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Category: Science

  • MIL-OSI: Bitcoin Depot Appoints Chris Ryan as Chief Legal Officer

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ATLANTA, March 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitcoin Depot (NASDAQ: BTM), a U.S.-based Bitcoin ATM (“BTM”) operator and leading fintech company, announced today that Chris Ryan has been appointed Chief Legal Officer. With a strong background in financial services, cryptocurrency, and regulatory compliance, Ryan will be instrumental in guiding the company’s legal operations as it continues expanding access to Bitcoin.

    As Chief Legal Officer, Ryan will lead Bitcoin Depot’s legal and compliance strategy, advising the executive team on governance, risk management, and regulatory matters. He will also oversee partnerships, legal operations, and policy initiatives to support the company’s continued expansion.

    Before joining Bitcoin Depot, Ryan served as Deputy General Counsel at MoneyGram International, where he led global legal teams working on cryptocurrency initiatives, regulatory strategy, and commercial partnerships across North America, Latin America, Europe, and Africa. With over a decade of experience, he has negotiated high-profile fintech deals, advised on blockchain product strategies, and developed compliance frameworks for digital assets and payments. He has also worked closely with policymakers on evolving cryptocurrency regulations and overseen key areas like AML, KYC, and financial compliance. His expert understanding of risk management, corporate transactions, and regulatory affairs will be key as Bitcoin Depot continues to strengthen its position as the largest Bitcoin ATM operator in the U.S.

    “Chris has spent his career navigating complex financial and regulatory landscapes while leading high-performing legal and compliance teams,” said Brandon Mintz, CEO and founder of Bitcoin Depot. “His experience in fintech, blockchain, and global regulatory strategy will be invaluable as we continue expanding access to Bitcoin, enhancing compliance, and positioning Bitcoin Depot for long-term success. With the cryptocurrency industry evolving rapidly, Chris’s leadership will ensure we remain ahead of the curve.”

    “Bitcoin Depot is at the forefront of making Bitcoin more accessible to people everywhere, and I’m excited to join at such a transformational time,” said Ryan. “With the crypto industry rapidly evolving, building a strong regulatory and compliance foundation is more important than ever. I look forward to working alongside the team to support Bitcoin Depot’s growth and advance its mission of bringing Bitcoin to the masses through its cash-to-crypto model.”

    Ryan holds a J.D. from the Florida Coastal School of Law and a B.S. in Political Science from the University of Dayton.

    About Bitcoin Depot 
    Bitcoin Depot Inc. (Nasdaq: BTM) was founded in 2016 with the mission to connect those who prefer to use cash to the broader, digital financial system. Bitcoin Depot provides its users with simple, efficient and intuitive means of converting cash into Bitcoin, which users can deploy in the payments, spending and investing space. Users can convert cash to bitcoin at Bitcoin Depot kiosks in 48 states and at thousands of name-brand retail locations in 29 states through its BDCheckout product. The Company has the largest market share in North America with approximately 8,400 kiosk locations as of December 31, 2024. Learn more at www.bitcoindepot.com.

    Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
    This press release and any oral statements made in connection herewith include “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements are any statements other than statements of historical fact, and include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the expectations of plans, business strategies, objectives and growth and anticipated financial and operational performance, including our growth strategy and ability to increase deployment of our products and services, our ability to strengthen our financial profile, and worldwide growth in the adoption and use of cryptocurrencies. These forward-looking statements are based on management’s current beliefs, based on currently available information, as to the outcome and timing of future events. Forward-looking statements are often identified by words such as “anticipate,” “appears,” “approximately,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “designed,” “effect,” “estimate,” “evaluate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “goal,” “initiative,” “intend,” “may,” “objective,” “outlook,“ ”plan,“ ”potential,“ ”priorities,“ ”project,“ ”pursue,“ ”seek,“ ”should,“ ”target,“ ”when,“ ”will,“ ”would,” or the negative of any of those words or similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. In making these statements, we rely upon assumptions and analysis based on our experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions, and expected future developments, as well as other factors we consider appropriate under the circumstances. We believe these judgments are reasonable, but these statements are not guarantees of any future events or financial results. These forward-looking statements are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to serve as, and must not be relied on by any investor as, a guarantee, an assurance, a prediction or a definitive statement of fact or probability. Actual events and circumstances are difficult or impossible to predict and will differ from assumptions. Many actual events and circumstances are beyond our control.

    These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including changes in domestic and foreign business, market, financial, political and legal conditions; failure to realize the anticipated benefits of the business combination; risks relating to the uncertainty of our projected financial information; future global, regional or local economic and market conditions; the development, effects and enforcement of laws and regulations; our ability to manage future growth; our ability to develop new products and services, bring them to market in a timely manner and make enhancements to our platform; the effects of competition on our future business; our ability to issue equity or equity-linked securities; the outcome of any potential litigation, government and regulatory proceedings, investigations and inquiries; and those factors described or referenced in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. If any of these risks materialize or our assumptions prove incorrect, actual results could differ materially from the results implied by these forward-looking statements. There may be additional risks that we do not presently know or that we currently believe are immaterial that could also cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. In addition, forward-looking statements reflect our expectations, plans or forecasts of future events and views as of the date of this press release. We anticipate that subsequent events and developments will cause our assessments to change.

    We caution readers not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or other factors that affect the subject of these statements, except where we are expressly required to do so by law. All written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to us are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement.

    Contacts: 

    Investors  
    Cody Slach 
    Gateway Group, Inc.  
    949-574-3860  
    BTM@gateway-grp.com 

    Media  
    Brenlyn Motlagh, Ryan Deloney  
    Gateway Group, Inc. 
    949-574-3860  
    BTM@gateway-grp.com 

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ab09ac94-e75b-4fd6-9010-b8652a89fc74

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Navigating a Slanted River

    Source: NASA

    Written by Denise Buckner, student collaborator at University of Florida 

    Perseverance is hard at work on Mars, overcoming obstacles for scientific exploration! Just a few sols after successfully sealing the challenging Green Gardens core, Perseverance roved on to the Broom Point workspace to collect another sample called Main River. Broom Point is situated a few hundred meters down-slope from where Green Gardens was collected, and the Science Team chose to explore this area because orbiter images show some intriguing, alternating light and dark layers.
    Upon reaching the workspace, images captured by Perseverance confirm that these distinct layers are visible on the ground, as well. Layers are interesting because they record different geological events that occurred in the planet’s past, which may include deposition of sediments, lava flows, or volcanic ash. By conducting proximity science with rover instruments and collecting a core to return to Earth for future analyses, the team is investigating what this material is composed of and how it was emplaced. 
    When the team is planning to collect a sample from an outcrop, the first step is to abrade the rock, grinding away the top few millimeters and smoothing out the surface so the SHERLOC and PIXL instruments can move in and conduct their scans. Although Perseverance has abraded more than 30 rocks across Jezero crater, new rocks still present unique challenges. While abrading the Slants River target at Broom Point, the rock unexpectedly fractured, resulting in an uneven surface. SHERLOC and PIXL require just a few millimeters of clearance to safely approach the rock, and while PIXL was able to reach the broken surface, the topography looked a little more dicey for SHERLOC.
    The team’s engineers and rover planners took stock of the situation and decided to use WATSON, SHERLOC’s companion camera, to snap some images of the abrasion patch from another angle. These images built a surface model of the small cracks and crevices, and with this knowledge in hand, the team found a way to safely maneuver the instrument to the same spot that PIXL scanned, and collected a co-located spectroscopy map. Once this abrasion proximity science was completed, the rover went on to drill and seal the Main River core, an activity that went off without a hitch.
    With another core in the bag, Perseverance is off to the next workspace, ready to tackle whatever challenges may lie ahead!

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom announces appointments 3.13.25

    Source: US State of California 2

    Mar 13, 2025

    SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:

    Andrew King, of Sacramento, has been appointed Deputy Director of Data Operations Strategy at the Office of Data and Innovation. King has been Manager of the Data Operations Section at the California Air Resources Board since 2023, and has held several positions since 2018, including Staff Air Pollution Specialist, Air Pollution Specialist for the Transportation Analysis Section, and Air Pollution Specialist for the Criteria Pollutant Inventory Section. He was an Economist at the California Department of Toxic Substances Control from 2017 to 2018. King was a Managing Consultant at Red Peak Economic Consulting from 2013 to 2017. He was a Senior Accountability Analyst at the California Charter Schools Association from 2012 to 2013. King earned a Master of Public Policy degree from the University of Southern California, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $168,468. King is a Democrat.

    Lavelle Parker, of Rancho Cucamonga, has been appointed Warden of California Institution for Women, where he has been serving as Acting Warden since 2024 and was Chief Deputy Warden in 2024. Lavelle was Chief Deputy Warden at California Rehabilitation Center from 2020 to 2024. He was Associate Warden at California Institution for Men from 2012 to 2020. Lavelle held several positions at California State Prison, Los Angeles from 1992 to 2012, including Correctional Counselor III, Correctional Captain, Correctional Counselor II Supervisor, Correctional Counsel I, and Correctional Officer. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $193,524. Parker is registered without party preference.

    Yolanda Franco-Clausen, of Hayward, has been appointed to the California Sex Offender Management Board. Franco-Clausen has served as a Police Officer for the City of Palo Alto Police Department since 2016. They were a Job Development Coordinator at Employment and Community Options in 2016. Franco-Clausen was the Co-Founder and Executive Director of PLAYNICE Productions, Inc., from 2013 to 2014. They are a member of the Palo Alto Police Officers Association. Franco-Clausen earned a Juris Doctor degree from Northwestern California School of Law. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and there is no compensation. Franco-Clausen is a Democrat.

    Sarah Metz, of Alameda, has been appointed to the California Sex Offender Management Board. Dr. Metz has been Director of the Division of Trauma Recovery Services in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco since 2019. She was a Staff Psychologist and Clinical Coordinator at the University of California, San Francisco Trauma Recovery Center from 2015 to 2019. Dr. Metz was a Clinical Psychologist at the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System from 2011 to 2015, where she was previously a Healthcare Specialist from 2010 to 2011. She earned a Doctor of Psychology degree in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University, a Master of Science degree in Clinical Psychology from Loyola College in Maryland, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Clinical Psychology from Towson University. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and there is no compensation. Dr. Metz is a Democrat.

    Press Releases, Recent News

    Recent news

    Mar 13, 2025

    News What you need to know: California is expanding its collaboration with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory to leverage cutting-edge technologies to protect public health and help Los Angeles rebuild.  LOS ANGELES – As part of the state’s ongoing actions to support…

    Mar 12, 2025

    News What you need to know: Californians are urged to take precautions now as severe weather sets in throughout the state. SACRAMENTO – With severe weather expected to impact much of California today through Friday, Governor Gavin Newsom and state emergency officials…

    Mar 12, 2025

    News What you need to know: California continues to lead in technology as home to the majority of the nation’s top AI companies. SACRAMENTO – Home to Silicon Valley and the birthplace of the tech industry, California continues to dominate this sector as the leader in…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: California deploys cutting-edge technologies for LA fires recovery with expanded NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory partnership

    Source: US State of California 2

    Mar 13, 2025

    What you need to know: California is expanding its collaboration with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory to leverage cutting-edge technologies to protect public health and help Los Angeles rebuild. 

    LOS ANGELES – As part of the state’s ongoing actions to support Los Angeles County’s wildfire recovery, Governor Gavin Newsom announced today that the state is expanding its collaboration with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to monitor air and water using cutting-edge technologies. 

    The collaboration will provide the state with additional data on water and air quality – helping California protect communities in and around the Palisades and Eaton fire areas.

    “California and JPL are once again demonstrating the power of science, technology and partnership to address real-world challenges. While JPL is known for exploring the farthest reaches of our solar system, their scientists – many directly impacted by these fires – have turned their attention toward helping their neighbors, demonstrating that innovation and collaboration are vital for accelerating recovery.”

    Governor Gavin Newsom

    JPL is the largest employer of those impacted by the Eaton Fire. In the weeks following the firestorm, the Governor visited the NASA JPL facility in La Cañada Flintridge for a conversation with employees impacted by the Eaton Fire. Nearly 200 JPL employees lost their homes or were displaced due to damage to their homes.

    How it works

    By harnessing advanced data and imaging tools, California and JPL are taking proactive steps to protect public health, strengthen resilience, and accelerate recovery efforts for Altadena and the Palisades communities. This work includes:  

    Monitoring air

    • Air quality monitoring: JPL is establishing a new monitoring site in Altadena to measure the size and composition of particulate matter (PM), including lead, black carbon arsenic, and other metals, in the ambient air, along with a wide variety of gaseous air pollutants. This new site complements an existing rooftop monitoring site on the JPL campus.
    • Collaboration with CARB: JPL and the California Air Resources Board (CARB) are collaborating on PM filter sample collection and analysis for metal contents.
    • Air quality sensor network: JPL is coordinating on a Caltech-led project, called PHOENIX, which is deploying a dense air quality monitoring network focused on measuring airborne dust and ash across Altadena and neighboring communities, including one on JPL’s campus. The network provides real-time observations of air quality in the region, giving community members and agencies leading clean-up efforts data that enable a continuous assessment of dust-mitigation and management efforts in the area. Data from these sensors will be shared with CARB.
       

    Monitoring water

    • Water sampling: JPL is providing satellite imaging to support ocean water quality monitoring efforts led by the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board and the Southern California Coastal Water Research Project. The satellite imagery helps to identify the location of runoff discharge plumes, ensuring effective monitoring.
    • X-band radar deployment: California and JPL are coordinating the deployment of X-band radar to gather data on storm structures, which can be used to protect watersheds and help monitor post-fire debris flows.
    • Aerial data collection: JPL has flown its Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer-3 (AVIRIS-3) over the burn scars to measure the distribution of ash in the air and on the ground. This data will guide future sampling and recovery efforts in impacted areas. 

    Track all of LA’s recovery at CA.gov/LAfires. 

    Expanding California and JPL’s ongoing partnership 

    Previous collaborations between California and JPL have produced innovative new technologies to address California’s natural resource and environmental challenges. In 2023, JPL, California, and other partners created VIRGO – Visualization of In-situ and Remotely-Sensed Groundwater Observations – an online mapping tool from NASA that enables water managers and end-users to explore groundwater changes in California.  

    The NASA facility also partnered with CAL FIRE to use soil moisture sensors to support the state’s fire management and prevention efforts. JPL helped California launch pollution-tracking satellites last year and partners with the state on drought monitoring.

    Building on existing air monitoring efforts

    The new collaboration builds upon existing efforts being carried out by the South Coast Air Quality Management District, with support from CARB, which includes deploying highly advanced mobile air monitors and community air monitoring for toxics to complement the robust regional monitoring network.

    Altogether, the district’s air monitoring stations in the Eaton and Palisades burn areas, along with other regulatory air monitors across the greater Los Angeles area are collecting vital air pollution and toxics data. Initial monitoring shows levels do not pose an immediate risk to public health. Track LA’s recovery, including the latest air quality results, at CA.gov/LAfires. 

    Recent news

    Mar 12, 2025

    News What you need to know: Californians are urged to take precautions now as severe weather sets in throughout the state. SACRAMENTO – With severe weather expected to impact much of California today through Friday, Governor Gavin Newsom and state emergency officials…

    Mar 12, 2025

    News What you need to know: California continues to lead in technology as home to the majority of the nation’s top AI companies. SACRAMENTO – Home to Silicon Valley and the birthplace of the tech industry, California continues to dominate this sector as the leader in…

    Mar 11, 2025

    News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:Adele Burnes, of Berkeley, has been appointed Chief at the Division of Apprenticeship Standards. Burnes has been Acting Chief at the Division of Apprenticeship Standards since 2024,…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Female Chinese astronaut sends Int’l Women’s Day greetings from space

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    This screen image captured at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on Jan. 20, 2025 shows Shenzhou-19 astronaut Wang Haoze working inside China’s orbiting space station. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Wang Haoze, China’s first female space engineer to work in the country’s space station, sent her greetings to women and girls in a video released by the China Manned Space Agency on the occasion of International Women’s Day on March 8.
    “I hope that you can become the bright moon, as well as the twinkling stars. Become your own little sunshine, and grow up in the radiant and enchanting spring,” Wang said in a video recorded aboard the orbiting Tiangong space station.
    Wang is the third Chinese woman to participate in a crewed spaceflight mission.
    Together with other two Shenzhou-19 astronauts, Cai Xuzhe and Song Lingdong, Wang embarked on a six-month crewed spaceflight mission on Oct. 30, 2024.
    They are now halfway through their space journey, and their life in orbit is “busy and fulfilling,” according to Wang.
    In the video, she said, “In my spare time, I stare at Earth through the porthole. The blue planet and the vast universe are indescribably beautiful.”
    “Whenever I do this, I always think of an unyielding girl on Earth who believes that reading can change her destiny. She never bows her head and never gives up in the face of difficulty. She fearlessly embarks on a space journey toward an ocean of stars,” Wang said.
    “She is who I used to be, and she is also every woman who has dreams in her heart and pursues them persistently.”

    Chinese astronauts Cai Xuzhe (C), Song Lingdong (R) and Wang Haoze attend a see-off ceremony at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on Oct. 30, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Born in 1990 in Luanping County, north China’s Hebei Province, Wang enrolled at Southeast University to major in thermal energy and power engineering, following her completion of the national college entrance examination.
    After graduating with a master’s degree, Wang joined the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation’s Academy of Aerospace Propulsion Technology and began her career in rocket engine research.
    She later signed up for the selection process for the country’s third group of astronauts. She was the only woman selected in that group and became China’s first female space engineer.
    She attributes the success of her space flight journey to her spiritual drive to “work harder than others.”
    To date, the Shenzhou-19 astronaut crew has carried out a significant number of scientific experiments and technological tests in orbit, and cooperated closely on two rounds of extravehicular activities in space, according to the China Manned Space Agency.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Talks begin in South Korea to clinch ‘essential’ deal on plastics pollution

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI b

    Climate and Environment

    Talks began in Busan, South Korea, on Monday aiming to clinch a legally binding deal on plastics pollution, led by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).

    The meeting follows two years of intergovernmental negotiations to develop a legally binding global instrument that covers land and the marine environment – a blink of an eye in diplomatic circles, where multilateral deals can be decades in the making. 

    “Our world is drowning in plastic pollution. Every year, we produce 460 million tonnes of plastic, much of which is quickly thrown away,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres via video message, as he urged delegates to push for a deal. 

    “By 2050, there could be more plastic than fish in the ocean. Microplastics in our bloodstreams are creating health problems we’re only just beginning to understand.” 

    Cautious optimism

    Expressing hope for a potentially historic deal, UNEP Executive Director Inger Anderson insisted that it was “the moment of truth” to take action. 

    “Not a single person” on the planet wants plastic washing up on their shores or plastic particles circulating in their bodies, or their unborn babies, she maintained, adding that it was a sentiment shared by the G20 group of industrialized nations.

    “Waste pickers, civil society groups are fully engaged; businesses are calling for global rules to guide this future; indigenous people are speaking out; scientists are calling out the science,” Ms. Anderson said. 

    “The finance sector is beginning to make the moves at the international level. There’s also been clear signals that a deal is essential, including the G20 declaration last week, which said that G20 leaders were determined to land this treaty by the end of the year.”

    Broad support

    More than 170 countries and over 600 observer organizations have registered for one week of talks in the large port city of Busan, where South Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol urged delegates to agree on a path to zero plastic pollution, for the sake of future generations.

    “The excessive reliance of humanity on the convenience of plastics has resulted in an exponential increase in plastic waste; the waste accumulated in our oceans and rivers now jeopardizes the lives of future generations,” he said, via video link. 

    “I sincerely hope that over the coming week all Member States will stand together in solidarity – with a sense of responsibility for future generations – to open a new historic chapter by finalizing a treaty on plastic pollution.”

    Coming full circle

    Officially, the talks are known as the fifth Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee discussions (INC-5) to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment. The session follows four previous rounds which began exactly 1,000 days ago in Uruguay.

    By contrast, “some plastics can take up to 1,000 years to decompose”, UNEP chief Ms. Anderson said, and even then, “they break into ever smaller particles that persist, pervade and pollute…Damaging ecosystem resilience, blocking drainage in cities and also very likely harming human health and growth in plastic pollution is emitting more greenhouse gases, pushing us further into climate disaster. That is why public and political pressure for action has risen into a crescendo.”

    In his message to the Busan meeting, the UN Secretary-General underscored the need for a treaty that is “ambitious, credible and just”.

    Any deal must address the life cycle of plastics – “tackling single-use and short-lived plastics, waste management and measures to phase out plastic and promote alternative materials”, Mr. Guterres insisted.

    These should enable all countries to access technologies and improve land and marine environments, while also ensuring that the most vulnerable communities who rely on plastic collection are not left behind, such as waste pickers.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Premier’s, parliamentary secretary’s statements on International Women’s Day

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Premier David Eby has released the following statement marking International Women’s Day:

    “Today is International Women’s Day, a day to recognize and celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.

    “It is also a day to reaffirm a call to continue to move women’s equality forward. While women have made great advances in every aspect of public and private life, there is still inequity to solve, especially for women, girls and gender-diverse people who are Indigenous, racialized, newcomers or who live with a disability.

    “This year also marks the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action at the 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women. The Platform for Action was considered a global agenda for women’s empowerment and gender equality and was adopted unanimously by 189 countries.

    “Our government recognizes that building a province that actively seeks to advance gender equity benefits families, communities and our economy. Supporting B.C. families by cutting fees for child care by more than half has saved parents an average of nearly $8,000 every year – a contributing factor to more than 150,000 women joining the workforce since 2017.

    “Investing in the health of women and gender-diverse people is a significant priority that advances equity and empowerment. Prescription contraception became free in April 2023. Since then, 306,000 British Columbians have saved about $300 each year. As well, beginning later this year, the province will offer one cycle of in-vitro fertilization for free. B.C. is also the first province to deliver an at-home self-screening program for cervical cancer.

    “Recognizing that true equality is not possible without the elimination of gender-based violence, our government launched a three-year action plan to address gender-based violence and its impacts. This includes $1.9 billion to build and operate 3,000 new transition housing, second-stage housing and affordable long-term housing spaces for women and children. We also introduced paid leave for people experiencing domestic and sexual violence.

    “We all have a role in moving gender equity forward. Today, on International Women’s Day, I encourage everyone to celebrate the women in their lives and reflect on how they can best contribute to ending gender discrimination.”

    Jennifer Blatherwick, parliamentary secretary for gender equity, said:

    “On International Women’s Day, we celebrate the many successes and achievements of women in our province and renew our commitment to advancing gender equity. Empowering women, girls and gender-diverse people benefits everyone and is essential to the health of families, neighbourhoods and our economy. Whether it’s working in tech, science, small business, health care, education, construction or other sectors, more and more women are making their mark in B.C. — just as they have throughout history. British Columbia is an extraordinary place because of the extraordinary women who have made this province their home.”

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wyden, Colleagues Sound Alarm on EPA’s Plot to Rollback Decades of Scientific Findings on Greenhouse Gases

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)
    March 07, 2025
    “As the Administrator of the EPA, you are tasked with making decisions grounded in science, law, and the best interests of the American people.”
    Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today led 12 Senate Democrats in raising the alarm over reports that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) intends to roll back its findings that greenhouse gases endanger people’s health and welfare.
    In their letter to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, the senators emphasized, “It is difficult to understand how the nation’s lead official responsible for protecting human health and the environment could seriously entertain the idea of undoing a scientific finding that has been repeatedly upheld in court, reinforced by thousands of studies and decades of research, and is supported by the vast majority of the scientific community.”
    The move to overhaul decades of overwhelming scientific consensus on the climate crisis and natural disasters follows another record hot year, as well as catastrophic wildfires that destroyed lives and communities across the West Coast. The senators expressed serious concerns about the political motives behind the decision.
    “Using political means to hinder, distort, or improperly steer the work of federal scientists or the communication of scientific facts undermines the public trust of key institutions and actively threatens the welfare of the nation. The scientific evidence in support of the endangerment finding is clear, compelling, and continues to grow stronger. Reversing this finding would be reckless and irrational,” the senators wrote.
    Before the EPA takes any further steps to undo this foundational finding without transparency and scientific support, the senators demand answers to the following questions by March 15, 2025:
    What new scientific evidence has the EPA found that justifies the reversal of the endangerment finding?
    What new evidence does the EPA have that suggests reversing the endangerment finding would better protect the health and welfare of Americans and the environment, as is the EPA’s mission?
    How does the EPA plan to address the legal precedent set by the Supreme Court, particularly when courts have repeatedly upheld the EPA’s authority to regulate greenhouse gases based on the endangerment finding?
    Given that the endangerment finding has been repeatedly challenged by industry groups, fossil fuel companies, and climate change deniers over the years, do you believe that political or economic pressure is influencing your decision to revisit the finding, rather than an objective evaluation of the scientific facts?
    How do you plan to ensure that the EPA’s decision-making process remains rooted in scientific integrity?
    Senator Wyden was joined by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., and Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., as well as Senators Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., Mazie Hirono, D-Hawai’i, Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., Patty Murray, D-Wash., Brian Schatz, D-Hawai’i, Tina Smith, D-Minn., Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Peter Welch, D-Vt., Cory Booker, D-N.J., and Edward J. Markey, D-Mass.
    The text of the letter is here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Spartan Capital Securities, LLC Announces Key February Transactions

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    New York, NY, March 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Spartan Capital Securities, LLC, a full-service investment banking firm, is pleased to announce a series of strategic transactions completed in February 2025, reinforcing its position as a trusted financial partner for companies across diverse industries.

    Spartan Capital successfully served as the sole placement agent for Lipella Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq: LIPO) in a $3.788 million private placement. This financing represents an important milestone in Lipella’s efforts to advance its clinical pipeline and address significant unmet medical needs under the leadership of CEO Dr. Jonathan Kaufman.

    The firm also played a key role as Co-Placement Agent in Healthcare Triangle, Inc.’s (Nasdaq: HCTI) $15.2 million private placement, securing $14.2 million of the total offering. The proceeds will support Healthcare Triangle’s strategic acquisitions, general corporate purposes, and working capital needs, enabling the company to further its mission of driving digital transformation in healthcare and life sciences through cloud enablement, cybersecurity, and data analytics.

    “These transactions highlight Spartan Capital’s ability to deliver meaningful results for our clients,” said John Lowry, CEO of Spartan Capital Securities, LLC. “We take pride in our role as a trusted partner, helping companies secure the capital they need to fuel innovation, execute strategic growth initiatives, and drive long-term success. Our investment banking team remains committed to delivering exceptional service and tailored financial solutions across diverse industries.”

    Spartan Capital extends its gratitude to Sichenzia Ross Ference Carmel LLP for their expert legal representation of Spartan Capital in the Lipella Pharmaceuticals transaction and Sullivan & Worcester LLP for representing Lipella Pharmaceuticals. Additionally, we appreciate the contributions of RBW Capital Partners LLC (a division of Dawson James Securities, Inc.), Sichenzia Ross Ference Carmel LLP, and Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP in the Healthcare Triangle placement.

    These February transactions exemplify Spartan Capital Securities’ ongoing commitment to providing impactful investment banking solutions. With a deep understanding of market dynamics and a focus on delivering strategic financial solutions, Spartan Capital remains dedicated to supporting clients in achieving their long-term goals.

    As we continue into 2025, Spartan Capital is excited about the opportunities ahead and remains committed to delivering excellence in investment banking.

    About Spartan Capital Securities, LLC

    Spartan Capital Securities, LLC is a full-service, integrated financial services firm providing strategic investment banking solutions to high-net-worth individuals and institutions. With deep market expertise and a steadfast commitment to client success, Spartan Capital continues to set the standard for excellence in the financial industry.

    Contact:
    Spartan Capital Securities, LLC
    45 Broadway, 19th Floor
    New York, NY 10006
    investmentbanking@spartancapital.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Multiple Members of Transnational Criminal Organization ‘18th Street’ Sentenced for Roles in Various Violent Crimes Committed During Their Gang Involvement

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

                WASHINGTON – Elvis Mauricio Maradiaga, 23, of Bladensburg, Maryland, was sentenced today to 108 months in federal prison for his participation in a violent, transnational criminal enterprise known as the 18th Street gang.  Maradiaga was one of the last of 11 other defendants sentenced for crimes related to their involvement in 18th Street. His sentencing marks the conclusion of a sprawling, multi-year investigation into the gang’s criminal activities throughout DMV-area and abroad.

                In sum, in February 2023, a grand jury returned an indictment against 12 of the 18th Street members, charging them with participating in a years’ long racketeering conspiracy as well as with murders, attempted murders, and kidnapping.  Of the 12 charged defendants, six proceeded to trial in April and May 2024 before the Honorable Trevor N. McFadden, were found guilty by a jury of nearly every offense with which they were charged, and were each sentenced to life imprisonment. Five defendants pleaded guilty and received sentences ranging from 96 to 480 months in prison.

                The sentences were announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, ICE Deputy Director Russ Hott of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division of Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO), and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

                The 18th Street organization engages in a variety of criminal activities abroad and throughout the United States, including in Washington, D.C., Virginia, and Maryland. Its activities include acts of murder, kidnapping, assault, robbery, witness intimidation, and firearms and narcotics trafficking to fuel the gang’s violent operations. The gang is active throughout Central and South America, particularly in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. It uses violence to maintain control over specific geographical areas.

                “The sentencing of these violent criminals should send a clear message: transnational gangs like 18th Street have no place in our communities and we will not tolerate the brutality, fear, and lawlessness they spread,” said U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. “Through relentless cooperation between federal, state, and local law enforcement, we are dismantling these dangerous organizations piece by piece. Our commitment to public safety is unwavering, and we will continue to pursue and prosecute those who threaten our neighborhoods with violence and crime.”

                According to court documents, members of 18th Street are required to commit acts of violence to further the interests of the gang and to maintain or increase their status within it. These violent acts are often directed against rival gang members, 18th Street members who violate gang rules or otherwise disrespect the gang, and persons who are suspected of cooperating with law enforcement. Additionally, 18th Street members sell and transport narcotics, weapons, and other contraband to generate money to support the gang and its criminal activities. Some of the proceeds of this criminal activity are wired to members of the gang’s leadership in other countries. 18th Street members control geographical areas and use violence to maintain their control.

                18th Street – which was founded in Los Angeles and now includes up to 50,000 members – is organized into “cliques,” or smaller groups operating within specific cities or regions under the umbrella rules of 18th Street. Such cliques include the Tiny Locos Sureños (TLS), Los Crazy Brothers (LCB), and the Revolucionarios. 

               This investigation began in 2019 and covered the full breadth of criminal activity 18th Street was involved in within the greater D.C. metropolitan area. Ultimately, numerous 18th Street gang members were arrested as part of the investigation and either pled guilty or were found guilty at trial in May 2024.  Regarding these sentences in particular, the charges focused on the shooting and attempted murder of C.H. on May 21, 2021, within the 5700 block of 14th Street NW, Washington, DC; the kidnapping and execution of Carlos Ramos Martinez on July 14, 2021, in a wooded area off the side of I-95 in Elkton, MD; and the murder of Danis Alcides Salgado Mata on December 19, 2021, in Rockville, MD as well as the attempted murders of his mother and stepfather.  The sentences also included defendants who pled guilty to participating in a racketeer influenced and corrupt organization (RICO) related to their involvement and knowledge of kidnappings, robberies, weapons trafficking, and narcotic trafficking committed at the behest of the gang.

                A final defendant, Milton Benjamin Guevara-Villatoro, has been extradited from El Salvador and is pending trial on two indictments related to his alleged involvement in a shooting at the Petworth Metro Station on September 17, 2019, and the murder of Carlos Ramos Martinez.

                This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

                The case was investigated by the Northern Virginia Safe Streets Task Force, the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement Removal Operations, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and the Montgomery County, Maryland Police Department. The District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences, Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, and the Montgomery County, Maryland State’s Attorney’s Office provided valuable assistance.

                The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jack F. Korba, Will Hart, and Sitara Witanachchi and former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gilead Light and Christopher Marin.     

    18th STREET DEFENDANTS

     

    NAME

    AGE

    AKA

    CLIQUE

    CHARGES/SENTENCES

    Jose Santos Alvarado-Velasquez,

    Takoma Park, MD

     

     

    24

     

    “Vago”

     

    Los Crazy Brothers

    		 Sentenced November 21, 2024, to life in prison for conspiracy to participate in a Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization (RICO-Conspiracy), Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering (VICAR)- Murder, conspiracy to commit kidnapping resulting in death, kidnapping resulting in death; and sentenced to 120 months for discharge of a firearm – crime of violence, and unlawful possession of a firearm – illegal alien

    Gerlin Neptali Diaz-Lopez

    Washington, D.C.

    23

    “Sicario”

    Tiny Locos Sureños

    		 Sentenced October 11, 2024, to life in prison Imprisonment for RICO-conspiracy, VICAR-Murder, conspiracy to commit kidnapping resulting in death, kidnapping resulting in death; and sentenced to 120 months for discharge of a firearm – crime of violence, and unlawful possession of a firearm – illegal alien

    Jose Anselmo Ibarra-Cristales

    Beltsville, MD

    24

    “Chemo”

    		 Los Crazy Brothers Sentenced September 27, 2024, to 20 years in prison for RICO-conspiracy; and life in prison for VICAR-murder, conspiracy to commit kidnapping resulting in death, kidnapping resulting in death

    Carlos Rolando Martinez-Mora

    Hyattsville, MD

    25

    “Crosty”

    		 Los Crazy Brothers Sentenced November 14, 2024, to two consecutive life sentences for RICO-conspiracy, VICAR-murder x2, conspiracy to commit kidnapping resulting in death, and kidnapping resulting in death

    Bradley Andree Martinez-Mora

    Hyattsville, MD

    22

    “Joker”

    		 Los Crazy Brothers Sentenced December 23, 2024, to 20 years in prison for RICO-conspiracy; and a life sentence for conspiracy to commit kidnapping resulting in death

    Jexon Madrid-Flores

    Boston, MA

    23

    “Spooky”

    		 Tiny Locos Sureños

    Sentenced October 11, 2024, to 20 years in prison for RICO-conspiracy; and life in prison for conspiracy to commit kidnapping resulting in death; also sentenced to 20 years for

    VICAR-assault with a dangerous weapon (ADW); 204 months for discharging a firearm during a crime of violence; 120 months for VICAR-attempted murder; and 80 months for aggravated assault while armed

    Bryan Delfino Vasquez-Izara

    Washington, DC

    22

    “Smokey”

    		 Tiny Locos Sureños Sentenced October 4, 2024, to 96 months for RICO-conspiracy; and 12 months for carrying a pistol without a license

    Elvis Mauricio Maradiaga

    Bladensburg, MD

    23

    “Smokey”

    		 Los Crazy Brothers Sentenced March 7, 2024, to 108 months for RICO-Conspiracy

    Carlos Giovani Linares Boteo

    Hyattsville, MD

    		 28

    “Tiny”

    		 Los Crazy Brothers Sentenced August 1, 2024, to 216 months imprisonment for RICO-conspiracy

    Cesar De la O Rodriguez

    Washington, DC

    		 21

    “Lunatico”

    		 Tiny Locos Sureños Sentenced January 21, 2025, to 40 years in prison for RICO-conspiracy; and 10 years for conspiracy to commit VICAR-murder

    Emerson Aguirre-Morales[1]

    Washington, DC

    		 21

    “Mota”

    		 Tiny Locos Sureños Sentenced February 3, 2025, to 102 months for VICAR-attempted murder

    [1] Aguirre-Morales was initially charged by Information in 22-cr-218 as a juvenile.  As part of his guilty plea, he agreed to be charged as an adult.

    ###

    23cr43

    22cr190

    22cr218
     

    [1] Aguirre-Morales was initially charged by Information in 22-cr-218 as a juvenile.  As part of his guilty plea, he agreed to be charged as an adult.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA Receives Some Data Before Intuitive Machines Ends Lunar Mission

    Source: NASA

    Shortly after touching down inside a crater on the Moon, carrying NASA technology and science on its IM-2 mission, Intuitive Machines collected some data for the agency before calling an early end of mission at 12:15 a.m. CST Friday.
    As part of the company’s second Moon delivery for NASA under the agency’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative and Artemis campaign, the IM-2 mission included a drill to bring lunar soil to the surface and a mass spectrometer to look for the presence of volatiles, or gases, that could one day help provide fuel or breathable oxygen to future Artemis explorers.
    Planned to land at Mons Mouton, IM-2 touched down at approximately 11:30 a.m. March 6, more than 1,300 feet (400 meters) from its intended landing site. Intuitive Machines said images collected later confirmed the lander was on its side, preventing it from fully operating the drill and other instruments before its batteries were depleted.
    The IM-2 mission landed closer to the lunar South Pole than any previous lander.
    “Our targeted landing site near the lunar South Pole is one of the most scientifically interesting, and geographically challenging locations, on the Moon,” said Nicky Fox, associate administrator for science at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “Each success and setback are opportunities to learn and grow, and we will use this lesson to propel our efforts to advance science, exploration, and commercial development as we get ready for human exploration of Mars.”
    The Nova-C lander, named Athena, captured and transmitted images of the landing site before activating the technology and science instruments. Among the data collected, NASA’s PRIME-1 (Polar Resources Ice Mining Experiment 1) suite, which includes the lunar drill known as TRIDENT (The Regolith and Ice Drill for Exploring New Terrain), successfully demonstrated the hardware’s full range of motion in the harsh environment of space. The Mass Spectrometer Observing Lunar Operations (MSOLO) as part of the PRIME-1 suite of instruments, detected elements likely due to the gases emitted from the lander’s propulsion system. 
    “While this mission didn’t achieve all of its objectives for NASA, the work that went into the payload development is already informing other agency and commercial efforts,” said Clayton Turner, associate administrator for space technology, NASA Headquarters. “As we continue developing new technologies to support exploration of the Moon and Mars, testing technologies in-situ is crucial to informing future missions. The CLPS initiative remains an instrumental method for achieving this.”
    Despite the lander’s configuration, Intuitive Machines, which was responsible for launch, delivery, and surface operations under its CLPS contract, was able to complete some instrument checkouts and collect 250 megabytes of data for NASA.
    “Empowering American companies to deliver science and tech to the Moon on behalf of NASA both produces scientific results and continues development of a lunar economy,” said Joel Kearns, deputy associate administrator for Exploration in the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters. “While we’re disappointed in the outcome of the IM-2 mission, we remain committed to supporting our commercial vendors as they navigate the very difficult task of landing and operating on the Moon.”
    NASA’s Laser Retroreflector Array, a passive instrument meant to provide a reference point on the lunar surface and does not power on, will remain affixed to the top deck of the lander. Although Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C Hopper and Nokia’s 4G/LTE Tipping Point technologies, funded in part by NASA, were only able to complete some objectives, they provided insight into maturing technologies ready for infusion into a commercial space application including some checkouts in flight and on the surface.
    Intuitive Machines’ IM-2 mission launched at 6:16 p.m., Feb. 26, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
    Intuitive Machines has two more deliveries on the books for NASA in the future, with its IM-3 mission slated for 2026, and IM-4 mission in 2027.
    To date, five vendors have been awarded a total of 11 lunar deliveries under CLPS and are sending more than 50 instruments to various locations on the Moon, including the Moon’s far side and South Pole region. CLPS contracts are indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts with a cumulative maximum contract value of $2.6 billion through 2028.
    Learn more about NASA’s CLPS initiative at:
    https://www.nasa.gov/clps
    -end-
    Cheryl Warner / Jasmine HopkinsHeadquarters, Washington202-358-1600cheryl.m.warner@nasa.gov / jasmine.s.hopkins@nasa.gov
    Natalia Riusech / Nilufar RamjiJohnson Space Center, Houston281-483-5111nataila.s.riusech@nasa.gov / nilufar.ramji@nasa.gov

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA Astronaut to Answer Questions from Students in Oregon

    Source: NASA

    Students from Oregon will have the chance to connect with NASA astronaut Don Pettit as he answers prerecorded science, technology, engineering, and mathematics-related questions from aboard the International Space Station.
    Watch the 20-minute space-to-Earth call at 2:15 p.m. EDT on Monday, March 10, on NASA+ and learn how to watch NASA content on various platforms, including social media.
    Oregon Charter Academy, a virtual school serving thousands of kindergarten through 12th grade students statewide, is hosting an event in Wilsonville, Oregon, for students and their families. The event aims to raise awareness of career opportunities for aspiring STEM students.
    Media interested in covering the event must RSVP by 5 p.m., Friday, March 7, to Laura Dillon at ldillon@oregoncharter.org or 971-301-5060.
    For more than 24 years, astronauts have continuously lived and worked aboard the space station, testing technologies, performing science, and developing skills needed to explore farther from Earth. Astronauts aboard the orbiting laboratory communicate with NASA’s Mission Control Center in Houston 24 hours a day through SCaN’s (Space Communications and Navigation) Near Space Network.
    Important research and technology investigations taking place aboard the space station benefit people on Earth and lays the groundwork for other agency missions. As part of NASA’s Artemis campaign, the agency will send astronauts to the Moon to prepare for future human exploration of Mars; inspiring Artemis Generation explorers and ensuring the United States continues to lead in space exploration and discovery.
    See videos and lesson plans highlighting space station research at:
    https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation
    -end-
    Abbey DonaldsonHeadquarters, Washington202-358-1600Abbey.a.donaldson@nasa.gov
    Sandra JonesJohnson Space Center, Houston281-483-5111sandra.p.jones@nasa.gov

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA Webb Wows With Incredible Detail in Actively Forming Star System

    Source: NASA

    High-resolution near-infrared light captured by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope shows extraordinary new detail and structure in Lynds 483 (L483). Two actively forming stars are responsible for the shimmering ejections of gas and dust that gleam in orange, blue, and purple in this representative color image.
    Over tens of thousands of years, the central protostars have periodically ejected some of the gas and dust, spewing it out as tight, fast jets and slightly slower outflows that “trip” across space. When more recent ejections hit older ones, the material can crumple and twirl based on the densities of what is colliding. Over time, chemical reactions within these ejections and the surrounding cloud have produced a range of molecules, like carbon monoxide, methanol, and several other organic compounds.

    The two protostars responsible for this scene are at the center of the hourglass shape, in an opaque horizontal disk of cold gas and dust that fits within a single pixel. Much farther out, above and below the flattened disk where dust is thinner, the bright light from the stars shines through the gas and dust, forming large semi-transparent orange cones.
    It’s equally important to notice where the stars’ light is blocked — look for the exceptionally dark, wide V-shapes offset by 90 degrees from the orange cones. These areas may look like there is no material, but it’s actually where the surrounding dust is the densest, and little starlight penetrates it. If you look carefully at these areas, Webb’s sensitive NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) has picked up distant stars as muted orange pinpoints behind this dust. Where the view is free of obscuring dust, stars shine brightly in white and blue.

    Some of the stars’ jets and outflows have wound up twisted or warped. To find examples, look toward the top right edge where there’s a prominent orange arc. This is a shock front, where the stars’ ejections were slowed by existing, denser material. 
    Now, look a little lower, where orange meets pink. Here, material looks like a tangled mess. These are new, incredibly fine details Webb has revealed, and will require detailed study to explain.
    Turn to the lower half. Here, the gas and dust appear thicker. Zoom in to find tiny light purple pillars. They point toward the central stars’ nonstop winds, and formed because the material within them is dense enough that it hasn’t yet been blown away. L483 is too large to fit in a single Webb snapshot, and this image was taken to fully capture the upper section and outflows, which is why the lower section is only partially shown. (See a larger view observed by NASA’s retired Spitzer Space Telescope.)
    All the symmetries and asymmetries in these clouds may eventually be explained as researchers reconstruct the history of the stars’ ejections, in part by updating models to produce the same effects. Astronomers will also eventually calculate how much material the stars have expelled, which molecules were created when material smashed together, and how dense each area is.
    Millions of years from now, when the stars are finished forming, they may each be about the mass of our Sun. Their outflows will have cleared the area — sweeping away these semi-transparent ejections. All that may remain is a tiny disk of gas and dust where planets may eventually form.
    L483 is named for American astronomer Beverly T. Lynds, who published extensive catalogs of “dark” and “bright” nebulae in the early 1960s. She did this by carefully examining photographic plates (which preceded film) of the first Palomar Observatory Sky Survey, accurately recording each object’s coordinates and characteristics. These catalogs provided astronomers with detailed maps of dense dust clouds where stars form — critical resources for the astronomical community decades before the first digital files became available and access to the internet was widespread.
    The James Webb Space Telescope is the world’s premier space science observatory. Webb will solve mysteries in our solar system, look beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probe the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and the Canadian Space Agency.
    Downloads
    Click any image to open a larger version.
    View/Download all image products at all resolutions for this article from the Space Telescope Science Institute.

    Laura Betz – laura.e.betz@nasa.govNASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
    Claire Blome – cblome@stsci.eduSpace Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Md.
    Christine Pulliam – cpulliam@stsci.eduSpace Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Md.

    More Webb News
    More Webb Images
    Webb Science Themes
    Webb Mission Page
    View more: Webb images of similar protostar outflows – HH 211 and HH 46/47
    Animation Video: “Exploring Star and Planet Formation”
    Explore the jets emitted by young stars in multiple wavelengths: ViewSpace Interactive
    Read more: Birth of Stars with Hubble observations

    What is the Webb Telescope?
    SpacePlace for Kids
    En Español
    Ciencia de la NASA
    NASA en español 
    Space Place para niños

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 Launch (Official NASA Broadcast)

    Source: United States of America – Federal Government Departments (video statements)

    Watch with us as the four members of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 mission launch to the space station from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Liftoff is targeted for 7:48 p.m. EDT (2348 UTC) on Wednesday, March 12.

    SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft will carry NASA astronauts Anne McClain, commander; and Nichole Ayers, pilot; along with mission specialists JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov to the orbiting laboratory for a science mission of about four months. This is the 10th crew rotation mission and the 11th human spaceflight mission for NASA to the space station supported by the Dragon spacecraft since 2020 as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program.

    Following the launch of Crew-10, NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams, and Butch Wilmore, along with Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, will depart the station for a splashdown off the coast of Florida.

    About Crew-10’s scientific mission: https://www.nasa.gov/missions/station/what-you-need-to-know-about-nasas-spacex-crew-10-mission/
    Crew-10 mission updates: https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/crew-10/

    Credit: NASA

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RTehiOVIDw

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Daylight saving time and early school start times cost billions in lost productivity and health care expenses

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Joanna Fong-Isariyawongse, Associate Professor of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh

    Daylight saving time kicks in on March 9, 2025, but some say it leads to more heart attacks, depression and car accidents. Lord Henri Voton/E+ via Getty Images

    Investigations into the 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger disaster revealed that key decision-makers worked on little sleep, raising concerns that fatigue impaired their judgment. Similarly, in 1989, the Exxon Valdez oil spill resulted in a massive environmental catastrophe. The official investigation revealed the third mate, in charge of steering the ship, was running on too little sleep, among other problems.

    While these specific disasters were not caused by daylight saving time, they are conclusively linked to fatigue, based on postaccident investigations and reports. They underscore the well-documented dangers of sleep deprivation and fatigue-related errors. Yet a vast body of research shows that every year, the shift to daylight saving time needlessly exacerbates these risks, disrupting millions of Americans’ sleep and increasing the likelihood of accidents, health issues and fatal errors.

    Imagine a world where one simple decision – keeping our clocks aligned with the natural cycle of the Sun – could save lives, prevent accidents and improve mental well-being. It’s not just about an hour of lost sleep; it’s about how small disruptions ripple through our health, our workplaces and even our children’s futures.

    I’m a neurologist who specializes in sleep health. I’ve seen firsthand the negative impacts of poor sleep; it has enormous personal and economic consequences.

    Yet despite overwhelming research supporting better sleep policies – such as delaying school start times to align with adolescent biology and the adoption of permanent standard time – these issues remain largely overlooked in public policy discussions.

    Sleep deprivation comes with real costs

    Chronic sleep deprivation does more than leave people tired. It costs an estimated US$411 billion annually in lost productivity and health care costs. Poor sleep leads to workplace mistakes, car accidents and long-term health issues that strain businesses, families and the economy as a whole.

    Fortunately, there’s a fix. Smarter sleep policies – such as permanent standard time and later school start times – can boost efficiency, improve health and save lives.

    Sleep-deprived teens have lower test scores and graduation rates.
    skynesher/E+

    Up before dawn

    Teenagers are the most sleep-deprived age group in the U.S. Multiple studies and surveys show that anywhere from 71% to 84% of high school students report getting insufficient sleep.

    This is largely due to early school start times, which force teens to wake up before their biological clocks are ready. If you have a teenager, you probably see it every day: The teen struggling to wake up before sunrise, rushing out the door without breakfast, then waiting in the dark for the school bus.

    More than 80% of public middle and high schools in the U.S. start before 8:30 a.m., with 42% starting before 8 a.m. and 10% before 7:30 a.m. As a result, some districts have bus pickups as early as 5 a.m.

    Teenagers are going through a natural shift in their circadian rhythms by about two hours. This shift, driven by hormones and biology, makes it hard for them to fall asleep before around 11 p.m. The bodies of teens aren’t wired for these schedules, yet schools and society have designed a system that forces them to function at their worst.

    Declining scores, drowsy driving and depression

    Sleep-deprived teens have lower grades and test scores, more car crashes caused by drowsy driving, more alcohol and drug use and higher rates of depression, anxiety suicide and aggressive behavior, including carrying weapons.

    Along with the health benefits, studies have found that moving school start times to 8:30 am or later could add $8.6 billion to the economy within two years, partly by increased graduation rates.

    While concerns about increased transportation costs exist, such as the need for additional buses or drivers due to staggered school start times, some districts have found that optimizing bus routes can offset expenses, making the change cost-neutral or even cost-saving. For instance, a study in Boston found that reorganizing bus schedules using advanced algorithms reduced the number of buses needed and improved efficiency, which allowed high school students to start later and better align with their natural sleep cycles. This change not only supported adolescent sleep health but also saved the district $5 million annually.

    Studies show that daylight saving time does not reduce energy use.

    More heart attacks, car wrecks and suicide

    Every March, most Americans shift their clocks forward for daylight saving time. Studies show this change disrupts sleep and leads to measurable adverse outcomes, including a significant increase in heart attacks. These effects linger for days after the shift, as sleep-deprived workers struggle to adjust.

    The mental health impact is also severe. Suicide rates increase in the weeks following the switch, particularly for those already vulnerable to depression.

    Unlike daylight saving time, standard time follows the body’s natural circadian rhythm, which is primarily regulated by exposure to sunlight. Our internal clocks are most stable when morning light exposure occurs early in the day, signaling the body to wake up and regulate key biological functions such as hormone production, alertness and metabolism. In contrast, daylight saving time artificially extends evening light, delaying the body’s release of melatonin and making it harder to fall asleep at a biologically appropriate time.

    Studies have found that adopting permanent standard time could prevent up to 5,000 suicides annually by reducing seasonal depression, decrease errors, injuries and absenteeism in the workplace and make roads safer, potentially preventing 1,300 traffic deaths each year.

    Times are changing

    The U.S. tried permanent daylight saving time in 1974. It was so unpopular that Congress repealed it within nine months.

    Russia tried it too, in 2011, but switched back three years later. The United Kingdom dropped permanent daylight saving time in 1971 after three years, and Portugal in 1996 after four. All of these countries found that the switch caused widespread public dissatisfaction, health concerns, more morning car accidents and disrupted work schedules. No country is currently on year-round daylight saving time.

    These examples provide real-world evidence that permanent DST is undesirable due to public dissatisfaction, safety concerns and negative health effects – all three countries attempted it and ultimately reversed course. Since 2022, there has been renewed debate, largely driven by former U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio’s Sunshine Protection Act, which aims to make DST permanent.

    However, the name is misleading because it doesn’t “protect” sunshine but rather eliminates critical morning light, which is essential for regulating circadian rhythms. Major health organizations, along with the National Safety Council, strongly oppose permanent DST due to its well-documented risks.

    There are signs that suggest the U.S. is finally waking up to these problems. Out of 13,000 school districts, 1,000 have independently adopted later school start times. California and Florida have enacted laws requiring high schools to start no earlier than 8:30 a.m. California’s mandate went into effect in 2022, and Florida’s is set to begin in 2026.

    Permanent standard time and later school start times are not radical ideas. They’re practical, evidence-based solutions based on human biology. Implementing these changes nationally would require congressional action. However, current federal law already allows states to adopt permanent standard time, as Arizona and Hawaii have done, setting a precedent for the rest of the country.

    Joanna Fong-Isariyawongse 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. Daylight saving time and early school start times cost billions in lost productivity and health care expenses – https://theconversation.com/daylight-saving-time-and-early-school-start-times-cost-billions-in-lost-productivity-and-health-care-expenses-248280

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: London ETO showcases Hong Kong’s thriving innovation and technology ecosystem (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    London ETO showcases Hong Kong’s thriving innovation and technology ecosystem (with photos)
    ******************************************************************************************

    The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, London (London ETO), in collaboration with Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK), the Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises (OASES), and the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) hosted a seminar in London, the United Kingdom, on March 6 (London time) showcasing Hong Kong’s dynamic innovation and technology (I&T) ecosystem.     The seminar featured distinguished speakers who provided insights into Hong Kong’s future in I&T. In his opening remarks, the Director-General of the London ETO, Mr Gilford Law, emphasised Hong Kong’s role as a global I&T hub and gateway to the Greater Bay Area (GBA). “Hong Kong offers a dynamic business environment with world-class infrastructure, strong government support, and access to a wide network of investors and researchers. Our strategic location provides businesses with unique opportunities to tap into the growing GBA, particularly in key sectors such as artificial intelligence, fintech, and biotechnology.”     The Chief Executive Officer of the HKSTP, Mr Albert Wong, presented HKSTP’s thriving I&T ecosystem. He said, “As a growing engine situated at an international I&T hub in Asia, the HKSTP understands that nurturing next-generation I&T talent is as important as any R&D project, if not more. We’re currently an ecosystem that over 2 200 tech companies from 26 countries and regions call home, offering comprehensive support to more than 15 000 research and development professionals – a network we’re looking overseas to extend, and a number we’re eager to invest in for a sustainable future.”     Following this, the Deputy Director-General of the OASES, Dr Jimmy Chiang, provided an overview of I&T developments in Hong Kong. “The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has been committed to advancing the I&T ecosystem through substantial efforts, which include significant financial investments in the past few years to establish new I&T infrastructures, foster international research collaborations, and offer a diverse range of funding schemes for I&T projects and companies. The development of new I&T zones within the territory provides tremendous opportunities for I&T enterprises, specifically in expanding their research and development functions,” he said.     The Head of Business and Talent Attraction/Investment Promotion of the InvestHK London Office, Ms Daisy Ip, concluded the seminar by highlighting Hong Kong’s strategic advantages for businesses and talent. “From Hong Kong’s world-class infrastructure and strategic location to our vibrant talent pool and government-backed initiatives, Hong Kong serves as a launchpad for those looking to scale, collaborate, and push boundaries both regionally and globally,” she said.     A networking reception was held immediately after the seminar. Around 80 participants joined the entire event, including representatives from local government and professionals from the I&T, business and academic sectors, providing an opportunity for further collaboration and discussions.

    Ends/Friday, March 7, 2025Issued at HKT 22:00

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Pentagon Culls Social Science Research, Prioritizes Fiscal Responsibility and Technologies for Future Battlefield

    Source: United States Department of Defense

    Cost savings of more than $30 million in first year through discontinuation of 91 studies

    The Office of the Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD(R&E)) is scrapping its social science research portfolio as part of a broader effort to ensure fiscal responsibility and prioritize mission-critical activities. This initiative involves focusing resources on technologies essential for maintaining a strong national defense, aligning with the Administration’s commitment to efficient government and ensuring taxpayer dollars are spent wisely. 

    The Department recognizes the value of academic research but – in response to President Trump’s Executive Orders and Secretary Hegseth’s priorities in his January 25, 2025, “Message to the Force” and January 29, 2025, Memorandum, “Restoring America’s Fighting Force” –  recognizes that funded research must address pressing needs to develop and field advanced military capabilities. Several studies are affected by this shift, including those focused on global migration patterns, climate change impacts, and social trends. Examples include:

    • The Climate-Food-Urbanization Nexus and the Precursors of Instability in Africa
    • Social and Institutional Determinants of Vulnerability and Resilience to Climate Hazards in the African Sahel
    • Anticipating Costal Population Mobility: Path to Maladaptation or Sociopolitical Stability 
    • Comparing Underlying Drivers of South-North Migration in Central America and West Africa
    • Democracy Quest
    • The Language of Parasocial Influence and the Emergence of Extremism 
    • Weaponized Conspiracies
    • Beyond the Clock: Understanding Cross-Cultural Temporal Orientation of Military Officers
    • Food Fights: War Narratives and Identity Reproduction in Evolving Conflicts
    • Future Fish Wars: Chasing Ocean Ecosystem Wealth

    The Department expects to see cost savings of more than $30 million in the first year through the discontinuation of 91 studies, including the examples listed above. 

    Secretary of Defense Hegseth has emphasized the importance of equipping the American military with the tools and capabilities necessary to deter adversaries and maintain a strong defense. This initiative directly supports that commitment by prioritizing investments in areas like hypersonic weapons development, AI-powered systems for enhanced battlefield awareness, and strengthening the domestic military industrial base.

    The realignment also reflects the Department’s commitment to fiscal responsibility and ensuring every dollar invested in defense generates the greatest possible return for the American people. By focusing on the most impactful technologies, the Department is ensuring the U.S. military remains the most powerful and advanced fighting force in the world.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Briefing – Greenland: Caught in the Arctic geopolitical contest – 07-03-2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Greenland is a self-governing Arctic island within the Kingdom of Denmark, which strives for economic self-sufficiency and future independence. This representative democracy of 56 542 inhabitants will elect 31 members to Greenland’s Parliament on 11 March 2025. These parliamentary elections are taking place against the fraught background of rising geopolitical tensions. In the context of a heating – literally and figuratively – Arctic, Greenland is a focus of geopolitical competition and growing confrontation between major powers – the United States (US), Russia and China. The island has high strategic importance, due to its proximity to the emerging Arctic shipping routes, its strategic location in relation to security and defence activities, and its vast untapped natural resources, including mineral reserves. According to its foreign policy strategy, Greenland is open to enhanced cooperation and dialogue with partners, including the US. Indeed, the US has been an important ally of Greenland and security guarantor since 1951. Relations have strengthened and widened during the last two decades, with cooperation now encompassing not only security, but also environment, science, health, technology, trade, tourism, education, and culture. However, US President Donald Trump’s rhetoric on acquiring Greenland has shocked Greenlanders, Danes and Europeans alike. Upon the island’s withdrawal from the European Economic Community (EEC, now European Union) in 1985, Greenland became an Overseas Country and Territory, associated through Denmark. The main areas of cooperation between the European Union (EU) and Greenland are fisheries, education, and, lately, green growth. The EU has recently stepped up its engagement with Greenland by opening an office in Nuuk in March 2024 and signing a Memorandum of Understanding for a strategic partnership to develop sustainable raw materials value chains in November 2023. The European Parliament engages with its counterparts from Greenland through meetings with the Nordic Council and West Nordic Council. In October 2021, the European Parliament called for the EU to establish an enhanced political dialogue on bilateral cooperation with Greenland.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – AI and where the EU is lagging behind – E-002609/2024(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The EU’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act[1] aims at ensuring trustworthy and human-centric AI while fostering innovation and AI uptake in the EU. The Commission is also taking additional non-legislative measures to stimulate innovation and AI uptake.

    The Commission is preparing the Apply AI strategy to boost industrial and public sector uses of AI: a public consultation will be launched soon.

    The Commission is funding AI research and development under Horizon Europe[2] complemented by the AI for Science initiative[3].

    To support business deployment of AI, the Commission is building on two existing initiatives of the Digital Europe Programme (DEP)[4]: European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs)[5] and Testing Experimentation Facilities (TEFs)[6].

    Over 150 EDIHs have delivered over 20 000 services to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to support their digitalisation and use of AI.

    TEFs in four sectors ( healthcare, manufacturing, smart cities and agri-food) help SMEs test AI. DEP also funds the euroLLM project[7] to develop an open-source Large Language Model that covers all official EU languages.

    At the Action Summit in Paris, the Commission launched InvestAI[8], an initiative to mobilise EUR 200 billion for investment in AI, including a European fund of EUR 20 billion for AI gigafactories. This large AI infrastructure is needed for open development of AI models and to make Europe an AI continent.

    AI Regulatory Sandboxes will allow developers test AI in controlled conditions, facilitating compliance with the AI Act. The EU-funded ‘AI on Demand Platform’[9] connects innovators with AI tools and expertise.

    The Commission is internationally promoting the EU’s approach to trustworthy AI. This includes collaboration with institutions including standardisation bodies (e.g. CEN-CENELEC).

    • [1] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1689/oj/eng
    • [2] https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/document/download/9224c3b4-f529-4b48-b21b-879c442002a2_en?filename=ec_rtd_he-investing-to-shape-our-future.pdf
    • [3] https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/research-area/industrial-research-and-innovation/artificial-intelligence-ai-science_en
    • [4] https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/activities/digital-programme
    • [5] https://european-digital-innovation-hubs.ec.europa.eu/edih-catalogue
    • [6] https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/activities/testing-and-experimentation-facilities
    • [7] https://interoperable-europe.ec.europa.eu/collection/open-source-observatory-osor/news/eurollm-pioneering-european-open-source-ai
    • [8] https://digital-skills-jobs.europa.eu/en/latest/news/commission-launches-new-investai-initiative-mobilise-eu200-billion-investment-ai
    • [9] https://www.ai4europe.eu
    Last updated: 7 March 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cantwell Challenges Deputy Treasury Nom on Trump’s Tariff Chaos: “People Can’t Even Follow What His Game Plan Is.”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell
    03.06.25
    Cantwell Challenges Deputy Treasury Nom on Trump’s Tariff Chaos: “People Can’t Even Follow What His Game Plan Is.”
    In Senate Finance Committee, Cantwell highlights whiplash for manufacturers, growers, & consumers due to an administration that changes its tariff policies on a near-daily basis; In WA state, 2 out of every 5 jobs are tied to trade-related industries
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), senior member of the Senate Finance Committee and ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, pressed Michael Faulkender – President Donald Trump’s pick to serve as Deputy Treasury Secretary – on the whiplash caused by the administration’s ever-changing tariff policies.
    On Jan. 31 — citing punishment for failing to crack down on fentanyl trafficking — the Trump administration announced plans to impose a 25% tax on many goods imported into the U.S. from Canada and Mexico and a 10% tax on goods imported from China, then abruptly postponed those tariffs. Last month, he doubled down, announcing an additional 25% tax on all steel and aluminum imports.
    At 12:01 a.m. ET Tuesday, President Trump’s long-promised 25% tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada and 10% tariff increase on goods from China took effect, causing stock prices in the United States to plummet. Then, yesterday, he announced that automobiles from Canada and Mexico would be exempt from his tariffs for one month. Just this morning, he announced that he would suspend the tariffs for some products from Mexico. Then, this afternoon, he announced he was suspending most new tariffs on products from both Mexico and Canada until April 2.
    “I feel like we’re almost just having chaos about what are we doing. One day it’s about fentanyl, one day it’s about emergency services, one day we’ll give these exemptions, one day we’ll go back to this — and so I’m trying to get your views,” Sen. Cantwell said. “Apples, potatoes, and wheat are the largest agriculture exports in our state. They represent over $3 billion worth of agriculture products around the world. And so I’m trying to understand if you understand the uncertainty that’s being created right now with these tariffs. If you get that it’s hard for businesses to even follow what is the predictability and certainty about what the President is even doing or proposing, because it’s changing every day.”
    Faulkender responded: “I think when you look at the President’s approach on Canada and Mexico, it was very much to get them to focus on the fentanyl crisis, on the fact that 100,000 Americans are dying of fentanyl.”
    Sen. Cantwell: “Do you really think that Canada was our fentanyl problem?”
    Faulkender: “I have not had access to the data on that. My understanding is that some of it does come in from Canada. I grant you that more of it comes from Mexico than Canada.”
    Sen. Cantwell: “A lot more.”
    She continued: “Does [Trump] understand the level of chaos that is happening now? Because people can’t even follow what his game plan is […] But I really, really hope that he understands how much damage is being done every day to the agricultural sector. And it’s not that people, rich people, won’t buy farmland — they will buy farmland. It’s just that we’ll have a lot less farmers.”
    In Washington state, two out of every five jobs are tied to trade and trade-related industries. More information on how President Trump’s tariffs on goods from Mexico, Canada, and China will affect consumers and businesses in the State of Washington can be found HERE. Nationwide:
    A 25% tariff on Canada and Mexico would add an estimated $144 billion a year to the cost of manufacturing in the United States.
    Tariffs on Canada and Mexico could increase U.S. car prices by as much as $12,000.
    According to the Yale Budget Lab, Trump’s proposed tariffs would result in the highest U.S. effective tariff rate in more than 80 years, and depending on the level of retaliation by other trading partners, will result in increased costs of between $1,600 and $2,000 per household. According to their analysis, food, clothing, cars, and electronics will all see above-average price increases.
    Sen. Cantwell has remained a steadfast supporter of increased trade to grow the economy and keep prices in check in the State of Washington and nationwide.
    Sen. Cantwell was the leading voice in negotiations to end India’s 20% retaliatory tariff on American apples, which was imposed in response to tariffs on steel and aluminum and devastated Washington state’s apple exports. India had once been the second-largest export market for American apples, but after President Trump imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum in his first term, India imposed retaliatory tariffs in response and U.S. apple exports plummeted. 
    The impact on Washington apple growers was severe: Apple exports from the state dropped from $120 million in 2017 to less than $1 million by 2023.  In September 2023, following several years of Sen. Cantwell’s advocacy, India ended its retaliatory tariffs on apples and pulse crops which was welcome news to the state’s more than 1,400 apple growers and the 68,000-plus workers they support.
    Video of Sen. Cantwell’s Q&A in the Senate Finance Committee today is HERE; audio is HERE; and a transcript is HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cantwell Bill Would Ensure Coasties Get Paid, Even if the Government Shuts Down

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell
    03.07.25
    Cantwell Bill Would Ensure Coasties Get Paid, Even if the Government Shuts Down
    Pay Our Coast Guard Act would ensure members of the Coast Guard receive the same treatment as those in other U.S. military branches
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, 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, joined her colleagues — Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX), Roger Wicker (R-MI), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) — in reintroducing the Pay Our Coast Guard Act, bipartisan legislation that would ensure United States Coast Guard personnel receive pay and allowances in the event of a government shutdown.
    This legislation would ensure that the Coast Guard gets the same treatment as the other branches of the armed services if there is a lapse in appropriations. Because the Coast Guard is housed within the Department of Homeland Security, it was left out of a previous stopgap funding bill that only covered the Department of Defense.
    “This commonsense legislation would ensure that Coast Guard members receive their paycheck in the event of a government shutdown, just like the other members of the armed forces,” said Sen. Cantwell. “Coast Guard members and their families make sacrifices for us every day and provide an incredible service to the Pacific Northwest and the nation through search and rescue, emergency response, oil spill prevention, facilitating maritime commerce, and protecting national security. We must honor their commitment and service by guaranteeing they receive their pay on time.” 
    Sen. Cantwell is an ardent supporter of the U.S. Coast Guard and its families. Yesterday, the Senate unanimously passed the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025, which Sen. Cantwell introduced in February. It was first introduced last Congress, in December 2024. The bill would reauthorize $30.45 billion for the U.S. Coast Guard for Fiscal Years 2025 and 2026. It includes historic protections for service members from sexual assault and harassment, and boosts workforce development programs and availability of affordable housing, among other provisions.
    In 2022, Sen. Cantwell led the passage of the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2022. The bill included provisions to reduce sexual assault and sexual harassment at sea and crack down on illegal fishing and forced labor. It also established the “Whale Desk” pilot program, which led to the creation of a whale traffic alert system at Coast Guard Base Seattle.
    In 2021, Sen. Cantwell championed two Coast Guard provisions that were included in the landmark Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, including $309 million for repairs and new construction of Coast Guard owned housing and infrastructure across the country and $120 million to build Coast Guard owned and operated childcare centers, which are critical to the retention of women serving in the Coast Guard.
    In 2017, Sen. Cantwell advocated for Coast Guard paid family leave policies to be expanded to include LGBTQ+ couples, adoptive parents, and secondary caregivers. The U.S. Coast Guard announced the expansion of their paid family leave policy in June 2018. In 2015, Sen. Cantwell authored an amendment to ensure Coast Guard members were not receiving less maternity leave than other branches of the military, such as the Navy. This resulted in paid maternity leave for Coast Guard members being doubled from 6 to 12 weeks.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Financial news: Moscow Exchange roundtable participants discussed equal career opportunities for all

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Moscow Exchange – Moscow Exchange –

    March 6, 2025

    Moscow Exchange held a round table dedicated to equal career opportunities in public Russian companies.

    Representatives of Russian business, consultants and experts in the field of sustainable development and stock exchange infrastructure discussed current issues and best practices of Russian companies aimed at ensuring equal career opportunities, and also assessed their contribution to popularizing the concept of sustainable development in the financial market.

    As part of the event, Moscow Exchange presented the results of a study on the disclosure of non-financial information by 65 issuers – companies from the first and second levels of the Moscow Exchange quotation list that issued non-financial reports for 2023. According to the results of the study, 94% of companies disclose general information about the gender and age of employees, gender composition depending on the job level – 82%, but only 51% of issuers disclosed information on initiatives in the field of equal opportunities between men and women.

    The event ended with the traditional ringing of the stock exchange bell, which is held in support of international initiatives to ensure equal career opportunities. These days, stock exchanges around the world demonstrate their commitment to these initiatives and draw attention to current issues in this area.

    Elena Kuritsyna, Senior Managing Director for Issuer and Government Relations at Moscow Exchange:

    “Every year in March, we hold a ceremonial ringing of the stock exchange bell in support of international initiatives to ensure equal career opportunities. This is one of the fundamental principles of the long-term sustainable development program, and the best practices of Russian companies can serve as a starting point for its popularization. Moreover, equal opportunities are a concept that affects each of us, daily influencing our career paths in business, science, sports and other areas of life. In today’s conditions, it is difficult to overestimate the importance of a balanced approach to recruitment and rewarding employees. Its widespread application can have a positive effect on the entire economy and society.”

    Moscow Exchange is doing a lot of work with market participants in the field of sustainable development and is demonstrating by its own example the impact of implementing sustainable development principles. In 2025 Moscow Exchange included in updated ESG ranking Russian financial organizations, compiled by the National Rating Agency (NRA). Based on the degree of implementation of sustainable development principles in its strategic and operational activities, the exchange is included in the first, highest group of the ranking.

    Moscow Exchange as an issuer adheres to the best practices in the field of non-financial reporting disclosure. In 2024, the fifth sustainability report, and for the first time a climate report has been prepared. The company has environmental policy, which defines the basic principles, objectives and priorities of the exchange’s activities in the field of environmental protection and nature management.

    In January 2025, Moscow Exchange presented an updated version of the guide for issuers “How to comply with best sustainability practices”.

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

    Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

    HTTPS: //VVV. MEEX.K.M.M.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Spotlighting ‘Mainstreaming of Misogyny’, Secretary-General Urges Action to Empower Women on International Day

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI b

    Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message for International Women’s Day, observed on 8 March:

    When the doors of equal opportunity are open for women and girls, everyone wins.  Equal societies are more prosperous and peaceful — and the foundation of sustainable development.

    On this International Women’s Day, we recognize 30 years of progress and achievement since the landmark United Nations conference in Beijing.  This transformed the rights of women — and reaffirmed those rights as human rights.

    Since then, women and girls have shattered barriers, defied stereotypes and demanded their rightful place.  But we must be clear-eyed about the challenge.

    From pushback to rollback, women’s human rights are under attack.  Age-old horrors — violence, discrimination and economic inequality — still plague societies.  And newer threats, such as biased algorithms, are programming inequalities into online spaces, opening up new arenas of harassment and abuse.

    Instead of mainstreaming equal rights, we’re seeing the mainstreaming of misogyny.  We must fight these outrages and keep working to level the playing field for women and girls.

    We need action to unlock finance so countries can invest in equality — and to prioritize those investments.  Action to open-up equal opportunities for decent work, close the gender pay gap and tackle challenges around care work.

    Action to strengthen and implement laws to end all forms of violence against women and girls.  Action to secure women’s full participation in decision-making, including in peacebuilding.

    And action to remove the obstacles to women and girls in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.  The United Nations Pact for the Future and the Global Digital Compact offer blueprints to guide these actions. 

    When women and girls can rise, we all thrive.  Together, let’s stand firm in making rights, equality and empowerment a reality for all women and girls, for everyone, everywhere.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Seven ways feminism has improved the world for young women – compared to our mother’s generation

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Hind Elhinnawy, Senior Lecturer, School of Social Sciences, Nottingham Trent University

    wavebreakmedia/Shutterstock

    International Women’s Day is the perfect time to celebrate how far we’ve come in transforming the lives of women and girls around the world.

    Historically, women have faced subjugation and limited freedom, with societal expectations confining us to marriage and child-rearing. In the UK, the suffragette movement in the early 20th century was a pivotal moment in the fight for women’s rights. The efforts of activists like Emmeline Pankhurst and the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU), along with parallel movements worldwide, laid the ground for future advancements.

    Fast forward to the 21st century and increased access to education and healthcare has shattered the notion of women as passive, opening up a world of new opportunities. Here are eight examples of social changes that have made the world a more equitable place for women in their 20s and 30s than things were for our mothers.

    No one’s 20s and 30s look the same. You might be saving for a mortgage or just struggling to pay rent. You could be swiping dating apps, or trying to understand childcare. No matter your current challenges, our Quarter Life series has articles to share in the group chat, or just to remind you that you’re not alone.

    Read more from Quarter Life:

    1. We are crushing career barriers

    In the 1960s, career options for women were generally limited to roles like domestic servants, teachers, nurses or dressmakers.

    Thanks to decades of relentless advocacy and progress, today, women are breaking barriers across all industries. Although challenges still exist, we can now find roles in traditionally male-dominated fields such as technology, engineering and finance.

    Policies supporting work-life balance and combating discrimination are more prevalent. And the rise of remote work and flexible schedules allow many women to more effectively balance their careers with their personal lives.

    2. We are experiencing an education revolution

    Women’s education was limited in the 1960s by societal norms that prioritised marriage over academic achievement. Young women often left school early, and few could pursue higher education.

    Today, the education landscape has transformed dramatically, offering more opportunities for women to pursue higher education and specialised training. Scholarships and grants, as well as online education platforms have made education more accessible and affordable.

    Women are now earning degrees at higher rates than ever before. In the UK, 57% of graduates are women and in the US, that jumps to 58%.

    In many countries, women now outpace men when it comes to university enrolment.
    Jacob Lund/Shutterstock

    3. We are taking charge of our relationships

    For many women in our mothers’ and grandmothers’ generation, marriage was seen as the ultimate goal, with family life centred on traditional roles.

    Over the past six decades, divorce has lost much of its stigma, allowing women to make choices that better prioritise our wellbeing. In many countries now, forced marriage has been outlawed and crimes like domestic violence and stalking – overwhelmingly perpetrated against women – are finally being taken seriously by both the law and the media.

    In the UK, diverse family structures, including single parenthood, cohabitation and LGBTQ+ partnerships are now recognised by the law. This means we have the freedom to make choices in our relationships based on our own needs and desires.

    4. We have gained control over our reproductive choices

    Reproductive rights were severely limited in the 1960s. Most women had little access to birth control and limited knowledge about family planning.

    Today we have greater control over our reproductive choices, supported by legal rights and medical advances. Increased access to contraception and comprehensive reproductive health services are empowering us to make informed decisions.

    While challenges remain, particularly in the US, the strides made highlight the importance of continued advocacy for reproductive justice.



    Read more:
    Roe v Wade overturned: what abortion access and reproductive rights look like around the world

    5. We are socially and culturally more empowered

    The social and cultural landscape has undergone a seismic shift, empowering women like never before.

    Movements such as #MeToo (a social campaign against sexual abuse and harassment, empowering survivors to share their experiences), and Time’s Up (a movement founded in 2018 by celebrities that aimed to support victims of workplace sexual harassment and advocate for gender equality), have shattered the silence on gender inequality and harassment.

    Oprah Winfrey’s Golden Globes speech marked an important moment in the Time’s Up movement.

    6. We have gained legal rights and political influence

    In the course of a generation, women have gained substantial legal rights, with laws supporting gender equality and protection against discrimination coming into force.

    More women are now lawyers, judges and lawmakers, leading to more equitable laws and policies addressing workplace discrimination, domestic violence and reproductive rights. As of 2024, women make up over 50% of law firm associates and more than 40% of the nation’s lawyers. In the 1980s women comprised only about 8% of the legal profession.

    Our political influence has also grown. Today, women occupy more significant positions in government globally than ever before , from local councils to prime ministers and presidents. Our voices are now crucial in shaping policies and representing diverse perspectives.

    7. We are making strides internationally

    Worldwide, between 2012 and 2020, the proportion of girls completing lower secondary school rose from 69% to 77%, while the proportion completing upper secondary school rose from 49% to 59%.

    The adolescent birth rate has fallen globally from 51 to 42 births per 1,000 girls aged 15-19 since 2012. Meanwhile, the proportion of young women married as children has declined globally from 23% to 19% over the past decade.

    And the proportion of girls aged 15-19 who have undergone female genital mutilation in countries where it is highly concentrated has decreased from 41% to 34% over the past decade.

    The fight continues

    Despite significant progress, many outdated and oppressive laws against women persist globally. In conflict zones, women often bear the brunt of brutality, and the continuing refugee crisis puts thousands of women and girls at risk of sex trafficking and exploitation.

    The recent overturning of Roe v Wade in the US has also set back reproductive rights, leading to increased restrictions on abortion access.

    Education also remains a critical issue. Nearly 30% of girls worldwide still do not complete lower secondary school, and around 48% do not complete upper secondary school. And in the least developed countries, adolescent birth rates remain alarmingly high at 94 births per 1,000 girls aged 15-19. The barriers to accessing effective contraceptives include cost, stigma, lack of accurate information and limited decision-making autonomy.

    We’ve made incredible strides in advancing women’s rights, but these setbacks remind us that the fight isn’t over. We must continue to advocate and take action to ensure equality and protection for all women, not just on International Women’s Day, but all year round.

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

    – ref. Seven ways feminism has improved the world for young women – compared to our mother’s generation – https://theconversation.com/seven-ways-feminism-has-improved-the-world-for-young-women-compared-to-our-mothers-generation-251532

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why increasing rates of tuberculosis in the UK and US should concern everyone

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Tom Wingfield, Deputy Director of the Centre for Tuberculosis Research, Reader in Tuberculosis and Social Medicine, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK; and Honorary Research Associate at Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden, and, University of Liverpool

    pardi hutabarat/Shutterstock

    With one of the largest tuberculosis (TB) outbreaks in US history, Kansas has more to worry about than its recent Super Bowl defeat. During the past year, 67 people with TB have been detected. This comes on the back of increasing rates of TB in the US year on year since the start of the COVID pandemic.

    Rather than a relic of the Victorian era, TB is the world’s most enduring pandemic, killing more people each year than any other single infection. While more common in low-income countries, TB continues to be found in more deprived communities, cities, prisons, homeless populations, and in black, Asian and Indigenous people, including in wealthy countries such as the US and UK.

    TB outbreaks in wealthy countries act as a canary in a coalmine, reflecting cracks in national public health systems. More broadly, TB outbreaks in any setting have deeper implications for the struggle to end TB globally.

    TB is an airborne infection that doesn’t respect borders. With increasing mass movement, including due to climate change and war, the maxim “TB anywhere is TB everywhere” is more resonant today than ever.

    In the UK, TB rates consistently declined between 2011 and 2020. But, like the US, this decline reversed since COVID emerged in early 2020.

    In 2023, there was a 13% increase in the number of people who became unwell with TB in England, compared with 2022.

    At 9.5 people with TB per 100,000 people per year, England is in jeopardy of losing its “low TB incidence” status (less than ten people with TB per 100,000 people per year).

    Rates of TB in England have a stark social gradient, with the poorest 10% of people having five times higher rates of TB than the richest 10%.

    In the UK, there is a cost of living crisis. Many people, especially the poorest, are struggling to put food on the table. TB is a social disease of poverty that thrives where there is overcrowding, undernutrition and poor working and living conditions.

    But the increase in TB in the UK cannot be put down to greater risk of disease alone. The response of the health and social care system to prevent and cure TB is crucial.

    The BCG vaccine, currently the only TB vaccine, is not nearly as effective as we would like at preventing disease. There is hope on the horizon with several vaccines under development, but their effect may be impeded by vaccine hesitancy driven by misinformation.

    BCG is still the only TB vaccine, but it’s not highly effective.
    TuktaBaby/Shutterstock

    Other barriers to address include lack of TB awareness, continuing TB-related stigma, understaffing of vital TB community nursing teams, and a breach between health and social care sectors to support those vulnerable to TB.

    For countries with lower incidence of TB across Europe and North America, many TB policies are targeted at identifying and treating TB in groups who are most at risk of being exposed to the disease, including people moving from regions of the world where TB is more common.

    Patterns of migration to the UK changed significantly following Brexit. A need to expand the workforce, particularly in health and social care, has led to active recruitment and movement of people from higher TB burden countries. This is relevant because, in England, four in five people with TB were born outside the UK, and rates among this group increased by 15% between 2022 and 2023.

    Screening migrant populations as part of their visa application process pre-entry is effective at identifying people with infectious TB. But prevention is better than cure, and there remains a gap in screening for TB infection or TB disease without symptoms.

    Providing well-tolerated, preventive TB treatment can reduce the risk of developing active TB disease by 85% in the future. Yet the screening programme in the UK is under-resourced, with just 11.5% of eligible migrants screened for TB infection in 2023.

    We should not overlook the fact that rates of TB also increased, although to a lesser extent (3.9%), among people born in the UK – the first time this has happened for many years.

    Among both UK-born and non-UK-born populations, often overlapping social risk factors such as homelessness, asylum seeker status, drug or alcohol misuse, incarceration and mental health disorders continue to drive TB. These factors, which jumped by 27% between 2022 and 2023, not only increase the likelihood of TB disease but are associated with much lower rates of cure.

    Early diagnosis and treatment of TB are crucial to prevent long-term health issues or even death. The sooner someone starts effective treatment, the sooner they stop being infectious, helping to reduce the spread of TB. Improving access to diagnosis and care will lower TB transmission.

    Unacceptable delays in treatment

    Nearly a third of people with TB in the UK experience a delay of four months between the onset of their symptoms (commonly cough, fever, night sweats and weight loss) and taking their first anti-TB medicine. This unacceptable delay is similar to (or even longer than) the treatment delays we have documented in low- and middle-income countries with much higher TB burdens, including Peru, Nepal and Mozambique.

    In the UK, most people are entitled to free NHS care, and TB care and prevention is free to all. However, the NHS is overwhelmed and policies relating to healthcare recovery costs of visitors and migrants can prevent people with TB, wherever they are from, from getting timely care. This situation poses a public health threat to us all.

    Effective TB prevention and care is possible. While current tools are imperfect, albeit with recent progress in diagnostics and treatment, researchers around the world are further advancing science and innovation in the fight against TB. This includes the promise of nutritional supplementation, financial and social support, and a new TB vaccine. Providing timely support to everyone with TB remains fundamental to our response to this illness of poverty.

    To end TB, whether in the US, UK, or globally, we would do well to remember and apply the old medical adage: treat the person, not the disease.

    Tom Wingfield is supported by grants from: the Wellcome Trust, UK (209075/Z/17/Z); the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), the Medical Research Council (MRC) and Wellcome, UK (Joint Global Health Trials, MR/V004832/1); the Medical Research Council (Public Health Intervention Development Award “PHIND”, APP2293); the Medical Research Foundation (Dorothy Temple Cross International Collaboration Research Grant, MRF-131–0006-RG-KHOS-C0942); and UNITAID (2022-50-START-4-ALL). Tom is an honorary research associate at the Department of Global Public Health, Karolinksa Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden, and is also an ad hoc consultant for the World Health Organization and the Stop TB Partnership.

    Jessica Potter has previously received research funding from Medical Research Council UK. She chairs a grassroots network called UK Academics and Professionals to end TB and is an advisory member of the Innovations Constituency of the Stop TB Partnership.

    Kerry Millington receives funding from UK aid from the UK government for the research programme that she works on. Views expressed are those of her own and do not necessarily reflect the UK government’s official policies.

    – ref. Why increasing rates of tuberculosis in the UK and US should concern everyone – https://theconversation.com/why-increasing-rates-of-tuberculosis-in-the-uk-and-us-should-concern-everyone-249202

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Chaotic cosmic clones and the Joker reinvented – what to watch and read this week

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Anna Walker, Senior Arts + Culture Editor

    When director Robert Eggers asked him what kind of movies he was interested in, Robert Pattinson said: “I only wanna do strange things.” It seems he’s taken the same approach to stardom as fellow teen star, Daniel Radcliffe – make your name in a big-budget franchise, then spend the rest of your career starring in the interesting, the unexpected and downright weird.

    Since his turn as the sparkle-skinned teen vampire heartthrob Edward Cullen in the Twilight movies, Pattinson has played a tortured lighthouse keeper, a celibate space prisoner and a city slicker who barely leaves his limousine. Even his iteration of Batman was kooky – a tragic, lonely hero in smudged black eye make-up.

    The trailer for Mickey 17.

    So, it’s no wonder that he jumped at the chance to star in Mickey 17. The latest film by renowned Korean writer-director Bong Joon-ho, it follows a mission to establish a human settlement on an inhospitable alien planet in the year 2054. In this imagined future, it has become possible to replicate human beings with total accuracy using an advanced form of 3D printing.

    Although outlawed on ethical grounds back on Earth, human printing is legal in the remote regions of space. There, disposable workers known as “expendables” can be reprinted on demand each time they perish. Our reviewer, an expert in science fiction, said: “Like Bong’s earlier films, Mickey 17 combines artful world-building, an impeccable cast, social satire, anarchic humour – and a taste for the grotesque.”

    Mickey 17 is in cinemas now



    Read more:
    Mickey 17: this absurdist, dystopian clone drama is highly entertaining – despite its flaws

    Villains and heroes

    Pattinson’s Batman has yet to face the Joker, the character’s arch nemesis, and a recurring role that is even more prized among actors than Bruce Wayne. But Vera Drew, who co-writes, directs and stars as several iterations of the character in her new film The People’s Joker, hasn’t let a casting director get in the way of her ambitions.

    The trailer for The People’s Joker.

    In this surreal, hilarious – and very much unofficial – film, Drew plays a mix of both Harley Quinn and the Joker. It’s a queer twist on the DC universe, and a metaphor for the difficulties she encountered as a transgender teen.

    For our reviewers, experts in comic books and their adaptations, it was a breath of fresh air. Proof that, in the era of Marvel’s box office dominance, there is still room for unique remixes of familiar superhero stories.

    The People’s Joker is touring cinemas across the UK



    Read more:
    The People’s Joker remixes familiar characters to create a new kind of comic book movie

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

    The most streamed TV series on Netflix this week is the new drama Toxic Town – and deservedly so. It tells the true story of a group of women from Corby in Northamptonshire, UK, who gave birth to children with limb differences in the 1980s and 90s. The children were born with shortened arms or legs or missing fingers.

    The drama follows their battle to uncover the cause and their subsequent fight for justice. It makes for compelling viewing, with standout performances from former Doctor Who star Jodie Whittaker and White Lotus’s Aimee Lou Wood.

    The trailer for Toxic Town.

    We asked a pair of climate researchers to review the show. They found it to be a “stark warning about the dangers of weak environmental protections”. Far from being a thing of the past, they argue that we could return to the toxic times seen in Corby if we fail to prioritise stringent environmental safeguards.

    Toxic Town is now streaming on Netflix



    Read more:
    Netflix’s Toxic Town offers a stark warning on environmental rollbacks

    Timely storytelling

    For more culture with a message this week, we highly recommend No Other Land. Winner of the Oscar for best documentary feature film, it chronicles the efforts of Palestinian townspeople to combat an Israeli plan to demolish their villages in the West Bank and use the area as a military training ground.

    The trailer for No Other Land.

    The film was directed by four Palestinian and Israeli activists and journalists including Basel Adra, who is a resident of the area facing demolition. The film’s subject matter has made it difficult to attract distributors in many countries, including the US. British viewers, though, can stream the film for free on Channel 4.

    No Other Land is now in select cinemas and streaming on Channel 4



    Read more:
    A Palestinian-Israeli film just won an Oscar − so why is it so hard to see?

    Show Don’t Tell is the new short story collection from Curtis Sittenfeld. She’s the American writer behind Rodham, the 2020 novel that reimagined the life of Hilary Clinton. Offering slices of life in the American Midwest, it’s a profound exploration of individual and social conflict at a time when the US is on the verge of momentous political change.

    Many of Sittenfeld’s characters are experiencing a low-level sense of dread. Some are obsessed with death. But the stories remind us that, considering the chaotic past decade, where catastrophe and complex political issues have dominated American lives, fear and anxiety are an entirely reasonable emotional response.

    Our reviewer, an expert in American literature and history, read all 12 stories in one sitting. She found them to be moving, witty and achingly real.



    Read more:
    Show Don’t Tell by Curtis Sittenfeld is moving, witty and achingly real

    – ref. Chaotic cosmic clones and the Joker reinvented – what to watch and read this week – https://theconversation.com/chaotic-cosmic-clones-and-the-joker-reinvented-what-to-watch-and-read-this-week-251646

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sen. RaShaun Kemp Celebrates Senate Passage of Senate Bill 93 to Ban Three-Cuing System

    Source: US State of Georgia

    ATLANTA (March 7, 2025) — Yesterday, Senate Bill 93 passed out of the Senate. The bill bans the use of the three-cuing methods to teach reading. The three-cuing method relies on meaning, structure and syntax, and visual cues to help students identify words, often leading to issues with a student’s ability to read.

    “I’m honored to have my first bill pass through the Senate with bipartisan support,” said Sen. RaShaun Kemp (D–Atlanta). “Three-Cuing sets our students up for failure by teaching them to guess, preventing them from learning how to read properly, and going against the science of reading. Requiring our educators to use evidence-based methods when teaching literacy will give them a stronger foundation for their academic careers. I want to thank Sen. Billy Hickman (R–Statesboro), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Education and Youth, and my Senate colleagues for supporting this legislation. I’m proud to be one of many legislators working to make Georgia the number one state for literacy.”

    This legislation asks the Professional Standards Commission to ensure evidence-based methods are used to prepare future educators. Teacher preparation programs will be required to follow the science of reading and employ methods proven to teach students effectively. SB 93 now moves to the Georgia House of Representatives for further consideration.

    SB 93 can be found here.

    # # # #

    Sen. RaShaun Kemp represents the 38th Senate District, which includes a portion of Fulton County. He may be reached by phone at (404) 656-0105 or by email at rashaun.kemp@senate.ga.gov.

    For all media inquiries, please reach out to SenatePressInquiries@senate.ga.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Woolly mice are a first step to resurrecting mammoths, but there’s a very long way to go

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Benjamin Tapon, PhD student, Queen Mary University of London

    US biotechnology company Colossal Laboratories and Biosciences has a radical proposal: it wants to resurrect the woolly mammoth from extinction. In a preprint paper published on March 4, scientists at Colossal report making a significant step towards this objective. They genetically modified the DNA of mice to give them mammoth-like traits in their hair shape, colour and length.

    By testing out their methods in a familiar laboratory animal, the researchers can make sure they work before applying them to Asian elephants – the closest living relatives of the mammoth.

    De-extinction is an idea which, if successfully implemented, would allow us to bring back any species from the dead. It means that no animal could go truly extinct as long as we can obtain its DNA.

    However, mammoths were heavily adapted to a cold climate and a biome – an area with specific climate, vegetation and animal life – that no longer exists.

    The Siberian habitats once roamed by the creatures – known as the mammoth steppe – are significantly warmer today. Many of the animals and plants they lived among have also disappeared, and the regions are now home to new ones that never lived alongside the mammoth.

    Attempts to reintroduce woolly mammoths in our modern tundras could therefore prove difficult, and have untold repercussions on the current ecosystem. Against a background of climate change, these tundras are only going to get warmer and less suitable for an animal like the mammoth.

    Nevertheless, Colossal is pushing ahead with efforts to recreate these striking creatures. Asian elephants diverged from mammoths around 6.7 million years ago and share over 95% of their DNA. Colossal plans to bridge this gap by transforming the genomes of Asian elephants to make them more like those of woolly mammoths.

    Scientists have obtained high-quality woolly mammoth DNA sequences from carcasses preserved in Siberian permafrost. These genomes (the full complement of DNA in the cell) have allowed scientists to compare the genes that differ between the mammoth and the Asian elephant.

    Multiplex editing

    In order to generate their beauty prize-worthy mice, Colossal’s scientists used a range of highly advanced genome editing techniques to modify the sequence of DNA in the mouse. Regions of mouse DNA can be changed so they resemble genes in other organisms, such as a woolly mammoth.

    These techniques are known collectively as multiplex editing and include the best known method, Crispr-Cas9. Multiplex genome editing gives scientists the ability to target and affect several genes at once (up to seven at a time in this case).

    The scientists modified ten genes in total in their mice, in different combinations. Interestingly, only three were changed to resemble genes found in the woolly mammoth. The other seven had been previously identified to cause hair variation in mice, and produce traits somewhat similar to those found in mammoth hair. Although these are not mammoth gene variants, modifying them demonstrates the team’s ability to edit several genes at once through multiplex editing.

    The environment once roamed by mammoths has long disappeared.
    Matis75 / Shutterstock

    Two of the three mammoth-associated genes (Krt27 and Tgfa) have previously been linked to hair texture, based on comparisons with Asian elephants. Another gene, Fabp2, is thought to have facilitated efficient fat metabolism in mammoths – a presumed evolutionary adaptation to cold.

    Modifying the Krt27 and Tgfa hair genes in mice led to a change in texture, making some hairs longer and rougher and others wavier and zigzaggy. The fact these gene modifications produced physical traits seen in mammoth hair provides a way of verifying the genes are indeed associated with changes in hair pattern, and therefore contribute to the mammoth’s distinctive woolliness. But editing the mice so they had the Fabp2 gene variant from mammoths led to no observable physical difference.

    Of the seven mouse-identified genes modified by the researchers, one (a variant of the Mc1r gene) led to the shiny blond coat colour. At least one mammoth carcass dug up from the Siberian permafrost has a similar coat colour, so the change is certainly evocative of these ice age creatures.

    A much bigger task

    Although this is an exciting study into an area of research with incredible potential, there are a few limitations to keep in mind. While Asian elephants are the closest thing we currently have to mammoths, it would take a lot more than a few tweaks to hair length and squiggliness to meaningfully make a mammoth out of an elephant.

    While George Church, the Harvard genetics professor who founded Colossal, claims that modifying 65 genes in Asian elephants will accomplish this goal, the reality is likely to be more complicated.

    Indeed, the fact that editing the Fabp2 gene – associated with fat metabolism in mammoths – led to no observable difference in the mice is one example of the many gaps in our understanding of mammoth genetics. Put another way, this shows that we have some way to go to fully understand the causal relationship between genes and phenotype – the visible characteristics in a living organism.

    Increasing the number of simultaneously targeted genes from seven to 65 could also introduce various unintended consequences, including accidentally modifying unintended DNA regions similar to the target sequence (known as the off-target effects of genome editing). It also remains difficult to achieve changes in all genes at once; here too, scaling up from seven to 65 will pose a noteworthy challenge.

    On top of this, even if Colossal manages to make all 65 gene changes in their Asian elephants, there are likely to be many more differences between mammoth and elephant genomes that have not yet been identified. These include genes involved in behaviour, and in regions of the genome that dictate when genes are switched on or off. While mice are an extremely well studied experimental organism, elephants are less well characterised.

    As a proof of concept, this research is fascinating, although it remains to be seen whether Colossal’s goal of creating an elephant-mammoth hybrid by 2028 is achievable. It would be more likely to generate a mammoth-like Asian elephant than something exactly like the ice age creature.

    Finally, it is worth considering the end goal of this branch of research. Mammoths went extinct only 4,000 years ago, but at this point they had already been pushed into a fraction of their initial range – restricted to a tiny surviving population on Wrangel island in the Russian Arctic.

    Another of Colossal’s objectives is to bring back the thylacine, a carnivore that once lived in Tasmania. Given it went extinct due to active hunting in the 20th century, the thylacine should at least still have suitable habitat.

    However, if the goal is simply to counteract extinction, more sustainable efforts to avoid future extinctions might be better than expensive genetic engineering. De-extinction cannot replace efforts to preserve the one planet we have, and all the living organisms we share it with.

    Benjamin Tapon receives funding from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, through the LIDo DTP.

    Alex de Mendoza receives funding from European Research Council and the Royal Society.

    – ref. Woolly mice are a first step to resurrecting mammoths, but there’s a very long way to go – https://theconversation.com/woolly-mice-are-a-first-step-to-resurrecting-mammoths-but-theres-a-very-long-way-to-go-251640

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Parasitic worms could be hiding in you – how to spot the unusual signs

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Dan Baumgardt, Senior Lecturer, School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol

    Dmytro Flisak/Shutterstock

    The comedian Shappi Khorsandi once commented that she used the mythical concept of “sugar worms” to get her children to brush their teeth after sweets. It’s a trick I poached to convince my daughter to do the same. She’s since grown wise to this, but now luckily manages to navigate her way around a toothbrush twice a day without resistance.

    Real worms have now replaced fictitious worms as a point of discussion in many other households with young children. Every few weeks, nurseries and schools inform parents of yet another occurrence of threadworm. It’s not surprising that these wriggly beasties keep rearing their heads, considering how easily transmissible they are.

    Threadworm

    Threadworm infestation is a common minor ailment, particularly in kids. The worm species that causes it – Enterobius vermicularis – goes by many other names, including pinworm. This is because it really is as thin and pointy as a pin, and silvery-white in appearance. It’s also sometimes known as seatworm, possibly because the body parts it most commonly affects are those which you sit on.

    The circle of life for a threadworm is simple. Their larvae come from ingested eggs that then hatch in the small intestine. They typically form a colony within the first part of the large intestine (the caecum).

    But their most noticeable effect appears to be on the back passage, since the female worms migrate there, usually at nighttime, to lay their eggs. This results in the common symptoms of a very itchy bottom, especially at night. The itching naturally makes the sufferer scratch, installing the newly laid eggs under their fingernails and allowing them to spread to other hosts through contact. It can affect anyone – both adults and children.

    It’s possible to spot threadworms in the stool after a bowel movement. They can make themselves known in several other ways, including nighttime irritability and bed wetting. Because the worms prefer living in the intestine, in rare conditions they may cause abdominal pain and mimic appendicitis. In fact, in some cases the appendix is removed and found to be chock-full of wriggling worms.

    In rare cases, symptoms can mimic appendicitis.
    Pixel-Shot/Shutterstock

    The condition is usually mild and can be treated at home. Mebendazole, an oral anti-worm medication, can be bought over the counter at most pharmacies and is normally effective.

    It’s recommended to treat everyone in the household over the age of two, in case they have already spread – remembering that sometimes there are no symptoms to be noted at all. But it’s important to speak to a doctor for children younger than two years old, and pregnant or breastfeeding women with threadworm, as medication may not be suitable.

    Hygiene measures are important to help clear the infection and prevent the spread, especially in those who can’t take medication. This involves scrupulous washing of hands, laundry and avoiding scratching the affected areas. It’s a good idea to trim fingernails too, to prevent the eggs from getting caught under them.

    Hookworm

    Threadworms aren’t the only worms (helminths) that invade humans. Hookworms, for example, affect about 470 million people worldwide. Infections in the UK are rarer, since hookworms favour a warmer climate.

    Like threadworm, they also tend to take up residence in the small intestine – though they can also get there in a much more complicated way. The larvae of hookworms are able to pass through the skin and travel to the lungs in the bloodstream. Once there, they journey upwards into the throat where they can then be swallowed down.

    Since the respiratory tract and gut are the favourite places for these worms to bunk down, the symptoms of a hookworm infection tend to be associated with them – such as coughing and wheezing. Inflammation in the small intestine, triggered by the infestation can generate abdominal pain and diarrhoea. It can also hamper the absorption of proteins and iron from the gut, causing anaemia.

    A characteristic rash might be noted in the stage where the larvae start to burrow through the skin – looking a bit like a snake writhing through it. In the medical profession, we call this cutaneous larva migrans.

    Like threadworm, hookworm can also be treated with oral medications.

    Cutaneous larva migrans can resemble snakes burrowing under the skin.
    TisforThan/Shutterstock

    Filariae

    Worms don’t just invade the gut or lungs. Some of them work their way into other regions of the body. Take lymphatic filariasis, a condition that arises when certain worms of the Filariidae order, infiltrate the lymphatic system.

    The lymph vessels act as drainage pipes, removing excess fluid from the tissues and returning it to the bloodstream. When the worms invade and inflame the lymphatic system, the result is lymphoedema – an accumulation of fluid in the extremities (like the legs), which causes swelling and discomfort.

    In extreme cases, the swelling can be profound, resulting in a condition known as elephantiasis. This is because the worm infestation causes not just swelling, but also skin changes – making it thicker and tougher, and taking on the appearance of elephant skin.

    These are just a few of the helminth conditions that can affect humans. Other examples include tapeworms and whipworms – which are also intestinal. Ringworm is a misnomer though, and not a worm at all – it’s actually caused by a fungal infection.

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

    – ref. Parasitic worms could be hiding in you – how to spot the unusual signs – https://theconversation.com/parasitic-worms-could-be-hiding-in-you-how-to-spot-the-unusual-signs-250703

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: For narcissistic people, the gap between perception and reality may go far deeper than we thought

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Ava Green, Lecturer in Forensic Psychology, City St George’s, University of London

    Cristina Conti/Shutterstock

    Despite exuding confidence, narcissistic people relentlessly crave admiration. In other words, they are unable to convince themselves of their own brilliance.

    Growing research shows the gap between perception and reality for narcissistic people goes far deeper than their inflated views about their appearance, accomplishments and abilities.

    Narcissism is a personality trait that exists along a spectrum, where the lower end reflects a healthy balance of self-esteem and confidence. At the extreme end of the spectrum, however, narcissism is considered a personality disorder which affects 1-2% of the population. Most of us manifest narcissistic traits to varying degrees, but the more elevated the features are, the wider the gap between perception and reality.

    Narcissistic people with elevated features frequently belittle anyone who fails to provide them with the special treatment they feel entitled to. Ironically, they continuously undermine the false self they are trying to build and maintain.

    They can also be quick to respond with anger and aggression to criticism, in an attempt to protect their grandiose yet fragile sense of self. A 2021 UK study found they experience more paranoia, even when there is no evidence of people meaning to harm them, compared with people with lower levels of narcissism.

    Similarly, recent research by US psychologists found that narcissistic people experienced heightened fear of being left out, and accused others of deliberately ostracising them when there was no evidence to support their belief.

    The study found that participants high in narcissistic traits were more likely to interpret ambiguous social cues as rejection (for instance, a delayed text message). This suggests their perceptions of social behaviour may be distorted.

    Narcissism and ostracism fuel one another

    Narcissism can be expressed in “vulnerable” features (socially-inhibited and neurotic) as well as “grandiose” features (dominant and extroverted). People with more grandiose features are overtly assertive and self-promoting. People with more vulnerable features tend to be outwardly distressed, hypersensitive and inhibited.

    Although these are separate forms of narcissism, they share a core of entitlement and an antagonistic character style. And just like we all exhibit varying degrees of narcissistic traits, we also fluctuate between these two expressions of narcissism.

    The US researchers chose to focus on grandiose narcissism only. The study differentiated between two facets of grandiose narcissism: narcissistic admiration (the ability to charm and manipulate people) and narcissistic rivalry, which includes devaluing and acting aggressively towards others.

    Narcissism can be grandiose or covert.
    Nicoleta Ionescu/Shutterstock

    The research team analysed data for more than 77,000 participants from a series of seven studies by other scientists spanning 2009-2022. The first two studies investigated the relationship between narcissism and ostracism using surveys and experience sampling (a method used to investigate participants’ cognition and behaviour outside the lab – for example, using participants’ smartphones to track their behaviour).

    The first study found people who reported higher narcissism levels said they experienced significantly more ostracism, compared with other participants. This was backed up by the second study, in which participants completed the narcissism assessments then reported feelings of ostracism within a 14-day period, using a mobile app.

    The remaining experiments examined how people with higher levels of narcissism perceive ambiguous social interactions, and how others respond to narcissistic traits. After a group task, people with higher traits in narcissistic rivalry were more likely ostracised, even when other participants weren’t told the target had elevated levels of narcissism.

    This supports the findings of a 2017 meta-study showing that people high in narcissistic rivalry may provoke direct conflict through their behaviour, and perceive others more negatively.

    The US researchers concluded that, while narcissistic features can fuel social exclusion, ostracism itself can, over time, contribute to pronounced narcissistic traits. It appears that ostracism can make people already high in narcissism even higher in these traits.

    Other research has similarly shown disparity between the narcissistic self and reality, and the role paranoia plays in this relationship. For instance, a 2015 study found that elevated levels of narcissism are associated with belief in conspiracy theories. This association was driven by paranoid thought.

    These findings are concerning given the harmful consequences of conspiracy theories for society. They can fuel violence, climate denial and vaccine hesitancy.

    Narcissistic personality features also tend to be higher among political leaders than the general population. Conspiracy theories may be appealing to politicians – particularly during times that challenge their entitled need for superiority and power.

    The ideal self and the actual self

    The US study’s findings carry practical implications for interventions aimed at people with high levels of narcissism. The researchers said interventions should not only try to improve relationships by identifying personality risk factors (in this instance, the rivalry component of narcissism), but also consider the perceptions of the person involved.

    Narcissistic personality disorder comes with a higher risk of suicide and mental health difficulties, and treatment rarely makes much difference. This is partly because of patients’ resistance to abandoning the “ideal self”, leading to frustration, anger and conflict with their therapist.

    But some interventions could target the cognitive distortions of narcissistic people that hamper their ability to function in society. For example, psychological therapies could aim to help them process the defensive mechanisms (overvaluing themselves) that mask underlying feelings of vulnerability.

    Helping narcissistic people develop greater insights into their habitual reactions – such as responding aggressively to self-esteem threats and feelings of social exclusion – could help them foster skills that reshape their cognitive distortions. This could ameliorate distress, anger and hostility for narcissistic people – and the people around them.

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

    – ref. For narcissistic people, the gap between perception and reality may go far deeper than we thought – https://theconversation.com/for-narcissistic-people-the-gap-between-perception-and-reality-may-go-far-deeper-than-we-thought-250434

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –