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Category: Science

  • MIL-Evening Report: Good boy or bad dog? Our 1 billion pet dogs do real environmental damage

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bill Bateman, Associate Professor, Behavioural Ecology, Curtin University

    William Edge/Shutterstock

    There are an estimated 1 billion domesticated dogs in the world. Most are owned animals – pets, companions or working animals who share their lives with humans. They are the most common large predator in the world. Pet cats trail far behind, at about 220 million.

    We are all too aware of the negative effects of cats, both owned and feral, on wildlife. Feral dogs too are frequently seen as threats to biodiversity, although dingoes can have a positive role. By contrast, our pet dogs often seem to get a free pass.

    This is, unfortunately, based more on feelings than data. Our beloved pet dogs have a far greater, more insidious and more concerning effect on wildlife and the environment than we would like to be the case.

    In our new research, we lay out the damage pet dogs do and what can be done about it.

    Dogs are predators. They catch many types of wildlife and can injure or kill them. Their scent and droppings scare smaller animals. Then there’s the huge environmental cost of feeding these carnivores and the sheer quantity of their poo.

    We love our pet dogs, but they come with a very real cost. We have to recognise this and take steps to protect wildlife by leashing or restraining our animals.

    The predator in your home

    Dogs are domesticated wolves, bred to be smaller, more docile and extremely responsive to humans. But they are still predators.

    Pet dogs are responsible for more reported attacks on wildlife than are cats, according to data from wildlife care centres, and catch larger animals.

    Pet dogs off the leash are the main reason colonies of little penguins are nearing collapse in Tasmania.

    In New Zealand, a single escaped pet dog is estimated to have killed up to 500 brown kiwis out of a total population of 900 over a five-week period.

    Once off the leash, dogs love to chase animals and birds. This may seem harmless.
    But being chased can exhaust tired migratory birds, forcing them to use more energy. Dogs can kill fledglings of beach-nesting birds, including endangered birds such as the hooded plover.

    The mere presence of these predators terrifies many animals and birds. Even when they’re on the leash, local wildlife are on high alert. This has measurable negative effects on bird abundance and diversity across woodland sites in eastern Australia.

    In the United States, deer are more alert and run sooner and farther if they see a human with a leashed dog than a human alone.

    Several mammal species in the United States perceived dogs with a human as a bigger threat than coyotes.

    Dogs don’t even have to be present to be bad for wildlife. They scent-mark trees and posts with their urine and leave their faeces in many places. These act as warnings to many other species. Researchers in the US found animals such as deer, foxes and even bobcats avoided areas dogs had been regularly walked compared to dog exclusion zones, due to the traces they left.

    Beach-nesting birds such as hooded plovers are vulnerable to off-leash dogs, who can easily trample eggs, kill hatchlings or scare off the parents.
    Martin Pelanek/Shutterstock

    Keeping dogs healthy and fed has a cost

    The medications we use to rid our pet dogs of fleas or ticks can last weeks on fur, and wash off when they plunge into a creek or river. But some of these medications have ingredients highly toxic to aquatic invertebrates, meaning a quick dip can be devastating.

    Researchers have found when birds such as blue tits and great tits collect brushed-out dog fur to line their nests, it can lead to fewer eggs hatching and more dead hatchlings.

    Then there’s the poo. In the US, there are about 90 million pet dogs, while the UK has 12 million and Australia has 6 million.

    The average dog deposits 200 grams of faeces and 400 millilitres of urine a day. This translates to a tonne of faeces and 2,000 litres of urine over a 13 year lifespan. Scaled up, that’s a mountain of waste.

    This waste stream can add to nitrogen pollution in waterways, alter soil chemistry and even spread diseases to humans and other wildlife. More than 80% of the pathogens infecting domesticated animals also infect wildlife.

    Dogs largely eat meat, meaning millions of cows and chickens are raised just to feed our pets. Feeding the world’s dogs leads to about the same emissions as the Philippines and a land use “pawprint” twice the size of the UK.

    No one likes thinking about this

    People love their dogs. They’re always happy to see us. Their companionship makes us healthier, body and mind. Many farms couldn’t run without working dogs. We don’t want to acknowledge they can also cause harm.

    Dogs, of course, are not bad. They’re animals, with natural instincts as well as the domesticated instinct to please us. But their sheer numbers mean they do real damage.

    Many of us have a large dog-shaped blind spot. Little Brutus wouldn’t have done something like that, we think. But Brutus can and does.

    Choosing to own a dog comes with responsibilities. Being a good dog owner means caring not just for the animal we love, but the rest of the natural world.

    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. Good boy or bad dog? Our 1 billion pet dogs do real environmental damage – https://theconversation.com/good-boy-or-bad-dog-our-1-billion-pet-dogs-do-real-environmental-damage-252726

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Running on empty: Poor nutrition increases injury risk for female athletes

    Source:

    10 April 2025

    Proper nutrition is crucial for enhancing athletic performance, supporting recovery and overall health. Now, a new study from the University of South Australia reveals that proper nutrition is also key to reducing risk of injury, especially for females.

    In a systematic review of nearly 6000 runners, researchers examined the link between diet and exercise-related injury among adult distance runners. The study found that lower energy and fat intakes were strongly associated with a higher risk of injury in female runners.

    The study also found that a low-fibre diet increased the likelihood of bone stress injuries in both female and male runners.

    Specifically, injured female runners consumed 450 fewer calories (~1900kJ) and 20 grams less fat per day than uninjured counterparts. Both injured female and male runners had three grams less fibre in their diet per day, compared to those who remained injury free.

    Interestingly, runners’ intakes of protein, carbohydrates, alcohol, and calcium, did not influence injury risk.

    Sports dietitian and UniSA researcher, Erin Colebatch, says nutrition plays a crucial role in reducing injury risk.

    “Distance running is a popular activity for many people, helping them stay healthy and keep fit. Yet about 50% of adult runners sustain running-related injuries,” Colebatch says.

    “Nutrition is key to optimising athletic performance, providing the energy, recovery support, and injury prevention needed to maintain both endurance and overall health.

    “Many long-distance runners underestimate their energy needs. When they don’t fuel their bodies properly, they increase their injury risk.

    “Recognising the impact of diet on injury risk helps minimise it.”

    Senior researcher, UniSA’s Dr Alison Hill, says clinicians need to support female runners to achieve sufficient energy and fat intakes while guiding all runners to optimise their fibre consumption.

    “When runners don’t consume enough energy, their body’s needs go unmet, which over time can lead to issues like skeletal demineralisation, loss of lean body mass, fatigue, and stress fractures,” Dr Hill says.

    “While this research offers valuable insights for runners of all levels, additional studies are necessary to explore how these findings apply to a broader range of athletic abilities.”

    …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

    Contacts for interview: Erin Colebatch E: erin.colebatch@mymail.unisa.edu.au
    Dr Alison Hill E: Alison.Hill@unisa.edu.au
    Media contact: Annabel Mansfield M: +61 479 182 489 E: Annabel.Mansfield@unisa.edu.au

    Other articles you may be interested in

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Baldwin Leads Senators Demanding Answers from Trump Admin on Cuts to Partnership that Boosts American Manufacturing

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) are demanding answers from the Trump Administration on its decision to take away funding that has long helped boost domestic manufacturing and created thousands of jobs. The Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program is a public-private partnership that helps small and medium-sized manufacturers grow, make operational improvements, and create jobs. The administration announced that it would be cutting off future funding for 10 MEP Centers across the country, with others, including Wisconsin, waiting in the lurch. In Wisconsin, the MEP has helped create more than $2.5 billion in economic impact and created or retained nearly 4,000 jobs in just the past two years.

    “Small manufacturers rely on MEP Centers for essential support in adopting the latest advanced technologies, updating their cybersecurity, navigating supply chain challenges, and accessing workforce training—resources that are often out of reach for small businesses without this dedicated assistance,” wrote Baldwin and the Senators in a letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. “These centers drive innovation, boost productivity, and create high-quality jobs, strengthening both local economies and America’s global competitiveness.”

    The Senators continued, “Eliminating federal support for MEP Centers would hamper American small and medium-sized manufacturers. We urge you to take immediate action to protect the MEP program and the manufacturers that rely on it.”

    A report by Summit Consulting and the Upjohn Institute found that the MEP program generated a substantial economic and financial return ratio of more than 17:1 for the $175 million funding invested by the federal government in FY2023. The study also determined that MEP Center projects contributed to an overall increase of nearly 309,000 jobs nationwide.

    Centers in Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, and Wyoming will be immediately affected. The national network of 51 MEPs, including the Wisconsin Manufacturing Extension Partnership, has helped boost the productivity and competitiveness of thousands of small American manufacturers across the country for decades.

    Since 1988, the MEP has worked to strengthen and empower U.S. manufacturing through a nationwide network of MEP Centers. The MEP National Network is comprised of 51 MEP Centers located in all 50 states and Puerto Rico and over 1,450 trusted advisors and experts at more than 430 MEP service locations that provide any U.S. manufacturer with access to resources they need to succeed.

    Senator Baldwin has long championed investing in the manufacturing sector. In addition to helping pass the CHIPS and Science Act, Senator Baldwin worked to secure significant investments to support the Manufacturing Extension Partnership. Baldwin is Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee charged with oversight of MEP at the Department of Commerce.

    This letter was co-signed by 13 other Senate colleagues.

    A full version of this letter is available here and below.

    Dear Secretary Lutnick,

    We write to express our deep concern regarding the Department of Commerce’s recent decision to cancel future funding for ten National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Centers in Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, and Wyoming. This decision has raised widespread concern across the entire national network of MEP Centers, prompting fears about whether these initial cancellations are the first step in a broader effort to dismantle the program and eliminate federal funding for all 51 centers, with centers in Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, New York, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin expected to be notified about their status shortly. Given the MEP program’s long-standing, bipartisan support in strengthening small and medium-sized American manufacturers, we share these concerns and urge you to provide clarity and certainty on your plans for the future of the MEP program.

    According to the National Association of Manufacturers, 93% of manufacturers have fewer than 100 employees, while 75% have fewer than 20 employees. Small manufacturers rely on MEP Centers for essential support in adopting the latest advanced technologies, updating their cybersecurity, navigating supply chain challenges, and accessing workforce training—resources that are often out of reach for small businesses without this dedicated assistance. These centers drive innovation, boost productivity, and create high-quality jobs, strengthening both local economies and America’s global competitiveness. Without this critical federal support, MEP Centers—especially those with the fewest resources, and those serving rural and underserved communities—will be at the greatest risk of closure.

    Dismantling this program would not only disrupt benefits for small businesses but also undermine decades of federal investment in domestic manufacturing resilience, which Congress prioritized in the MEP program in the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988. Congress also reauthorized the MEP program in the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022. NIST was provided $175 million in Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 to fund the MEP Centers. In FY2024 alone, the MEP National Network resulted in $2.6 billion in cost savings, $15 billion in new and retained sales, $5 billion in new client investments, and over 108,000 jobs created or retained. Additionally, a report by Summit Consulting and the Upjohn Institute found that the MEP program generated a substantial economic and financial return ratio of more than 17:1 for the $175 million funding invested by the federal government in FY2023. The study also determined that MEP Center projects contributed to an overall increase of nearly 309,000 jobs across the United States.

    Given these benefits and the funding in the FY 2025 Continuing Resolution, we request a full explanation of the rationale behind this funding decision and ask that you promptly reconsider. Additionally, we urge the Department of Commerce to provide Congress with an impact assessment detailing how this decision will affect manufacturers in the affected states and regions. This action has caused tremendous uncertainty for all MEP Centers and the thousands of American manufacturing companies and their workers.  Therefore, to better understand your plans for renewals across other states in the future, we request a briefing on the way ahead for the overall MEP program prior to making any final non-renewal decisions by April 30, 2025. 

    Eliminating federal support for MEP Centers would hamper American small and medium-sized manufacturers. We urge you to take immediate action to protect the MEP program and the manufacturers that rely on it. We look forward to your response no later than April 30, 2025, and are ready to work with you to find solutions that maintain and enhance the MEP program’s ability to serve America’s manufacturing sector.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: First-ever MHRA analysis of UK clinical trial applications finds new opportunities to drive medical breakthroughs for patients

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Press release

    First-ever MHRA analysis of UK clinical trial applications finds new opportunities to drive medical breakthroughs for patients

    New analysis of the current clinical trial landscape in the UK shows clear opportunities to shape the future of medical research and patient care.

    The first-ever analysis of the UK clinical trial landscape by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the University of Liverpool reveals the UK is a global leader in clinical research – and sets out key opportunities to deliver even more life-changing treatments for patients.

    Published today in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, the report offers the most detailed picture yet of the UK’s clinical trials landscape. It finds strong innovation – but also a concentration of research in certain disease areas, and opportunities for increased representation of certain patient groups.

    A roadmap for stronger, more inclusive research

    The MHRA is using the insights to build upon the country’s world-leading clinical research and deliver its new clinical trials regulations to create a more efficient, streamlined and adaptable regulatory framework. Working in partnership with patients, the NHS, industry and academia, the MHRA will support increased research into underrepresented conditions, improve diversity in trial participation, and attract further global investment in innovation.

    Professor Andrea Manfrin, lead author of the study and MHRA Deputy Director, Clinical Investigations and Trials, said:

    “Clinical trials are the backbone of medical progress, essential for developing new medicines and advancing our understanding of diseases. This analysis shows clearly where the UK is leading – and where we need to work with our stakeholders to go further. By working together with patients, the NHS, industry, and researchers across the life sciences ecosystem to identify and maximise these opportunities, we can ensure clinical trials are faster, fairer, and more inclusive. Better trials mean better, more effective treatments, reaching NHS patients as quickly and as safely as possible.”

    Professor Sir Munir Pirmohamed, co-author of the study at the University of Liverpool, said:

    “The analysis from the MHRA clinical trials database shows the richness of UK clinical trial activity involving medicines. Importantly it also provides a baseline which can be used to increase future UK clinical trial activity, which is important for improving both patient outcomes and economic investment.”

    With the global clinical trials market expected to nearly double to over £80 billion by 2032, insights from the analysis will help shape policies that can bring innovative, new medicines to patients, attract investment, accelerate medical innovation, and expand trial access for UK patients. 

    Key findings from the MHRA and University of Liverpool’s analysis of all 4,616 clinical trials submitted between 2019 and 2023:

    • The UK is a hub for pioneering research, with one in eight trials testing treatments in humans for the first time. There is strong commercial investment in UK trials, with 85% industry sponsored. A smaller share (15%) comes from universities, hospitals, and charities.
    • Cancer trials dominate, making up nearly a third of all studies, but other major diseases lag behind. Heart disease – the world’s biggest killer – receives just 5.2% of research focus. Trials for conditions such as chronic pain, respiratory conditions and mental health disorders were among the least common, despite their major impact on public health.
    • Both sexes were included in most trials (90%), however male-only trials (6.1%) were nearly twice as common as female-only studies (3.7%).  Pregnant and breastfeeding women were represented in 1.1% and 0.6% of trials, respectively, which could impact treatment suitability for these groups.
    • Cutting-edge treatments, such as gene and cell therapies, represent a growing clinical area but make up only 3.4% of trials, despite their potential to transform care for patients with limited treatment options.

    Partnership working to strengthen UK clinical research

    The report sets a baseline to track progress and inform future funding, policy and regulation. The MHRA is already working with partners across the life sciences sector to increase research and streamline approvals in areas of unmet need through the Innovative Licensing and Access Pathway (ILAP); improve diversity in trial participation through the development of joint guidance with the Health Research Authority (HRA) so trials reflect the populations they aim to serve; and support more advanced therapy trials through collaboration with researchers via the Centres of Excellence for Regulatory Science and Innovation (CERSIs).

    These initiatives form part of wider clinical trials reform, including new legislation we are committed to implementing that will streamline how clinical trials are run in the UK. Backed by the MHRA and healthcare system partners, the changes aim to protect patient safety, boost global investment, and cut unnecessary red tape – helping bring new treatments to patients faster.

    As the government pushes forward the development of the Life Sciences Sector Plan and the 10 Year Health Plan, these findings come at a crucial time. They can be used to shape policies that ensure clinical trials deliver maximum benefit for patients, the NHS and the wider economy.

    Health Minister Karin Smyth said:

    “The government is determined to make Britain a world leader in life sciences, developing groundbreaking treatments focused on the conditions that matter most to patients.

    “As part of our Plan for Change, we’re laying the foundations for a modern, resilient health system that delivers, which is why the Prime Minister announced £520 million investment this week to turbocharge medical research.

    “By driving forward research and expanding access to clinical trials, we can ensure patients benefit from cutting-edge treatments quicker, while creating high-quality jobs and attracting global investment.

    “Strengthening the trial environment will help ensure we have an NHS fit for the future – one that harnesses innovation to improve outcomes for patients.”

    Science Minister Lord Vallance said:

    “As home to a thriving life sciences sector and the NHS, the UK is uniquely placed to host the trials and research that are taking the fight to a host of devastating health conditions. But as this data shows, we can go further and move faster through targeted investment, and smart regulation.

    “We are committed to doing precisely that – through this year’s record £13.9 billion funding for R&D in life sciences and beyond, as well as the efforts of our new Regulatory Innovation Office. We must make sure that trials of new medicines are available to everyone to take part.”

    Matt Westmore, Health Research Authority Chief Executive:

    “Health and social care research should be done with, and for, everyone.

    “We know that trials that involve a diverse group of participants help provide a better understanding of how effective a treatment is for different groups of people. In turn this helps us support efforts to address health inequalities.

    “We are pleased to be working alongside the MHRA to develop new guidance designed to make it easier for researchers to ensure they are designing trials that are more representative of the people it is for and about.”

    Lawrence Tallon, MHRA Chief Executive, said:

    “This first-of-its-kind analysis builds on our important work to strengthen clinical research in the UK. We are committed to implementing a flexible and risk-proportionate regulatory approach for clinical trials, which accelerates patient access to potentially life-saving medicines without compromising safety.

    “We’re making the UK one of the best places in the world to run clinical trials, with combined review approval times with the Health Research Authority now at 60 days or less for all trials. These changes not only benefit patients today but are laying the groundwork to accelerate innovation and deliver life-changing treatments to patients faster.”

    The MHRA will continue tracking progress and working with its partners to ensure the UK remains a world leader in medical research, keeping patient safety at the heart of clinical trials.

    Notes to editors 

    1. Publication: Andrea Manfrin et al. (2025) ‘Analysis of 4616 clinical trial initial submissions received by the MHRA between February 2019 and October 2023’ British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. DOI: 10.1002/bcp.70061.
    2. This analysis includes all 4,616 initial clinical trial submissions of investigational medicinal products (CTIMPs) received by the MHRA Clinical Trials Unit between February 2019 and October 2023. Other types of studies, such as non-CTIMPs, are not under the MHRA’s remit. For further information, please refer to the publication.
    3. Patients, the NHS and the Life Sciences sector set to benefit from new clinical trials framework being laid in parliament today – GOV.UK
    4. Commercial clinical trials in the UK: the Lord O’Shaughnessy review – GOV.UK
    5. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/the-top-10-causes-of-death
    6. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for regulating all medicines and medical devices in the UK by ensuring they work and are acceptably safe. All our work is underpinned by robust and fact-based judgements to ensure that the benefits justify any risks. 
    7. The MHRA is an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care. 
    8. For media enquiries, please contact the newscentre@mhra.gov.uk, or call on 020 3080 7651.

    Updates to this page

    Published 10 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cantwell Presses NASA Nominee to Stand Up for Science, Support Artemis Moon Missions

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell
    04.09.25
    Cantwell Presses NASA Nominee to Stand Up for Science, Support Artemis Moon Missions
    WA’s 1,500 aerospace companies deliver $4.6B in economic output
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, pressed Jared Isaacman – President Trump’s nominee to serve as NASA Administrator — on his commitment to protect critical NASA programs from DOGE cuts and support the Artemis mission.
    “The more [the budget] gets slashed and burned by different approaches, by DOGE, the more harmful it can become to people undermining the support for the mission overall … So do you believe that we should have a reduction in workforce or the science budget?” asked Sen. Cantwell.
    Isaacman was non-committal in his response: “Senator, I read what’s on NASA Watch and in the news, like everybody else. If I’m confirmed, I am eager to understand all of the considerations, the discussions being made about a reorganization.”
    Last month, it was reported that the President’s FY2026 budget could slash NASA’s science funding by up to 50%. Cuts in funding could severely threaten critical science and research programs across the administration.
    Sen. Cantwell then asked Isaacman about his commitment to supporting the Artemis missions. Over 42 companies in Washington state and 2,000 jobs are directly tied to supporting the Artemis program: “Do you support the continued Artemis mission with the Space Launch System?”
    “Senator, I believe that is currently the plan… I think the real question is, again, why has it taken so long? Why does it cost so much money?” replied Isaacman.
    “But in the issue of, are we going to commit to this? I think [Artemis] and the [lunar] lander redundancy … people see that as a we’re going to the moon and we’re going to get this done. Not this discussion of, we’re going to skip these things, shortchange this, and then we’re going to focus on Mars in a different route. That’s what I’m trying to get from you,” responded Sen. Cantwell.
    Sen. Cantwell is a champion for American leadership in space exploration. In March, Sen. Cantwell joined her colleagues in introducing the bipartisan NASA Transition Authorization Act of 2025, which sets clear near-term priorities for NASA programs, advances American leadership in deep space exploration, prevents a gap in low Earth orbit leadership and capability, and upholds scientific ingenuity.
    In July 2023, Sen. Cantwell brought NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, regional aerospace industry leaders, STEM education leaders, and students together for a Washington State Space Summit, held at Blue Origin HQ in Kent. The summit included a trade show with 20 space companies, industry groups, and educators from across the State of Washington followed by a panel discussion.
    In 2022, Sen. Cantwell celebrated the successful launch of NASA’s Artemis I mission. Washington state contributes significantly to the Artemis program with 42 companies providing components either for Artemis I or for later Artemis missions, including General Dynamics in Bothell, Aerojet Rocketdyne in Redmond, Blue Origin in Kent, and Toray Composites Material in Tacoma. A full list of Washington companies supporting the Artemis program is available HERE.
    In November 2019, Sen. Cantwell co-sponsored the bipartisan NASA Authorization Act of 2020, which aimed to recognize the Artemis missions in U.S. law for the first time. To provide certainty and stability for the program, language authorizing the Artemis missions and requiring NASA to establish stringent oversight requirements was eventually incorporated into the CHIPS & Science Act, which Cantwell spearheaded through Congress. The CHIPS & Science Act was signed into law on August 9, 2022. 
    Video of Sen. Cantwell’s Q&A today are available HERE, audio HERE, and a full transcript is HERE.
    Video of Sen. Cantwell’s opening remarks are available HERE, audio HERE, and a full transcript is HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Government meeting (2025, No. 12)

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

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

    1. On the draft federal law “On Amendments to Articles 162 and 264 of Part Two of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation”

    The bill proposes not to impose value added tax on funds received by an energy sales organization authorized to carry out the purchase and sale of electrical energy (capacity) for the purpose of supplying electrical energy (capacity) in the territories of new constituent entities of the Russian Federation until January 1, 2028.

    2. On the draft federal law “On Amendments to the Budget Code of the Russian Federation and Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation” (in terms of budget monitoring and other issues of organizing the budget process)

    The draft law is aimed, among other things, at implementing certain instructions of the President of Russia in terms of organizing control over the inclusion in state (municipal) contracts, agreements, contracts (contracts) of provisions on treasury support in cases established by the budget legislation of the Russian Federation.

    3. On the draft federal law “On Amendments to the Code of the Russian Federation on Administrative Offenses”

    The bill is aimed at establishing administrative liability for violations of the provisions on treasury support.

    4. On the draft amendments of the Government of the Russian Federation to the draft federal law No. 107057-7 “On Amendments to the Housing Code of the Russian Federation”

    The draft amendments were developed in connection with the need to create a mechanism for legal regulation of state registration of the housing stock.

    5. On the allocation to the Ministry of Construction of Russia in 2025 from the reserve fund of the Government of the Russian Federation of budgetary appropriations for the provision of subsidies from the federal budget to the budgets of the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Zaporizhia region for the purpose of co-financing the expenditure obligations of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation arising from the implementation of measures to build apartment buildings, the developers or owners of which have not been determined

    The draft order is aimed at ensuring the completion of construction and commissioning of multi-apartment residential buildings in the territories of the Donetsk People’s Republic and Zaporizhia Oblast, the developers or owners of which have not been identified.

    6. On the draft federal law “On Amendments to Article 2516–1 of the Federal Law “On the Procedure for Leaving the Russian Federation and Entering the Russian Federation”

    The development of the bill was dictated by the need to create favorable conditions for increasing the number of foreign citizens entering the country for tourism, business, humanitarian and guest purposes, while maintaining the proper level of migration control and national security requirements.

    7. On the draft amendments of the Government of the Russian Federation to the draft federal law No. 810019-8 “On Amendments to the Federal Law “On Fisheries and Conservation of Aquatic Biological Resources””

    The draft amendments are aimed at clarifying certain provisions of the bill concerning the procedure for re-registering and terminating agreements for the use of fishing areas.

    8. On amending the Resolution of the Government of the Russian Federation of June 15, 2018 No. 682 (in terms of amending the Regulation on the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation)

    The draft resolution is aimed at bringing the powers of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia into line with Article 179.1 of the Budget Code of the Russian Federation.

    9. On the allocation by the Ministry of Education of Russia in 2025 from the reserve fund of the Government of the Russian Federation of budgetary appropriations for the provision, within the framework of the state program of the Russian Federation “Development of Education”, of a subsidy from the federal budget to the budget of the Arkhangelsk Region for the purpose of co-financing the expenditure obligations of the Arkhangelsk Region arising from the construction of schools

    The adoption of the Government order will help resolve a socially significant issue for the Arkhangelsk region in terms of increasing the availability of general education in the region.

    10. On the allocation to the Ministry of Transport of Russia in 2025 from the reserve fund of the Government of the Russian Federation of budgetary appropriations for the provision of one-time financial assistance in the form of a subsidy from the federal budget to the budget of the Saratov Region in order to reimburse the expenses incurred by the budget of the Saratov Region arising from the implementation of measures to update public transport

    The draft order provides for the allocation of funds to provide financial assistance to the budget of the Saratov region in order to reimburse part of the costs incurred in the acquisition of two-section trams.

    Moscow, April 9, 2025

    The content of the press releases of the Department of Press Service and References is a presentation of materials submitted by federal executive bodies for discussion at a meeting of the Government of the Russian Federation.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Schatz, Sheehy Introduce Bipartisan Legislation To Use AI To Protect Communities Against Extreme Weather, Wildfires

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Hawaii Brian Schatz

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) today introduced the TAME Extreme Weather and Wildfires Act, bipartisan legislation to improve and leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to better predict and respond to extreme weather and protect people and communities from the increasing toll of wildfires, hurricanes, floods, and other disasters.

    “Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent, more severe, and more deadly, and AI can be a powerful tool in saving lives and livelihoods,” said Senator Schatz, a senior member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. “Our bill will harness AI’s immense processing and prediction capabilities to improve weather forecasts and help communities better prepare for and respond more quickly to extreme weather events.”

    “Extreme weather and wildfires cost us hundreds of billions of dollars in economic impact and harm countless Americans each year, yet our government response – particularly to wildfire – hasn’t changed in decades. By incorporating leading-edge artificial intelligence into our forecasting and disaster threat prediction modeling, we will have the ability to know where, how big, and how bad weather is going to be, and can take preventative measures long before the impact is realized. Now is the time for transformational innovation and leadership to prevent future tragedies and protect American families, homes, and communities from disaster quickly and effectively,” said Senator Sheehy.

    The TAME Extreme Weather and Wildfires Act would direct the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to:

    • Develop a U.S. global weather dataset to train AI forecasting models;
    • Partner with the private and academic sectors on AI weather and wildfire forecasting, and innovate new AI weather and wildfire products and applications; and
    • Support the integration of AI weather models into the forecasts that the American people use and rely on.

    In addition to Schatz and Sheehy, the TAME Extreme Weather and Wildfires Act is co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.). A companion bill was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by U.S. Representative Scott Franklin (R-Fla.).

    “Extreme weather is only getting more severe and more frequent. We need to use every tool at our disposal—including artificial intelligence—to save lives and livelihoods. By requiring federal agencies to use AI in proactive ways, such as boosting grid resiliency and improving weather forecasts, this bill will allow us to better predict and respond to extreme weather events and mitigate their impacts,” said Senator Welch.

    “Far too many communities in New Mexico and across the country have experienced the devastation that extreme weather events bring,” said Senator Luján. “We must utilize every tool at our disposal, like AI, to protect our communities from the devastation caused by wildfires, floods, and other disasters. I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing this bill that will leverage the powers of AI to better predict extreme weather events and save lives.”

    “As devastating weather events continue to threaten lives, homes and communities across the country, the need for faster, more accurate forecasting is critical,” said Representative Franklin. “The TAME Extreme Weather and Wildfires Act leverages emerging AI technologies to enhance forecasting systems and bolster disaster preparedness. By encouraging American innovation and uniting the efforts of the federal government, academia and the private sector, our bill ensures we can respond swiftly to natural disasters here at home without relying on foreign data. I’m pleased to join Senator Schatz in leading this bipartisan effort to protect Americans and modernize our national weather capabilities.”

    In 2023 alone, the United States experienced a record 28 disasters that caused nearly 500 deaths and cost at least $1 billion in damages each, including to property and crops. The TAME Extreme Weather and Wildfires Act would help the United States better prepare for extreme weather and wildfires by providing forecasts that are improved by integrating traditional and AI weather models. Currently, AI weather models are dependent on a dataset created and maintained by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. The bill bolsters the security of AI weather models by requiring the development of a U.S. weather dataset.

    The text of the bill is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Speech on foreign affairs and trade

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Kia ora and good morning everyone.
    Before I start, can I acknowledge the Wellington Chamber of Commerce for the opportunity to speak to all of you this morning.
    It comes at a difficult time for the global economy, with rising rhetoric, escalating tariffs, and the prospect of further retaliation to come.
    I had originally planned to take this opportunity to speak about my Government’s plan for economic growth – to create jobs, lift incomes, and put more money back in the wallets of Kiwis.
    I will still touch on that.
    It’s my Government’s top priority and it frames just about every decision we take here in Wellington as we focus on improving the lives of all New Zealanders.
    But with markets rocked and exporters facing uncertainty, I know there’s one topic front of mind for many businesses and many households.
    So this morning I want to take some time to speak to those events and make the case for free trade and the rules-based international order.
    Trade is the lifeblood of the New Zealand economy.
    Whether it’s our incredible farmers and growers, our outstanding tourism industry, or our burgeoning tech sector, Kiwis businesses thrive when we compete on the world stage.
    Our success isn’t an accident – and it didn’t happen overnight.
    Successive generations of trade negotiators and political leaders have invested in relationships offshore, and worked hard to complete deals like CER, the China FTA, the CPTPP, and the more recent EU, UK, UAE and GCC FTAs.
    Business leaders have moved rapidly, too – finding fresh opportunities for growth in emerging markets, and developing outstanding products back home that put New Zealand on the map.
    Our rural economy in particular represents the very best of open and competitive trade – selling into difficult markets, with no direct financial support, and consistently coming out on top.
    I could – and often do – speak at length about the contribution exporters make to the domestic economy.
    But trade goes both ways.
    Yes, export growth will be critical to improving New Zealand’s economic prospects in the coming years.
    But the removal of New Zealand’s own trade barriers and embrace of goods and services imported from offshore has also led to a major improvement in our quality of life in recent years.
    Our clothing is more affordable, our cars are more reliable, our diets are more diverse, and our holidays in Bali and Europe are a nice contrast to summers at the lake or the beach.
    Free trade of goods purchased from offshore has also supported growth in productivity.
    Kiwi exporters rely on the trucks, tractors, jet engines, computers, and smart phones we buy from overseas that make their businesses tick.
    And it’s not realistic to expect that in a country of just five million people, we could make everything we need here at home.
    Political leaders have tried that before in New Zealand – and it didn’t end well.
    Older generations will remember the efforts we went to.
    Governments imposed strict import controls and encouraged cars and televisions to be assembled here at home.
    And like today, conflict offshore occasionally helped to send prices spiralling – but the response looked very different.
    In the late 1970s, politicians imposed “carless days”, with stickers on your vehicle dictating which days you could drive to work, and which days you caught a ride with a friend or just walked into town instead.
    There was no “work from home” in 1979.
    Agriculture, today the backbone of our economy, was heavily subsidised and much less productive, much less diverse than the efficient and entrepreneurial sector thriving in New Zealand today.
    Those failed policies weren’t just foolish economics.
    They reflected the best efforts of political leaders to insulate New Zealand from an era of major social and geopolitical change.
    History shows those best efforts were a mistake, that required years of difficult choices and careful recovery.
    New Zealanders paid the price then.
    I don’t intend for them to do so again.
    Which brings us to today.
    The events of recent days are the most significant challenge to the rules-based trading system since the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) was formed in 1947.
    Action, reaction, and response have shocked financial markets.
    As the Minister of Finance highlighted earlier this week, the direct impact on the New Zealand economy from the US tariffs announced last week is likely to be around $900 million or roughly 0.2% of GDP.
    But the second order consequences of a region and a world retreating from trade and increasingly uncertain about its economic future will be more significant, despite the welcome news of de-escalation this morning.
    I know for many businesses keeping an eye offshore and for those New Zealanders watching their KiwiSaver accounts, that could be confronting.
    The exporters I’ve spoken to in recent days remain buoyant, rightly confident in the quality of their product, and their ability to navigate choppy waters.
    But for countries whose prosperity is underpinned by global trade, the months ahead will be challenging for their economic interests.
    Many commentators will see these events as just the next step in a longer-term trend towards economic security and national resilience, as countries insure themselves against emerging geopolitical threats.
    Others have gone further, declaring an end to the era of free markets, free trade, and free people, and the rules-based international order underpinning it.
    For my part, I’m not ready to throw in the towel quite yet. Kiwis have worked too hard and for too long, to give up on the values and institutions which have seen our country and the region we live in thrive.
    So, for as long as I am Prime Minister, New Zealand will keep making the case for trade as a cornerstone of our prosperity.
    Yes, we are a small country – but stature has never been a barrier to our success.
    Take the P3 – a proposed trade agreement which began life under negotiation at APEC between New Zealand, Singapore, and Chile in the early 2000s.
    Three small countries, practicing what we preach – and doing everything we could to create opportunity for our people through trade.
    Today, that agreement lives on as the CPTPP and covers a dozen countries, including New Zealand and Australia, Canada, much of Asia, and most recently the United Kingdom.
    In total, that’s roughly 15% of global economic activity, or $13 trillion USD – a long way from where we started just over twenty years ago.
    The United Kingdom might be the most recent accession, but I expect they won’t be the last.
    New Zealand will continue to work with like-minded countries to promote free trade as a path to prosperity and explore the role of the CPTPP in strengthening that vision.
    One possibility is that members of the CPTPP and the European Union work together to champion rules-based trade and make specific commitments on how that support plays out in practice.
    My vision is that includes action to prevent restrictions on exports and efforts to ensure any retaliation is consistent with existing rules.
    Collective action, and a collective commitment, by a large portion of the global economy would be a significant step towards preserving free trade flows and protecting supply chains.
    Clearly though, efforts at collective action won’t be enough to support New Zealand’s economic interests.
    As Prime Minister, I have a responsibility to do everything I can to both bolster the existing rules-based order and to further strengthen New Zealand’s position offshore.
    It’s why I have put so much emphasis on deepening our relationships with partners around the region, with visits throughout South-East Asia, Korea and Japan, the United States, and to India last month as we commenced negotiations for a free trade agreement.
    It’s why my Government has worked so hard to close out fresh agreements with the UAE and GCC that enable additional trade and investment.
    It’s why we hosted an Investment Summit in Auckland, making the case both for New Zealand as an outstanding place to do business and for the opportunity to enter long-term infrastructure partnerships.
    It’s why on Monday this week the Minister of Defence and I launched the Government’s Defence Capability Plan, that lifts defence expenditure to 2% of GDP and ensures New Zealand pulls its weight for many years to come.
    It’s why I will be on the phone later today to world leaders comparing notes on world trade, and testing what we can do together to buttress the rules-based trading system.
    And it’s why I will be heading to the United Kingdom later this month to meet Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, to talk trade, security, and the geopolitical backdrop in Europe and the Indo-Pacific.
    We can’t make the case for New Zealand sitting at home.
    We have to position ourselves as advocates both for our own economic interests and the institutions that underpin them.
    I’m very lucky to lead a Government with so many Ministers dedicated to that task, whether that’s the Foreign Minister, the Minister of Trade, or the Minister of Defence, each of whom having already made a number of significant achievements supporting New Zealand’s interests offshore.
    Back home, the volatility offshore is a fresh reminder of just how important our focus on economic growth will be in the coming years.
    As I said recently at our Investment Summit in Auckland, New Zealand can be a shelter from the global storm.
    That brings a serious opportunity from ensuring our business environment is as welcoming as possible for investment and growth.
    We are making serious inroads into that task.
    Earlier this year, Minister for Economic Growth Nicola Willis published our Government’s Going for Growth Agenda, which outlines a range of actions we are taking to get the New Zealand economy moving and realising its vast potential.
    Each of those actions fits into one of five pillars we have identified as critical to lifting economic growth and improving New Zealanders’ standard of living:

    Developing talent,
    Encouraging innovation, science, and technology,
    Introducing competitive business settings,
    Promoting global trade and investment,
    And delivering infrastructure for growth.

    Across each of those pillars, we have Ministers working day and night to drive through reform – in transport, tourism, aquaculture, construction, advanced aviation, mining, energy, agriculture, and horticulture.
    In just the last few weeks, we have presented our plans to replace the Resource Management Act, fix our broken health and safety laws, and make nation-shaping investments like the Northland Expressway.
    We have introduced the Fast Track regime, streamlining the consenting process for projects of regional and national significance.
    We are re-writing the Overseas Investment Act, so major investments from offshore are consented faster and more reliably.
    We are tearing down the barriers to fresh investment in renewable and non-renewable energy, by repealing the oil and gas ban and ushering in new consenting rules for wind, solar, hydro, and geothermal.
    And we are doubling down on efforts to showcase New Zealand to the world, promoting our tourism and international education sectors offshore so we can attract even more people to spend their money here.
    I know there’s more we can do.
    Growth has now returned, and the economy has turned the corner, but our reform agenda will need to continue at pace for us to out-run the challenges to growth facing us from offshore.
    The challenges to the rules-based international order are intense and the strategic environment my government has inherited is more difficult than it has been for many years.
    For New Zealanders who grew up watching events unfold in Europe and the Middle East, it will be confronting to watch strategic competition and the deterioration of rules-based trade come to our neighbourhood, the Indo-Pacific.
    But the response for New Zealand cannot be retreat.
    New Zealanders are at our best when faced with adversity and we thrive when we compete on the world stage.
    To quote my friend the Foreign Minister, this isn’t our first rodeo.
    Our export sector is jam-packed with talented, sharp New Zealanders who make great products – and create jobs here at home while they do it.
    Farmers, growers, wine makers, and start-ups from all around the country investing in our nation’s future because they have confidence that better days lie ahead.
    I’m not ready to call time on the rules-based trading system.
    And I’m not ready for New Zealand to give up on our efforts to advocate for it on the world stage.
    We’re not in this alone.
    The same institutions that have served New Zealand so well for so long, also underpin the prosperity of so many of our friends and partners, many of whom are also continuing to make the case for free and open trade in recent days.
    My government will keep making the case – overseas, here at home, with a strong voice and a consistent message.
    Free trade works.
    It lifts incomes.
    It creates jobs.
    It builds partnerships.
    And it secures peace.
    I think that’s worth fighting for – and I’m up for that fight.
    Thank you.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: NZ, Colorado to cooperate on space, science

    Source: New Zealand Government

    New Zealand and the State of Colorado have agreed to deepen relationships and offer opportunities in aerospace, quantum and geothermal technologies and beyond, Space Minister Judith Collins says.
    Ms Collins signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with Colorado State Governor Jared Polis while attending the 40th Space Symposium in Colorado Springs.
    “Today marks a significant moment in the strengthening of ties between New Zealand and Colorado,” she says.
    “When Mr Polis and I first met a year ago we agreed to work to strengthen our partnership to further cooperation in science and technology, including in aerospace, quantum and geothermal technologies.
    “This Memorandum of Cooperation formalises that we’re on the same page when it comes to the things that will drive economic growth, including research and development, company exchanges, regional technology hubs and innovation ecosystems that advance strategic industries,” Ms Collins says.
    The Memorandum of Cooperation encourages increased collaboration between New Zealand and the State of Colorado across multiple areas including:

    Aerospace technologies and applications;
    geothermal technologies, including conventional and enhanced geothermal systems, geothermal direct use;
    quantum technologies; and   
    entrepreneurship, venture capital, and startups. 
    New Zealand and Colorado have strong people-to-people links, historically through tourism. These links have to led to an important collaboration in new weightless industries and highlight the prospects for enhanced engagement in research, science, and technology spheres.
    Our respective ski resort areas, Queenstown and Aspen, have enjoyed a sister-city relationship since 1992.
    In September 2024, Auckland and Denver became City2City partners to encourage innovation and increase support to boost the startup ecosystems in both cities.
    Two-way trade with Colorado is worth US$61 million (NZ$106 million:

    Ms Collins says the agreement encourages engagement, and will deepen New Zealand’s commercial relationships as well as establishing links to develop new ones.
    “Increasing collaboration will be a win-win for those looking to invest in New Zealand companies or start-ups, and the same applies for those looking to invest in opportunities in Colorado,” Ms Collins says.
    The Memorandum of Cooperation can be found on the MBIE website.
    Notes to editors:
    New Zealand–Colorado Collaboration

    Colorado exports to NZ are US$23m, with the largest contributors being transportation equipment (US$6m), machinery (US$6m), computer and electronic products (US$3m).
    Colorado imports from NZ are worth US$38m, with the largest contributors being machinery (US$17m) computer and electronics (US$7m), beverage and tobacco products (US$5m) and processed food (US$5m).
    New Zealand was the sixth-largest provider of foreign direct investment in Colorado in 2023. Twenty-nine New Zealand companies, many startups, have a presence in the Denver region alone.
    The strength of these ties led to New Zealand appointing an Honorary Consul based in Denver, and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, tasked with growing New Zealand businesses internationally, has representatives in Colorado. 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI: Global Generics Pharma Leader Selects Kneat

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LIMERICK, Ireland, April 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — kneat.com, inc. (TSX: KSI) (OTCQX: KSIOF), a leader in digitizing and automating validation and quality processes, is pleased to announce that a multinational producer of generic pharmaceuticals (“the Company”) has signed a Services Agreement with Kneat to digitalize its drawing management process. Drawing management supports engineering and validation processes by digitalizing and organizing all technical drawings, eliminating paper-based errors, maintaining traceability of revisions, and controlling access.

    Headquartered in Europe and operating over a dozen manufacturing facilities around the world, the Company is a leading provider of generic and biosimilar pharmaceuticals to patients in over 100 countries. With more than 20,000 employees, the Company will initially use Kneat for management of all its engineering drawings at its largest manufacturing site in Europe. Subsequently, the Company can leverage Kneat to streamline and automate all its validation workflows, ensuring efficiency, accuracy, data integrity and adherence to good manufacturing practice.

    “Today’s announcement adds another global leader to our customer community. It also showcases the versatility of the Kneat platform, which can be leveraged to deliver additional adjacent functions.”
    – Eddie Ryan, Chief Executive Officer of Kneat

    Strong customer retention has emerged as a defining characteristic for Kneat as it has grown over the past ten years to become the validation software of choice for the life sciences industry, serving the majority of the top 20 largest life sciences companies in the world. Net revenue retention, which measures the expansion from existing customers for the previous 12 months, was 151% at December 31, 2024. Kneat is proud of its customer support where 97% of customers rate it as ‘very good’ or ‘excellent’.

    About Kneat

    Kneat Solutions provides leading companies in highly regulated industries with unparalleled efficiency in validation and compliance through its digital validation platform Kneat Gx. As an industry leader in customer satisfaction, Kneat boasts an excellent record for implementation, powered by our user-friendly design, expert support, and on-demand training academy. Kneat Gx is an industry-leading digital validation platform that enables highly regulated companies to manage any validation discipline from end-to-end. Kneat Gx is fully ISO 9001 and ISO 27001 certified, fully validated, and 21 CFR Part 11/Annex 11 compliant. Multiple independent customer studies show up to 40% reduction in documentation cycle times, up to 20% faster speed to market, and a higher compliance standard.

    Cautionary and Forward-Looking Statements

    Except for the statements of historical fact contained herein, certain information presented constitutes “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Such forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, the relationship between Kneat and the customer, Kneat’s business development activities, the use and implementation timelines of Kneat’s software within the customer’s validation processes, the ability and intent of the customer to scale the use of Kneat’s software within the customer’s organization, and the compliance of Kneat’s platform under regulatory audit and inspection. While such forward-looking statements are expressed by Kneat, as stated in this release, in good faith and believed by Kneat to have a reasonable basis, they are subject to important risks and uncertainties. As a result of these risks and uncertainties, the events predicted in these forward-looking statements may differ materially from actual results or events. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, given that they involve risks and uncertainties.

    Kneat does not undertake any obligation to release publicly revisions to any forward-looking statement, except as may be required under applicable securities laws. Investors should not assume that any lack of update to a previously issued forward-looking statement constitutes a reaffirmation of that statement. Continued reliance on forward-looking statements is at an investor’s own risk.

    For further information:

    Katie Keita, Kneat Investor Relations
    P: + 1 902-450-2660
    E: investors@kneat.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Population and Development Commission Continues General Discussion, Holds Panel on ‘Ensuring Healthy Lives and Promoting Well-Being for All at All Ages’

    Source: United Nations General Assembly and Security Council

    Following the continuation of its general discussion in the morning, this afternoon, the Commission on Population and Development heard from Deus Mubangizi, Director of the Health Products Policy and Standards Department and Director ad interim of Innovation and Emerging Technologies Department of the World Health Organization (WHO), and Werner Obermayer, Director of WHO New York Office.

    Their presentations were followed by a multi-stakeholder panel Moderated by Pascale Allotey, Director of the WHO Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research.  The panel featured the following pannelists:  James Sailer, Vice-President and Executive Director, Biomedical Research Center, Population Council; Gloria Langat, Head of Ageing and Development, African Population Health and Research Center; Hugo López-Gatell Ramírez, Professor of Medical Sciences, National Autonomous University of Mexico; Ashley Ambrose, Deputy Director, Health Equity, Clinton Global Initiative; and Hanna Mulugeta, Youth Country Coordinator, RHRN2 Programme Ethiopia, Development Expertise Center.

    The Commission’s fifty-eighth session, held this week from 7 to 11 April, is focusing on the theme “ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages”.

    …

    __________

    * Owing to the liquidity crisis facing our Organization, the 4th through 6th Meetings were not covered.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Casten Statement on Republican Resolution to Cut Medicaid

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Sean Casten (IL-06)

    April 09, 2025

    Washington, D.C. — U.S. Congressman Sean Casten (IL-06) released the following statement regarding the Republican budget resolution:

    “The Republican budget resolution serves only to cut Medicaid and veterans’ health care. No one can vote for this legislation in good conscience and claim otherwise, which is why I will vote NO.”

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tiffany’s Wolf Delisting Bill Clears House Natural Resources Committee

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Tom Tiffany (WI-07)

    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Tom Tiffany (WI-07) and Congresswoman Lauren Boebert’s (CO-04) legislation to delist the gray wolf from the Endangered Species List and ensure that action is not subject to judicial review passed out of the House Natural Resources Committee. The Pet and Livestock Protection Act will restore authority back to state lawmakers and state wildlife officials to control the gray wolf population. H.R. 845 will now head to the full House of Representatives for a vote.   

    “The damage to pets, livestock, and wildlife from an unmanaged wolf population can no longer be ignored. The gray wolf has exceeded federal and state recovery goals, with over 1,000 wolves now thriving in Wisconsin. It’s time to take the next step, delist them, and let the people closest to the gray wolf manage their population levels,” said Congressman Tiffany.  

    “I’m very excited to see PALPA take another step towards being signed into law, which will be a huge victory for our ranchers, farmers, and landowners in Colorado and across America,” said Congresswoman Boebert. “The science has been very clear on this topic for years: gray wolves are fully recovered and their comeback should be touted as a success story. Now it’s time we encourage states to set their own guidelines and allow ranchers, farmers, and landowners to protect their livelihoods. I look forward to voting for this bill on the House floor and ultimately getting it to President Trump for his signature.”

    “The Endangered Species Act was never meant to be a Hotel California where species check in but never leave. Congresswoman Boebert and Congressman Tiffany’s Pet and Livestock Protection Act will allow the recovered gray wolf to check out and return management to the states who know the species best. I thank Ms. Boebert and Mr. Tiffany for their work on this important issue,” said Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman.

    “Hunter Nation salutes the House Natural Resources Committee for voting the ‘Pet and Livestock Protection Act’ out of committee, and thanks Congressman Tom Tiffany and Congresswoman Lauren Boebert for their unwavering support of hunters and our hunting lifestyle,” said Keith Mark, President/Founder of Hunter Nation. “The delisting of the gray wolf is a policy change we have been fighting for since our founding. The recovery of the gray wolf is an incredible conservation success story that should be celebrated. This legislation allows each state to manage the now recovered wolf population just as they manage all other wildlife within the state. The best part of this legislation is the provision that prevents judicial review of the legislative action which will preclude anti-hunting groups from using activist judges to interfere with sound, science-based conservation.”

    In 2020, the Department of the Interior and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service delisted the gray wolf in the lower 48 United States through a process that included the best science and data available. At over 6,000 wolves at the time of delisting, the gray wolf has been the latestEndangered Species Act success story with significant population recoveries in the Rocky Mountains and western Great Lakes regions. However, despite ample scientific evidence of the gray wolf’s recovery, a California judge unilaterally relisted the gray wolf under the ESA last year. The Pet and Livestock Protection Act requires the Secretary of the Interior to reissue the 2020 Department of the Interior final rule that delisted gray wolves in the lower 48 United States.

    32 Members of Congress cosponsored Rep. Tiffany and Rep. Boebert’s legislation, including the entire Wisconsin Republican Congressional Delegation. 

    Stakeholders that support the Pet and Livestock Protection Act include: Hunter Nation, American Farm Bureau Federation, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), Public Lands Council (PLC), National Rifle Association (NRA), Safari Club International (SCI), International Order of T. Roosevelt (IOTR), Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, Mule Deer Foundation, Blacktail Deer Foundation, Colorado Farm Bureau, Colorado Wool Growers, New Mexico Cattle Growers, Minnesota Lamb & Wool Producers Association, Coalition of Arizona/New Mexico Counties, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation, Wisconsin Cattlemen’s Association, Nebraska Cattlemen, and Wisconsin Bear Hunters Association   

    The full text of the Pet and Livestock Protection Act can be found here.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Garbarino, LaLota Reintroduce Bill To Improve Boating Safety In Honor of Long Islander Brianna Lieneck

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Andrew Garbarino (R-NY)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Andrew R. Garbarino (R-NY-02) and Congressman Nick LaLota (R-NY-01) reintroduced the Brianna Lieneck Boating Safety Act. The legislation directs the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) to study and submit to Congress a report on recreational vessel operator education and training in order to improve boating safety and reduce the number of boating accidents that occur due to untrained boat operators. 

    The legislation is named in honor of a young girl from Long Island who was killed in a tragic boating accident. In August 2005, a 25-foot boat driven by Steven Fleisher, an air traffic controller, collided with a boat carrying 11-year-old Brianna Lieneck and her family in the Great South Bay off the coast of Bay Shore. Brianna was killed, her parents suffered severe head and facial injuries, and her sister’s arm was nearly severed. Criminal charges of boating while intoxicated were dismissed. The driver did not have a boating license. Since then, her mother, Gina Lieneck, has advocated for mandatory licenses for all boaters.

    “Many Long Islanders spend their summers enjoying boating and other water activities, but if we don’t proactively prioritize safety that’s when tragedies, like the one that befell the Lieneck family, happen,” said Rep. Garbarino. “According to the Coast Guard, boat operators who did not receive boating safety instruction were involved in 75% of fatal recreational boating accidents in 2023. This legislation would help eliminate these incidents and keep boaters on Long Island and around the country safe through education and training programs.”

    Between 2018 and 2023, there have been 3,871 accidental boating deaths nationwide, according to data provided by the USCG. Boating deaths have remained consistent year over year, averaging between 560-760 deaths annually. USCG has determined alcohol to be a leading factor in boating deaths overall. 

    “As a Navy man, boater, and Long Islander, I understand that increasing boating education and safety training will go a long way to preventing injuries and fatalities like what happened to Brianna Lieneck,” said Rep. LaLota. “Our legislation will save lives and ensure that families can safely enjoy our waters. I am proud to join my Long Island colleague in introducing this bill to keep more Americans safe.”

    Specifically, the Brianna Lieneck Boating Safety Act would require the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating to study and report to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation regarding recreational vessel operator training. The study and report shall include a review of Coast Guard Auxiliary and Power Squadron training programs, existing state boating education programs, and other hands-on training programs available to recreational vessel operators. Among other things, the legislation would also require the report to include:

    • A section laying out steps the USCG and National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) have taken to encourage States to adopt mandatory recreational vessel operator training;
    • A section outlining the minimum standards for education of recreational vessel operators;
    • A section analyzing how the Coast Guard would administer a Federal boating education, training, and testing program, and;
    • An analysis of the extent to which a Federal boating education, training, and testing program should be required for all waters of a State, including internal waters.

    The full text of the bill can be found here.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to the BARCODE1 trial assessing the use of a polygenic risk score in screening for prostate cancer

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    The results of the BARCODE1 trial, published by The New England Journal of Medicine assesses the use of a polygenic risk score in screening for prostate cancer.

    Prof Michael Inouye, Professor of Systems Genomics & Population Health, University of Cambridge, said:

    “This study is the strongest evidence to date on the clinical utility of a polygenic score for prostate cancer screening. It shows that a polygenic score can improve early detection of clinically significant prostate cancer, including those warranting radical treatment. A large proportion of prostate cancer cases detected using a polygenic score would not have been detected using the current diagnostic pathway. The authors appropriately discuss the study’s limitations and further research required (e.g. cost effectiveness). Taken together, I suspect we will look back on this as a landmark study that really made the clinical case for polygenic scores as a new tool that moved health systems from disease management to early detection and prevention.”

    When asked how long it would take to know if this could be used clinically?

    “This is a big step along the path to clinical implementation, but it is still a long road. Realistically, it will likely be years for the NHS to use polygenic scores routinely. It will require investment in infrastructure, generation of genomic data, training for healthcare practicians and potentially access to counselling for patients. There are more targeted ways to use polygenic scores clinically which may make for good next steps. To me, the study really makes me start to believe that these investments are worth it.”

     

    Mr Ben Lamb, Consultant Urological and Robotic Surgeon, Barts Health and UCLH NHS Trusts, and Clinical Senior Lecturer, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), said:

    “This is a very interesting study that assesses the utility of polygenic risk score in the detection of prostate cancer. The population may not be representative of those most at risk of prostate cancer, or of poorer health outcomes in general (e.g. black men, men in areas of deprivation), and further research is needed to test the results in these populations. Further research is also needed to understand longitudinal risk for men with a higher polygenic risk score i.e. their risk of developing cancer over time.

    “Interestingly, the best rate of detection of significant prostate cancer arose when the saliva test, PSA test and MRI tests were all positive. The saliva test may help to direct resources to those men most likely to have significant prostate cancer, but at present it does not replace these investigations, which we know are powerful tools in reassuring some men and recommending biopsy (and performing a better biopsy) in others.

    “The saliva test is less invasive than a blood test, or an MRI, and may be more acceptable for larger populations.”

    Dr Oliver Pain, Sir Henry Wellcome Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN), King’s College London, said:

    “This study uses solid data and analyses and its findings fit nicely with the previous literature suggesting that polygenic scores can improve estimation of prostate cancer risk. It goes a step further than previous research in this area by providing a direct comparison with the current diagnostic pathway, showing that stratifying individuals by their polygenic score helped to identify people with clinically significant prostate cancer who would have otherwise been missed. As stated by the authors, the main limitation of this study is that it is restricted to individuals of European ancestry. Previous research has shown that the polygenic score they have used performs worse in non-European individuals, limiting the generalisability of this study’s conclusions. However, this is a common limitation of the field, not just this study, and there is progress being made with polygenic scores performing better across ancestral populations as the training data (GWAS) becomes more ancestrally diverse and polygenic scoring methods develop to improve their ability to be transferred across populations. There is evidence that progress is being made in this area for prostate cancer specifically, although there is a lot more work to be done (https://elifesciences.org/articles/78304, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011990).

    “In general, this study fits with others coming out for other diseases, and it is great step forward, but I would say we need research demonstrating the predictive utility of polygenic scores for prostate cancer in a more representative sample before we can start implementing them in the clinical setting.”

    Dr Chantal Babb de Villiiers, Senior Policy Analyst at PHG Foundation, said:

    “The BARCODE study results contribute valuable insights into the use of polygenic scores for risk stratification of prostate cancer, and how they can supplement risk prediction with known risk factors. The follow-up of the entire cohort will provide crucial data for evaluating the clinical and economic impact of using polygenic scores. Whilst some polygenic scores are showing promise in very specific scenarios, it is important to approach their implementation with caution and ensure thorough validation. We need further research to determine the best combination of these risk factors as well as how to effectively implement stratified screening.”

    Professor Rhian Gabe, Professor of Biostatistics and Clinical Trials, Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), said:

    “The test evaluated in this high quality study has exciting results in terms of detection, the hopes for an optimal future prostate cancer screening strategy and deserves larger-scale evaluation. Excitingly, this will happen in the TRANSFORM trial of prostate cancer screening where the test will also be evaluated in terms of acceptance, impact on prostate cancer deaths and incidence by comparing it with other promising strategies involving PSA testing and MRI.”

    Dr Samuel Lambert, Assistant Professor of Health Data Science, University of Cambridge, said:

    “The results of the BARCODE1 study are a major achievement, clearly illustrating the value of targeting prostate cancer screening to individuals defined as high-risk using a polygenic risk score. Targeting screening to the high-polygenic score population identified significant cancers that would not have been detected using existing thresholds, a comparable rate to previous trials targeting screening to individuals with pathogenic BRCA1/2 variants.

    “A current limitation is that the polygenic risk score in this study could only be used in individuals of European ancestry due to limitations in the diversity of available genome-wide association study data. This limitation is likely to be overcome in the long term, with data from new studies like Our Future Health in the UK that have prioritised diversity in their recruitment and linked health records to genetics data. Diverse studies like Our Future Health will allow researchers to better identify the variants associated with disease in all ancestries.”

     

    Prof Dusko Ilic, Professor of Stem Cell Sciences, King’s College London (KCL), said:

    “Polygenic risk scores (PRS) offer moderate discriminatory power when used alone. The study used a score based on 130 SNPs and showed that men in the top 10% of the PRS distribution had significantly higher risk. However, when added to established factors like age, PSA level, and MRI findings, the predicting clinically significant prostate cancer improved only modestly. Notably, further stratification within the top decile (e.g., 90th vs. 99th percentile) did not significantly improve predictive accuracy, suggesting diminishing returns at extreme PRS levels.

    “Furthermore, there is no direct evidence yet that using PRS improves long-term outcomes such as mortality or quality-adjusted life years. Modelling suggests benefit, but empirical confirmation is needed.

    “While the results are promising, especially in identifying significant cancers that would otherwise be missed, major caveats remain:

    • Population limitations: The cohort was self-selected, highly educated, and entirely of European ancestry.
    • Unclear generalizability: The PRS used was only validated in men of European descent.
    • No mortality data: The study doesn’t demonstrate reduced prostate cancer mortality or improved overall survival.
    • Cost-effectiveness: Not yet fully evaluated.

    “So, while PRS could supplement existing screening in high-risk individuals, the evidence is insufficient to recommend a standalone screening program based solely on PRS at this time.”

     

    Dr Britta Stordal, Associate Professor in Cancer Research, Middlesex University, said:

    “McHugh et al show that through the use of their BARCODE1 genetic risk score they are able to identify men who are at a higher risk of prostate cancer. 74 men had their prostate cancer diagnosed as a result of participating in this clinical trial that would not have been detected with current standard care on the NHS. This work is possible due to extensive previous research into genetic risk for prostate cancer in European populations. A similar risk score for men of Black African or Caribbean ancestry is urgently needed as we know that these men have a much higher prostate cancer risk than those of European ancestry.”

     

    ‘Assessment of a Polygenic Risk Score in Screening for Prostate Cancer’ by J.K. McHugh et al. was published in The New England Journal of Medicine at 22:00 UK time Wednesday 9 April 2025. 

    DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2407934

    Declared interests

    Prof Michael Inouye: Trustee of the Public Health Genomics (PHG) Foundation, Scientific Advisory Board of Open Targets, and research collaborations with AstraZeneca, Nightingale Health, and Pfizer. All of these are not related to the study. It’s also worth noting that, while the study is obviously driven by the Institute of Cancer Research in London, one of the coauthors (Pashayan) is a colleague at Cambridge.

    Prof Dusko Ilic: I declare no interest.

    Prof Rhian Gabe: I am Co-Lead of the TRANSFORM trial of prostate cancer screening, we are collaborating with Professor Eles to evaluate her PRS test.

    Dr Samuel Lambert: No conflicts of interest to disclose.

    Dr Britta Stordal: No conflicts of interest to declare.

    For all other experts, no reply to our request for DOIs was received.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: LiBama Power Awarded $100,000 SuperBoost Grant to Advance Breakthrough Lithium Metal Anode Technology

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BINGHAMTON, N.Y., April 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — LiBama Power, a leader in next-generation lithium battery anode technology, has been awarded a $100,000 SuperBoost grant from the NSF Energy Storage Engine in Upstate New York. The funding will accelerate the commercialization of LiBama’s Advanced Metal Anodes (AMAs), a transformative lithium-metal technology designed to increase energy density, reduce costs, and enhance battery safety for electric vehicles (EVs), drones, wearables, and power tools.

    LiBama’s patented AMA technology delivers twice the energy density of conventional lithium-ion batteries while reducing cell costs by 30%. Unlike many next-gen battery materials, AMAs are designed for drop-in compatibility with existing manufacturing processes, enabling seamless industry adoption without the need for costly retooling.

    “The energy storage industry is shifting rapidly toward higher-performance, cost-effective solutions, and LiBama Power is leading the way,” said Wentao Li, founder and CTO of LiBama Power. “With this support from the NSF Energy Storage Engine in Upstate New York, we are moving quickly to scale and commercialize our Advanced Metal Anodes, enabling safer, more powerful, and more accessible lithium-metal battery solutions.”

    The SuperBoost program, a flagship initiative of the NSF Energy Storage Engine in Upstate New York, is designed to accelerate battery technology commercialization, cutting traditional development cycles from five or more years to under two years. By providing funding, access to testbeds, and regional partnerships, SuperBoost helps startups bridge the gap between R&D and market deployment.

    LiBama’s work aligns with the Engine’s broader efforts to position upstate New York as a leader in energy storage innovation. Fernando Gómez-Baquero, translation pillar director for the NSF Energy Storage Engine in Upstate New York, noted the significance of LiBama’s advancements: “LiBama Power is redefining what’s possible for lithium battery anodes, combining high energy density with cost efficiency and scalability. By leveraging the Engine’s network of resources, they are positioned to make a rapid transition from prototype to commercial production — exactly what SuperBoost was designed to support.”

    The NSF Energy Storage Engine in Upstate New York is committed to building a robust, interconnected ecosystem that strengthens the U.S. battery supply chain. Meera Sampath, CEO of the Engine, highlighted how investments like these drive broader impact. “Our goal is to accelerate the market readiness of transformative battery technologies, ensuring they can scale rapidly and contribute to national energy security,” she said. “SuperBoost provides startups with the critical resources they need to shorten commercialization timelines and position Upstate New York as a global hub for energy storage innovation. LiBama Power exemplifies this mission by bringing breakthrough battery solutions closer to real-world deployment.”

    With this funding, LiBama Power will refine its AMA production process and produce prototype batteries for key applications in EVs, aviation, and grid storage. The investment represents a critical step toward strengthening the domestic energy storage industry, reinforcing the U.S. supply chain, and advancing high-performance, cost-effective battery solutions.

    About LiBama Power

    LiBama Power designs, manufactures, and markets AMAs for lithium-metal batteries. Its patented technology enables higher energy density, faster charging, and lower costs while ensuring compatibility with existing manufacturing infrastructure. With applications in EVs, drones, wearables, and grid storage, LiBama is advancing the next generation of safe and scalable energy storage solutions.

    For more information, visit www.libamapower.com.

    Contact:
    Mark Sperry, CCO
    mark@sperryenergy.com

    About the NSF Energy Storage Engine in Upstate New York
    The NSF Energy Storage Engine in Upstate New York, led by Binghamton University, is a National Science Foundation-funded, place-based innovation program. The coalition of 40+ academic, industry, nonprofit, state, and community organizations includes Cornell University, Rochester Institute of Technology, Syracuse University, Launch-NY and NY-BEST as core partners. The Engine advances next-gen battery technology development and manufacturing to drive economic growth and bolster national security. Its vision is to transform upstate New York into America’s Battery Capital.

    For more information on the Upstate New York Energy Storage Engine, visit https://upstatenyengine.org/.

    Contact:
    Fernando Gómez-Baquero Ph.D.
    Translation Pillar Director
    NSF Upstate New York Energy Storage Engine
    fernando@cornell.edu

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-Evening Report: 1 in 10 tunnel workers could develop silicosis, our new research shows

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Cole, Occupational Hygienist, PhD Candidate, University of Sydney

    Around 10% of underground tunnel workers in Queensland could develop silicosis, our new study has found.

    Silicosis is a serious, incurable lung disease caused by inhaling small particles of silica dust. You might have heard about it in people who work with engineered stone. But silica is more widespread.

    Silica is found in rocks and concrete, so workers in industries such as construction, mining and tunnelling are at high risk if proper safety measures aren’t in place.

    When silica dust is breathed in, it gets trapped in the lungs, causing inflammation and scarring. Over time, this scarring makes it harder to breathe and can be fatal.

    As symptoms of silicosis can take decades to appear, workers may not realise they’re sick until long after they’ve started working, or even after they stop.

    But silicosis is preventable.

    When silica dust is breathed in, it gets trapped in the lungs in tiny air sacs (the alveoli), causing inflammation and scarring.
    Pikovit/Shutterstock

    How does silicosis affect tunnel workers?

    Thousands of people are involved in tunnelling projects in Australia.

    Tunnelling involves breaking up large amounts of silica-containing rock with heavy machinery.

    Tunnel workers rely on advanced ventilation systems to provide fresh air underground, water systems to keep the rocks wet and suppress dust, and they wear respirators on their face to keep the air they breathe clean. But some people have raised concerns these measures do not always work properly.

    There are also national legal limits in place for silica dust exposure, currently 0.05 milligrams per cubic metre over an eight-hour work day.

    However, a media investigation last November revealed one-third of air monitoring tests from a Sydney tunnel project were above legal limits.

    While air monitoring tests are required by law, the results of routine air monitoring tests are often not made public.

    An expert taskforce has recently been set up in New South Wales to address the silica-related health risks for tunnel workers, promising to make high silica results above legal limits publicly available.

    But while attention has been focused on tunnel workers in Sydney, the problem of lung disease in underground workers is more widespread.

    Our Queensland study

    The results of air monitoring tests are important because they show whether legal silica dust limits are being adhered to.

    Another valuable use of this data is it can help us predict future disease risk. Instead of waiting to see how many workers develop silica-related diseases such as silicosis and lung cancer, this data can be used to estimate cases in advance.

    In 2017, a Queensland parliamentary inquiry raised concerns about the health of Brisbane’s tunnel workers, particularly regarding the harmful effects of exposure to silica dust.

    We worked through the parliamentary inquiry documents to uncover the results of hundreds of individual air monitoring tests conducted on three major Queensland tunnel projects between 2007 and 2013.

    We analysed this data to estimate how many workers were exposed to silica dust and at what levels. We then modelled how many cases of silicosis and lung cancer would occur over the workers’ lifetimes.

    We estimated that in a group of around 2,000 workers involved in these Queensland tunnel projects, 200 to 300 would develop silicosis over their lifetime as a result of silica dust exposure (roughly one in every ten workers).

    We also estimated between 20 to 30 workers would develop lung cancer due to their exposure.

    We had limited information on workplace conditions in the specific projects, so we made a number of assumptions based on publicly available information and our own experience. These included assumptions around the use and protective nature of masks. The fact we had to make some assumptions could be a limitation of our study. Due to the lack of data transparency we don’t know if these figures apply more broadly to tunnel workers throughout Australia.

    Silicosis can appear decades after occupational exposure.
    Marco Di Stefano/Shutterstock

    Our projected rate of silicosis, 10%, is the same as the rate of silicosis recorded by a government inquiry in 1924 which investigated silicosis among workers who built Sydney’s sewers.

    So it doesn’t seem things are any better in terms of silicosis risk in underground work than a century ago.

    We need to do more to protect tunnel workers

    Continued secrecy around silica dust data reduces our ability to understand the scale of the problem and respond effectively. Nonetheless, the small amount of data that has been made available supports the need for urgent action.

    With Australia’s ongoing infrastructure expansion, policymakers must act now. This should include enforcing stricter legal limits for silica dust exposure. There is concern among health experts that current limits don’t sufficiently protect workers’ health.

    Policymakers should also ensure protective measures such as advanced ventilation and dust suppression systems are in place for all tunnel projects, set up national tunnel worker health surveillance, and make exposure data available to workers and the public.

    There are several examples where things are done better. Internationally, Norway and Switzerland have strong systems to protect tunnel workers’ health such as air and health monitoring being conducted by an independent government agency. In Switzerland, this agency also insures the project. Noncompliance results in higher insurance premiums or, in some cases, the withdrawal of insurance, effectively stopping the project.

    Nationally, Australia’s mining industry is more heavily regulated than tunnelling, with stricter enforcement of compliance.

    Without immediate intervention, thousands of tunnel workers will continue to face serious health risks and Australia will face a growing wave of preventable occupational diseases.

    Kate Cole receives higher degree by research funding from The University of Sydney; is a member of the Asbestos and Silica Safety Eradication Council; the NSW Dust Diseases Board; the Chair of the External Affairs Committee for the Australian Institute of Occupational Hygienists; and acts as an expert witness for law firms concerning silica-related diseases in tunnel workers.

    Renee Carey has previously received funding from the Australian Council of Trade Unions. She is a member of the Occupational Lung Disease Network Steering Committee formed by Lung Foundation Australia.

    Tim Driscoll has acted as an expert witness, and written government reports, in relation to silica exposure but not specifically connected to tunnelling. He chairs the Occupational and Environmental Cancer Committee of Cancer Council Australia and chairs the Occupational Lung Disease Network Steering Committee of Lung Foundation Australia.

    – ref. 1 in 10 tunnel workers could develop silicosis, our new research shows – https://theconversation.com/1-in-10-tunnel-workers-could-develop-silicosis-our-new-research-shows-252186

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Labor made plenty of promises at the last election. Did they deliver?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Frank Rindert Algra-Maschio, PhD Candidate, Social and Political Sciences, Monash University

    Election promises are a mainstay of contemporary politics. Governments cite kept commitments as proof they can be trusted, while oppositions pounce on any failure to deliver.

    But beyond the politics, campaign pledges are also central to representative democracy. They telegraph what to expect from a party in government and create a moral obligation for it to follow through.

    Democratic governments across the globe fulfil, on average, roughly two-thirds of their promises, but most voters believe it is far fewer. Since voters will punish governments for breaking promises, it’s vital they have accurate information on their government’s record.

    We set out to provide Australians with that information through RMIT’s Election Promise Tracker. We assessed 66 major promises made by Labor before the last election.

    By presenting evidence through an interactive timeline that follows all the twists and turns since 2022, the tracker allows voters to form their own judgements during the 2025 campaign.

    Tracking election promises

    Our team compiled a long list of promises during the last election campaign by scouring public statements made by both major parties.

    For this, we kept to the definition of an “election promise” used by the Comparative Pledges Project, a research network that employs a common approach to studying promises.

    After the election, we narrowed Labor’s list to 66 promises — based on newsworthiness, coverage of policy areas and, later, feedback from the audience of ABC News.

    The tracker was originally launched as a project of RMIT ABC Fact Check, and it applies a methodology of fact-check journalism that prioritises impartiality and transparency.

    We laid out, from the start, the criteria by which we would eventually assess each promise, to ensure only those that could be assessed by the end of the electoral term were included.

    Three years on, we determined whether those criteria had been met, marking promises as “delivered”, “thwarted” or “broken”. In a few cases, some remain “in progress” or “stalled”.

    Mostly good news for the government

    Overall, the government delivered at least 46 of the promises (roughly 70%) we tracked. Many of these are in areas typically seen as Labor strengths.

    These include key promises in health and aged care, such as funding pay rises for aged care workers, requiring aged care homes to keep a registered nurse on site 24/7, and mandating minimum “care minutes” for their residents.

    On education, employment and social services, the government boosted childcare subsidies and increased workplace protections for gig workers. It also delivered funding for 450,000 fee-free TAFE places and for the states to hire 500 support workers for women in crisis.

    Integrity was a key theme of the 2022 election, and the government has since followed through on establishing an anti-corruption commission, delivering a royal commission into Robodebt and implementing all the recommendations of the Respect@Work report that fell within its remit.

    And on the all-important cost of living, Labor cut the maximum price for Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) scripts, boosted payments for disabled veterans, increased the low-and-middle income tax offset by $420 and – following a Senate standoff with the Greens and Coalition — established a $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund.

    And some bad news

    But it was not all smooth sailing for the government. It failed to deliver on at least 14 pledges (roughly 20%), including a promise to increase real wages above pre-election levels. It’s pledged to address real wages through a submission to the Fair Work Commission this time around.

    Arguably, it was unlucky on defence spending. Despite injecting $10 billion over its first three years, Labor is poised to miss its target of spending “at least” 2% of gross domestic product on defence, due to an uptick in GDP.

    In other cases, the government never really got close. After promising to deliver 450 gigalitres of environmental water under the Murray Darling Basin Plan, it only managed 27.5GL.

    And some deadlines were simply missed, with the government belatedly establishing 50 urgent care clinics and introducing a new Pacific Engagement Visa.

    Among the most controversial issues was Labor’s restructuring of the stage three tax cuts, having previously pledged to implement the cuts exactly as the Coalition had formulated them. But polling showed voters may forgive the “breaking” of a pledge if they agree with the outcome.

    The government also retreated from its promise to establish a Makarrata Commission following the defeated Voice referendum, providing an example of how changed political circumstances can come to haunt promises made years earlier.

    Not always an easy answer

    Despite the best intentions, some promises don’t fit neatly into the “delivered” or “broken” binary.

    For example, Labor promised Australia would make a joint bid with Pacific Island countries to host a United Nations climate conference. But the government can’t formally submit a bid unless Turkey bows out of the race, meaning this pledge has been “thwarted”.

    And it remains to be seen whether households will receive a much-touted $275 cut to their annual electricity bill (on 2021 levels) by mid-2025. The necessary data won’t arrive until after the election, and Labor’s energy rebates have complicated the picture.

    Prime Minister Anthony Albanese may not have delivered on “every single thing” he promised, but of the promises we tracked, far more were kept than broken.

    This suggests the Albanese government has performed on a fairly level footing with other comparative countries, as well as with the Gillard Labor government.

    But voters will have different views on which promises are most important, so as ever, it’s the details that matter.

    Lisa Waller receives funding from The Australian Research Council

    David Campbell and Frank Rindert Algra-Maschio 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. Labor made plenty of promises at the last election. Did they deliver? – https://theconversation.com/labor-made-plenty-of-promises-at-the-last-election-did-they-deliver-251481

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How the small autonomous region of Puntland found success in battling Islamic State in Somalia

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Ido Levy, PhD Candidate, School of International Service, American University

    Soldiers with the Puntland Defense Forces. Photo by Carolyn Van Houten/The Washington Post via Getty Images

    On Feb. 24, 2025, members of the Puntland Defense Forces posed next to a sign in Arabic that proclaimed the mountain town of Sheebaab as a “province” of the Islamic State group. The town, located in Somalia’s autonomous northeastern region of Puntland, was one of numerous areas that soldiers from the regional government have taken back during Operation Hilaac, an ongoing campaign against fighters from the Islamic State in Somalia – the local branch of the terrorist network – which began in late November 2024.

    Puntland’s success in combating a growing Islamic State group presence in the northeastern region is particularly notable given the relative lack of success of the central Somali government’s confrontation with the al-Qaida-affiliated group Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mujahidin – more commonly known as al-Shabab – which for about two decades has waged war against federal forces.

    In contrast, security forces in the self-declared autonomous region of Puntland have, with some key support from international partners, united to repel the Islamic State group’s advance.

    The Islamic State group’s rise in Somalia

    Islamist groups have been part of Somalia’s fractured political landscape since the country’s descent into civil war in the 1980s.

    They tapped into profound local dissatisfaction with warlordism, tribalism and corruption, as well as a reaction to foreign intervention by Ethiopia, the United States and other international actors.

    Al-Shabab and later the Islamic State in Somalia are the most extreme manifestations of this trend.

    Islamic State in Somalia emerged in 2015 when a small group of al-Shabab members led by Abdulqadir Mumin – an extremist Somali preacher who previously lived in Sweden and the United Kingdom, where he acquired citizenship – pledged allegiance to then-Islamic State group leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Having formed as a local branch – or “province” in the group’s self conception as a global entity intent on expanding territory – Islamic State in Somalia launched its first major operation in October 2016, briefly seizing the port town of Qandala in Puntland.

    Thereafter, the group retreated to its strongholds in the mountain regions inside Puntland amid pressure from both the regional government and al-Shabab, which has cracked down on Islamic State supporters in its ranks.

    Yet from the Puntland mountains, Islamic State in Somalia grew into a key node of the terrorist group’s global network. It is now a hub for transferring funds and drawing recruits from across Africa and elsewhere via the regional coordination office it operates known as al-Karrar.

    One notable Sudan-born operative killed in a 2023 U.S. raid in Puntland, Bilal al-Sudani, was known as a key foreign fighter, facilitator and financier who developed Islamic State funding networks in South Africa and helped fund the group’s branch in Afghanistan.

    An NBC News report from mid-2024 cited U.S. officials who believed Mumin, head of Islamic State in Somalia, was acting as the network’s overall leader, or caliph, though other analysts have suggested he holds a top role close to caliph.

    In any case, Islamic State in Somalia’s ranks have increased steadily, from an estimated 200-300 fighters in 2016 to about 1,000 as of February 2025, according to reports.

    Puntland pushes back

    Puntland declared itself an autonomous region of Somalia in 1998 amid the ongoing Somali civil war and has since achieved relative stability compared with the other parts of the country, which have generally been marked by decades of sectarian division and weak central governance.

    Puntland is no stranger to divisions in a country that often hinges on clan loyalties, but it has achieved a greater degree of unity and has regularly raised security forces to defeat external threats, often with considerable foreign support.

    The dominance of a single clan, the Majeerteen, has in part likely helped facilitate this unity. In the current operations against Islamic State in Somalia, the autonomous Puntland government under President Said Abdullahi Deni has gathered several disparate regional forces under the “Puntland Defense Forces” banner, including clan militias, the Puntland Darawish – a regional paramilitary unit – and the Puntland Maritime Police Force.

    Soldiers with the Puntland Defense Forces stand at a base formerly held by the Islamic State group’s Somali affiliate in January 2025 in Puntland, Somalia.
    Carolyn Van Houten/The Washington Post via Getty Images

    The Puntland Maritime Police Force in particular has evolved into a well-trained and experienced counterterrorism unit. Founded with United Arab Emirates money and mentored by private South African military contractors to address growing piracy, it has turned to fighting al-Shabab and Islamic State in Somalia in the mountain regions. Indeed, it played a leading role in taking Qandala from Islamic State control in 2016. It also cooperated effectively with other forces to defeat a 2016 al-Shabab attempt to attack Puntland from the sea.

    The U.S. and UAE have supported the Puntland government’s campaign. In February 2025, the U.S. launched two airstrikes on Islamic State fighters, with one on Feb. 1, 2025, killing Omani-born Ahmed Maeleninine, a key recruiter, financier and facilitator. The United States claimed another airstrike on March 25.

    The UAE has conducted airstrikes too, likely from the large UAE-funded Puntland Maritime Police Force headquarters base in the major port city of Bosaso.

    The Puntland government has claimed that through its latest operation it has advanced through 315 kilometers, clearing numerous villages and outposts in the mountains.

    On Feb. 11, 2025, The Washington Post reported that regional security forces had killed more than 150 Islamic State members, mostly foreign fighters from countries including Morocco, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia and Yemen, illustrating the group’s significance as a global hub for the network. In fact, one analyst counted 118 dead fighters from a single encounter in early February, indicating a possibly higher death toll. In any case, it represents heavy losses for Islamic State in Somalia, though it is not defeated yet and still numbers fighters in the hundreds.

    The risk of outside interference

    All in all, Puntland has leveraged past success fighting jihadist groups in making remarkable progress in its fight against Islamic State in Somalia.

    It shows how local and substate forces can be more effective at fighting armed nonstate groups than the federal authorities, despite limited resources.

    No doubt, support from the United States and UAE has aided Puntland’s anti-Islamic State push. But reliance on outside sources risks creating dependence on them when local forces must ultimately take ownership of the fight themselves.

    And less patient foreign supporters have been known to spoil the elite units they build. This occurred with the Puntland Security Force, a U.S.-created special forces unit that splintered during a brief withdrawal of U.S. forces from Somalia in 2021 and 2022.

    There are also risks that partner forces will behave badly. While the Emirati mission in Puntland – as well as in Afghanistan and Yemen – has proven effective in fighting jihadists, in Sudan it has been arguably disastrous. There, the UAE-backed Rapid Support Forces paramilitary unit helped to ignite an ongoing civil war in 2023 during which its members perpetrated alleged atrocities.

    Ultimately, it will be up to Puntlanders themselves to keep fighting. Indeed, foreign support would have little impact without effective local forces on the ground with the political will to sustain the campaign. Just as Puntland has done before, so too is it now demonstrating that it is determined to fight the threat posed by jihadist groups like Islamic State in Somalia.

    Ido Levy 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. How the small autonomous region of Puntland found success in battling Islamic State in Somalia – https://theconversation.com/how-the-small-autonomous-region-of-puntland-found-success-in-battling-islamic-state-in-somalia-251775

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SCHUMER SOUNDS ALARM ON ‘DOGE’ PLANS TO SLASH UPSTATE NY’S MANUFACTURERING FEDERAL SUPPORT PROGRAM, CUTTING MILLIONS FOR UPSTATE’S SMALL BIZ & WORKFORCE TRAINING, DEMANDS TRUMP ADMIN REVERSE CUTS AND…

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Charles E Schumer

    NY’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Centers – Including NextCorps in Rochester, Center For Economic Growth & FuzeHub In Capital Region, Insyte In Western NY, And More – Rely On Fed Investment To Support Small Businesses And Create New Jobs

    Senator Says These Centers Are One Of The Best Tools To Grow Upstate’s Economy – And Is Especially Needed As We Make Major Investments Thanks To His CHIPS & Science Law- And Cutting Support Now Would Be Double Whammy For Businesses Already Reeling From Trump’s Trade War

    Schumer: Cutting Off Support For Upstate NY Businesses Is Not How You Rebuild American Manufacturing

    After the Trump administration canceled funding for Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Centers across America and those in Upstate NY are fearing they are next, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer today sounded the alarm to protect MEP centers that have helped hundreds of small manufacturers grow and create thousands of good-paying jobs in every region of New York. The senator said cutting off federal investment for Upstate NY manufacturing would hinder the growth the region is seeing thanks to his CHIPS & Science Law and threaten the next generation of American manufacturing and jobs across New York. Schumer called on the Trump administration to immediately reverse these cuts and keep MEP investments flowing for Upstate NY.

    “Trump and ‘DOGE’ are threatening to defund a main federal support program for growing Upstate NY manufacturing. We cannot cut off this mainstay program for helping small businesses, attracting new supply chains, and creating new jobs just as we are seeing tremendous manufacturing growth across Upstate NY thanks to my CHIPS & Science Law,” said Senator Schumer. “From Buffalo to Albany, MEP Centers have proven to be one of the best bangs for your buck investments the federal government can make helping create thousands of new good-paying jobs and billions in new investment throughout New York. These centers are how we attract new supply chains, get workers the hands-on training they need, and bring back jobs from overseas. Trump can’t be ushering in the Golden Age of American manufacturing while simultaneously decimating the program that helps American manufacturers thrive. Trump’s haphazard trade war against allies like Canada is already wreaking havoc on New York’s economy and small manufacturers. These Trump cuts to manufacturing centers will only add to that chaos. These cuts are wrong, illegal, and should be immediately reversed.”

    The Manufacturing Extension Program is authorized and appropriated by Congress, and Schumer said cutting these contracts without Congressional approval is most likely illegal. The MEP has a long track record of successfully boosting small American manufacturers in New York and across the country.

    The New York Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NY MEP) is a network of 11 independent nonprofit organizations that help smaller manufacturers grow and create jobs. As a result of the federally-funded NY MEP network, over 32,000 manufacturing jobs in New York have been created or saved between 2019 and 2023. More than 4,400 projects have been completed between NY MEP and manufacturers in every region of the state to help those companies succeed and grow, increasing their sales by $1 billion, helping reduce costs by nearly $40 million, and increasing new investments by nearly $190 million, all in FY2024 alone.

    Schumer explained the rising cost of foreign goods due to Trump’s tariffs is hurting small manufacturers that often already operate on razor-thin margins and ripping away this vital federal MEP assistance is just further insult to injury and threatens the jobs and growth of manufacturers across the state and country. According to WIRED, the U.S. Department of Commerce said they would not pay out nearly $13 million across ten MEP agreements because they were “no longer aligned with the priorities of the department,” and no clarity or certainty has been provided that the contract cuts won’t continue to happen across the country, including in New York, as the deadlines approach for contracts to be renewed.

    A breakdown of contracts in New York State can be found below:

    Recipient 

    Region

    MEP Federal Investment Per Year

    Alliance for Manufacturing and Technology

    Southern Tier

    $380,000

    Center for Economic Growth

    Capital Region

    $380,000

     CITEC

    North Country

    $380,000

    Central New York Technology Development Organization

    Central New York

    $380,000

    Insyte

    Western NY

    $560,000

    NextCorps

    Rochester-Finger Lakes

    $560,000

    Manufacturing & Technology Enterprise Center

    Hudson Valley

    $560,000

    Industrial & Technology Assistance Corporation

    New York City

    $635,000

    Stony Brook

    Long Island

    $635,000

    Mohawk Valley Community College

    Mohawk Valley

    $380,000

    FuzeHub

    Statewide

    $1,135,194

    Empire State Development

    Statewide

    $892,766
       

    $6,877,960

    Every year, the Department spends nearly $200 million annually on MEP nationally. Though states also contribute to MEP programs, it will be difficult for them to compensate for the loss of federal funding. Schumer said cutting these contracts will prevent the United States from establishing manufacturing leadership and could lead to nationwide job losses. In a letter to U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Schumer highlighted the importance of MEP in supporting the growth of small manufacturers and demanded certainty that funding for New York’s MEP centers would not be cut.

    “Saying that these critical investments are not aligned with the Department of Commerce’s priorities just doesn’t add up. Trump claims to care a lot about maintaining American manufacturing leadership, but his actions are doing the opposite. The MEP has delivered manufacturing growth in New York and America for years. We need to double down on investment in proven programs like this, not eliminate it,” Schumer added.

    Elena Garuc, Executive Director of FuzeHub, the statewide NY MEP center, said, “The New York MEP serves as an economic engine for communities across our state. Local manufacturers rely on us as a vital resource to become more competitive, adopt new technologies, and create jobs. Occasionally we even step in as a safety net to help manufacturers solve tough challenges and protect their operations. When manufacturing leaders don’t know where to turn, they turn to us. Looking out on the economic horizon, I believe the New York MEP is needed now more than ever.  We’re grateful to Senator Schumer for recognizing the economic impact we deliver and for his determined advocacy for this essential program that strengthens American manufacturing and creates good-paying local jobs.”

    “Small manufacturers are vital to the economy, driving innovation, creating high-quality jobs, and strengthening local and regional supply chains. In New York City, rising operational costs present added challenges. The success of the MEP program, both locally and nationally, lies in its ability to produce tangible results—whether by helping manufacturers adopt technologies tailored to their unique needs and resources, or by implementing strategies that enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and boost profitability,” said Kinda Younes, Executive Director of ITAC, New York City’s NY-MEP Center.

    “LIMEP, operating out of Stony Brook University,  works with the many small and medium-sized manufacturers on Long Island supplying key Department of Defense programs.  By leveraging the NIST MEP resources in cyber security, technical resources and hands-on manufacturing engineering support with Stony Brook University’s vast research capabilities, manufacturers on Long Island are able to accelerate the development and adoption of advanced technologies that support DoD programs.  Our Long Island region helps to sustain the DoD supply chain that is so vital to our nation.  LIMEP is actively working with our regional manufacturers and the Bell Flight & Textron team to make the LI Supply Chain an important spoke in the national defense industrial base and the V-280 Valor Tiltrotor Program,” said Amy Erickson, Executive Director of the Long Island Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program.

    “If you look at our mission statement “To grow and strengthen manufacturing in the Capital Region”, that is why we exist and have taken great pride in it for over 20 years. Many manufacturing CEO’s have to come to rely on the MEP network for assistance with finding domestic supply chain partners, workforce challenges, Industry 4.0 adoption, operational excellence… and the list goes on. Bipartisan support including that from Congressman Schumer has been a hallmark of the MEP program because by any measure we have delivered results,” said Don Weisenforth, President of Center for Economic Growth, the Capital Region’s NY-MEP center.

    “Small manufacturers have been in the forefront of Buffalo’s and Western New York’s renaissance, with NYMEP providing critical support ranging from advanced technology and cybersecurity to workforce and supply chain.  We couldn’t provide these vital services without the MEP Program funding and bipartisan support provided by our Congressional Delegation, led by Senator Schumer,” said Ben Rand, President of Insyte Consulting, Western New York’s NY-MEP center.

    “The NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program is a cornerstone of American manufacturing, empowering small and mid-sized manufacturers with the tools, expertise, and resources they need to compete, grow, and innovate. These companies are the backbone of our economy and the heart of our communities. We are grateful for Senator Schumer’s leadership in urging the administration to restore full funding to this critical program—because investing in MEP is investing in jobs, resilience, and the future of U.S. manufacturing,” said James Senall, President of NextCorps, the Rochester/Finger Lakes Region’s NY-MEP center.

    “The Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program is a critical resource for small and medium-sized manufacturers, especially in Central New York. No other program has MEP’s track record, documented history of success, or independently verified impacts. CNYTDO wouldn’t be able to provide these vital services without the MEP Program funding and bipartisan support provided by our Congressional Delegation, led by Senator Schumer,” said James A. D’Agostino, Center Director of CNYTDO, Central New York’s NY-MEP center.

    “The MEP National Network is a critical driver of America’s manufacturing resurgence, directly supporting the administration’s efforts to rebuild our industrial base. The Alliance for Manufacturing & Technology, part of the NY MEP, delivers that impact in the Southern Tier of NY – helping small and mid-sized manufacturers increase productivity, adopt advanced technologies, and address workforce and supply chain challenges head-on. Cutting the MEP program would have immediate consequences, including job losses and hindered growth at a time when these businesses are critical to America’s future in manufacturing. We deeply appreciate Senator Schumer’s leadership in championing this vital program and his unwavering commitment to strengthening American manufacturing,” said Carol Miller, Executive Director of the Alliance for Manufacturing and Technology, the Southern Tier’s NY-MEP center.

    “We must continue supporting Hudson Valley manufacturers with the tools they need to compete globally—not just nationally. After more than 30 years working alongside global manufacturers, I’ve seen firsthand how aggressive and integrated their supply chains can be. If we’re serious about reshoring, we must invest in the smaller manufacturers that form the backbone of those supply chains—while also strengthening workforce, cybersecurity, and technology readiness. The MEP program is critical to this work and deserves continued bipartisan support,” said David Carter, Executive Director of MTEC, the Hudson Valley’s NY-MEP center.

    “The NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program is critical to the success of Mohawk Valley Regional manufacturers. This investment and parentship has allowed for MVCC’s Advanced Institute for Manufacturing to assist more than 200 manufacturers and create and retain more than 2,900 Mohawk Valley advanced manufacturing jobs. We extend our deepest gratitude to Senator Schumer for advocating for this essential investment. This initiative underscores our dedication to innovation and community collaboration, promising a transformative influence on our workforce and students in the entire six-county region,” said Cory Albrecht, Director of Advanced Institute for Manufacturing, the Mohawk Valleys NY-MEP Center.

    “On behalf of CITEC and North Country Manufacturing I would like to thank Senator Schumer in his efforts to save the MEP system. As part of the NY MEP, CITEC can leverage the strength and resources of the entire national network to bring world class expertise to small and medium manufacturers in our remote rural region. CITEC raises the level of our expertise, of our talent, of our skills,” said Jay Ward, President and CEO of Ward Lumber in Jay, NY. “I would highly recommend CITEC for gaining skills and expertise and improving the overall operation of most any company I can think of, certainly ours.”

    Schumer and colleagues wrote a letter urging Commerce Secretary Lutnick not to cancel funding for ten MEP Centers across the country, which is creating uncertainty for all MEP centers. The Trump administration’s action cutting MEP came on April 1, one day before Trump announced sweeping tariffs on imports, which tanked the stock market and raised warnings from experts of a recession.  

    Schumer led to passage of the bipartisan CHIPS & Science Law, which included $2.23 billion for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership program over five years. The CHIPS & Science Law also established a pilot program of expansion awards for MEP Centers to provide services for workforce development, resiliency of domestic supply chains, and expanded support for adopting advanced technology upgrades at small and medium manufacturers. The Law also established a voluntary national supply chain database under MEP.

    Schumer’s letter to Commerce Secretary Lutnick can be found below:

    Dear Secretary Lutnick,

    We write to express our deep concern regarding the Department of Commerce’s recent decision to cancel future funding for ten National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Centers in Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, and Wyoming. This decision has raised widespread concern across the entire national network of MEP Centers, prompting fears about whether these initial cancellations are the first step in a broader effort to dismantle the program and eliminate federal funding for all 51 centers, with centers in Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, New York, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin expected to be notified about their status shortly. Given the MEP program’s long-standing, bipartisan support in strengthening small and medium-sized American manufacturers, we share these concerns and urge you to provide clarity and certainty on your plans for the future of the MEP program.

    According to the National Association of Manufacturers, 93% of manufacturers have fewer than 100 employees, while 75% have fewer than 20 employees. Small manufacturers rely on MEP Centers for essential support in adopting the latest advanced technologies, updating their cybersecurity, navigating supply chain challenges, and accessing workforce training—resources that are often out of reach for small businesses without this dedicated assistance. These centers drive innovation, boost productivity, and create high-quality jobs, strengthening both local economies and America’s global competitiveness. Without this critical federal support, MEP Centers—especially those with the fewest resources, and those serving rural and underserved communities—will be at the greatest risk of closure.

    Dismantling this program would not only disrupt benefits for small businesses but also undermine decades of federal investment in domestic manufacturing resilience, which Congress prioritized in the MEP program in the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988. Congress also reauthorized the MEP program in the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022. NIST was provided $175 million in Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 to fund the MEP Centers. In FY2024 alone, the MEP National Network resulted in $2.6 billion in cost savings, $15 billion in new and retained sales, $5 billion in new client investments, and over 108,000 jobs created or retained. Additionally, a report by Summit Consulting and the Upjohn Institute found that the MEP program generated a substantial economic and financial return ratio of more than 17:1 for the $175 million funding invested by the federal government in FY2023. The study also determined that MEP Center projects contributed to an overall increase of nearly 309,000 jobs across the United States.

    Given these benefits and the funding in the FY 2025 Continuing Resolution, we request a full explanation of the rationale behind this funding decision and ask that you promptly reconsider. Additionally, we urge the Department of Commerce to provide Congress with an impact assessment detailing how this decision will affect manufacturers in the affected states and regions. This action has caused tremendous uncertainty for all MEP Centers and the thousands of American manufacturing companies and their workers.  Therefore, to better understand your plans for renewals across other states in the future, we request a briefing on the way ahead for the overall MEP program prior to making any final non-renewal decisions by April 30, 2025. 

    Eliminating federal support for MEP Centers would hamper American small and medium-sized manufacturers. We urge you to take immediate action to protect the MEP program and the manufacturers that rely on it. We look forward to your response no later than April 30, 2025, and are ready to work with you to find solutions that maintain and enhance the MEP program’s ability to serve America’s manufacturing sector.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Jayapal, Deluzio, Ryan, Craig Launch Monopoly Busters Caucus

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (7th District of Washington)

    WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Representatives Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Chris Deluzio (PA-17), Pat Ryan (NY-18), and Angie Craig (MN-02) are today launching the Monopoly Busters Caucus, a new caucus with nine Founding Members to fight corporate greed and promote a pro-worker, pro-consumer, and pro-small business economic agenda. 

    “Something is wrong in this country when families go to the grocery store and can’t afford milk or eggs or cereal. As people struggle under the weight of inflation, corporate profits are higher than ever,” said Jayapal. “From rent to groceries, to health care — life in America has become unaffordable. The answer to why is simple: corporate monopolies. When we take on corporate power, we can make a meaningful difference in the everyday lives of working people across the country – and we must, the American people are counting on us.”

    “Monopolies have been rigging the system, crushing competition and small businesses, and ripping off the American people for decades. And for too long, politicians in Congress have let it happen,” said Congressman Deluzio. “We’re launching the Monopoly Busters Caucus today because we think that it’s long overdue for Congress to step up to take on consolidated corporate power and to reinvigorate American capitalism with competition. It’s our duty to help take the squeeze off of America’s workers, small businesses, and consumers and pave a path back to the American Dream. It’s time to get real, patriotic competition back in our economy.” 

    “When I talk with folks in the Hudson Valley, the number one thing I hear is frustration. Frustration that even though they’re working hard and doing everything that’s asked of them, they can’t afford to provide for their family – housing, health care, gas, groceries, utilities. It’s inherently un-American that only a select few are able to live out the American dream,” said Congressman Pat Ryan. “The reason for this is clear – in every one of those industries, we’ve let monopolies drive up costs and drive down quality, all while making record breaking profits. We’re gonna fight back against these big and powerful corporations, hold the bad actors accountable, and ultimately put power back where it belongs: with the American people.”

    “As the top Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee, I have seen firsthand how consolidation in the ag industry is squeezing our family farmers and producers – and driving up costs for consumers too,” said Rep. Craig. “At a time when the Administration is launching our country headfirst into a global trade war, it’s more important than ever that we uplift small and local businesses right here at home. I’m proud to be joining Representatives Jayapal, Ryan and Deluzio to fight consolidation, strengthen the middle class and lower costs for producers and consumers.”  

    Throughout the pandemic and the inflation that followed, there was consistent reporting of large corporations price-gouging consumers, something they could do thanks to near-monopoly consolidation in many industries. For instance, in the cases of beef, baby food, pasta, and soda, more than 80 percent of the market is controlled by four companies. Rigorous enforcement of our antitrust laws can fix this consolidation and ensure that our markets work for all people. 

    The Caucus’s founding Members represent a large swath of the ideological makeup of the Democratic Party, highlighting the unity around a strong economic prosperity message. Joining the co-chairs in founding the Caucus are Becca Balint (VT-AL), Greg Casar (TX-35), Maggie Goodlander (NH-02), Val Hoyle (OR-04), Kristen MacDonald Rivet (MI-08), Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), and Nydia M. Velázquez (NY-07).

    The full livestreamed launch event can be watched here.

    Issues: Science, Technology, & Antitrust

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Universities in Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union thought giving in to government demands would save their independence

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Iveta Silova, Professor of Comparative and International Education, Arizona State University

    Columbia University has been in the crosshairs of the Trump administration.
     Rudi Von Briel/Photodisc via Getty Images

    Many American universities, widely seen globally as beacons of academic integrity and free speech, are giving in to demands from the Trump administration, which has been targeting academia since it took office.

    In one of his first acts, President Donald Trump branded diversity, equity and inclusion programs as discriminatory. His administration also launched federal investigations into more than 50 universities, from smaller regional schools such as Grand Valley State University in Michigan and the New England College of Optometry in Massachusetts to elite private universities such as Harvard and Yale.

    Trump ramped up the pressure by threatening university research funding and targeting specific schools. In one example, the Trump administration revoked US$400 million in grants to Columbia University over its alleged failures to curb antisemitic harassment on campus. The school later agreed to most of Trump’s demands, from tightening student protest policies to placing an entire academic department under administrative oversight – though the funding remains frozen.

    Cornell, Northwestern, Princeton, Brown and the University of Pennsylvania have also recently had grants frozen. Harvard was sent a list of demands in order to keep $9 billion in federal funding.

    Now, across the United States, many universities are trying to avoid being Trump’s next target. Administrators are dismantling DEI initiatives – closing and rebranding offices, eliminating positions, revising training programs and sanitizing diversity statements – while professors are preemptively self-censoring.

    Not all institutions are complying. Some schools, such as Wesleyan, have refused to abandon their diversity principles. And organizations including the American Association of University Professors have filed lawsuits challenging Trump’s executive orders, arguing they violate academic freedom and the First Amendment.

    But these remain exceptions, as the broader trend leans toward institutional caution and retreat.

    As a scholar of comparative and international education, I study how academic institutions respond to authoritarian pressure – across political systems, cultural contexts and historical moments. While some universities may believe that compliance with the administration will protect their funding and independence, a few historical parallels suggest otherwise.

    Students and other Nazi supporters gather at Humboldt University in Berlin in 1933.
    AP Photo

    German universities: A lesson

    In the 1975 book “The Abuse of Learning: The Failure of German Universities,” historian Frederic Lilge chronicles how German universities, which entered the 20th century in a golden age of global intellectual influence, did not resist the Nazi regime but instead adapted to it.

    Even before seizing national power in 1933, the Nazi Party was closely monitoring German universities through nationalist student groups and sympathetic faculty, flagging professors deemed politically unreliable – particularly Jews, Marxists, liberals and pacifists.

    After Hitler took office in 1933, his regime moved swiftly to purge academic institutions of Jews and political opponents. The 1933 Law for the Restoration of the Professional Civil Service mandated the firing of Jewish and other “non-Aryan” professors and members of the faculty deemed politically suspect.

    Soon after, professors were required to swear loyalty to Hitler, curricula were overhauled to emphasize “national defense” and “racial science” – a pseudoscientific framework used to justify antisemitism and Aryan supremacy – and entire departments were restructured to serve Nazi ideology.

    Some institutions, such as the Technische Hochschule Stuttgart, even rushed to honor Hitler with an honorary doctorate within weeks of his rise to power. He declined the offer, though the gesture signaled the university’s eagerness to align with the regime. Professional associations, such as the Association of German Universities, stayed silent, ignoring key opportunities to resist before universities lost their autonomy and became subservient to the Nazi state.

    As linguist Max Weinreich wrote in his 1999 book “Hitler’s Professors,” many academics didn’t just comply, they enabled the regime by reshaping their research. This legitimized state doctrine, helping build the intellectual framework of the regime.

    A few academics resisted and were dismissed, exiled or executed. Most did not.

    The transformation of German academia was not a slow drift but a swift and systemic overhaul. But what made Hitler’s orders stick was the eagerness of many academic leaders to comply, justify and normalize the new order. Each decision – each erased name, each revised syllabus, each closed program and department – was framed as necessary, even patriotic. Within a few years, German universities no longer served knowledge – they served power.

    It would take more than a decade after the war, through denazification, reinvestment and international reintegration, for West German universities to begin regaining their intellectual standing and academic credibility.

    Under Stalin, dissenting scholars were purged and history rewritten to glorify the Communist Party. Moscow State University opened in 1953 with murals such as this one depicting Soviet symbols.
    AP Photo/Zander Hollander

    USSR and fascist Italy suffer similar fate

    Other countries that have fallen under authoritarian regimes followed similar trajectories.

    In fascist Italy, the shift began not with violence but with a signature. In 1931, the Mussolini regime required all university professors to swear an oath of loyalty to the state. Out of more than 1,200, only 12 refused.

    Many justified their compliance by insisting the oath had no bearing on their teaching or research. But by publicly affirming loyalty and offering no organized resistance, the academic community signaled its willingness to accommodate the regime. This lack of opposition allowed the fascist government to tighten control over universities and use them to advance its ideological agenda.

    In the Soviet Union, this control was not limited to symbolic gestures – it reshaped the entire academic system.

    After the Russian Revolution in 1917, the Bolsheviks oscillated between wanting to abolish universities as “feudal relics” and repurposing them to serve a socialist state, as historians John Connelly and Michael Grüttner explain in their book “Universities Under Dictatorship.” Ultimately, they chose the latter, remaking universities as instruments of ideological education and technical training, tightly aligned with Marxist-Leninist goals.

    Under Josef Stalin, academic survival depended less on scholarly merit than on conformity to official doctrine. Dissenting scholars were purged or exiled, history was rewritten to glorify the Communist Party, and entire disciplines such as genetics were reshaped to fit political orthodoxy.

    This model was exported across Eastern and Central Europe during the Cold War. In East Germany, Czechoslovakia and Poland, ministries dictated curricula, Marxism-Leninism became mandatory across disciplines, and admissions were reengineered to favor students from loyalist backgrounds. In some contexts, adherents to older intellectual traditions pushed back, especially in Poland, where resistance slowed though could not prevent the imposition of ideological control.

    By the early 1950s, universities across the region had become what Connelly calls “captive institutions,” stripped of independence and recast to serve the state.

    A more recent example is Turkey, where, following the failed 2016 coup, more than 6,000 academics were dismissed, universities were shuttered and research deemed “subversive” was banned.

    History’s warning

    The Trump administration’s early and direct intervention into higher education governance echoes historical attempts to bring universities under state influence or control.

    The administration says it is doing so to eradicate “discrimatory” DEI policies and fight what it sees as antisemitism on college campuses. But by withholding federal funding, the administration is also trying to force universities into ideological conformity – by dictating whose knowledge counts but also whose presence and perspectives are permissible on campus.

    Columbia’s reaction to Trump’s demands sent a clear message: Resistance is risky, but compliance may be rewarded – though the $400 million has yet to be restored. The speed and scope of its concessions set a precedent, signaling to other universities that avoiding political fallout now may mean rewriting policies, reshaping departments and retreating from controversy, perhaps before anyone even asks.

    The Trump administration has already moved on to other universities, including the University of Pennsylvania over its transgender policies, Princeton for its climate programs and Harvard over alleged antisemitism. The question is which school is next.

    The Department of Education has launched investigations into over 50 institutions, accusing them of using “racial preferences and stereotypes in education programs and activities.” How these institutions choose to respond may determine whether higher education remains a space for open inquiry.

    The pressure to conform is not just financial – it is also cultural. Faculty at some institutions are being advised not to use “DEI” in emails and public communication, with warnings to not be a target. Academics are removing pronouns from their email signatures and asking their students to comply, too. I’ve been on the receiving end of those warnings, and so have my counterparts at other institutions. And students on visas are being warned not to travel outside the U.S. after several were deported or denied reentry due to alleged involvement in protests.

    Meanwhile, people inside and outside academia are combing websites, syllabi, presentations and public writing in search of what they consider ideological infractions. This type of peer surveillance can reward silence, incentivize erasure and turn institutions against their own.

    When universities start regulating not just what they say but what they teach, support and stand for – driven by fear rather than principle – they are no longer just reacting to political threats, they are internalizing them. And as history has shown, that may mark the beginning of the end of their academic independence.

    This article does not represent the views of Arizona State University.

    – ref. Universities in Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union thought giving in to government demands would save their independence – https://theconversation.com/universities-in-nazi-germany-and-the-soviet-union-thought-giving-in-to-government-demands-would-save-their-independence-252888

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Supreme Court’s decision on deportations gave both the Trump administration and ACLU reasons to claim a victory − but noncitizens clearly lost

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Rebecca Hamlin, Professor of Legal Studies and Political Science, UMass Amherst

    A prison officer guards a gate at the Terrorism Confinement Center in El Salvador, where hundreds of migrants from the United States were deported by the Trump administration. Alex Pena/Anadolu via Getty Images

    President Donald Trump has claimed victory at the Supreme Court in his campaign to deport Venezuelan migrants accused by the government of being part of a foreign terrorist organization.

    “The Supreme Court has upheld the Rule of Law in our Nation by allowing a President, whoever that may be, to be able to secure our Borders, and protect our families and our Country, itself,” Trump posted on April 7, 2025, calling it, “A GREAT DAY FOR JUSTICE IN AMERICA!”

    A 5-4 majority of the U.S. Supreme Court had just overruled a lower court that had temporarily barred the deportations, deciding the U.S. could move ahead with its plans to send those Venezuelans to a prison in El Salvador.

    Eight minutes after Trump’s post, the American Civil Liberties Union, Democracy Forward and the ACLU of the District of Columbia, three advocacy groups that represented the Venezuelan nationals in the case, also claimed the decision was a win.

    In a press release, lawyers from these organizations said that the case was “an important victory” in which the court determined that the “Trump administration acted unlawfully when it removed people from this nation with no process.”

    Can both sides legitimately say they won a Supreme Court victory?

    As professors of legal studies, we study the Supreme Court, including how the court approaches cases involving immigration law and presidential power.

    Here’s why both sides are claiming a win in the case known as Trump v. J.G.G., what the court’s opinion actually said, and what you can take away from it.

    The Supreme Court decision lifted the temporary restraining order blocking the deportations imposed by James Boasberg, chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
    Drew Angerer/AFP via Getty Images

    Why both sides are claiming victory

    The complexity of the court’s per curiam opinion – an unsigned opinion of a majority of the court – allows the Trump administration and the ACLU to view the ruling in Trump v. J.G.G. from different perspectives.

    This has led them both to claim victory.

    Trump sees the case as a win because the justices vacated a lower court decision that had temporarily barred the deportation of the Venezuelans. This means that the federal government was victorious in the case: His administration does not have to immediately stop deporting Venezuelan nationals.

    At the same time, the ACLU claims the case is a victory for them because the Supreme Court’s opinion said that the government must give people the opportunity to challenge their removal under the Alien Enemies Act – which the government had not done. The Venezuelans’ right to due process was one of the key arguments advanced by the ACLU and its partners.

    On April 9, judges in New York and Texas agreed, just two days after the Supreme Court’s decision, temporarily halting the deportation of five Venezuelans until the government can clarify what type of notice it will be giving to people it intends to deport.

    Eventually, the Supreme Court will need to speak definitively about whether the Trump administration can use the Alien Enemies Act to deport those it alleges to be part of a foreign terrorist organization. The court has not yet addressed that issue.

    This means the court will have to deal with some tricky questions down the road. These include whether a drug cartel can be said to be engaging in an “invasion” or “predatory incursion” into the United States, which the Alien Enemies Act requires if it is to be invoked. Another issue is the extent to which the Alien Enemies Act can be used when Congress hasn’t declared war.

    And a big unanswered question is whether the Supreme Court, or any court, should even answer these questions at all. The political questions doctrine, which dates to 1803, is a principle saying that courts should avoid tackling thorny political questions that are best left to Congress or the president.

    Venezuelans deported from the U.S. sit aboard the plane as they arrive at Simon Bolivar International Airport in Maiquetia, Venezuela, on March 28, 2025.
    Jesus Vargas/picture alliance via Getty Images

    What the court decided and what it means for noncitizens’ rights

    The court’s brief opinion, to which five members signed on, repeats the very basic constitutional premise that noncitizens are entitled to due process of law, even as they are being removed from the United States. Most significantly, due process includes the ability to protest their deportations before a court of law.

    Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s concurrence emphasized the idea that the disagreement between the majority and the dissents is not about whether the noncitizens should have the opportunity to challenge their removal; all nine justices agree they have that right. Rather, Kavanaugh said, the justices disagreed on the question of venue, meaning the location in which these challenges should occur.

    Kavanaugh’s focus on venue obscures the fact that what the justices granted to potential deportees is a significantly less robust type of judicial review than the one they were asking for.

    The Venezuelans were challenging their removal as a class, because Trump had declared in a presidential proclamation that all Venezuelans over the age of 14 who were believed to be members of the Tren de Aragua cartel “are subject to immediate apprehension, detention, and removal.”

    The Supreme Court majority made a group-based approach much more difficult in its April 7 ruling. It allowed for only individual, case-by-case appeals in which each potential deportee must retain legal counsel, file what’s known as a habeas corpus petition challenging their detention, and then try to convince a judge in the district where they are being held that they are not a member of Tren de Aragua in order to prevent their removal.

    For most detainees, that would mean filing a petition in the Southern District of Texas, in the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, known as the most conservative federal circuit in the country.

    Unless more courts step in to prevent it, the impact of the decision will be more removals to El Salvador’s notorious CECOT prison, perhaps of people who are not actually gang members, or even Venezuelan. This has already happened in the previous round of removals under this program.

    Further, at least 200 people have already been flown out of the U.S. to CECOT. Because they’ve been accused of no crime in El Salvador, they have no right to due process or legal counsel there, and no trial date set where they might prove their innocence. A recent CBS exposé also found that three-quarters of them had no criminal record in the United States either.

    In the meantime, there is a separate but related case of a man, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, wrongly deported to El Salvador, despite having legal protection in the U.S. preventing his removal to his home country of El Salvador. The Trump administration is currently arguing before the Supreme Court that when it makes an error in the process of carrying out these removals, it does not have to correct it.

    Not all due process is created equal. The court’s April 7 decision allowing the bare minimum process protecting people being removed makes errors more likely and thus raises the stakes for the outcome of the Abrego Garcia case tremendously.

    Many parties have claimed victory in the Trump v. J.G.G. decision, but one thing is clear: It was a defeat for the rights of noncitizens in the United States.

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

    – ref. Supreme Court’s decision on deportations gave both the Trump administration and ACLU reasons to claim a victory − but noncitizens clearly lost – https://theconversation.com/supreme-courts-decision-on-deportations-gave-both-the-trump-administration-and-aclu-reasons-to-claim-a-victory-but-noncitizens-clearly-lost-254153

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Expedition 73 Crew Launches to International Space Station

    Source: NASA

    A Soyuz rocket launches to the International Space Station with Expedition 73 crew members including NASA astronaut Jonny Kim on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
    The crew arrived at the space station the same day, bringing the number of residents to 10 for the next two weeks. Expedition 73 will begin on Saturday, April 19, following the departure of NASA astronaut Don Pettit and Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner, as they conclude a seven-month science mission aboard the orbiting laboratory.
    Throughout his eight-month stay aboard the orbital outpost, Kim will conduct scientific research in technology development, Earth science, biology, and human research.
    Follow space station activities on the International Space Station blog.
    Image credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky

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  • MIL-OSI USA: Mike Drury: A 40-Year Legacy of Precision

    Source: NASA

    Deputy Integration and Testing Manager – Goddard Space Flight Center
    Mike Drury began at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, as a temporary technician — a contractor hired for six weeks to set up High Capacity Centrifuge tests. Six weeks then turned into three months and, eventually, over 40 years.

    Now, Mike is the deputy integration and testing manager for NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. In this role, Mike oversees both Roman’s assembly and the many verification processes that ensure it is ready for launch.
    “It’s a privilege to work here. There’s really no regrets,” Mike says. “This is a big place, and it is what you make it. You can really spread your wings and go into a lot of different areas and do different things.”
    When Mike first began at Goddard, only government-employed technicians could work on space flight hardware. However, times were changing. The “old-timers,” as Mike affectionately calls them, soon began training a small group of contractors, including Mike, for flight hardware work. Mike credits these “old-timers” for the mindset he still carries decades later.
    “They taught me how to approach things and execute, and that helped me through my entire career,” Mike says. “It’s that approach — making sure things are done right, without cutting any corners — that I always liked about working here.”
    Not everyone can say that they worked on space missions while in college, but Mike can. Mike took advantage of a program through his contract that paid for classes. For 10 years, Mike studied at Anne Arundel Community College while continuing full-time work at Goddard, eventually earning an associate’s degree in mathematics. 
    While in community college, Mike also stocked up on several physics and calculus credits which helped prepare him to study thermal engineering at Johns Hopkins University. After seven more years of night classes, Mike completed a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. 
    “Night school was really difficult between full-time work and traveling because I was working on several missions,” Mike says. “You needed that perseverance to just keep going and working away at it. So I just hung in there.”

    In his 17 years of night school, Mike worked on seven missions, expanding his skill set from test set-up, to clean room tech work, to training astronauts. While working on the Hubble Space Telescope, Mike helped to train astronauts for their in-orbit tech work to install various instruments. 
    “Every mission I’ve worked on I’ve learned something,” Mike says. “Every test you learn more and more about other disciplines.”
    After graduating from Johns Hopkins, Mike worked for a short time as an engineer before becoming an integration supervisor. In 2006, Mike took on the position of James Webb Space Telescope ISIM (Integrated Science Instrument Module) integration and test manager. After Webb’s ISIM was integrated with the Optical Telescope Element, Mike became the OTIS (Optical Telescope Element and Integrated Science Instrument Module) integration and testing manager.
    “It was a tough eight to 10 years of work,” Mike says. “Loading the OTIS into the shipping container to be sent to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston for further testing was a great accomplishment.” 
    To ensure that Webb’s ISIM would thrive in space, Mike was involved in more than three months of round-the-clock thermal vacuum testing. During this time, a blizzard stranded Mike and others on-site at Goddard for three days. Mike spent his nights overseeing thermal vacuum tests and his days driving test directors and operators to their nearby hotel rooms with his four-wheel-drive truck — a winter storm savior in short supply.

    For Mike, the hard work behind space missions is well worth it.
    “As humans, we want to discover new things and see things. That’s what keeps me coming back — the thought of discovery and space flight,” Mike says. “I get excited talking to some of the Hubble or Webb scientists about the discoveries they’ve made. They answer questions but they also find themselves asking new ones.”
    Some of these new questions opened by Hubble and Webb will be addressed by Mike’s current project — Roman.
    “This team I would say is the best I’ve ever worked with. I say that because it’s the Goddard family. Everyone here on Roman has the same agenda, and that’s a successful, on-time launch,” Mike says. “My ultimate goal is to be staying on the beach in Florida after watching Roman blast off. That would be all the icing on the cake.”
    Mike is also focusing on laying the groundwork for the next era at Goddard. He works hard to instill a sense of import, intention, and precision in his successors, just as the “old-timers” instilled in him 40 years ago.
    “I talk to a lot of my colleagues that I’ve worked with for years, and we’re all excited to hand it off to the next generation,” Mike says. “It’s so exciting to see. I’m the old guy now.”
    By Laine HavensNASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

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  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA’s Planetary Defenders Documentary Premieres April 16

    Source: NASA

    NASA is bringing the world of planetary defense to the public with its new documentary, “Planetary Defenders.”

    What would humanity do if an asteroid were headed for Earth? The documentary takes viewers inside the real-life efforts of scientists and engineers working to detect, track, and mitigate potential asteroid threats. Featuring firsthand accounts from experts on the front lines, the film reveals the science, technology, and personal dedication behind planetary defense. The film also showcases the teamwork that drives this critical global effort.

    [embedded content]

    Debuting on NASA+ Wednesday, April 16, NASA is inviting the public to participate in a special YouTube Premiere event at 4:30 p.m. EDT. During this interactive screening, viewers can watch the first public showing of the film together and ask questions to NASA planetary defense experts.
    To engage audiences further, NASA is providing digital creators with a toolkit that includes resources, activities, and ways to join the mission of planetary defense.
    Established in 2016, NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office leads the agency’s mission to find, track, and understand asteroids and comets that could pose a risk to Earth.
    Stay up to date on NASA’s planetary defense efforts: https://www.nasa.gov/planetarydefense

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom honors survivors and victims of crime statewide

    Source: US State of California 2

    Apr 9, 2025

    What you need to know: Governor Gavin Newsom recognizes California’s resources and support for victims of crime during National Crime Victims’ Rights Week.

    Sacramento, California – Showing support for survivors and victims of crime and highlighting the resources the state has provided for impacted families, Governor Gavin Newsom today recognized National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. Read the letter here.

    Unfortunately, too many victims walk away from the legal system feeling unheard and unsupported. California is working to change that, by listening to and working with victims and survivors to find healing by helping them take back control of their lives and their recovery.

    Governor Gavin Newsom

    Since 2019, California has invested more than $1 billion to fund public safety efforts, including over $300 million for victim services. California has dedicated programs and initiatives to support crime victims, including ensuring they have access to rape crisis centers, domestic violence resources, trained victim advocacy professionals, safe housing, crime witnesses assistance, increased forensic science services, family legal services, among other resources.   

    Last week, the Governor’s Office honored the staff of the Office of Victim and Survivor Rights and Services for their work at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to support crime victims through compassionate, trauma-informed practices. From collecting restitution to providing direct support during parole proceedings to restorative justice initiatives to community outreach, the department plays a key role in promoting accountability and honoring survivors.

    Signing our values into law

    Governor Newsom recently signed into law a number of bills that help build on California’s protections for victims and survivors of domestic abuse, creating additional resources and access to safeguard victims from abusers. These laws strengthen California’s restraining orders by removing barriers that could prevent someone from accessing these life-saving tools and by extending the length of time that abusers must stay away from their victims. They also help survivors rebuild their lives — by providing financial help through a victims’ restitution fund that would be funded by the penalties recovered from white-collar criminals. In addition, the 2024-25 budget included $103 million in one-time funding for victims’ services programs, helping make up a substantial gap in federal funding.

    Supporting victim services

    California has been a national leader in victim services since 1965, when the state established the first victim compensation program in the nation. Now known as the California Victims Compensation Board, victims who suffer physical injury or the threat of physical injury as a result of a violent crime can solicit reimbursement for crime-related expenses. Since its inception, the victim compensation program has provided more than $2.8 billion to assist victims of violent crime. In addition, the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services administers about $310 million in federal and state funds for 70 victims services programs this current fiscal year.

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    News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today issued the following statement responding to President Trump’s executive order targeting state-level climate and clean energy efforts. This is the world the Trump Administration wants your kids to live in. California’s…

    Apr 8, 2025

    News What you need to know: A state grant of $14 million has secured safe drinking water for the severely disadvantaged community of Needles. NEEDLES – After years of struggling with poor water quality and aging facilities, Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the…

    Apr 7, 2025

    News Sacramento, California – Acting Governor Eleni Kounalakis today issued a proclamation declaring April 6 to April 12, 2025 as California Library Week. The text of the proclamation and a copy can be found below: PROCLAMATION During National Library Week, we…

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  • MIL-OSI Africa: CSIR critical for innovative solutions to resolve challenges – President Ramaphosa

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    President Cyril Ramaphosa has hailed the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) as a “South African success story” as the institution marks 80 years since its establishment.

    The President was delivering remarks at the institution’s headquarters following a tour of the facility on Tuesday afternoon.

    “Over many decades, the CSIR has been [at the forefront]… of developing groundbreaking technologies and solutions that have profoundly shaped our country’s scientific and industrial progress.

    “With the advent of democracy in 1994, the CSIR embarked on a trajectory of aligning itself with the values of our Constitution. The CSIR is a true treasure for our nation,” he said.

    The President told the gathering that as the country – and the world – dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic, the CSIR stepped in to assist the country in fighting the virus.

    During the pandemic, CSIR engineers produced some 18 000 ventilators, which were vital for the care of patients across the country.

    It also developed a platform to track the impact of the pandemic, which assisted government to direct its response.

    “At a moment of great crisis and danger, it was Minister [Blade] Nzimande who said let’s go to the CSIR, and indeed, we came rushing because you had already developed certain capabilities to help us deal with the crisis not only our country was facing.

    “We came in a rush, and you distinguished yourselves as a truly capable facility and centre, and today you have displayed to me and us precisely what you true capabilities are. They range from… having the capability to develop missiles and aeroplanes, and cyber security systems,” President Ramaphosa said.

    The President called on government to make more use of the CSIR’s capabilities to deliver on South Africa’s developmental mandate.

    “In government, we don’t use… the CSIR enough. You are a government owned entity, and you do a great deal of work for others in other countries. We have used you, and you have demonstrated that you are more than capable.

    “We are going to have a special Cabinet session where [the CSIR] comes and outlines… precisely what you do and also give us insights on how we can use you. I can’t think of a better way of State capability [building] other than through science, technology and innovation,” he said.

    The President further emphasised the institution’s critical role in building State capacity.

    “We are one of those countries where, at the advent of democracy, we deindustrialised. The manufacturing base in our country started receding and it is this that we now need to build back.

    “[The CSIR] being the centre for industrial research, and who are so adept in a number of areas, can help us to address the challenges in relation to job creation, reducing poverty and also ensuring that there is inclusive growth,” President Ramaphosa said. – SAnews.gov.za 

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Top 10 finalists of Innovate2Educate: Handheld Device Design Challenge announced ahead of WAVES 2025

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 09 APR 2025 6:20PM by PIB Mumbai

    Mumbai, 9 April 2025

     

    The Indian Digital Gaming Society (IDGS) has announced the top 10 finalists of the Innovate2Educate: Handheld Device Design challenge. The competition, organised by the IDGS in collaboration with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting as part of the upcoming World Audio Visual Entertainment Summit (WAVES) 2025, is aimed at driving innovation among the youth at the intersection of technology, education, and gaming, inspiring breakthrough ideas and design for handheld devices that can revolutionize learning experiences.

    Launched as a key initiative of WAVES 2025 Create in India Challenge, the Innovate2Educate challenge invited students, designers, startups, and tech enthusiasts from across the world to envision next-generation portable devices that blend entertainment with education for diverse user groups.

    The top 10 finalists have been selected from 1856 registration of innovative ideas after rigorous evaluation by an expert jury panel comprising industry leaders, technologists, educators, and designers. The jury includes Mr Indrajit Ghosh, Co-Founder, Eruditio; Mr Rajeev Nagar, Country Manager, Inda and SAARC, Huion; and Mr Jeffrey Cray, Co-Founder and Product Head, Squid Academy.

    The 10 finalists are:

    1. KARNATA PARVA – Code Craft Junior (Karnataka)
    2. VIDYARTHI – Smart Learning Tablet for Kids: An Interactive and Adaptive Educational Companion (Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh)
    3. TECH TITANS – Smart Handwriting Learning Device with Interactive Writing Assistance (Tamil Nadu)
    4. PROTOMINDS – EduSpark (Delhi, Kerala, UP, Bihar)
    5. APEX ACHIEVERS – BODMAS Quest: Gamified Math Learning For Smarter Education (Tamil Nadu)
    6. SCIENCEVERSE – The Imperative of Interactive Educational Handheld Devices for Children (Indonesia)
    7. V20 – VFit – Interactive Learning Through Play (Tamil Nadu)
    8. WARRIORS– Maha-shastra (Dehi)
    9. KIDDYMAITRI– A Handheld Mathematical Gaming Console (Mumbai, Odisha, Karnataka)
    10. E-GROOTS– Micro Controller Mastery Kit (Tamil Nadu)

    Talking about the competition, Rajan Navani, President of Indian Digital Gaming Society, said that the challenge has demonstrated how India’s creative and technological talent can design solutions that address real educational needs while leveraging the power of gamification and interactive content.

    Ashutosh Mohle, the nodal officer from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for the Innovate2Educate challenge said that the WAVES Handheld Videogame Design Challenge is not just about gaming—it’s about nurturing a new wave of innovation in India’s hardware ecosystem. “By leveraging microcontrollers and aligning with the goals of the India Semiconductor Mission, we’re pushing young minds to dream, design, and build at the intersection of creativity and technology,” he said.

    The top 10 shortlisted teams will present their ideas at a special showcase during the WAVES 2025 in Mumbai. The winners of the challenge will be felicitated at the grand finale by the ministry.

                                            

    About Indian Digital Gaming Society

    The IDGS is a premier industry body promoting video gaming and esports, interactive media, and digital entertainment in India, fostering talent development, innovation, and industry collaborations.

     

    About WAVES

    The first World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit, a milestone event for the Media & Entertainment (M&E) sector, will be hosted by the Government of India in Mumbai, Maharashtra, from May 1 to 4, 2025.

    Whether you’re an industry professional, investor, creator, or innovator, the Summit offers the ultimate global platform to connect, collaborate, innovate and contribute to the M&E landscape.

    WAVES is set to magnify India’s creative strength, amplifying its position as a hub for content creation, intellectual property, and technological innovation. Industries and sectors in focus include Broadcasting, Print Media, Television, Radio, Films, Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics, Sound and Music, Advertising, Digital Media, Social Media Platforms, Generative AI, Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Extended Reality (XR).

    Have questions? Find answers here 

    Stay updated with the latest announcements from PIB Team WAVES

    Register for WAVES now

     

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Agriculture Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan calls on Prime Minister of Nepal Shri K.P. Sharma Oli on the sidelines of 3rd BIMSTEC Ministerial meeting in Kathmandu.

    Source: Government of India

    Union Agriculture Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan calls on Prime Minister of Nepal Shri K.P. Sharma Oli on the sidelines of 3rd BIMSTEC Ministerial meeting in Kathmandu.

    Shri Chouhan also holds bilateral meetings with Agriculture and Livestock Ministers of Nepal and Bhutan

    Posted On: 09 APR 2025 8:43PM by PIB Delhi

     Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan led the Indian delegation during the bilateral meetings with Nepal and Bhutan. He was accompanied by the Ambassador of India to Nepal Shri Naveen Srivastava, Shri Samuel Praveen Kumar, Joint Secretary, DA&FW, Dr D.K. Yadava, Dy Director General (Crop Science), ICAR and Dr A.K. Mishra, Principal Scientist, ICAR in the meetings.

    The bilateral meeting between Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ welfare and rural development Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Shri Ramnath Adhikari,  Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development of Nepal was held today in Kathmandu. The Ministers reviewed bilateral cooperation in the field of agriculture and discussed ways to further enhance collaboration for mutual benefit of both nations.

     A Memorandum of Understanding between the Governments of India and Nepal on cooperation in the field of Agriculture was signed. This MoU supersedes the MoU signed between both the countries on 6 December 1991. The MoU will give a fresh impetus to the ongoing cooperation especially in areas such as improving crop productivity, post-harvest management, agricultural research & capacity building, market access, agricultural trade as also climate resilient & sustainable agriculture.

     Both sides discussed convening Joint Agriculture Working Group (JAWG) Meetings under the new MoU, and cooperation between the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC).  Both the Ministers reviewed the progress of India’s proposal for setting up of an Agro-Industrial Park in Chitwan. The Ministers also reviewed progress of the Agricultural projects under India’s High Impact Community Development Project (HICDP) Programme in Nepal. Both sides also discussed cooperation in livestock sector and institutional collaboration between the agricultural educational institutions of both countries.

     Union Minister Shri Chouhan called on Shri Indramani Pandey, the Secretary General, BIMSTEC and discussed possible areas of cooperation between India and the BIMSTEC platform in the field of agriculture. The Minister noted that the BIMSTEC countries face shared challenges such as climate change, resource scarcity, and issues related to food security and nutrition, which call for regional cooperation and exchange of learnings from each other’s experiences. He also noted that the BIMSTEC countries need to work together to successfully implement the BIMSTEC Plan of Action 2023-2027 that was collectively adopted in the 5th BIMSTEC Summit in 2022.

     Minister reiterated India’s commitment to make meaningful contributions to strengthening BIMSTEC agricultural cooperation through ongoing initiatives like Govt. of India’s fully funded BIMSTEC Agricultural Scholarship Program, and training programmes and workshops on seed sector development, animal health and pest management, and emerging fields like nanotechnology management and applications of remote sensing in agriculture that were recently conducted. The Minister underlined India’s commitment in the establishment of the proposed BIMSTEC Centre of Excellence in Agriculture in New Delhi.

      Minister Shri Chouhan held a bilateral meeting with Mr Lyonpo Younten Phuntsho,  Minister for Agriculture and Livestock (MOAL) of Bhutan. The Ministers reviewed bilateral cooperation in the field of Agriculture, livestock and allied sectors with focus on areas like development of irrigation channels, mega farms etc. The Ministers also discussed about signing a MoU on technical cooperation between the two countries soon.

     Minister stressed on India’s commitment in furthering India’s ties with Bhutan. The Bhutanese side stressed on resource constraints and requested the Indian side for augmenting its funding support to Bhutanese initiatives.

     Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan called on Shri K.P. Sharma Oli,  Prime Minister of Nepal. The two leaders reaffirmed the close and friendly relations between India and Nepal and discussed ways to further strengthen India-Nepal cooperation in the field of agriculture. The Ministers conveyed hope that the newly signed MoU will pave way for increased cooperation between both the countries in the field of agriculture and allied sectors.

     Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan reiterated India’s commitment to support Nepal in agriculture and allied sectors through setting up of an agro-industrial park in Chitwan and a fertilizer plant in Nepal. Both sides also discussed market access issues.

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