
    Sarah Federman

    Multiple wartime roles

    The French railway company, known as the SNCF, played more than one role during the war. Depending on which facts you focus on, you can see the company as a victim, hero or perpetrator.

    With roughly 500,000 employees at the time, the company found itself in the crosshairs of the Nazi occupation. When France capitulated to Germany on June 22, 1940, the country was divided into occupied and free zones, and the French national railways were put under German command.

    Unlike companies such as Hugo Boss, which made Nazi uniforms, the SNCF did not financially profit from the occupation. To the contrary, Germans rarely paid the rail company the full amounts due. Machines were destroyed, an estimated 24,000 railway workers were sent to forced labor, and 2,229 railway workers were murdered.

    After the war, the acts of the brave railway workers came to light. Some slowed trains so deportees could jump off; some found other ways to facilitate escapes. Near the city of Lille, some SNCF workers helped save dozens of Jewish children. Most importantly, some workers coordinated with the French Resistance on D-Day, sabotaging trains to prevent German armaments from reaching the Normandy beaches and fighting off the Allies.

    After the war, the SNCF amplified heroic stories with the help of the French government, using a film, pamphlets and other means.

    ‘La Bataille du Rail,’ a 1946 film about French railway workers during the war.

    These stories are true – even if those workers made up less than 1% of the workforce. Surely, some stories were never told. But even if we double or triple the number, such resistance was an exception, not the rule.

    Senior executives reported on acts of sabotage and did little to save their own Jewish colleagues. In fact, Vichy France – the wartime collaborationist government – put the head of the SNCF, Pierre-Eugene Fournier, in charge of liquidating Jewish businesses. He did so efficiently and complained only about German interference.

    French Jews are forced into a train during deportations in Marseille in January 1943.
    Wolfgang Vennemann/German Federal Archives via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

    The SNCF transported approximately 76,000 Jewish deportees in merchandise cars to the German border, where a Nazi train driver carried them on to their deaths. While it’s possible the company didn’t understand the mass murder occurring at Auschwitz or other camps, drivers knew they carried unwilling passengers crammed together with little food, water or air in extreme weather without stopping. The deportation trains continued for two months after D-Day.

    Push for justice

    Yet SNCF’S image as part of the Resistance lived on in France until the 1990s, when survivors first approached the company for atonement. SNCF escaped legal liability, but public pressure forced the company to respond. Though it never financially compensated victims directly, the SNCF did commission an independent study, opened its archive to the public, made statements of regret and contributed to Holocaust commemoration and education.

    A couple married for over 50 years discovered that their fathers were deported on the same train.
    Sarah Federman

    The conversation then moved beyond French borders. In 2014, after Holocaust survivors protested the SNCF’s bids for contracts in the U.S., French and American ambassadors hammered out a US$60 million fund to compensate survivors who were not covered by other programs.

    The SNCF’s journey toward accountability encouraged debates involving rail companies in the Netherlands, Belgium and Hungary, which had also transported hundreds of thousands of people to their deaths.

    In 2019, Holocaust survivor Salo Muller successfully lobbied the Dutch state-owned railways for an apology and compensation for deportees. The company gave €15,000 – about $16,500 – to each survivor who had been forced to pay for their own ticket to be transported in horrific conditions to death camps. In the case of deceased survivors, the railway offered half that amount to heirs.

    Not about the money

    Liliane Lelaidier-Marton in front of a memorial at Drancy, France, where her father was deported.
    Sarah Federman

    In 2012, historian Michael Marrus invited me to join him at Corporate Liability for Human Rights Violations, a conference at the University of Tel Aviv. There, he slapped his hands on the table and all but shouted to his senior colleagues, “It’s not about the money!”

    Judicial rulings and financial payouts make headlines and create important precedents. But my interviews with survivors confirmed the spirit of Marrus’ words: “People want to set the record straight, to tell the story, and to have their history constitute a warning.”

    Liliane Lelaidier-Marton took me to the Shoah Memorial in Drancy, France, where her parents had been interned before deportation. She appreciated the memorials and visitor center, which acknowledge her loss and their suffering. Renée Fauguet-Zejgman and I went to a ceremony in Paris together so she could read her murdered father’s name – an opportunity sponsored, in part, by the SNCF. Daniel Urbejtel, one of the youngest to survive Auschwitz, didn’t hold on to special anger against the railways. But when I told him about their statement of regret and funding of memorial sites, he said, “I’m glad that they did that.”

    Renée Fauguet-Zejgman points to her father’s name on a memorial in Paris.
    Sarah Federman

    Leo Bretholz, who jumped out of an SNCF train bound for Auschwitz, wanted a verbal acknowledgment of the harm and an apology along with compensation. Stanley Kalmanovitz, who received over $200,000 from the 2014 settlement for his deportation to Auschwitz, told me, “The money came at a good time in my life … but this is not a settlement of conscience.” He knew the railway company was trying to win U.S. contracts and saw the money as a way to get survivors out of the way.

    Motivations aside, Kalmanovitz wondered what people today expect from the SNCF workers during the war. He said, “What was the French railroad supposed to do? Someone has a gun at your head, what do you do? You take the bullet? Then, if everyone takes a bullet, who’s left?”

    Historians only know of one French train driver who defied orders to drive his train. Léon Bronchart refused to drive a train filled with either German soldiers or political prisoners. He lost his bonus and title, but not his life.

    While a number of survivors I spoke with wanted SNCF to atone, others expressed misgivings about holding today’s company accountable for the actions of its predecessors.

    Thousands of Jews around Paris were arrested in July 1942, including more than 4,000 children. Most were later deported to Auschwitz.
    Antoine Gyori/Sygma via Getty Images

    Restoring dignity

    Today, some companies are trying to address their connections to mass atrocities: not only the Holocaust, but also other genocides, the transatlantic slave trade, colonialism and even ecological destruction.

    I encourage companies, institutions and ambassadors to focus on addressing harm, rather than on calculating their institution’s percentage of guilt or complicity. These difficult – if not impossible – calculations distract institutions from supporting the innocent people grappling with the aftermath and from preventing future harm.

    While money matters, people also want their dignity restored and suffering acknowledged – and companies can do this work without lawsuits prompting them. When they do it on their own, stakeholders see their efforts as evidence of a moral conscience rather than an economic necessity.

    This look back encourages stakeholders to consider how today’s corporate actions may be judged in the years ahead. Will future generations celebrate or condone their use of natural resources, labor practices or any participation in the deportations of their day?

    Sarah Federman received funding from the Fondation pour la Memorial de la Shoah to conduct research on the SNCF in France. During her time as a doctoral student, George Mason University’s Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution awarded Federman the Presidential Scholarship in support of this research.

    – ref. Railways were essential to carrying out the Holocaust – decades later, corporate reckoning continues – https://theconversation.com/railways-were-essential-to-carrying-out-the-holocaust-decades-later-corporate-reckoning-continues-250008

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Dark energy may have once been ‘springier’ than it is today − DESI cosmologists explain what their collaboration’s new measurement says about the universe’s history

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By David Weinberg, Professor of Astronomy, The Ohio State University

    The Mayall 4-meter Telescope at the Kitt Peak National Observatory houses the DESI instrument. KPNO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/P. Marenfeld

    Gravity pulls us to earth, a lesson you learn viscerally the first time you fall. Isaac Newton described gravity as a universal attractive force, one that holds the Moon in orbit around the Earth, the planets in orbit around the Sun, and the Sun in orbit around the center of our galaxy.

    In the 1990s, astronomers made the astonishing discovery that the expansion of the universe has sped up over the past 5 billion years, which implies that gravity can push as well as pull.

    Einstein’s theory of general relativity explains gravity as a consequence of curved space-time, where it allows for both attraction and repulsion. However, producing gravitational repulsion requires a new form of energy with exotic physical properties, often referred to as “dark energy.”

    New results from a large survey of the universe, announced in March 2025, are challenging the conventional picture of dark energy.

    Dark energy and cosmic expansion

    The simplest explanation for cosmic acceleration assumes a form of energy that fills apparently empty space and stays constant over time, instead of diluting as the universe expands.

    In fact, quantum mechanics predicts that “empty” space is filled with particles that flare briefly into and out of existence. At first glance, it seems like this effect could explain a constant dark energy, but no simple estimates of the effect’s magnitude line up with actual observations. Nonetheless, constant dark energy is a simple assumption that has proven successful in explaining many cosmological measurements.

    Today’s standard cosmological model incorporates this kind of constant dark energy. It also incorporates atoms and dark matter, which exert the attractive gravity that resists dark energy’s repulsion.

    New dark energy measurements

    The new measurements from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument, or DESI, collaboration, which we are affiliated with, pose the sharpest challenge yet to this standard model.

    Relative to the constant dark energy predictions, the new DESI measurements suggest that the universe was expanding slightly faster a few billion years ago – by 1% to 3% – before relaxing to the expansion rate predicted today. One explanation for this temporary speed up is that the “springiness” of dark energy – a combination of energy and pressure that determines its repulsive effect – was higher in the past. The springiness then declined as the universe expanded further.

    Astronomers can measure the history of the universe from our vantage point in the present because light travels at a finite speed. So, we see distant objects as they were in the past. Cosmic expansion stretches the wavelength of light – a phenomenon known as redshift. A precise measurement of an object’s light can reveal the size of the universe at the time the light was emitted.

    The new DESI results are based on measuring the redshifts of more than 14 million galaxies, creating a three-dimensional map that spans 12 billion years of cosmic history. To determine the distances light traveled across this map, DESI measured a subtle feature imprinted on the clustering of these galaxies by acoustic waves that traveled through the early universe.

    An exciting result

    DESI’s evidence for evolving dark energy comes from combining its own distance and redshift measurements with other measurements of the average density of matter in the universe. The higher the density of matter, the more strongly it can pull against dark energy’s expansive push. The matter density measurements come from the European-led Planck space mission, which mapped structure in the cosmic microwave background.

    The combination of DESI and Planck data favors evolving dark energy, instead of constant dark energy, with a statistical significance of 3.1 standard deviations. This result has only a 1 in 500 chance of occurring randomly.

    Despite the long odds, physicists consider such a finding to be solid but not overwhelming evidence, in part because even the most careful experimenters may underestimate uncertainties in their measurements.

    To strengthen the statistical case, DESI scientists added measurements of cosmic distances made by the Dark Energy Survey collaboration, which applied a different measurement technique based on the brightness of light from supernova explosions.

    The combination of DESI, Planck and Dark Energy Survey supernovae favors the evolving dark energy model by odds of 40,000 to 1. However, other supernova surveys give results that agree more with constant dark energy, so most cosmologists aren’t yet ready to abandon the standard cosmological model.

    Even if DESI’s findings hold up, they still can’t say what dark energy is. But they can provide much stronger clues than cosmologists had before.

    The DESI-based model implies that dark energy changed its properties surprisingly quickly. Dark energy began to lose its repulsive strength at about the same time it became the dominant form of energy in the cosmos.

    Extrapolating to the past, this model also implies that dark energy once had an extraordinary springiness, at a level that no simple theory of a dark energy field can explain. As future data sharpens these measurements, the findings could point us in a weird new direction – perhaps even challenging Einstein’s theory of gravity itself.

    In the model that fits the DESI data, the density of dark energy goes up and then declines, shown as a blue curve, instead of staying constant as assumed in the standard cosmological model, indicated by the horizontal dotted line. In either case, the density of atoms and dark matter dilutes as the universe expands, shown as a red curve, and today it is only about half that of dark energy. The repulsive effect of dark energy began to exceed the attractive effect of matter when the universe was about 8 billion years old, marked as ‘acceleration begins.’
    David Weinberg

    An ambitious experiment

    DESI is an extremely ambitious undertaking and an example of “big science” at its best. The instrument itself is mounted on the 4-meter Mayall Telescope at the Kitt Peak National Observatory. It uses 5,000 optical fibers mounted on tiny robotic positioners that guide the light from individual galaxies to scientific instruments that dissect that light and record the data for measuring redshifts.

    Every 15 minutes, the telescope shifts to a new area of the sky, and the robots move the fibers to point to 5,000 new galaxy locations. After five years of design and construction, DESI has operated continuously since 2021.

    A close-up of the DESI focal plane showing a few of the 5,000 fiber positioners. The white spots inside the bluish circles are the optical fibers that guide the light collected from distant galaxies to the spectrographs about 40 meters away.
    Dr. Claire Poppett, DESI Collaboration

    Led by the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, DESI is a collaboration of over 900 scientists at 70 institutions around the world. At our university alone, more than 20 faculty, students, postdocs and research staff have worked on DESI over the past decade.

    This work includes contributions to building and installing spectrographs, which measure the properties of light, as well as writing software to record data, leading instrument operations, observing and troubleshooting at the telescope, designing galaxy and quasar surveys, creating catalogs for statistical analysis, testing measurement techniques with computer simulations, interpreting results and writing papers – all in tight communication with our collaborators.

    If the evidence for evolving dark energy holds up — and despite our instinctive caution, we think it has a good chance of doing so — it will join a list of remarkable 21st-century discoveries achieved with large U.S. national investments.

    These discoveries include the first detection of gravitational waves by the National Science Foundation-funded Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory, LIGO, and the spectacular measurements of galaxies and exoplanet atmospheres by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope.

    These achievements show what the support of science by U.S. taxpayers and dedicated, creative researchers across the globe can accomplish.

    David Weinberg receives funding from the National Science Foundation and NASA that supports his dark energy research.

    Ashley Ross receives funding from Lawrence Berkeley National Lab to support his work on DESI and NASA to support work on related experiments.

    Klaus Honscheid receives funding from Department of Energy.

    Paul Martini receives funding from the Department of Energy.

    – ref. Dark energy may have once been ‘springier’ than it is today − DESI cosmologists explain what their collaboration’s new measurement says about the universe’s history – https://theconversation.com/dark-energy-may-have-once-been-springier-than-it-is-today-desi-cosmologists-explain-what-their-collaborations-new-measurement-says-about-the-universes-history-253067

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI: Global AI Diagnostics Market to Reach $8.54 Billion By 2033 as Industry Sees Increasing R&D and Strategic Collaborations

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PALM BEACH, Fla., April 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FN Media Group News Commentary – Artificial intelligence (AI) is being utilized for disease detection in the global markets. In today’s AI-driven world, the use of deep learning algorithms and AI tools in diagnostics can improve the accuracy, speed and efficiency for diagnosing patients with minimal errors. The introduction of AI tools in diagnostics has revolutionized the healthcare industry with supporting the doctors in advanced disease diagnosis and providing personalized treatments to patients with better judgements and quick results. According to Precedence Research, the global artificial intelligence in diagnostics market size was exhibited at USD 1.61 billion in 2024 and is projected to hit around USD 8.54 billion by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 20.37% during the forecast period 2024 to 2033. The report said: “The advances in digital biomarkers technology which uses real-time monitoring systems for early disease diagnosis and prediction has also enhanced the AI in diagnostics market growth. The application of AI tools in diagnostics has led to analyzing medical images for assessing disease progression, predicting patient outcomes, processing and storing of patient data which includes electronic health records (EHRs), identifying patterns and anomalies in patient data and symptom checkers for providing potential diagnosis.”   Active healthcare/tech companies active in the markets include: Avant Technologies Inc. (OTCQB: AVAI), Illumina Inc. (NASDAQ: ILMN), Tempus AI, Inc. (NASDAQ: TEM), Medtronic plc (NYSE: MDT), Spectral AI, Inc. (NASDAQ: MDAI).

    The report continued: “Moreover, the rising prevalence of chronic and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is fueling the market growth of AI in diagnostics as the demand for advanced and digital healthcare solutions is increasing worldwide. The rapid developments in cutting-edge AI tools in diagnostics and the surging investments in R&D of industries in enhancing diagnostic proficiency for improved patient outcomes is driving the market. North America dominated the AI in diagnostics market in 2024. With the presence of key market players and cutting-edge advancements in technologies integrated with AI-powered tools has expanded the market growth in this region. The rise in investments in R&D, support from government initiatives and increased fundings from private and public organizations for producing AI-enhanced diagnostic tools is strengthening the industries in the region.”

    Avant Technologies, Inc. (OTCQB: AVAI) and JV Partner, Ainnova, Accelerate Expansion Across Latin America Following Key Role at Healthcare Innovation Summit – Avant Technologies, Inc. (“Avant” or the “Company”) and its partner, Ainnova Tech, Inc., (Ainnova), a leading healthcare technology company focused on revolutionizing early disease detection using artificial intelligence (AI), today announced that following Ainnova’s sponsorship and its CEO’s key role at the 2025 Healthcare Innovation Summit in Mexico City, both Avant and Ainnova, through their joint venture, Ai-nova Acquisition Corp. (AAC), are building on Ainnova’s strong presence in Mexico by expanding its footprint across Latin America.

    Ainnova has initiated its first commercial pilots in both Chile and the Dominican Republic to work directly with prestigious hospitals that cover the full spectrum of care—from primary to highly specialized services. These pilot programs aim to demonstrate, (i) cost reduction in preventive diagnostics; (ii) increased efficiency in medical resource allocation and patient flow; (iii) enhanced institutional reputation driven by technological innovation; and (iv) improved profitability for participating healthcare centers through optimized patient referrals.

    The pilot programs leverage Ainnova’s proprietary Vision AI platform to identify health risks in real time, which enable seamless referrals for specialty care or further diagnostic tests when a positive risk is detected. The broader vision for the joint venture involves deploying an automated, low-cost retinal imaging device integrated with its AI-driven platform to deliver comprehensive preventive risk screening. From just two retinal images, blood pressure and some lab test information, the system will assess risks for: cardiovascular disease (CVD), type 2 diabetes, liver fibrosis, and chronic kidney disease (CKD).

    The message that Ainnova’s CEO, Vinicio Vargas, continues to convey to audiences around the world is that this accessible, fast, and scalable solution is designed to support early intervention and targeted treatment strategies, with the ambition of reaching millions of patients globally in the coming years.

    Avant has partnered with Ainnova to form AAC so the two companies can advance and commercialize Ainnova’s technology portfolio worldwide. AAC has the global licensing rights for the portfolio, including its Vision AI platform and its versatile retinal cameras.

    Avant and Ainnova have identified Brazil and the United States as key strategic markets. Ainnova is currently addressing regulatory pathways in Brazil with the support of its MDSAP certification to meet ANVISA requirements, paving the way for rapid market entry. CONTINUED… Read this and more news for Avant Technologies at:   https://www.financialnewsmedia.com/news-avai/

    In other developments and happenings in the markets recently include:

    Medtronic plc (NYSE: MDT), a global leader in healthcare technology, recently announced late-breaking data on five-year outcomes from the Evolut Low Risk Trial. Data shows, versus surgery, the Evolut™ transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) system delivers a numerically lower rate of all-cause mortality or disabling stroke at five years, strong valve performance and durable clinical outcomes. The findings were presented as late-breaking clinical science at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session & Expo and simultaneously published in the JACC, the flagship journal of the American College of Cardiology.

    The Evolut Low Risk Trial was a randomized, multicenter, international study assessing the safety and efficacy of the Evolut TAVR system versus surgery in low-risk patients. These patients had a predicted 30-day mortality risk <3%, as assessed by a local heart team. 1,414 patients were randomized, with 730 receiving TAVR with either a Medtronic Evolut R, PRO, or CoreValve™ and 684 undergoing surgery.

    Spectral AI, Inc. (NASDAQ: MDAI), a leading developer of the AI-driven DeepView® System, which uses multi-spectral imaging and AI algorithms to predict burn healing potential, recently announced the successful completion of a debt financing agreement of up to $15.0 million in funding from Avenue Venture Opportunities Fund II, L.P., a fund of Avenue Capital Group, with an initial draw down of $8.5 million. In connection with this debt financing, the Company also raised $2.7 million of equity financing from institutional as well as existing investors. With total cash on hand now of over $14 million and potential access to additional debt of $6.5 million, Spectral AI is able to accelerate its product commercialization efforts, including the upcoming U.S. launch of its DeepView System.

    The term of the financing agreement is for three years, with an interest-only payment period of no less than 15 months, which can be extended to 24 months upon achieving the milestones laid out in the second financing tranche. The second financing tranche, which is contingent upon FDA clearance of the DeepView System, includes an additional $6.5 million in debt financing and a $7.0 million equity raise to be completed by the Company. The financing also includes warrant coverage equal to 8.5% of the total funding commitment from Avenue Capital Group, with an exercise price of $1.80 per share.   As part of the financing, the Company has agreed to a market standstill with no additional stock sales by the Company for a period of at least six months. SP Angel Corporate Finance LLP acted as the sole placement agent for the participation of existing UK investors. Dominari Securities LLC acted as the sole placement agent for U.S. investors.

    Illumina Inc. (NASDAQ: ILMN) and Tempus AI, Inc. (NASDAQ: TEM) recently announced a collaboration to accelerate clinical adoption of next-generation sequencing tests through novel evidence generation. The collaboration will combine leading Illumina AI technologies with Tempus’s comprehensive multimodal data platform to train genomic algorithms and ultimately accelerate clinical adoption of molecular testing for patients.

    “In the era of true precision medicine, every patient who is battling complex disease should be routed to the optimal therapy based on molecular insights,” said Everett Cunningham, chief commercial officer of Illumina. “We envision a world where the full range of molecular profiling is available as part of the standard of care—not just in cancer, but in cardiology, neurology, immunology, and every other category of disease.”

    Today, patients frequently miss the benefit of precision medicine because molecular profiling is not yet standard across disease areas and regions. This collaboration will leverage Tempus multimodal data to further improve Illumina’s AI-driven molecular analysis technologies and generate new insights supporting the clinical value of sequencing. These insights will be used to build evidence packages needed to standardize use of comprehensive genomic profiling and other molecular testing across all major diseases.

    “By expanding our collaboration with Illumina, we are combining our strengths in technology and data analytics with their strengths in developing new sequencing technologies to drive forward innovation and advance precision medicine,” said Terron Bruner, chief commercial officer of Tempus.

    The program builds on a long-standing collaboration between the companies, which has focused on developing tools and assays to address gaps in testing needs from preemptive screening through therapy selection, health economics, and bioinformatics pipelines to improve patient outcomes and research.

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    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Fortinet Releases its 2024 Sustainability Report

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SUNNYVALE, Calif., April 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — News Summary

    Fortinet® (NASDAQ: FTNT), the global cybersecurity leader driving the convergence of networking and security, today released its 2024 Sustainability Report, outlining the company’s approach, key commitments, and progress on the sustainability topics that matter most to the company and its stakeholders.

    “As digital transformation accelerates, cybersecurity is more critical than ever to safeguarding businesses, the global economy and society at large,” said Michael Xie, Founder, President and CTO at Fortinet. “Fortinet is committed to having our products, services, and people contribute to building a more secure and sustainable society–from improving the environmental impact of our products through energy efficiency and more sustainable packaging, to our commitment to closing the cybersecurity skills gap by training 1 million individuals by 2026. We are proud of the progress we’ve made and remain committed to integrating sustainability across all aspects of our operations.”

    As cybersecurity continues to play a leading role in enabling a sustainable digital future, Fortinet remains committed to protecting people, businesses, and communities worldwide while operating responsibly and minimizing its environmental footprint.

    Highlights from the Fortinet 2024 Sustainability Report include:

    • Driving innovation and responsible technology to secure the digital world: With nearly 1,400 patents issued and more than 450 pending, Fortinet continues to pioneer AI-powered security solutions, collaborating with organizations such as University of California (UC) Berkeley, the World Economic Forum, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to advance AI use in cybersecurity. In 2024, Fortinet also became one of the early signatory of CISA’s Secure by Design pledge, reinforcing its commitment to security at every stage of the product lifecycle.
    • Strengthening global efforts to combat cybercrime: In 2024, Fortinet deepened its engagement with numerous global organizations dedicated to halting cybercrime, supporting major initiatives such as INTERPOL’s Operation Serengeti and the World Economic Forum Cybercrime Atlas Project. These collaborative efforts in 2024 contributed to over 1,000 arrests, the dismantling of 134,000+ malicious networks, and the recovering of $44 million USD.
    • Accelerating climate action with near-term, science-based targets: In 2024, Fortinet’s near-term greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets were validated by the Science Based Targets initiative. These climate near-term targets include scopes 1 and 2 emissions, aligned with a 1.5°C trajectory to limit global warming, as well as scope 3 targets focused on supplier and customer engagement to drive emission reductions across the value chain.
    • Improving product energy efficiency and sustainable packaging: In 2024, Fortinet introduced new FortiGate models that are, on average, 61% more energy efficient than previous generations. Additionally, the company expanded its efforts to minimize environmental impact by launching 22 FSC-certified packaging models, prioritizing plastic-free packaging across 86 top-selling products, and avoiding 387 metric tons of CO2e emissions, including 77 metric tons of plastic reduction.
    • Addressing the cybersecurity skills gap and expanding access to education: Since 2022, Fortinet has trained more than 630,000 individuals in cybersecurity through the Fortinet Training Institute initiatives. In 2024, Fortinet joined the European Commission’s Cybersecurity Skills Academy, committing to train 75,000 people in the EU by 2027. Fortinet also contributed to the World Economic Forum’s 2024 Strategic Cybersecurity Talent Framework, helping to shape global best practices for sustainable cybersecurity talent development.
    • Upholding strong business ethics and information security practices: In 2024, 100% of Fortinet’s top contract manufacturers (covering 90% of spend) and distributors completed business ethics and compliance training. Fortinet expanded its ISO 27001/17/18 certifications and its SOC2 Type II examinations, achieving 81 information security certifications and examinations strengthening data protection and privacy measures.

    Industry Recognition for Responsible Business Practices
    Fortinet’s continued progress in sustainability and responsible business practices has been recognized through multiple industry accolades, including:

    • Inclusion in the 2024 Dow Jones Best-in-Class World and North America Indices for the third consecutive year, reflecting its leadership in corporate responsibility.
    • An improved CDP Climate Change rating, moving from a B- to a B score, reflecting strengthened climate action and transparency.
    • Recognition as a 2024 “Best Company to Work For” by Glassdoor and a “Great Place to Work,” underscoring Fortinet’s commitment to fostering a workplace where everyone can thrive.
    • Recognized as No. 7 on Forbes’ Most Trusted Companies in America 2025 list—and the most trusted U.S.-based cybersecurity company.

    Fortinet’s 2024 Sustainability Report references the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards, Sustainability Accountability Standards Board (SASB) Standards and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). The report details Fortinet’s progress and metrics across the following eight priority issues: innovation and responsible technology; cybercrime disruption; climate change; product environmental impacts; inclusion and belonging; cybersecurity skills gap; business ethics; and information security and data privacy.

    Additional Resources

    About Fortinet
    Fortinet (Nasdaq: FTNT) is a driving force in the evolution of cybersecurity and the convergence of networking and security. Our mission is to secure people, devices, and data everywhere, and today we deliver cybersecurity everywhere our customers need it with the largest integrated portfolio of over 50 enterprise-grade products. Well over half a million customers trust Fortinet’s solutions, which are among the most deployed, most patented, and most validated in the industry. The Fortinet Training Institute, one of the largest and broadest training programs in the industry, is dedicated to making cybersecurity training and new career opportunities available to everyone. Collaboration with esteemed organizations from both the public and private sectors, including Computer Emergency Response Teams (“CERTS”), government entities, and academia, is a fundamental aspect of Fortinet’s commitment to enhance cyber resilience globally. FortiGuard Labs, Fortinet’s elite threat intelligence and research organization, develops and utilizes leading-edge machine learning and AI technologies to provide customers with timely and consistently top-rated protection and actionable threat intelligence. Learn more at https://www.fortinet.com, the Fortinet Blog, and FortiGuard Labs.

    Copyright © 2025 Fortinet, Inc. All rights reserved. The symbols ® and ™ denote respectively federally registered trademarks and common law trademarks of Fortinet, Inc., its subsidiaries and affiliates. Fortinet’s trademarks include, but are not limited to, the following: Fortinet, the Fortinet logo, FortiGate, FortiOS, FortiGuard, FortiCare, FortiAnalyzer, FortiManager, FortiASIC, FortiClient, FortiCloud, FortiMail, FortiSandbox, FortiADC, FortiAI, FortiAIOps, FortiAgent, FortiAntenna, FortiAP, FortiAPCam, FortiAuthenticator, FortiCache, FortiCall, FortiCam, FortiCamera, FortiCarrier, FortiCASB, FortiCentral, FortiCNP, FortiConnect, FortiController, FortiConverter, FortiCSPM, FortiCWP, FortiDAST, FortiDB, FortiDDoS, FortiDeceptor, FortiDeploy, FortiDevSec, FortiDLP, FortiEdge, FortiEDR, FortiExplorer, FortiExtender, FortiFirewall, FortiFlex FortiFone, FortiGSLB, FortiGuest, FortiHypervisor, FortiInsight, FortiIsolator, FortiLAN, FortiLink, FortiMonitor, FortiNAC, FortiNDR, FortiPAM, FortiPenTest, FortiPhish, FortiPoint, FortiPolicy, FortiPortal, FortiPresence, FortiProxy, FortiRecon, FortiRecorder, FortiSASE, FortiScanner, FortiSDNConnector, FortiSIEM, FortiSMS, FortiSOAR, FortiSRA, FortiStack, FortiSwitch, FortiTester, FortiToken, FortiTrust, FortiVoice, FortiWAN, FortiWeb, FortiWiFi, FortiWLC, FortiWLM, FortiXDR and Lacework FortiCNAPP. Other trademarks belong to their respective owners. Fortinet has not independently verified statements or certifications herein attributed to third parties and Fortinet does not independently endorse such statements. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, nothing herein constitutes a warranty, guarantee, contract, binding specification or other binding commitment by Fortinet or any indication of intent related to a binding commitment, and performance and other specification information herein may be unique to certain environments.

    Media Contact: Investor Contact: Analyst Contact:
    Stephanie Lira
    Fortinet, Inc.
    408-235-7700
    pr@fortinet.com     		 Aaron Ovadia
    Fortinet, Inc.
    408-235-7700
    investors@fortinet.com    		 Brian Greenberg
    Fortinet, Inc.
    408-235-7700
    analystrelations@fortinet.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: FFB Bancorp Announces First Quarter 2025 Earnings

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    FRESNO, Calif., April 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FFB Bancorp (the “Company”) (OTCQX: FFBB), the parent company of FFB Bank (the “Bank”), today reported net income of $8.10 million, or $2.55 per diluted share, for the first quarter of 2025, an increase of 4% from the $7.79 million, or $2.46 per diluted share, reported for the first quarter of 2024. The Bank reported $9.72 million, or $3.05 per diluted share, for the fourth quarter of 2024. All results are unaudited.

    First Quarter 2025 Highlights: As of, or for the quarter ended March 31, 2025, compared to the quarter ended March 31, 2024:

    • Pre-tax, pre-provision income increased 10% to $12.01 million.
    • Net income increased 4% to $8.10 million.
    • Return on average equity (“ROAE”) was 18.83%.
    • Return on average assets (“ROAA”) was 2.14%.
    • Net interest margin expanded 20 basis points to 5.35% from 5.15%.
    • Operating revenue (net interest income, before the provision for credit losses, plus non-interest income) increased 21% to $28.48 million.
    • Total assets increased 12% to $1.56 billion.
    • Total portfolio of loans increased 18% to $1.09 billion.
    • Total deposits increased 10% to $1.32 billion.
    • Shareholder equity increased 26% to $174.71 million.
    • Book value per common share increased 27% to $55.52.
    • The Company’s tangible common equity ratio was 11.20%, while the Bank’s regulatory leverage capital ratio was 14.66%, and the total risk-based capital ratio was 21.09% at March 31, 2025.

    “In spite of the general market headwinds, and the constant noise surrounding potential policy changes, our first quarter 2025 results still came in quite strong because the team was able to stay focused on the basics,” said Steve Miller, President & CEO. “The loan portfolio increased $21 million, deposits grew $36 million, and total assets grew $56 million. In addition, we were able to record strong earnings while improving our book value per common share through our strategic share repurchase program.”

    “During the quarter we have made consistent progress on the matters outlined in our consent order, although ultimate compliance will be determined by our regulators. The team has been diligent in working with our regulators to complete the necessary steps to meet consent order timelines. We have confidence we can continue to address these items going forward.”

    Linda Emtman and Miles Mahoney Join Board of Directors of FFB Bancorp and FFB Bank:

    Linda Emtman and Miles Mahoney have been appointed to the Board of Directors for the Company and Bank, expanding the number of directors for both boards to 11 from 9.

    Ms. Emtman was a Principal in Financial Services at Ernst & Young in San Francisco until her retirement. She is on the executive leadership team of the American Heart Association, and an Ambassador at the Bay Area Cor Vitae Society. Ms. Emtman is a graduate of the University of Washington where she earned her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and completed her Master Deal Maker certification at the Wharton School.

    Mr. Mahoney is the President of U2 Science Labs, Inc, an advanced analytics and data science platform, in Orange County and the Founder and Managing Partner of Irish Acquisitions, Inc. He has served as a board member of a number of different organizations over a 15-year period. Mr. Mahoney is a graduate of Montana State University where he earned his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration & Finance and completed his MBA at the Pepperdine Graziadio School of Business.

    “We are delighted to welcome Linda and Miles to our Company’s Board of Directors and look forward to working with them as we pursue our mission to grow our franchise. They bring a wealth of experience and a broad depth of knowledge that will help propel us forward for future success,” said Mark Saleh, Chairman of the Boards. “Recently, one of our founding board members, Al Smith, passed away. He was instrumental in the early development of our brand. His commitment to the bank and creative ideas will be missed.”

    Update on Stock Repurchase Program:

    On January 22, 2025, the Company announced that it had authorized a plan to utilize up to $15.0 million of capital to repurchase shares of the Company’s common stock. As of March 31, 2025, the Company has repurchased 41,915 shares, at an average price of $81.60, totaling $3.42 million. This represents approximately 1.78% of total shareholders’ equity at March 31, 2025.

    Under the terms of the repurchase plan, the Company may repurchase shares of the Company’s common stock from time to time, through December 31, 2025, in open market purchases or privately negotiated transactions. Repurchases under the plan may also be made pursuant to a trading plan under Securities and Exchange Commission Rule 10b5-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, which would permit shares to be repurchased by the Company when the Company might otherwise be precluded from doing so because of self-imposed trading blackout periods or other regulatory restrictions. The timing, manner, price and exact amount of any repurchases by the Company will be determined at the Company’s discretion and depend on various factors including the performance of the Company’s stock price, general market and economic conditions, applicable legal and regulatory requirements, availability of funds, and other relevant factors. Through December 31, 2025, the repurchase plan may be discontinued, suspended or restarted at any time.

    Results of Operations

    Quarter ended March 31, 2025:

    Operating revenue, consisting of net interest income before the provision for credit losses and non-interest income, increased 21% to $28.48 million for the first quarter of 2025, compared to $23.61 million for the first quarter a year ago, and increased 1% from $28.25 million from the fourth quarter of 2024.

    Net interest income, before the provision for credit losses, increased 17% to $18.90 million for the first quarter of 2025, compared to $16.14 million for the same quarter a year ago, and remained consistent with the $18.81 million reported last quarter. “The increase in net interest income compared to prior year was primarily driven by loan portfolio growth,” said Bhavneet Gill, Chief Financial Officer. “We have also seen some relief in funding costs as a result of the FOMC rate cuts from the second half of 2024.”

    The Company’s net interest margin (“NIM”) increased by 20 basis points to 5.35% for the first quarter of 2025, compared to 5.15% for the first quarter of 2024, and increased 11 basis points from 5.24% for the preceding quarter. “Our yield on earning assets increased 8 basis points in the first quarter primarily from changes within the loan portfolio. Additionally, the expansion of NIM was buoyed by a 4 basis point decrease in the cost to fund earning assets as average non-interest bearing deposits increased $11.68 million quarter-over-quarter,” noted Gill.

    The yield on earning assets was 6.31% for the first quarter of 2025, compared to 6.15% for the first quarter a year ago, and 6.24% for the previous quarter. The cost to fund earning assets decreased to 0.96% for the first quarter of 2025 compared to 1.00% for the previous quarter, and 1.00% for the same quarter a year earlier.

    Total non-interest income was $9.58 million for the first quarter of 2025, compared to $7.47 million for the first quarter of 2024, and $9.44 million for the previous quarter. The increase in non-interest income, from the first quarter of 2024, was driven by higher merchant services revenue and a reduction in loss on sale of investments, partially offset by lower gain on sale of loans revenue. The quarter-over-quarter increase in non-interest income was attributed to higher merchant services revenue due to seasonal activity, partially offset by a reduction in the gain on sale of loans revenue.

    Merchant services revenue increased 30% to $7.86 million for the first quarter of 2025, compared to $6.07 million from the first quarter of 2024. The increase was primarily due to higher volume across all merchant business lines and higher gross revenue related to FFB Payments. Merchant services revenue increased from $7.56 million when compared to the fourth quarter of 2024 as a result of an increase in processing volume during the quarter, primarily due to seasonal activity. First quarter 2025 ISO Partner Sponsorship volumes include $2.78 billion in volume for the ISO partners being exited in the second quarter of 2025. First quarter 2025 ISO Partner Sponsorship revenue includes $990,000 in revenue from the ISO partners being exited in the second quarter of 2025. “These ISO exits were the right decision to help ensure we are aligned with our partners in regard to best in class oversight. We anticipate replacing this volume and revenue through growth in FFB Payments and with our remaining ISO partners as we move forward,” said Miller.

    Merchant ISO Processing Volumes (in thousands)
    Source Q1 2025 Q4 2024 Q3 2024 Q2 2024 Q1 2024
    ISO Partner Sponsorship $ 5,007,998   $ 4,891,643   $ 4,556,868   $ 4,391,365   $ 3,763,289  
    FFB Payments- Sub-ISO Merchants   21,551     22,950     24,661     24,414     19,370  
    FFB Payments – Direct Merchants   97,095     91,133     64,512     76,059     77,349  
    Total volume $ 5,126,644   $ 5,005,726   $ 4,646,041   $ 4,491,838   $ 3,860,008  
    Merchant ISO Processing Revenues (in thousands)
    Source of Revenue Q1 2025 Q4 2024 Q3 2024 Q2 2024 Q1 2024
    Net Revenue*:          
    ISO Partner Sponsorship $ 2,410   $ 2,535   $ 2,284   $ 2,156   $ 2,183  
               
    Gross Revenue:          
    FFB Payments- Sub-ISO Merchants   745     764     810     795     672  
    FFB Payments – Direct Merchants   4,709     4,262     2,476     3,117     3,213  
        5,454     5,026     3,286     3,912     3,885  
    Gross Expense:          
    FFB Payments- Sub-ISO Merchants   616     638     723     675     518  
    FFB Payments – Direct Merchants   2,558     2,511     1,766     1,989     1,842  
        3,174     3,149     2,489     2,664     2,360  
    Net Revenue:          
    FFB Payments- Sub-ISO Merchants   129     126     87     120     154  
    FFB Payments – Direct Merchants   2,151     1,751     710     1,128     1,371  
    FFB Payments Net Revenue   2,280     1,877     797     1,248     1,525  
    Net Merchant Services Income: $ 4,690   $ 4,412   $ 3,081   $ 3,404   $ 3,708  
     
    *ISO Partnership Sponsorship is recognized net of expense in Merchant Services Income. FFB Payments revenues are recognized gross in Merchant Services Income and Merchant Services expenses are recognized in Non-Interest Expense.
     

    Total deposit fee income increased 7% to $849,000 for the first quarter of 2025, compared to $796,000 for the first quarter of 2024, and decreased 1% from $856,000 for the previous quarter.

    There was a $261,000 gain on sale of loans during the first quarter of 2025, compared to a gain on sale of loans of $451,000 during the first quarter 2024, and a gain on sale of loans of $929,000 in the previous quarter. There was no loss on sale of investments during the first quarter of 2025, compared to a $373,000 loss during the first quarter of 2024, and a $482,000 loss in the previous quarter.

    Non-interest expense increased 30% to $16.47 million for the first quarter of 2025, compared to $12.70 million for the first quarter 2024, and increased 24% from $13.27 million from the previous quarter. The increases on a year-over-year and quarterly comparison were driven by increases in salaries and employee benefits expense.

    Salaries and employee benefits increased 22% to $8.06 million for the first quarter of 2025, compared to $6.58 million for the first quarter 2024. Total salaries and employee benefits increased 56% from $5.18 million in the previous quarter. The quarterly increase in salaries and employee benefits expense is partially attributed to $1.96 million in non-recurring reductions to performance bonus and ESOP accruals recognized in the fourth quarter of 2024. The balance of the increase was primarily the result of expense associated with full-time employees hired in the fourth quarter of 2024 and the first quarter of 2025. Full-time employees increased to 175 at March 31, 2025, compared to 147 full-time employees a year earlier, and 168 full-time employees from the previous quarter.

    “Over the last few quarters, we’ve made intentional investments in people and technology to ensure that the bank can efficiently scale moving forward, and specifically to support our payment ecosystem, product development, regional expansion, and compliance/risk management initiatives. We continue to see elevated legal, audit, and technology related expenses mostly related to addressing the Consent Order,” said Miller.

    Occupancy and equipment expenses decreased 8% from a year ago, representing 2% of non-interest expense, and decreased 14% from the preceding quarter. Merchant operating expense totaled $3.17 million for the first quarter of 2025, compared to $2.36 million for the first quarter of 2024 and $3.15 million for the preceding quarter. The change in merchant operating expense is attributed to fluctuations in volume and revenue for the FFB Payments lines of business. Merchant operating expenses include interchange fees, chargebacks, partnership fees, and other card brand fees.

    Other operating expense increased 45% or $1.51 million to $4.88 million from a year earlier and increased 8% or $351,000 from the previous quarter. The year-over-year increase was driven by increases of $252,000 in data and software related expense, $355,000 in professional fees, $262,000 in marketing expense, $111,000 in regulatory assessment expense, and $321,000 in operational losses. The increase in data and software expense and professional fees, which include legal, audit, and consulting fees, are primarily due to actions taken to enhance the Company’s AML/CFT, compliance, and merchant services programs.

    The efficiency ratio was 57.83% for the first quarter of 2025, compared to 52.96% for the same quarter a year ago, and 46.19% for the preceding quarter. The efficiency ratio can fluctuate period over period based on changes in merchant services’ gross revenues and associated expenses. The Company also calculates an adjusted efficiency ratio where the merchant services’ gross expense, which is included in non-interest expense, is netted against merchant services’ revenue in non-interest income. The adjusted efficiency ratio was 52.54% for the first quarter of 2025, compared to 47.82% for the same quarter a year ago, and 39.57% for the previous quarter.

    Balance Sheet Review

    Total assets increased 12% to $1.56 billion at March 31, 2025, compared to $1.40 billion at March 31, 2024, and increased 4% compared to December 31, 2024.

    The total portfolio of loans increased 18%, or $165.66 million, to $1.09 billion, compared to $926.78 million at March 31, 2024, and increased $21.36 million, from $1.07 billion at December 31, 2024.

    Commercial real estate loans increased 28% year-over-year to $696.63 million, representing 64% of total loans at March 31, 2025. The CRE portfolio includes approximately $282.54 million in multi-family loans originated by the Southern California team that the Company may consider selling at some point in the future for liquidity and concentration management. The multi-family portfolio includes $84.52 million in short-term bridge loans for transitional projects of multi-family properties. The short-term bridge loans are conservatively underwritten with minimum DSCR and liquidity requirements. The bank continues to market our bridge loan product in a more measured approach, keeping to our conservative underwriting standards. The real estate construction and land development loan portfolio decreased 84% from a year ago to $12.65 million, representing 1% of total loans, while residential RE 1-4 family loans totaled $17.15 million, or 2% of loans, at March 31, 2025.

    The commercial and industrial (C&I) portfolio increased 16% to $260.06 million, at March 31, 2025, compared to $224.55 million a year earlier, and decreased 3% from $267.95 million at December 31, 2024. C&I loans represented 24% of total loans at March 31, 2025. Agriculture loans represented 10% of the loan portfolio at March 31, 2025. At March 31, 2025, the SBA, USDA, and other government agencies guaranteed loans totaled $61.37 million, or 5.6% of the loan portfolio.

    Investment securities totaled $313.83 million at March 31, 2025, compared to $328.91 million a year earlier, and decreased $8.36 million from $322.19 million at December 31, 2024. The investment portfolio consists of mortgage-backed and municipal securities, both tax exempt and taxable, treasury securities as well as other domestic debt. At March 31, 2025, the Company had a net unrealized loss position on its investment securities portfolio of $24.50 million, compared to a net unrealized loss of $25.89 million at December 31, 2024. The Company’s investment securities portfolio had an effective duration of 5.61 years at March 31, 2025, compared to 5.32 years at December 31, 2024.

    Total deposits increased 10%, or $119.85 million, to $1.32 billion at March 31, 2025, compared to $1.20 billion from a year earlier, and increased $36.00 million from $1.28 billion at December 31, 2024. The quarter-over-quarter increase in deposit balances is primarily attributed to an increase in interest bearing checking accounts. Non-interest bearing demand deposits increased 10% to $825.40 million at March 31, 2025, compared to $751.64 million at March 31, 2024, and decreased $3.10 million from $828.51 million at December 31, 2024. Non-interest bearing demand deposits represented 63% of total deposits at March 31, 2025.

    Included in non-interest bearing deposits are $89.98 million from ISO partners for merchant reserves, $135.48 million from ISO partners for settlement, and $9.63 million in ISO partner operating accounts. These deposits represent 28.5% of non-interest bearing deposits and 17.8% of total deposits. Included in the $235.09 million in ISO partner deposits as of March 31, 2025 are $137.82 million in deposits for ISO partners being exited in the second quarter of 2025. The Bank plans to replace these non-interest bearing deposits with growth from new Bank customers in its markets and from the existing ISO partners it will continue to support. In the short-term, the new deposit growth will likely be made up of a higher percentage of interest bearing deposits.

    There was $10.00 million in short-term borrowings at March 31, 2025, compared to no borrowings at December 31, 2024, or March 31, 2024. The Company primarily utilizes FHLB advances and the Federal Reserve discount window for short-term borrowings. The following table summarizes the Company’s primary and secondary sources of liquidity which were available at March 31, 2025:

    Liquidity Source (in thousands) March 31, 2025 December 31, 2024
         
    Cash and cash equivalents $ 103,071   $ 63,415  
    Unpledged investment securities, fair value   104,732     118,957  
    FHLB advance capacity   338,036     304,077  
                 
    Federal Reserve discount window capacity   130,590     166,475  
    Correspondent bank unsecured lines of credit   70,000     91,500  
      $ 746,429   $ 744,424  
     

    The total primary and secondary liquidity of $746.43 million at March 31, 2025 represents an increase of $2.0 million in primary and secondary liquidity quarter-over-quarter. On-balance sheet cash and cash equivalents increased as a result of deposit growth in the quarter.

    Shareholders’ equity increased 26% to $174.71 million at March 31, 2025, compared to $138.72 million from a year ago, and grew 4% from $168.39 million at December 31, 2024. Book value per common share increased 27% to $55.52, at March 31, 2025, compared to $43.69 at March 31, 2024, and increased 5% from $53.02 at December 31, 2024. The tangible common equity ratio was 11.20% at March 31, 2025, compared to 9.94% a year earlier, and 11.20% at December 31, 2024. Additionally, book value improved as a result of quarterly net income and a reduction in shares outstanding.

    At the Bank level, unrealized losses and gains reflected in AOCI are not included in regulatory capital. As a result, Tier-1 capital at the Bank for regulatory purposes was $226.64 million at quarter end excluding the unrealized loss. The regulatory leverage capital ratio was 14.66% for the current quarter, while the total risk-based capital ratio was 21.09%, exceeding regulatory minimums to be considered well-capitalized.

    Asset Quality

    Nonperforming assets increased to $15.37 million, or 0.98% of total assets, at March 31, 2025, compared to $9.89 million, or 0.66% of total assets, from the preceding quarter. Of the $15.37 million nonperforming loans, $11.37 million are covered by SBA guarantees. Total delinquent loans increased to $19.12 million at March 31, 2025, compared to $8.32 million at December 31, 2024.

    Past due loans 30-60 days were $17.53 million at March 31, 2025, compared to $4.89 million at December 31, 2024, and $3.22 million at March 31, 2024. This increase in 30-60 days past due loans is the result of three multi-family loans, which are real estate secured, totaling $11.55 million to a related group of borrowers. There were $1.54 million past due loans from 60-90 days at March 31, 2025, compared to $2.45 million at December 31, 2024 and $1.95 million in past due loans from 60-90 days a year earlier. Past due loans 90+ days at quarter end totaled $46,000 at March 31, 2025, compared to $1.33 million, at March 31, 2024. Of the $19.12 million in past due loans at March 31, 2025, $2.75 million were purchased government guaranteed loans, which are guaranteed by the SBA for the full payment of the principal plus interest.

    Delinquent Loan Summary Organic Purchased Govt.
    Guaranteed    		 Total
    (in thousands)
           
    Delinquent accruing loans 30-59 days $ 16,147   $ 1,386   $ 17,533  
    Delinquent accruing loans 60-89 days   218     1,319     1,537  
    Delinquent accruing loans 90+ days   —     46     46  
    Total delinquent accruing loans $ 16,365   $ 2,751   $ 19,116  
           
    Non-Accrual Loan Summary Organic Purchased Govt.
    Guaranteed    		 Total
    (in thousands)
           
    Loans on non-accrual $ 15,366   $ —   $ 15,366  
    Non-accrual loans with SBA guarantees   11,371     —     11,371  
    Net Bank exposure to non-accrual loans $ 3,995   $ —   $ 3,995  
     

    There was a $1.16 million provision for credit losses in the first quarter of 2025, compared to $378,000 provision for credit losses in the first quarter a year ago, and a $1.67 million provision for credit losses booked in the fourth quarter of 2024. The provision recorded during the first quarter of 2025 is the result of loan portfolio growth and a $5.47 million increase in non-accrual loans which were individually evaluated in the allowance for credit losses. The increase in non-accrual loans was primarily related to SBA loans.

    “We watch the SBA portfolio very closely since rates have increased so rapidly over the last two years, putting pressure on borrowers. A majority of the loans within the portfolio are floating rate loans tied to WSJ Prime and reset quarterly. Borrowers saw a 50bps reduction in their rates on January 1, 2025 and additional rate relief is expected during the second half of 2025,” added Miller. “The ratio of allowance for credit losses to the total, non-guaranteed, loan portfolio was 1.25%, as of March 31, 2025, and our total non-guaranteed exposure on these SBA loans is $42.80 million spread over 222 loans.”

    “We incurred net charge offs of $167,000 during the current quarter, compared to $4,000 in net recoveries in the first quarter a year ago, and $1.29 million in net charge offs in the previous quarter,” said Miller. “Our loan portfolio increased 18% from a year ago with commercial real estate (“CRE”) loans representing 64% of the total loan portfolio. Within the CRE portfolio, there are $52.45 million in loans for CRE office as shown in the table below. Since the majority of our CRE office exposure is concentrated in the Central Valley, we are experiencing less volatility than city center CRE markets. Our credit metrics remain strong as we continue to maintain conservative underwriting standards.”

    (in thousands) CRE Office Exposure of March 31, 2025
    Region Owner-Occupied Non-Owner Occupied Total
    Central Valley $ 27,314   $ 13,544   $ 40,858  
    Southern California   2,271     352     2,623  
    Other California   4,492     3,948     8,440  
    Total California   34,077     17,844     51,921  
    Out of California   —     527     527  
    Total CRE Office $ 34,077   $ 18,371   $ 52,448  
     

    The ratio of allowance for credit losses to total loans was 1.18% at March 31, 2025, compared to 1.12% a year earlier and 1.10% at December 31, 2024. The Company individually evaluates non-accrual loans in the allowance for credit losses which has resulted in carrying a higher level of reserve.

    About FFB Bancorp

    FFB Bancorp, formerly Communities First Financial Corporation, a bank holding company established in 2014, is the parent company of FFB Bank, founded in 2005 in Fresno, California. As a leading SBA Lender in California’s Central Valley and one of the few direct acquiring banks in the United States, FFB Bank offers clients a range of personal and business checking accounts, payment processes, and loan programs. Among the Bank’s awards and accomplishments, it was ranked #1 on American Banker’s list of the Top 20 Publicly Traded Banks under $2 Billion in Assets for 2024. For 2025, the Bank was also ranked by S&P Global as the #34 best performing community bank under $3 billion in assets. The Company has also received recognition as part of the OTCQX Best 50 Companies for 2019, 2023, and 2024. For additional information, you can visit the Company’s website at www.ffb.bank or by contacting a representative at 559-439-0200.

    Forward Looking Statements

    This earnings release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements provide current expectations or forecasts of future events and are not guarantees of future performance, nor should they be relied upon as representing management’s views as of any subsequent date. The forward-looking statements are based on managements’ expectations and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. Although management believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. Risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially include, without limitation, the Company’s ability to effectively execute its business plans; the impact of the Consent Order on our financial condition and results of operations; changes in general economic and financial market conditions; changes in interest rates; and, in particular, actions taken by the Federal Reserve to try and control inflation; changes in the competitive environment; continuing consolidation in the financial services industry; new litigation or changes in existing litigation; losses, customer bankruptcy, claims and assessments; changes in banking regulations or other regulatory or legislative requirements affecting the Company’s business; international developments; and changes in accounting policies or procedures as may be required by the Financial Accounting Standards Board or other regulatory agencies. The Company undertakes no obligation to release publicly the results of any revisions to the forward-looking statements included herein to reflect events or circumstances after today, or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. The Company claims the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

    Member FDIC

    Select Financial Information and Ratios For the Quarter Ended:
    March 31, 2025   December 31, 2024   March 31, 2024
    BALANCE SHEET- ENDING BALANCES:          
    Total assets $ 1,560,376     $ 1,504,128     $ 1,395,095  
    Total portfolio loans   1,092,441       1,071,079       926,781  
    Investment securities   313,826       322,186       328,906  
    Total deposits   1,320,381       1,284,377       1,200,529  
    Shareholders equity, net   174,711       168,392       138,716  
               
    INCOME STATEMENT DATA          
    Operating revenue   28,476       28,247       23,610  
    Operating expense   16,467       13,270       12,701  
    Pre-tax, pre-provision income   12,009       14,977       10,909  
    Net income after tax   8,098       9,718       7,790  
               
    SHARE DATA          
    Basic earnings per share $ 2.56     $ 3.06     $ 2.46  
    Fully diluted EPS $ 2.55     $ 3.05     $ 2.46  
    Book value per common share $ 55.52     $ 53.02     $ 43.69  
    Common shares outstanding   3,146,727       3,175,817       3,175,048  
    Fully diluted shares   3,175,178       3,189,949       3,170,981  
    FFBB – Stock price $ 76.50     $ 97.97     $ 82.99  
               
    RATIOS          
    Return on average assets   2.14 %     2.53 %     2.32 %
    Return on average equity   18.83 %     23.11 %     23.27 %
    Efficiency ratio   57.83 %     46.19 %     52.96 %
    Adjusted efficiency ratio   52.54 %     39.57 %     47.82 %
    Yield on earning assets   6.31 %     6.24 %     6.15 %
    Yield on investment securities   4.36 %     4.34 %     4.47 %
    Yield on portfolio loans   6.81 %     6.95 %     6.68 %
    Cost to fund earning assets   0.96 %     1.00 %     1.00 %
    Cost of interest-bearing deposits   2.60 %     2.69 %     2.57 %
    Net Interest Margin   5.35 %     5.24 %     5.15 %
    Equity to assets   11.20 %     11.20 %     9.94 %
    Net loan to deposit ratio   82.74 %     83.39 %     77.20 %
    Full time equivalent employees   175       168       147  
               
    BALANCE SHEET- AVERAGES          
    Total assets   1,531,573       1,529,439       1,347,625  
    Total portfolio loans   1,076,848       1,038,215       925,561  
    Investment securities   325,699       333,135       315,820  
    Total deposits   1,300,550       1,299,069       1,149,117  
    Shareholders equity, net   174,410       167,268       134,621  
                           
    Consolidated Balance Sheet (unaudited) March 31, 2025   December 31, 2024   March 31, 2024
    (in thousands)    
    ASSETS          
    Cash and due from banks $ 83,033     $ 43,905     $ 37,360  
    Interest bearing deposits in banks   20,038       19,510       53,556  
    CDs in other banks   1,724       1,723       1,693  
    Investment securities   313,826       322,186       328,906  
    Loans held for sale   —       —       —  
               
    Construction & land development   12,649       26,522       77,318  
    Residential RE 1-4 family   17,146       16,846       16,114  
    Commercial real estate   696,625       669,285       545,358  
    Agriculture   104,616       90,017       63,281  
    Commercial and industrial   260,063       267,948       224,551  
    Consumer and other   1,342       461       159  
    Portfolio loans   1,092,441       1,071,079       926,781  
    Deferred fees & discounts   (3,946 )     (4,200 )     (4,181 )
    Allowance for credit losses   (12,913 )     (11,834 )     (10,407 )
    Loans, net   1,075,582       1,055,045       912,193  
               
    Non-marketable equity investments   8,890       8,891       7,357  
    Cash value of life insurance   12,496       12,402       12,119  
    Accrued interest and other assets   44,787       40,466       41,911  
    Total assets $ 1,560,376     $ 1,504,128     $ 1,395,095  
               
    LIABILITIES AND EQUITY          
    Non-interest bearing deposits $ 825,404     $ 828,508     $ 751,636  
    Interest checking   109,555       62,034       54,659  
    Savings   54,686       55,219       52,090  
    Money market   218,940       212,322       220,559  
    Certificates of deposits   111,796       126,294       121,585  
    Total deposits   1,320,381       1,284,377       1,200,529  
    Short-term borrowings   10,000       —       —  
    Long-term debt   38,046       38,007       39,638  
    Other liabilities   17,238       13,352       16,212  
    Total liabilities   1,385,665       1,335,736       1,256,379  
               
    Common stock   35,693       38,436       36,910  
    Retained earnings   156,235       148,138       121,780  
    Accumulated other comprehensive loss   (17,217 )     (18,182 )     (19,974 )
    Shareholders’ equity   174,711       168,392       138,716  
    Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity $ 1,560,376     $ 1,504,128     $ 1,395,095  
    Consolidated Income Statement (unaudited) Quarter ended:
    (in thousands) March 31, 2025   December 31, 2024   March 31, 2024
               
    INTEREST INCOME:          
    Loan interest income $ 18,069   $ 18,131     $ 15,372  
    Investment income   3,499     3,631       3,512  
    Int. on fed funds & CDs in other banks   574     504       255  
    Dividends from non-marketable equity   132     137       129  
    Total interest income   22,274     22,403       19,268  
               
    INTEREST EXPENSE:          
    Int. on deposits   2,891     3,115       2,518  
    Int. on short-term borrowings   31     12       149  
    Int. on long-term debt   451     464       464  
    Total interest expense   3,373     3,591       3,131  
    Net interest income   18,901     18,812       16,137  
    PROVISION FOR CREDIT LOSSES   1,164     1,671       378  
    Net interest income after provision   17,737     17,141       15,759  
               
    NON-INTEREST INCOME:          
    Total deposit fee income   849     856       796  
    Debit / credit card interchange income   191     196       167  
    Merchant services income   7,864     7,562       6,068  
    Gain on sale of loans   261     929       451  
    Loss (gain) on sale of investments   —     (482 )     (373 )
    Other operating income   410     374       364  
    Total non-interest income   9,575     9,435       7,473  
               
    NON-INTEREST EXPENSE:          
    Salaries & employee benefits   8,056     5,177       6,582  
    Occupancy expense   353     411       383  
    Merchant services operating expense   3,174     3,149       2,360  
    Other operating expense   4,884     4,533       3,376  
    Total non-interest expense   16,467     13,270       12,701  
               
    Income before provision for income tax   10,845     13,306       10,531  
    PROVISION FOR INCOME TAXES   2,747     3,588       2,741  
    Net income $ 8,098   $ 9,718     $ 7,790  
    ASSET QUALITY March 31, 2025   December 31, 2024   March 31, 2024
    (in thousands)    
    Delinquent accruing loans 30-60 days $ 17,533     $ 4,886     $ 3,220  
    Delinquent accruing loans 60-90 days   1,537       2,449       1,950  
    Delinquent accruing loans 90+ days   46       987       1,332  
    Total delinquent accruing loans $ 19,116     $ 8,322     $ 6,502  
               
    Loans on non-accrual $ 15,366     $ 9,894     $ 7,156  
    Other real estate owned   —       —       —  
    Nonperforming assets $ 15,366     $ 9,894     $ 7,156  
               
    Delinquent 30-60 / Total Loans   1.60 %     0.46 %     0.35 %
    Delinquent 60-90 / Total Loans   0.14 %     0.23 %     0.21 %
    Delinquent 90+ / Total Loans   — %     0.09 %     0.14 %
    Delinquent Loans / Total Loans   1.75 %     0.78 %     0.70 %
    Non-accrual / Total Loans   1.41 %     0.92 %     0.77 %
    Nonperforming assets to total assets   0.98 %     0.66 %     0.51 %
               
    Year-to-date charge-off activity          
    Charge-offs $ 167     $ 1,287     $ —  
    Recoveries   —       35       4  
    Net charge-offs (recoveries) $ 167     $ 1,252     $ (4 )
    Annualized net loan losses to average loans   0.06 %     0.12 %     — %
               
    CREDIT LOSS RESERVE RATIOS:          
    Allowance for credit losses $ 12,913     $ 11,834     $ 10,407  
               
    Total loans $ 1,092,441     $ 1,071,079     $ 926,781  
    Purchased govt. guaranteed loans $ 16,081     $ 16,323     $ 19,642  
    Originated govt. guaranteed loans $ 45,285     $ 42,737     $ 38,228  
               
    ACL / Total loans   1.18 %     1.10 %     1.12 %
    ACL / Loans less 100% govt. gte. loans (purchased)   1.20 %     1.12 %     1.15 %
    ACL / Loans less all govt. guaranteed loans   1.25 %     1.17 %     1.20 %
    ACL / Total assets   0.83 %     0.79 %     0.75 %
    SELECT FINANCIAL TREND INFORMATION For the Quarter Ended:
    March 31, 2025 December 31, 2024 September 30, 2024 June 30, 2024 Mar. 31, 2024
    BALANCE SHEET- PERIOD END          
    Total assets $ 1,560,376   $ 1,504,128   $ 1,512,241   $ 1,443,723   $ 1,395,095  
    Loans held for sale   —     —     —     —     —  
    Loans held for investment   1,092,441     1,071,079     998,222     969,764     926,781  
    Investment securities   313,826     322,186     345,428     345,491     328,906  
               
    Non-interest bearing deposits   825,404     828,508     826,708     731,030     751,636  
    Interest bearing deposits   494,977     455,869     460,241     437,927     448,893  
    Total deposits   1,320,381     1,284,377     1,286,949     1,168,957     1,200,529  
    Short-term borrowings   10,000     —     —     68,000     —  
    Long-term debt   38,046     38,007     37,967     39,678     39,638  
               
    Total equity   191,928     186,574     176,350     167,286     158,690  
    Accumulated other comprehensive loss   (17,217 )   (18,182 )   (12,715 )   (18,646 )   (19,974 )
    Shareholders’ equity   174,711     168,392     163,635     148,640     138,716  
               
    QUARTERLY INCOME STATEMENT          
    Interest income $ 22,274   $ 22,403   $ 21,404   $ 20,887   $ 19,268  
    Interest expense   3,373     3,591     3,617     3,581     3,131  
    Net interest income   18,901     18,812     17,787     17,306     16,137  
    Non-interest income   9,575     9,435     7,616     7,423     7,473  
    Gross revenue   28,476     28,247     25,403     24,729     23,610  
               
    Provision for credit losses   1,164     1,671     762     291     378  
               
    Non-interest expense   16,467     13,270     12,735     13,285     12,701  
    Net income before tax   10,845     13,306     11,906     11,153     10,531  
    Tax provision   2,747     3,588     3,343     3,077     2,741  
    Net income after tax   8,098     9,718     8,563     8,076     7,790  
               
    BALANCE SHEET- AVERAGE BALANCE          
    Total assets $ 1,531,573   $ 1,529,439   $ 1,477,259   $ 1,704,255   $ 1,347,604  
    Loans held for sale   —     —     —     —     —  
    Loans held for investment   1,076,848     1,038,215     982,152     954,871     925,561  
    Investment securities   325,699     333,135     343,096     334,416     315,820  
               
    Non-interest bearing deposits   850,426     838,748     822,200     758,977     755,603  
    Interest bearing deposits   450,124     460,321     432,143     440,147     393,514  
    Total deposits   1,300,550     1,299,069     1,254,343     1,199,124     1,149,117  
    Short-term borrowings   2,856     951     —     10,053     9,562  
    Long-term debt   38,028     37,989     39,479     39,660     39,620  
               
    Shareholders’ equity   174,410     167,268     161,363     141,881     134,621  
                                   

    Contact: Steve Miller – President & CEO
    Bhavneet Gill – EVP & CFO
    (559) 439-0200

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