Category: Science

MIL-OSI: SLR Investment Corp. Announces Quarter and Year Ended December 31, 2024 Financial Results

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Net Investment Income of $0.44 Per Share for Q4 2024;

Declared Quarterly Distribution of $0.41 Per Share;

Stable NAV/Strong Credit Quality

NEW YORK, Feb. 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — SLR Investment Corp. (NASDAQ: SLRC) (the “Company”, “SLRC”, “we”, “us”, or “our”) today reported net investment income (“NII”) of $23.8 million, or $0.44 per share, for the fourth quarter of 2024. On February 25, 2025, the Board declared a quarterly distribution of $0.41 per share payable on March 28, 2025, to holders of record as of March 14, 2025.

As of December 31, 2024, net asset value (“NAV”) was $18.20 per share, unchanged from the prior quarter ended September 30, 2024.

“This month, SLRC celebrated its 15^th anniversary since its initial public offering and more than 18 years of operating history as a private credit manager for SLR Capital Partners, our investment adviser,” said Michael Gross, Co-CEO of SLR Investment Corp. “Since inception in 2010, SLRC has made approximately $7.5 billion of investments including five platform specialty finance acquisitions and four related tuck-in acquisitions. Our asset mix across specialty and sponsor finance investment strategies and conservative underwriting approach has created a differentiated and attractive risk-adjusted return profile compared to sponsor finance only portfolios.”

“SLRC generated strong NII per share for both the fourth quarter and full year. In addition, NAV increased to $18.20 from $18.09 per share a year ago, reflecting solid credit performance from a diversified portfolio and disciplined underwriting in an environment of elevated rates and tighter cash flow coverage,” said Bruce Spohler, Co-CEO of SLR Investment Corp. “The ongoing retreat of regional banks from asset-based lending has resulted in a significant pipeline of specialty finance investment opportunities. Our flexibility to pivot to the most attractive investment strategies allows us to protect capital and perform across market cycles.”

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE QUARTER AND YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2024:

At December 31, 2024:

Investment portfolio fair value: $2.0 billion | Comprehensive Investment Portfolio fair value:⁽¹⁾ $3.1 billion
Net assets: $992.9 million or $18.20 per share
Leverage: 1.03x net debt-to-equity

Operating Results for the Quarter Ended December 31, 2024:

Net investment income: $23.8 million or $0.44 per share
Net realized and unrealized losses: $1.2 million or $0.02 per share
Net increase in net assets from operations: $22.6 million or $0.41 per share

Operating Results for the Year Ended December 31, 2024:

Net investment income: $96.3 million or $1.77 per share
Net realized and unrealized loss: $0.6 million or $0.01 per share
Net increase in net assets from operations: $95.8 million or $1.76 per share

Comprehensive Investment Portfolio Activity⁽²⁾ for the Quarter and Year Ended December 31, 2024:

Investments made during the quarter: $338.4 million
Investments prepaid and sold during the quarter: $442.7 million
Investments made during the year: $1,352.6 million
Investments prepaid and sold during the year: $1,377.8 million

_{⁽¹⁾ The Comprehensive Investment Portfolio for the quarter ended December 31, 2024 is comprised of SLRC’s investment portfolio and SLR Credit Solutions’ (“SLR-CS”) portfolio, SLR Equipment Finance’s (“SLR-EF”) portfolio, Kingsbridge Holdings, LLC’s (“KBH”) portfolio, SLR Business Credit’s (“SLR-BC”) portfolio, SLR Healthcare ABL’s (“SLR-HC ABL”) portfolio owned by the Company (collectively, the Company’s “Commercial Finance Portfolio Companies”), and the senior secured loans held by the SLR Senior Lending Program LLC (“SSLP”) attributable to the Company, and excludes the Company’s fair value of the equity interests in SSLP and the Commercial Finance Portfolio Companies and also excludes SLRC’s loans to KBH, SLR-EF, and SLR HC ABL.}
_{⁽²⁾ Comprehensive Investment Portfolio activity for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, includes investment activity of the Commercial Finance Portfolio Companies and SSLP attributable to the Company.}

Comprehensive Investment Portfolio

Portfolio Activity

During the three months ended December 31, 2024, SLRC had Comprehensive Investment Portfolio originations of $338.4 million and repayments of $442.7 million across the Company’s four investment strategies:

For the Quarter Ended December 31, 2024 ($mm)
Asset Class	Sponsor Finance⁽¹⁾	Asset-based Lending⁽²⁾	Equipment Finance⁽³⁾	Life Science Finance	Total Comprehensive Investment Portfolio Activity
Originations	$20.7	$128.6	$182.5	$6.6	$338.4
Repayments / Amortization	$102.3	$205.3	$101.7	$33.4	$442.7
Net Portfolio Activity	($81.6)	($76.7)	$80.8	($26.8)	($ 104.3)

During the year ended December 31, 2024, SLRC had Comprehensive Investment Portfolio originations of $1,352.6 million and repayments of $1,377.8 million across the Company’s four investment strategies:

For the Year Ended December 31, 2024 ($mm)
Asset Class	Sponsor Finance⁽¹⁾	Asset-based Lending⁽²⁾	Equipment Finance⁽³⁾	Life Science Finance	Total Comprehensive Investment Portfolio Activity
Originations	$113.0	$555.7	$649.4	$34.5	$1,352.6
Repayments / Amortization	$190.2	$515.8	$508.5	$163.3	$1,377.8
Net Portfolio Activity	($77.2)	$39.9	$140.9	($128.8)	($ 25.2)

_{⁽¹⁾ Sponsor Finance refers to cash flow loans to sponsor-owned companies including cash flow loans held in SSLP attributable to the Company.}
_{⁽²⁾ Includes SLR-CS, SLR-BC and SLR-HC ABL’s portfolios, as well as asset-based loans on the Company’s balance sheet.}
_{⁽³⁾ Includes SLR-EF’s portfolio and equipment financings on the Company’s balance sheet and Kingsbridge Holdings’ (KBH) portfolio.}

Comprehensive Investment Portfolio Composition

The Comprehensive Investment Portfolio is diversified across approximately 890 unique issuers, operating in over 110 industries, and resulting in an average exposure of $3.5 million or 0.1% per issuer. As of December 31, 2024, 98.2% of the Company’s Comprehensive Investment Portfolio was invested in senior secured loans of which 96.4% was held in first lien senior secured loans. Second lien ABL exposure was 1.5% and second lien cash flow exposure was 0.3% of the Comprehensive Investment Portfolio as of December 31, 2024.

SLRC’s Comprehensive Investment Portfolio composition by asset class as of December 31, 2024 was as follows:

Comprehensive Investment Portfolio Composition *(at fair value)*	Amount		Weighted Average
	($mm)	%	Asset Yield⁽⁵⁾
Senior Secured Investments
Cash Flow Loans (Sponsor Finance)⁽¹⁾	$633.8	20.6%	10.6%
Asset-Based Loans⁽²⁾	$1,037.3	33.6%	14.6%
Equipment Financings⁽³⁾	$1,147.9	37.2%	10.7%
Life Science Loans	$208.8	6.8%	12.1%
Total Senior Secured Investments	$3,027.8	98.2%	12.1%
Equity and Equity-like Securities	$54.8	1.8%
Total Comprehensive Investment Portfolio	$3,082.6	100.0%
Floating Rate Investments⁽⁴⁾	$1,866.7	61.0%
First Lien Senior Secured Loans	$2,972.1	96.4%
Second Lien Senior Secured Asset-Based Loans	$47.8	1.5%
Second Lien Senior Secured Cash Flow Loans	$7.8	0.3%

_{⁽¹⁾ Includes cash flow loans held in the SSLP attributable to the Company and excludes the Company’s equity investment in SSLP.}
_{⁽²⁾ Includes SLR-CS, SLR-BC, and SLR-HC ABL’s portfolios, as well as asset-based loans on the Company’s balance sheet, and excludes the Company’s equity investments in each of SLR-CS, SLR-BC, and SLR-HC ABL.}
_{⁽³⁾ Includes SLR-EF’s portfolio and equipment financings on the Company’s balance sheet and Kingsbridge Holdings’ (KBH) portfolio. Excludes the Company’s equity and debt investments in each of SLR-EF and KBH.}
_{⁽⁴⁾ Floating rate investments are calculated as a percent of the Company’s income-producing Comprehensive Investment Portfolio. The majority of fixed rate loans are associated with SLR-EF and leases held by KBH. Additionally, SLR-EF and KBH seek to match-fund their fixed rate assets with fixed rate liabilities.}
_{⁽⁵⁾ The weighted average asset yield for income producing cash flow, asset-based and life science loans on balance sheet is based on a yield to maturity calculation. The weighted average asset yield calculation for Life Science loans includes the amortization of expected exit/success fees. The weighted average yield for on-balance sheet equipment financings is calculated based on the expected average life of the investments. The weighted average asset yield for SLR-CS asset-based loans is an Internal Rate of Return (IRR) calculated using actual cash flows received and the expected terminal value. The weighted average asset yield for SLR-BC and SLR-HC ABL represents total interest and fee income for the three-month period ended on December 31, 2024 against the average portfolio over the same fiscal period, annualized. The weighted average asset yield for SLR-EF represents total interest and fee income for the three-month period ended on December 31, 2024 compared to the portfolio as of December 31, 2024, annualized. The weighted average yield for the KBH equipment leasing portfolio represents the blended yield from the company’s 1^st lien loan on par value and the annualized dividend yield on the cost basis of the company’s equity investment as of December 31, 2024.}

SLR Investment Corp. Portfolio

Asset Quality

As of December 31, 2024, 99.6% of SLRC’s portfolio was performing on a fair value basis and 99.4% on a cost basis, with only one investment on non-accrual.

The Company puts its largest emphasis on risk control and credit performance. On a quarterly basis, or more frequently if deemed necessary, the Company formally rates each portfolio investment on a scale of one to four, with one representing the least amount of risk.

As of December 31, 2024, the composition of our investment portfolio, on a risk ratings basis, was as follows:

Internal Investment Rating	Investments at Fair Value ($mm)	% of Total Portfolio
1	$701.0	34.9%
2	$1,286.9	64.2%
3	$9.9	0.5%
4	$7.8	0.4%

Investment Income Contribution by Asset Class

*Investment Income Contribution by Asset Class⁽¹⁾* *($mm)*
For the Quarter Ended:	Sponsor Finance	Asset-based Lending	Equipment Finance	Life Science Finance	Total
12/31/2024	$18.7	$18.1	$8.8	$10.0	$55.6
% Contribution	33.7%	32.5%	15.8%	18.0%	100.0%

*Investment Income Contribution by Asset Class⁽¹⁾* *($mm)*
For the Year Ended:	Sponsor Finance	Asset-based Lending	Equipment Finance	Life Science Finance	Total
12/31/2024	$82.6	$62.5	$36.6	$50.7	$232.4
% Contribution	35.5%	26.9%	15.8%	21.8%	100.0%

_{⁽¹⁾ Investment Income Contribution by Asset Class includes: interest income/fees from Sponsor Finance (cash flow) loans on balance sheet and distributions from SSLP; income/fees from asset-based loans on balance sheet and distributions from SLR-CS, SLR-BC, SLR-HC ABL; income/fees from equipment financings and distributions from SLR-EF and distributions from KBH; and income/fees from life science loans on balance sheet.}

SLR Senior Lending Program LLC (SSLP)

As of December 31, 2024, the Company and its 50% partner, Sunstone Senior Credit L.P., had contributed combined equity capital of $95.8 million of a total equity commitment for $100 million to the SSLP. At year end, SSLP had total commitments of $189.8 million at par and total funded portfolio investments of $178.7 million at fair value, consisting of floating rate senior secured loans to 32 different borrowers and an average investment of $5.6 million per borrower. This compares to funded portfolio investments of $204.1 million at fair value across 37 different borrowers at September 30, 2024. During the quarter ended December 31, 2024, SSLP invested $2.0 million in 4 portfolio companies and had $27.7 million of investments repaid.

In Q4 2024, the Company earned income of $1.9 million from its investment in the SSLP, representing an annualized yield of 15.6% on the cost basis of the Company’s investment, similar to Q3 2024.

SLR Investment Corp.’s Results of Operations Year Over Year

Investment Income

For the fiscal years ended December 31, 2024, and 2023, gross investment income totaled $232.4 million and $229.3 million, respectively. The increase in gross investment income for the year over year period was primarily due to an increase in dividend income from SSLP and our specialty finance company equity investments.

Expenses

SLRC’s net expenses totaled $136.1 million and $137.2 million, respectively, for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2024, and 2023. The decrease in expenses from 2024 to 2023 was primarily due to lower interest expense on a decrease in average borrowings as well as a reduction in general and administrative expenses, partially offset by higher fees stemming from higher net investment income.

SLRC’s investment adviser agreed to waive incentive fees resulting from income earned due to the accretion of the purchase price discount allocated to investments acquired in the Company’s merger with SLR Senior Investment Corp., which closed on April 1, 2022. For the fiscal years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, $153 thousand and $500 thousand, respectively, of such performance-based incentive fees were waived.

Net Investment Income

SLRC’s net investment income totaled $96.3 million and $92.1 million, or $1.77 and $1.69, per average share, respectively, for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2024, and 2023.

Net Realized and Unrealized Loss

Net realized and unrealized loss for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 totaled $0.6 million and $15.7 million, respectively.

Net Increase in Net Assets Resulting from Operations

For the fiscal years ended December 31, 2024, and 2023, the Company had a net increase in net assets resulting from operations of $95.8 million and $76.4 million, respectively. For the same periods, earnings per average share were $1.76 and $1.40, respectively.

Capital and Liquidity

Credit Facilities

As of December 31, 2024, the Company had $507 million drawn on $970 million of total commitments available on its revolving credit facilities and $140 million of term loans outstanding. In Q3 2024, the Company extended its SLRC revolver credit facility to a maturity of August 2029, increased the size, and lowered pricing. In Q4 2024, three new lenders were added to the SLRC revolving credit facility.

Unsecured Debt

On December 16, 2024, the Company closed a private offering of $49.0 million of the 2027 Series G Unsecured Notes with a fixed interest rate of 6.24% and a maturity date of December 16, 2027. As of December 31, 2024, the Company had $394 million of unsecured notes outstanding.

On February 18, 2025, the Company closed an additional private offering of $50.0 million of unsecured notes due 2028 with a fixed rate of interest of 6.14% and a maturity date of February 18, 2028.

Leverage

As of December 31, 2024, the Company’s net debt-to-equity ratio was 1.03x and compared to 1.19x as of December 31, 2023 and the Company’s target range of 0.9x to 1.25x.

Available Capital

As of December 31, 2024, including anticipated available borrowing capacity at the SSLP and our specialty finance portfolio companies, subject to borrowing base limits, SLRC, SSLP and our specialty finance portfolio companies had over $900 million of available capital in the aggregate.

Unfunded Commitments

As of December 31, 2024, excluding commitments to SLR-CS, SLR-BC, SLR-HC ABL, SLR Equipment Finance, and SSLP, over which the Company has discretion to fund, the Company had unfunded commitments of approximately $167.2 million.

Subsequent Events

On February 25, 2025, the Board declared a quarterly distribution of $0.41 per share payable on March 28, 2025, to holders of record as of March 14, 2025.

Conference Call and Webcast Information

The Company will host an earnings conference call and audio webcast at 10:00 a.m. (Eastern Time) on Wednesday, February 26, 2025. All interested parties may participate in the conference call by dialing (800) 579-2543 approximately 5-10 minutes prior to the call, international callers should dial (785) 424-1789. Participants should reference SLR Investment Corp. and Conference ID: SLRC4Q24. A telephone replay will be available until March 12, 2025 and can be accessed by dialing (800) 839-4568. International callers should dial (402) 220-2681.

This conference call will also be broadcast live over the Internet and can be accessed by all interested parties from the Event Calendar within the “Investors” tab of SLR Investment Corp.’s website, https://slrinvestmentcorp.com/Investors/Event-Calendar. Please register online prior to the start of the call. For those who are not able to listen to the broadcast live, a replay of the webcast will be available soon after the call.

Supplemental Information of SLR Investment Corp.’s Results of Operations Quarter Over Quarter

Operating results:	Quarter Ended December 31, 2024 (unaudited)		Quarter Ended September 30, 2024 (unaudited)
Interest income		$36,290		$45,373
Dividend income		16,502		12,578
Other income		2,791		1,820
Total investment income		55,583		59,771
Management fee		7,739		7,893
Net Performance-based Incentive fee		5,920		6,036
Interest and other credit facility expenses		16,184		18,913
Administrative services expense		1,376		1,392
Other general and administrative expenses		572		1,189
Net expenses		31,791		35,423
Net investment income		$23,792		$24,348
Net realized and unrealized gains (losses)		(1,183)		(2,299)
Net increase in net assets resulting from operations		22,609		22,049
Net investment income per common share		$0.44		$0.45
Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) per common share		($0.02)		($0.04)
Earnings per common share – basic and diluted		$0.41		$0.40

SLR INVESTMENT CORP. CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES (in thousands, except share and per share amounts)

	December 31, 2024			December 31, 2023
Assets
Investments at fair value:
Companies less than 5% owned (cost: $1,019,357 and $1,260,205, respectively)	$	1,027,457		$	1,271,442
Companies 5% to 25% owned (cost: $103,655 and $60,064, respectively)		89,945			44,250
Companies more than 25% owned (cost: $916,554 and $870,128, respectively)		888,232			839,074
Cash		16,761			11,864
Cash equivalents (cost: $397,510 and $332,290, respectively)		397,510			332,290
Dividends receivable		15,375			11,768
Interest receivable		11,993			11,034
Receivable for investments sold		1,573			1,538
Prepaid expenses and other assets		571			608
Total assets	$	2,449,417		$	2,523,868
Liabilities
Debt ($1,041,093 and $1,183,250 face amounts, respectively, reported net of unamortized debt issuance costs of $9,399 and $5,473, respectively.)	$	1,031,694		$	1,177,777
Payable for investments and cash equivalents purchased		397,510			332,290
Management fee payable		7,739			8,027
Performance-based incentive fee payable		5,920			5,864
Interest payable		7,836			7,535
Administrative services payable		3,332			1,969
Other liabilities and accrued expenses		2,460			3,767
Total liabilities	$	1,456,491		$	1,537,229
Commitments and contingencies
Net Assets
Common stock, par value $0.01 per share, 200,000,000 and 200,000,000 common shares authorized, respectively, and 54,554,634 and 54,554,634 shares issued and outstanding, respectively	$	546		$	546
Paid-in capital in excess of par		1,117,606			1,117,930
Accumulated distributable net loss		(125,226	)		(131,837	)
Total net assets	$	992,926		$	986,639
Net Asset Value Per Share	$	18.20		$	18.09

SLR INVESTMENT CORP. CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (in thousands, except per share amounts)

	2024			2023
INVESTMENT INCOME:
Interest:
Companies less than 5% owned	$	154,077		$	163,589
Companies 5% to 25% owned		3,881			2,058
Companies more than 25% owned		13,055			11,627
Dividends:
Companies 5% to less than 25% owned		845			—
Companies more than 25% owned		52,944			45,986
Other income:
Companies less than 5% owned		7,117			5,802
Companies 5% to 25% owned		—			26
Companies more than 25% owned		512			224
Total investment income		232,431			229,312
EXPENSES:
Management fees		31,389			31,661
Performance-based incentive fees		24,039			22,898
Interest and other credit facility expenses		71,464			72,507
Administrative services expense		5,520			5,899
Other general and administrative expenses		3,862			4,756
Total expenses		136,274			137,721
Performance-based incentive fees waived		(153	)		(500	)
Net expenses		136,121			137,221
Net investment income	$	96,310		$	92,091
REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN (LOSS) ON INVESTMENTS AND CASH EQUIVALENTS:
Net realized loss on investments and cash equivalents:
Companies less than 5% owned	$	(2,252	)	$	(27,602	)
Companies more than 25% owned		—			(381	)
Net realized loss on investments and cash equivalents		(2,252	)		(27,983	)
Net change in unrealized gain (loss) on investments:
Companies less than 5% owned		(3,137	)		20,425
Companies 5% to 25% owned		2,105			(1,384	)
Companies more than 25% owned		2,731			(6,761	)
Net change in unrealized gain on investments		1,699			12,280
Net realized and unrealized loss on investments and cash equivalents		(553	)		(15,703	)
NET INCREASE IN NET ASSETS RESULTING FROM OPERATIONS	$	95,757		$	76,388
EARNINGS PER SHARE	$	1.76		$	1.40

About SLR Investment Corp.

SLR Investment Corp. is a closed-end investment company that has elected to be regulated as a business development company under the Investment Company Act of 1940. A specialty finance company with expertise in several niche markets, the Company primarily invests in leveraged, U.S. upper middle market companies in the form of cash flow, asset-based, and life sciences senior secured loans.

Forward-Looking Statements

Some of the statements in this press release constitute forward-looking statements because they relate to future events, future performance or financial condition. The forward-looking statements may include statements as to: the Company’s access to deal flow and attractive investment opportunities; the market environment and its impact on the business prospects of SLRC and the prospects of SLRC’s portfolio companies; prospects for additional portfolio growth of SLRC; and the quality of, and the impact on the performance of SLRC from the investments that SLRC has made and expects to make. In addition, words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “expect,” “seek,” “plan,” “should,” “estimate,” “project” and “intend” indicate forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements include these words. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release involve risks and uncertainties. Certain factors could cause actual results and conditions to differ materially from those projected, including the uncertainties associated with: (i) changes in the economy, financial markets and political environment, including the impacts of inflation and changing interest rates; (ii) risks associated with possible disruption in the operations of SLRC or the economy generally due to terrorism, war or other geopolitical conflicts, natural disasters, or pandemics; (iii) future changes in laws or regulations (including the interpretation of these laws and regulations by regulatory authorities); (iv) conditions in SLRC’s operating areas, particularly with respect to business development companies or regulated investment companies; and (v) other considerations that may be disclosed from time to time in SLRC’s publicly disseminated documents and filings. SLRC has based the forward-looking statements included in this press release on information available to it on the date of this press release, and SLRC assumes no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Although SLRC undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, you are advised to consult any additional disclosures that it may make directly to you or through reports that SLRC in the future may file with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K.

Contact
SLR Investment Corp.
Investor Relations
slrinvestorrelations@slrcp.com | (646) 308-8770

The MIL Network –

February 26, 2025

MIL-OSI: Skyward Specialty Insurance Group Reports Fourth Quarter 2024 Results

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

HOUSTON, Feb. 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Skyward Specialty Insurance Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: SKWD) (“Skyward Specialty” or the “Company”) today reported fourth quarter 2024 net income of $14.4 million, or $0.35 per diluted share, compared to $29.3 million, or $0.74 per diluted share, for the same 2023 period. Net income for the year ended 2024 was $118.8 million, or $2.87 per diluted share, compared to $86.0 million, or $2.24 per diluted share, for the same 2023 period.

Adjusted operating income⁽¹⁾ for the fourth quarter of 2024 was $33.2 million, or $0.80 per diluted share, compared to $24.3 million, or $0.61 per diluted share, for the same 2023 period. Adjusted operating income⁽¹⁾ for the year ended 2024 was $126.7 million, or $3.06 per diluted share, compared to $80.8 million, or $2.11 per diluted share, for the same 2023 period.

Highlights for the fourth quarter included:

Gross written premiums of $388.4 million, an increase of $66.8 million, or 20.8%, when compared to 2023;
Adjusted combined ratio⁽¹⁾ of 91.6%, including catastrophe losses of 2.2 points;
Return on equity of 16.3% for the year ended 2024 compared to 15.9% for the same 2023 period;
Adjusted return on equity⁽¹⁾ of 17.4% for the year ended 2024 compared to 14.9% for the same 2023 period; and,
Book value per share of $19.79, an increase of 18% compared to December 31, 2023.

^{(1) See “Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures”}

Skyward Specialty Chairman and CEO Andrew Robinson commented, “We wrapped up another remarkable year for Skyward Specialty, delivering both outstanding underwriting results while growing gross written premiums at over 20% for the quarter and 19% for the full year, with six out of eight divisions growing double-digits over the prior year. Our 16.3% return on equity for the year was again an excellent outcome. Throughout 2024 we continued to thoughtfully diversify our product portfolio, strategically launching new units including Media Liability, Life Sciences, Mortgage and Credit, and Renewable Energy. Our focus and disciplined execution of our “Rule Our Niche” strategy, and the extraordinary efforts of my 600 plus colleagues made 2024 another impressive year for our Company, and we are confident that we have built the foundation that will propel us in 2025 and beyond.”

Results of Operations

Underwriting Results

Premiums
($ in thousands)	Three months ended December 31,								Twelve months ended December 31,
unaudited	2024			2023			% Change		2024			2023			% Change
Gross written premiums	$	388,355		$	321,605		20.8	%	$	1,743,232		$	1,459,829		19.4	%
Ceded written premiums	$	(117,328	)	$	(107,488	)	9.2	%	$	(619,654	)	$	(549,138	)	12.8	%
Net retention		69.8	%		66.6	%	NM⁽¹⁾			64.5	%		62.4	%	NM⁽¹⁾
Net written premiums	$	271,027		$	214,117		26.6	%	$	1,123,578		$	910,691		23.4	%
Net earned premiums	$	293,240		$	224,932		30.4	%	$	1,056,722		$	829,143		27.4	%
⁽¹⁾Not meaningful

The increase in gross written premiums for the fourth quarter and year ended 2024, when compared to the same 2023 periods, was driven by double-digit premium growth primarily from our surety, programs, captives, global property & agriculture and transactional E&S underwriting divisions.

Combined Ratio	Three months ended December 31,				Twelve months ended December 31,
(unaudited)	2024		2023		2024		2023
Non-cat loss and LAE	60.5	%	60.9	%	60.6	%	60.9	%
Cat loss and LAE⁽¹⁾	2.2	%	0.4	%	1.7	%	1.4	%
Prior accident year development – LPT⁽²⁾	4.2	%	(0.2	)%	1.1	%	(0.2	)%
Loss Ratio	66.9	%	61.1	%	63.4	%	62.1	%
Net policy acquisition costs	15.3	%	13.4	%	14.2	%	13.0	%
Other operating and general expenses	13.9	%	16.3	%	15.3	%	16.3	%
Commission and fee income	(0.3	)%	(0.1	)%	(0.6	)%	(0.7	)%
Expense ratio	28.9	%	29.6	%	28.9	%	28.6	%
Combined ratio	95.8	%	90.7	%	92.3	%	90.7	%
Ex-Cat Combined Ratio⁽³⁾	93.6	%	90.3	%	90.6	%	89.3	%

Adjusted Underwriting Ratios
Adjusted loss ratio⁽²⁾	62.7	%	61.3	%	62.3	%	62.3	%
Expense ratio	28.9	%	29.6	%	28.9	%	28.6	%
Adjusted combined ratio⁽²⁾	91.6	%	90.9	%	91.2	%	90.9	%
⁽¹⁾Current accident year
⁽²⁾See “Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures”
⁽³⁾Defined as the combined ratio excluding cat loss and LAE⁽¹⁾

The loss ratios for the fourth quarter and year ended 2024 increased 5.8 points and 1.3 points, respectively, when compared to the same 2023 periods, primarily due to the net impact of prior accident year development related to the LPT. The fourth quarter and year ended 2024 were also impacted by higher catastrophe losses, primarily from Hurricane Milton in the fourth quarter of 2024 and Hurricanes Helene and Beryl in the third quarter of 2024. The improvement in the non-cat loss and LAE ratios for the fourth quarter and year ended 2024, when compared to the same 2023 periods, was driven by the business mix shift.

The expense ratio for the fourth quarter improved when compared to the same 2023 period primarily due to earnings leverage partially offset by the business mix shift. The expense ratio for the year ended 2024 increased slightly when compared to the same 2023 period, driven by the business mix shift.

The expense ratios for all periods presented exclude the impact of IPO related stock compensation and secondary offering expenses, which are reported in other expenses in our condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income.

Investment Results

Net Investment Income
$ in thousands	Three months ended December 31,						Twelve months ended December 31,
(unaudited)	2024			2023			2024			2023
Short-term investments & cash and cash equivalents	$	3,998		$	3,670		$	17,643		$	11,677
Fixed income		15,909			11,680			57,631			36,547
Equities		771			880			2,745			2,212
Alternative & strategic investments		52			(2,226	)		2,667			(10,114	)
Net investment income	$	20,730		$	14,004		$	80,686		$	40,322
Net unrealized (losses) gains on securities still held	$	(7,688	)	$	8,736		$	7,921		$	11,130
Net realized losses		(2,721	)		(992	)		(1,665	)		(58	)
Net investment (losses) gains	$	(10,409	)	$	7,744		$	6,256		$	11,072

Beginning January 1, 2024 we simplified the investment portfolio classifications to align with our strategy and the underlying risk characteristics of the portfolio. The prior period has been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation.

Net investment income for the fourth quarter and year ended 2024 increased $6.7 million and $40.4 million, respectively when compared to the same 2023 periods, primarily driven by (i) increased income from our fixed income portfolio and short-term investments due to higher yields and larger asset bases, and (ii) income from alternative and strategic investments compared to losses for the same 2023 periods, which were impacted by the decline in the fair value of limited partnership investments.

Stockholders’ Equity

Stockholders’ equity was $794.0 million at December 31, 2024 which represented a decrease of 0.4% when compared to stockholders’ equity of $797.5 million at September 30, 2024. The decrease in stockholders’ equity was primarily due to a decline in the market value of our investment portfolio partially offset by net income.

Conference Call

At 9:30 a.m. eastern time tomorrow, February 26, 2025, Skyward Specialty management will hold a conference call to discuss quarterly results with insurance industry analysts. Interested parties may listen to the discussion at investors.skywardinsurance.com under Events & Presentations. Additionally, investors can access the earnings call via conference call by registering via the conference link. Users will receive dial-in information and a unique PIN to join the call upon registering.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This release contains certain financial measures and ratios that are not required by, or presented in accordance with, generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”). We refer to these measures as “non-GAAP financial measures.” We use these non-GAAP financial measures when planning, monitoring, and evaluating our performance.

We have chosen to exclude the net impact of the Loss Portfolio Transfer (“LPT”), all development on reserves fully or partially covered by the LPT and amortization of deferred gains associated with recoveries of prior LPT reserve strengthening in certain non-GAAP metrics, where noted, as the business subject to the LPT is not representative of our continuing business strategy. The business subject to the LPT is primarily related to policy years 2017 and prior, was generated and managed under prior leadership, and has either been exited or substantially repositioned during the reevaluation of our portfolio. The LPT was commuted effective January 31, 2025. We consider these non-GAAP financial measures to be useful metrics for our management and investors to facilitate operating performance comparisons from period to period. While we believe that these non-GAAP financial measures are useful in evaluating our business, this information should be considered supplemental in nature and is not meant to be a substitute for revenue or net income, in each case as recognized in accordance with GAAP. In addition, other companies, including companies in our industry, may calculate such measures differently, which reduces their usefulness as comparative measures. For more information regarding these non-GAAP financial measures and a reconciliation of such measures to comparable GAAP financial measures, see the section entitled “Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures.”

About Skyward Specialty Insurance Group, Inc.

Skyward Specialty is a rapidly growing and innovative specialty insurance company, delivering commercial property and casualty products and solutions on a non-admitted and admitted basis. The Company operates through eight underwriting divisions – Accident & Health, Captives, Global Property & Agriculture, Industry Solutions, Professional Lines, Programs, Surety and Transactional E&S. SKWD stock is traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market, which represents the top fourth of all Nasdaq listed companies.

Skyward Specialty’s subsidiary insurance companies consist of Houston Specialty Insurance Company, Imperium Insurance Company, Great Midwest Insurance Company, and Oklahoma Specialty Insurance Company. These insurance companies are rated A (Excellent) with stable outlook by A.M. Best Company. Additional information about Skyward Specialty can be found on our website at www.skywardinsurance.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Except for historical information, all other information in this news release consists of forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The forward-looking statements are typically, but not always, identified through use of the words “believe,” “expect,” “enable,” “may,” “will,” “could,” “intends,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “predict,” “probable,” “potential,” “possible,” “should,” “continue,” and other words of similar meaning. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected, anticipated or implied. The most significant of these uncertainties are described in Skyward Specialty’s Form 10-K, and include (but are not limited to) legislative changes at both the state and federal level, state and federal regulatory rule making promulgations and adjudications, class action litigation involving the insurance industry and judicial decisions affecting claims, policy coverages and the general costs of doing business, the potential loss of key members of our management team or key employees and our ability to attract and retain personnel, the impact of competition on products and pricing, inflation in the costs of the products and services insurance pays for, product development, geographic spread of risk, weather and weather-related events, other types of catastrophic events, our ability to obtain reinsurance coverage at prices and on terms that allow us to transfer risk and adequately protect our company against financial loss, and losses resulting from reinsurance counterparties failing to pay us on reinsurance claims. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this release and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information to reflect changes in assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events, or otherwise.

Skyward Specialty Insurance Group, Inc.

Investor contact:
Natalie Schoolcraft,
nschoolcraft@skywardinsurance.com
614-494-4988

Media contact:
Haley Doughty
hdoughty@skywardinsurance.com
713-935-4944

Consolidated Balance Sheets
($ in thousands, except share and per share amounts)
(unaudited)	December 31, 2024			December 31, 2023
Assets
Investments:
Fixed maturity securities, available-for-sale, at fair value (amortized cost of $1,320,266 and $1,047,713, respectively)	$	1,292,218		$	1,017,651
Fixed maturity securities, held-to-maturity, at amortized cost (net of allowance for credit losses of $243 and $329, respectively)		39,153			42,986
Equity securities, at fair value		106,254			118,249
Mortgage loans, at fair value		26,490			50,070
Equity method investments		98,594			110,653
Other long-term investments		33,182			3,852
Short-term investments, at fair value		274,929			270,226
Total investments		1,870,820			1,613,687
Cash and cash equivalents		121,603			65,891
Restricted cash		35,922			34,445
Premiums receivable, net		321,641			179,235
Reinsurance recoverables, net		857,876			596,334
Ceded unearned premium		203,901			186,121
Deferred policy acquisition costs		113,183			91,955
Deferred income taxes		30,486			21,991
Goodwill and intangible assets, net		87,348			88,435
Other assets		86,698			75,341
Total assets	$	3,729,478		$	2,953,435
Liabilities and stockholders’ equity
Liabilities:
Reserves for losses and loss adjustment expenses	$	1,782,383		$	1,314,501
Unearned premiums		637,185			552,532
Deferred ceding commission		40,434			37,057
Reinsurance and premium payables		177,070			150,156
Funds held for others		102,665			58,588
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities		76,206			50,880
Notes payable		100,000			50,000
Subordinated debt, net of debt issuance costs		19,536			78,690
Total liabilities		2,935,479			2,292,404
Stockholders’ equity
Common stock, $0.01 par value, 500,000,000 shares authorized, 40,127,908 and 39,863,756 shares issued and outstanding, respectively		401			399
Additional paid-in capital		718,598			710,855
Stock notes receivable		—			(5,562	)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss		(22,120	)		(22,953	)
Retained earnings (accumulated deficit)		97,120			(21,708	)
Total stockholders’ equity		793,999			661,031
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	$	3,729,478		$	2,953,435

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income
($ in thousands)	Three months ended December 31,						Twelve months ended December 31,
(unaudited)	2024			2023			2024			2023

Revenues:
Net earned premiums	$	293,240		$	224,932		$	1,056,722		$	829,143
Commission and fee income		806			247			6,703			6,064
Net investment income		20,730			14,004			80,686			40,322
Net investment (losses) gains		(10,409	)		7,744			6,256			11,072
Other income (loss)		35			(632	)		(167	)		(632	)
Total revenues		304,402			246,295			1,150,200			885,969
Expenses:
Losses and loss adjustment expenses		196,320			137,396			669,809			515,237
Underwriting, acquisition and insurance expenses		85,487			66,791			311,757			243,444
Interest expense		2,091			2,774			9,496			10,024
Amortization expense		908			462			2,007			1,798
Other expenses		1,042			1,303			4,392			5,364
Total expenses		285,848			208,726			997,461			775,867
Income before income taxes		18,554			37,569			152,739			110,102
Income tax expense		4,148			8,304			33,911			24,118
Net income		14,406			29,265			118,828			85,984
Net income attributable to participating securities		—			—			—			1,677
Net income attributable to common stockholders	$	14,406		$	29,265		$	118,828		$	84,307
Comprehensive income:
Net income	$	14,406		$	29,265		$	118,828		$	85,984
Other comprehensive income:
Unrealized gains and losses on investments:
Net change in unrealized (losses) gains on investments, net of tax		(14,735	)		30,825			9,792			25,516
Reclassification adjustment for losses on securities no longer held, net of tax		(5,682	)		(105	)		(8,959	)		(4,984	)
Total other comprehensive (loss) income		(20,417	)		30,720			833			20,532
Comprehensive (loss) income	$	(6,011	)	$	59,985		$	119,661		$	106,516

Share and Per Share Data
($ in thousands, except share and per share amounts)	Three months ended December 31,						Twelve months ended December 31,
(unaudited)	2024			2023			2024			2023

Weighted average basic shares		40,107,617			37,570,274			40,056,475			36,031,907
Weighted average diluted shares		41,622,397			39,582,352			41,377,460			38,317,534

Basic earnings per share	$	0.36		$	0.78		$	2.97		$	2.34
Diluted earnings per share	$	0.35		$	0.74		$	2.87		$	2.24
Basic adjusted operating earnings per share	$	0.83		$	0.65		$	3.16		$	2.20
Diluted adjusted operating earnings per share	$	0.80		$	0.61		$	3.06		$	2.11

Annualized ROE ⁽¹⁾		7.2	%		19.6	%		16.3	%		15.9	%
Annualized adjusted ROE ⁽²⁾		16.7	%		16.3	%		17.4	%		14.9	%
Annualized ROTE ⁽³⁾		8.1	%		23.0	%		18.6	%		19.0	%
Annualized adjusted ROTE ⁽⁴⁾		18.8	%		19.1	%		19.8	%		17.9	%

							December 31			December 31
							2024			2023

Shares outstanding								40,127,908			39,863,756
Fully diluted shares outstanding								42,059,182			41,771,854

Book value per share							$	19.79		$	16.72
Fully diluted book value per share							$	18.88		$	15.96
Fully diluted tangible book value per share							$	16.80		$	13.84

⁽¹⁾Annualized ROE is net income expressed on an annualized basis as a percentage of average beginning and ending stockholders’ equity during the period
⁽²⁾Annualized adjusted ROE is adjusted operating income expressed on an annualized basis as a percentage of average beginning and ending stockholders’ equity during the period
⁽³⁾Annualized ROTE is net income expressed on an annualized basis as a percentage of average beginning and ending tangible stockholders’ equity during the period
⁽⁴⁾Annualized adjusted ROTE is adjusted operating income expressed on an annualized basis as a percentage of average beginning and ending tangible stockholders’ equity during the period

Adjusted operating income – We define adjusted operating income as net income excluding the impact of certain items that may not be indicative of underlying business trends, operating results, or future outlook, net of tax impact. We use adjusted operating income as an internal performance measure in the management of our operations because we believe it gives our management and other users of our financial information useful insight into our results of operations and our underlying business performance. Adjusted operating income should not be viewed as a substitute for net income calculated in accordance with GAAP, and other companies may define adjusted operating income differently.

($ in thousands)	Three months ended December 31,												Twelve months ended December 31,
(unaudited)	2024						2023						2024						2023
	Pre-tax			After-tax			Pre-tax			After-tax			Pre-tax			After-tax			Pre-tax			After-tax
Income as reported	$	18,554		$	14,406		$	37,569		$	29,265		$	152,739		$	118,828		$	110,102		$	85,984
Less (add):
Net investment (losses) gains		(10,409	)		(8,223	)		7,744			6,118			6,256			4,942			11,072			8,747
Net impact of loss portfolio transfer		(12,398	)		(9,794	)		457			361			(11,598	)		(9,162	)		1,427			1,127
Other loss		35			28			(632	)		(499	)		(167	)		(132	)		(632	)		(499	)
Other expenses		(1,042	)		(823	)		(1,303	)		(1,029	)		(4,392	)		(3,470	)		(5,364	)		(4,238	)
Adjusted operating income	$	42,368		$	33,218		$	31,303		$	24,314		$	162,640		$	126,650		$	103,599		$	80,847

Underwriting income – We define underwriting income as net income before income taxes excluding net investment income, net realized and unrealized gains and losses on investments, impairment charges, interest expense, amortization expense and other income and expenses. Underwriting income represents the pre-tax profitability of our underwriting operations and allows us to evaluate our underwriting performance without regard to investment income. We use this metric as we believe it gives our management and other users of our financial information useful insight into our underlying business performance. Underwriting income should not be viewed as a substitute for pre-tax income calculated in accordance with GAAP, and other companies may define underwriting income differently.

($ in thousands)	Three months ended December 31,						Twelve months ended December 31,
(unaudited)	2024			2023			2024			2023
Income before income taxes	$	18,554		$	37,569		$	152,739		$	110,102
Add:
Interest expense		2,091			2,774			9,496			10,024
Amortization expense		908			462			2,007			1,798
Other expenses		1,042			1,303			4,392			5,364
Less (add):
Net investment income		20,730			14,004			80,686			40,322
Net investment (losses) gains		(10,409	)		7,744			6,256			11,072
Other income (loss)		35			(632	)		(167	)		(632	)
Underwriting income	$	12,239		$	20,992		$	81,859		$	76,526

Adjusted Loss Ratio / Adjusted Combined Ratio – We define adjusted loss ratio and adjusted combined ratio as the corresponding ratio (calculated in accordance with GAAP), excluding losses and LAE related to the LPT and all development on reserves fully or partially covered by the LPT and amortization of deferred gains associated with recoveries of prior LPT reserve strengthening. We use these adjusted ratios as internal performance measures in the management of our operations because we believe they give our management and other users of our financial information useful insight into our results of operations and our underlying business performance. Our adjusted loss ratio and adjusted combined ratio should not be viewed as substitutes for our loss ratio and combined ratio, respectively.

($ in thousands)	Three months ended December 31,						Twelve months ended December 31,
(unaudited)	2024			2023			2024			2023
Net earned premiums	$	293,240		$	224,932		$	1,056,722		$	829,143

Losses and LAE		196,320			137,396			669,809			515,237
Less: Pre-tax net impact of LPT		12,398			(457	)		11,598			(1,427	)
Adjusted losses and LAE	$	183,922		$	137,853		$	658,211		$	516,664

Loss ratio		66.9	%		61.1	%		63.4	%		62.1	%
Less: net impact of LPT		4.2	%		(0.2	)%		1.1	%		(0.2	)%
Adjusted loss ratio		62.7	%		61.3	%		62.3	%		62.3	%

Combined ratio		95.8	%		90.7	%		92.3	%		90.7	%
Less: net impact of LPT		4.2	%		(0.2	)%		1.1	%		(0.2	)%
Adjusted combined ratio		91.6	%		90.9	%		91.2	%		90.9	%

Tangible Stockholders’ Equity – We define tangible stockholders’ equity as stockholders’ equity less goodwill and intangible assets. Our definition of tangible stockholders’ equity may not be comparable to that of other companies and should not be viewed as a substitute for stockholders’ equity calculated in accordance with GAAP. We use tangible stockholders’ equity internally to evaluate the strength of our balance sheet and to compare returns relative to this measure.

($ in thousands)	December 31,
(unaudited)	2024		2023
Stockholders’ equity	$	793,999	$	661,031
Less: Goodwill and intangible assets		87,348		88,435
Tangible stockholders’ equity	$	706,651	$	572,596

	Three months ended December 31,						Twelve months ended December 31,
($ in thousands)	2024		2023		% Change		2024		2023		% Change
Industry Solutions		80,738		78,796	2.5	%		317,198		305,476	3.8	%
Global Property & Agriculture	$	31,681	$	25,996	21.9	%	$	311,402	$	273,191	14.0	%
Captives		57,765		40,375	43.1	%		241,902		167,624	44.3	%
Programs		52,151		35,694	46.1	%		218,407		178,726	22.2	%
Accident & Health		44,594		38,882	14.7	%		173,073		151,701	14.1	%
Transactional E&S		36,262		31,560	14.9	%		169,053		122,508	38.0	%
Professional Lines		39,130		40,145	(2.5	)%		159,785		154,565	3.4	%
Surety		46,034		30,157	52.6	%		152,429		106,056	43.7	%
Total gross written premiums⁽¹⁾	$	388,355	$	321,605	20.8	%	$	1,743,249	$	1,459,847	19.4	%
⁽¹⁾Excludes exited business

The MIL Network –

February 26, 2025

MIL-OSI USA: Hoeven, Shaheen & Moran Introduce Legislation to Bolster Air Traffic Control Workforce
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for North Dakota John Hoeven

02.25.25

Bipartisan Legislation Would Strengthen Enhanced AT-CTI Program, Improve ATC Recruitment, Training & Retention

WASHINGTON – Senators John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) introduced the Air Traffic Control (ATC) Workforce Development Act of 2025, bipartisan legislation to address ATC staffing shortages, improve working conditions and ensure the safe transportation of people and goods within U.S. airspace. Among other priorities, the legislation would:
- Expand the ATC workforce training pipeline by codifying and strengthening the Enhanced Air Traffic-Collegiate Training Initiative (AT-CTI) program.
  
  The bill authorizes $20 million per year for grants to AT-CTI schools to invest in curriculum, high-fidelity simulators, faculty and classroom supplies.
  
  The legislation also removes disincentives that discourage retired air traffic controllers from working as instructors at AT-CTI schools.
  
  Currently, four schools, including the University of North Dakota (UND), have been selected for the Enhanced AT-CTI program, under which graduates are immediately eligible for hire by the FAA and to begin localized training at an air traffic facility.
- Authorize the procurement and placement of Tower Simulator Systems at ATC facilities nationwide, supporting more efficient certification of ATC trainees.
- Require the FAA to develop Air Traffic Controller recruitment and retention incentive programs.
- Support the development of mental health services equipped to address the particular stressors faced by the ATC workforce.
“Without an adequate workforce of qualified air traffic controllers, air travel cannot function in a safe and efficient manner, a reality made clear by recent aviation tragedies and accidents,” said Senator Hoeven. “Despite efforts to boost recruitment, our nation has been unable to overcome attrition in the ATC workforce, and more needs to be done. Accordingly, our legislation expands the capacity of schools like UND to get more controllers into FAA towers and radar facilities, while providing better benefits to support workers and boost recruitment and retention. We worked hard to secure UND as a leader in the Enhanced AT-CTI program, and now we’re working to provide more resources to accelerate training, reduce the strain on our existing workforce and ensure the American public can trust in the safety of our air transportation system.”

“Increasingly frequent near-misses and close calls over the last several years—coupled with recent aviation tragedies like the one last month in D.C.—are sobering reminders that we must do more to keep our skies safe,” said Senator Shaheen. “I’m proud to introduce bipartisan legislation with Senator Hoeven to expand the air traffic controller workforce pipeline, enhance training facilities and equipment, improve recruitment and retention efforts and more. I hope this bill moves quickly so we can address the shortage of air traffic controllers and strengthen aviation safety.”

“Our national air space system relies on technology and individuals working in tandem to keep our skies safe and operating efficiently, and air traffic controllers are essential to that system,” said Senator Moran. “The training, hiring and retention of this critical workforce ought to be a continued priority of Congress, and I am pleased to join my colleagues in introducing legislation to support the current and future air traffic control industry. Continued investments in the programs and infrastructure supporting air traffic controllers will help to address workforce needs and keep our flying public safe.”

“The National Air Traffic Controllers Association thanks Senators Hoeven and Shaheen for their leadership on the important issues of training, recruiting, and retaining air traffic controllers and we look forward to continuing our collaboration with Congress and the Administration on these critical matters.” – The National Air Traffic Controllers Association.

“The University of North Dakota is proud to support the ATC Workforce Development Act. As the demand for air traffic controllers continues to rise, this bill represents a significant step forward in advancing their education and training through innovative technologies. By fostering a skilled workforce, this legislation will enhance the security of our airspace and uphold the reputation of air travel as the safest mode of transportation.” –Robert J. Kraus, Dean, John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences, University of North Dakota.

A summary of the legislation and the full bill text can be found here and here, respectively. The legislation builds upon several years of work between Senators Hoeven and Shaheen to support the Air Traffic Control workforce and address ATC understaffing. Most recently, they sent a lettercalling on the FAA to urgently work with Congress to address ATC staffing shortages, in light of the tragic aviation accident at Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA) in Washington, D.C. Previously, Senators Hoeven and Shaheen:
- Worked to include provisions in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 that require the FAA to use a more accurate staffing model developed by the National Air Traffic Controllers Association and the FAA’s Air Traffic Organization (ATO).
  
  The bill also sets an updated minimum hiring target for new air traffic controllers.
- Authored the Air Traffic Controller Hiring Reform Act, which was signed into law as part of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and required the FAA to prioritize the hiring of veterans and graduates of FAA Certified Collegiate Training Initiative (CTI) schools, like the University of North Dakota, as Air Traffic Controllers.
The legislation is supported by the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), Air Traffic Control Association (ATCA), Airlines for America (A4A), American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE), and Airports Council International – North America (ACI-NA).
MIL OSI USA News –
February 26, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: England subsidises drugs like Ozempic for weight loss. Could Australia follow?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonathan Karnon, Professor of Health Economics, Flinders University

Nomad_Soul/Shutterstock

People with a high body weight living in England can now access subsidised weight-loss drugs to treat their obesity. This includes Wegovy (the weight-loss dose of Ozempic, or semaglutide) and Mounjaro (one of the brand names for tirzepatide).

These drugs, known as GLP-1 agonists, can improve the health of people who are overweight or obese and are unable to lose weight and keep it off using other approaches.

In Australia, the government subsidises the cost of semaglutide (Ozempic) for people with diabetes.

But it is yet to subsidise semaglutide (Wegovy) on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) for weight loss.

This is despite Australia’s regulator approving GLP-1 agonists for people with obesity, and for overweight people with at least one weight-related condition.

This leaves Australians who use Wegovy for weight loss paying around A$450–500 out of pocket per month.

But could Australia follow the England’s lead and list drugs such as Wegovy or Mounjaro on the PBS for weight loss? Doing so could bring the price down to $31.60 ($7.70 concession).

Australia has already knocked back Wegovy for subsidies

The Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) reviews the submissions pharmaceutical companies make for their drug therapies to be subsidised through the PBS.

For every such recommendation, PBAC publishes a public document that summarises the evidence and the reasons for recommending that the drug should be added to the PBS – or not.

In November 2023, PBAC reviewed Novo Nordisk’s submission. It proposed including semaglutide on the PBS for adults with an initial BMI of 40 or above and a diagnosis of at least two weight-related conditions. At least one of these related conditions needed to be obstructive sleep apnoea, osteoarthritis of the knee, or pre-diabetes.

Sleep apnoea was one of the weight-related conditions in the original application.
JPC-PROD/Shutterstock

However, PBAC concluded semaglutide should not be subsidised through the PBS because it didn’t consider the drug cost-effective at the price proposed.

PBAC referred to evidence on the long-term benefits from weight loss for people at increased risk of developing heart disease, diabetes or having a stroke. However, it didn’t factor these effects into its calculations when estimating the cost-effectiveness of semaglutide.

The committee suggested a future submission could focus on patients with either pre-existing cardiovascular (heart) disease, type 2 diabetes, or at least two markers of “high cardiometabolic risk”. This could include hypertension (high blood pressure), high cholesterol, chronic kidney disease, fatty liver disease or pre-diabetes.

What did England decide?

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has a similar role to the PBAC, informing decisions to subsidise medicines in England.

As a result of NICE’s recommendation, semaglutide is subsidised in England for adults with at least one weight-related condition and BMI of 30 or above. Patients must be treated by a specialist weight-management service and prescriptions are for a maximum of two years.

More recently, NICE approved another GLP-1 agonist, tirzepatide, for adults with at least one weight-related condition and a BMI of 35 or above.

This approval didn’t restrict prescriptions to those treated in a specialist weight-management service. However, only 220,000 of the 3.4 million who meet the eligibility criteria will receive tirzepatide in the next three years. It is not clear how the 220,000 patients will be selected.

The limits on tirzepatide will reduce the impact of GLP-1 agonists on the health budget. It is also intended to inform the broader roll-out to all eligible patients.

For both semaglutide and tirzepatide, NICE noted that clinicians should consider stopping the treatment if the patient loses less than 5% of their body weight after six months of use.

Australians who use Wegovy for weight loss or heart disease pay A$450–$500 out of pocket per month.
antoniodiazShutterstock

Why did they reach such different decisions?

NICE assessed the use of GLP-1 agonists for a broader population than PBAC: people with one weight-related condition and a BMI of 30 or above.

Another difference was that NICE’s cost-effectiveness analysis included estimates of the longer-term benefits of these drugs in reducing the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular (heart) disease, stroke, knee replacement and bariatric surgery.

The proposed prices of the GLP-1 agonists in England and Australia are not reported. We can only observe the estimated health benefits. These are represented as the additional number of “quality-adjusted life years” (QALYs) associated with using the drugs. One QALY is the equivalent of one additional year of life in best imaginable health.

Committees estimate the amount of additional health spending required to gain QALYs, to see if it’s worth the public investment. Looking at the committees’ estimates of weight-loss drugs (without a two-year maximum):
- NICE reported a gain of 0.7 QALYs per patient receiving semaglutide for a target population with a BMI of 30 or more
- PBAC reported a gain of 0.3 QALYs, but for a population with a BMI of 40 and above.
Part of the explanation for the difference in estimated QALY gains is that PBAC did not consider the reduced risk of future weight-related conditions, only the impact on existing conditions.

In contrast, NICE referred to substantial cost offsets due to reduced weight-related conditions, in particular because some patients would avoid developing diabetes.

England and Australia’s estimates of the benefits of Wegovy differed.
Matt Fowler KC/Shutterstock

Time to rethink PBAC’s focus?

Both NICE and PBAC are clearly concerned about the impact of GLP-1 agonists on the health budget.

PBAC is trying to restrict access to a limited pool of people at highest risk. It is also being more conservative than NICE in estimating the expected benefits of GLP-1 agonists. This would require manufacturers to reduce their price in order for PBAC to consider these drugs cost-effective.

Maybe this approach will work and the Australian government will pay less for these drugs the next time it considers publicly funding them.

However, GLP-1 agonists are not on the agenda for the forthcoming PBAC meetings, so there is no timeline for when GLP-1 agonists might be funded in Australia for weight loss.

Read more:
People on Ozempic may have fewer heart attacks, strokes and addictions – but more nausea, vomiting and stomach pain

Jonathan Karnon receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council and the Medical Research Future Fund.

– ref. England subsidises drugs like Ozempic for weight loss. Could Australia follow? – https://theconversation.com/england-subsidises-drugs-like-ozempic-for-weight-loss-could-australia-follow-245367
MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –
February 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: More than just a game: How sports are reflecting Canada-U.S. tensions

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Noah Eliot Vanderhoeven, PhD Candidate, Political Science, Western University

Canada emerged victorious in the 4 Nations Face-off hockey tournament on Feb. 20, but the event was overshadowed by growing political tensions between Canada and the United States.

In the lead-up to the final game, American fans booed the Canadian national anthem, likely in response to Canadian fans booing the American national anthem ahead of a game between the two teams on Feb. 15.

This was not the first recent airing of grievances from Canadian fans at a sporting event. Following U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement of tariffs against Canada and repeated calls for Canada to become the 51st state, fans at a Toronto Raptors game and Ottawa Senators game booed the American national anthem.

Read more:
How Donald Trump’s attacks on Canada are stoking a new Canadian nationalism

Despite the proposed tariffs being postponed for 30 days, Trump’s antagonistic vision for Canada-U.S. relations has stoked anti-American sentiments among Canadians, including calls to boycott American goods and a deteriorating belief in close Canada-U.S. relations.

Those anti-American sentiments boiled over again when Canada faced the U.S. in Montréal, showcasing how sport can be used as an expression of nationalism — especially at a time of increased tensions between the two countries.

Why sports matter politically

It’s not surprising that sport has become an arena for nationalist political rhetoric. Sport possesses powerful symbolism that can be exploited to great affect in forming a coherent national identity.

In this way, sporting events are a way fandoms can reinforce national identity as an objective symbol that connects to primitive forms of national ideology.

Sport is also a powerful psychological setting for national rhetoric. A person’s social identity, or how they see themselves in relation to others, can be reinforced through sport. This can happen, for instance, when someone views themselves as a member of a team and celebrates their success, or views a rival team or country in a negative light after a loss.

Additionally, the outcome of a game can boost in-group favouritism, which can influence whether consumers buy goods from a specific vendor.

Nationalism versus patriotism

Generally, research suggests sports reinforce a national in-group identity that is more patriotic than nationalistic. However, the vitriol Canadians have expressed during the American national anthem leans towards expressing nationalist views rather than patriotic ones.

Patriotism typically focuses on why a country is great without necessarily disparaging outsiders or other countries. Nationalism, on the other hand, tends to play up why one’s country is great while vilifying another country or group.

Trump’s focus on using tariffs to bully Canada into increasing security at the border has undoubtedly soured relations between the two countries. If Trump decides to flex the United States’ capacity to be a bully in U.S.-Canadian relations, Canada is stuck with limited options.

But are Canadians playing right into Donald Trump’s hand by leaning into an adversarial relationship?

How Trump uses sports for political gain

Trump has a history of using major sporting events to his political benefit. During his last presidential campaign, he attended the Army-Navy football game and became the first sitting president to attend the recent Super Bowl in New Orleans.

Trump also considered attending the 4 Nations final between the U.S. and Canada in Boston, but couldn’t attend due to a scheduled speech with U.S. governors. Still, he made his presence felt by calling the American team the morning before the game to wish them luck.

Looking ahead, Trump may continue to use international sporting events to assert his vision for U.S. relations with Canada and Mexico.

In January, Trump invited Gianni Infantino, the head of FIFA, to his inauguration, just as preparations have begun for the 2026 World Cup, which is to be hosted by Canada, Mexico and the U.S.

With Infantino and Trump becoming increasingly friendly, it seems likely Trump will use the upcoming World Cup to influence North American relations. At the very least, he will likely try to insert himself into its coverage.

Trump using sport to reinforce his image

Beyond politics, Trump uses sports to play into his crafted image as a hyper-masculine man. This image has played a large part in Trump’s popularity among young men and helped him win a second term as president.

Yet Trump does not necessarily fit the masculine norms his supporters lionize. Trump is fairly tall, which has been shown to be preferred among American voters. However, unlike past presidents such as Dwight D. Eisenhower and Richard Nixon, who played college football, Trump’s athletic background is limited to high school football.

Nor did Trump serve in the military like previous presidents John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan, both of whom served in the Second World War. Trump, by contrast, avoided service during the Vietnam war for medical and educational reasons.

Despite a lack of traditional masculine bonafides, Trump has shown an ability to use sporting events for his political gain. He has used sporting events as potent media environments to insert his talking points and burnish his masculine image.

In the end, the boos from Canadian fans may be music to Donald Trump’s ears. He wants to be hated by outsiders so he can turn around to his supporters and say that the U.S. is under attack at its borders. He wants the sporting accomplishments of the American men’s teams to reflect on his strength.

It can still go against him, as we saw Thursday night with Canada beating the U.S. in overtime. Justin Trudeau wasted no time using that moment to respond with strong rhetoric in a tweet.

What happened on the ice was out of Trump’s control. But he used the event to serve his own goals, sowing greater divisiveness across borders. The shadow of his combative rhetoric loomed large over the entire event.

Noah Eliot Vanderhoeven 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. More than just a game: How sports are reflecting Canada-U.S. tensions – https://theconversation.com/more-than-just-a-game-how-sports-are-reflecting-canada-u-s-tensions-250385

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

February 26, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: NASA’s Lucy Spacecraft Takes Its 1st Images of Asteroid Donaldjohanson

Source: NASA

NASA’s Lucy spacecraft has its next flyby target, the small main belt asteroid Donaldjohanson, in its sights. By blinking between images captured by Lucy on Feb. 20 and 22, this animation shows the perceived motion of Donaldjohanson relative to the background stars as the spacecraft rapidly approaches the asteroid.

Lucy will pass within 596 miles (960 km) of the 2-mile-wide asteroid on April 20. This second asteroid encounter for the Lucy spacecraft will serve as a dress-rehearsal for the spacecraft’s main targets, the never-before-explored Jupiter Trojan asteroids. Lucy already successfully observed the tiny main belt asteroid Dinkinesh and its contact-binary moon, Selam, in November 2023. Lucy will continue to image Donaldjohanson over the next two months as part of its optical navigation program, which uses the asteroid’s apparent position against the star background to ensure an accurate flyby.
Donaldjohanson will remain an unresolved point of light during the spacecraft’s long approach and won’t start to show surface detail until the day of the encounter.
From a distance of 45 million miles (70 million km), Donaldjohanson is still dim, though it stands out clearly in this field of relatively faint stars in the constellation of Sextans. Celestial north is to the right of the frame, and the 0.11-degree field of view would correspond to 85,500 miles (140,000 km) at the distance of the asteroid. In the first of the two images, another dim asteroid can be seen photobombing in the lower right quadrant of the image. However, just as the headlights of an approaching car often appear relatively stationary, Donaldjohanson’s apparent motion between these two images is much smaller than that of this interloper, which has moved out of the field of view in the second image.
These observations were made by Lucy’s high-resolution camera, the L’LORRI instrument — short for Lucy LOng Range Reconnaissance Imager — provided by the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland.
Asteroid Donaldjohanson is named for anthropologist Donald Johanson, who discovered the fossilized skeleton — called “Lucy” — of a human ancestor. NASA’s Lucy mission is named for the fossil.
Lucy’s principal investigator, Hal Levison, is based out of the Boulder, Colorado, branch of Southwest Research Institute, headquartered in San Antonio. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, provides overall mission management, systems engineering, and safety and mission assurance. Lockheed Martin Space in Littleton, Colorado, built the spacecraft. Lucy is the 13th mission in NASA’s Discovery Program. NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, manages the Discovery Program for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
For more information about NASA’s Lucy mission, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/lucy
By Katherine KretkeSouthwest Research Institute
Media Contact:Nancy N. JonesNASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.

MIL OSI USA News –

February 26, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: AGU 2024: NASA Science on Display in the Nation’s Capital

Source: NASA

Introduction
The American Geophysical Union (AGU) returned to the nation’s capital in 2024, hosting its annual meeting at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC from December 9–14, 2024. NASA Science upheld its long-standing tradition as an AGU partner and exhibitor, leveraging the meeting as an opportunity to share NASA’s cutting-edge research, data, and technology with the largest collection of Earth and planetary science professionals in the world. Many of the estimated 25,000 students, scientists, and industry personnel who attended the conference visited the NASA Science exhibit, interacting with NASA subject matter experts as detailed in the essay that follows – see Photo 1. Visitors also watched live Hyperwall presentations and collected NASA Science outreach materials, such as the 2025 NASA Science Planning Guide.

Highlights from the NASA Science Exhibit
NASA Hyperwall Stories
The NASA Hyperwall has been a focal point of the agency’s outreach efforts for over two decades, serving as both a powerful storytelling platform and the primary vehicle through which the public engages with the award-winning visualizations published by NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio (SVS) – see Photo 2. Forty-nine NASA mission scientists and program representatives shared NASA science with the public from the Hyperwall stage during AGU24. NASA leadership shared mission news and outlined upcoming research across all five of the NASA Science divisions: Earth science, planetary science, heliophysics, astrophysics, and biological and physical sciences – see Photos 3–8. A catalog of NASA project scientists and mission representatives, who provided colorful overviews of everything from NASA’s Mars Sample Return to the Parker Solar Probe’s historic flyby of the Sun, delivered additional presentations.

The complete AGU24 Hyperwall schedule is available at this link. Readers can view YouTube videos of the presentations via links over the individual names in the photo captions below.

During AGU, NASA also celebrated the winners of the 2024 AGU Michael Freilich Student Visualization Competition, an annual competition honoring former NASA Earth Science Division director Michael Freilich that inspires students to develop creative strategies for effectively communicating complex scientific problems – see Photo 9. See the summary of “Symposium on Earth Science and Applications from Space…” [The Earth Observer, Mar–Apr 2020, Volume 32 Issue 3, 4–18] to learn more about Freilich’s career at NASA and impact on Earth science. A list of the award’s past recipients, dating back to the 2016, is published on AGU’s website.

Face-to-face With NASA Experts
AGU opened its exhibit hall to the public at 10:00 AM on December 9. Thousands of eager attendees poured into the space to engage with exhibit staff, representing a variety of universities, research institutions, and private organizations from around the world.

NASA Science welcomed AGU attendees, who gathered within the perimeter of the exhibit shortly after opening – see Photo 10 – where NASA staff distributed the 2025 NASA Science Planning Guide – see Photo 11.
Attendees filtered through the NASA Science booth by the thousands, where more than 130 outreach specialists and subject matter experts from across the agency were available to share mission-specific science and interface directly with members of the public – see Photos 12–15.

AGU attendees met with project scientists and experts at a new exhibit, called “Ask Me Anything.” The discussions spanned a variety of NASA missions, including Mars Sample Return, James Webb Space Telescope, and Parker Solar Probe, with specialists from these and other missions who spoke during the sessions – see Photo 16. An installation of NASA’s Earth Information Center also made an appearance at AGU24, providing attendees with additional opportunities to speak with Earth scientists and learn more about NASA research – see Photo 17.

2024 SMD Strategic Content and Integration Meeting
As they have done for many years now, staff and leadership from NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Engagement Branch convened in Washington, DC on December 8 (the day before the Fall AGU meeting began) to discuss agency communications and outreach priorities. This annual meeting provided personnel from each of SMD’s scientific divisions a valuable opportunity to highlight productive strategies and initiatives from the previous calendar year and chart a path for the year ahead. During the single-day event, team leaders shared information related to NASA’s web-modernization efforts, digital outreach strategies, and exhibit presence. Approximately 150 in-person and 50 online NASA staff joined the hybrid meeting.
After a welcome from Steve Graham [GSFC/GST—NASA Science Support Office Task Leader], who covered meeting logistics, the participants heard from NASA Headquarters’ SMD Engagement and Communication representatives throughout the day.
Amy Kaminski [Engagement Branch Chief], who recently replaced Kristen Erickson in this role, used this opportunity to more formally introduce herself to those who might not know her and share her visions for engagement. Karen Fox [Senior Science Communications Official] discussed the evolution of communication for SMD missions over the past decade – moving from siloed communications a decade ago that very much focused on “my mission,” to a much more cooperation between missions and focus on thematic communications. Following up on Kaminski’s remarks that gave an overall vision for engagement, and Fox’s remarks about how having a vision will help streamline our messaging, Alex Lockwood [Strategic Messaging and Engagement Lead] delved into the nuts and bolts of strategic planning, with focus on the use of work packages and memorandums of understanding for promoting upcoming missions.
After the leadership set the tone for the meeting, Emily Furfaro [NASA Science Digital Manager] gave a rapid tour of many of NASA’s digital assets intended to give participants an idea of the vast resources available for use. Diana Logreira [NASA Science Public Web Manager] then laid out some principles to be followed in developing unified vision for the NASA Science public web experience.
In the afternoon, there were individual breakout sessions for the Earth Science, Planetary Science, and Heliophysics divisions. These sub-meetings were led by Ellen Gray, Erin Mahoney, and Deb Hernandez, Engagement Leads for Earth Science, Heliophysics, and Planetary Sciences respectively. These breakout sessions afforded participants with an opportunity to focus on ideas and goals specific to their own divisions for 2025. In the Earth Science breakout session, participants heard from other several other speakers who discussed the beats, or content focus areas, that had been chosen for Earth Science Communications in 2024 – including oceans and Earth Action (formerly known as Applied Sciences) – and those that have been identified for 2025: technology, land science, and continued focus on Earth Action.

After participants reconvened from the breakouts, Nicola Fox [Associate Administrator, Science Mission Directorate] gave a mid-afternoon presentation in which she presented her perspective on integrated NASA science, which led into a one-hour “Ask Us” panel with Division Directors to conclude the meeting. Participants included: Mark Clampin [Astrophysics], Lisa Carnell [Biological], Julie Robinson [Earth Science, Deputy], Joe Westlake [Heliophysics], John Gagosian [Joint Agency Satellite], Charles Webb [Planetary Science, Acting].
Based on this meeting, and other communications guidance from NASA HQ, a few general SMD/Earth Science content and engagement priorities for 2025 have emerged. They include:

Conclusion
The NASA exhibit is an important component of the agency’s presence at AGU, and NASA leverages its large cohort of scientists who participate in the exchange of information and ideas outside of the exhibit hall – in plenary meetings, workshops, poster sessions, panels, and informal discussions. AGU sessions and events that featured NASA resources, scientists, and program directors included the Living with a Star Town Hall, NASA’s Early Career Research Program, NASA’s Sea Level Change Team: Turning Research into Action, and many more. Click here for the complete list of NASA-related events at AGU24.
As the final event in a busy calendar of annual scientific conferences, AGU is often an opportunity for NASA scientists to publish findings from the previous year and set goals for the year ahead. Just as they did in 2024, the agency’s robust portfolio of missions and programs will continue to set new records, such as NASA’s Parker Solar Probe pass of the Sun, and conduct fundamental research in the fields of Earth and space science.
The 2025 AGU annual meeting will be held at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, in New Orleans, LA, from December 15–19, 2025. See you there.
Nathan MarderNASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/Global Science & Technology Inc.nathan.marder@nasa.gov

MIL OSI USA News –

February 26, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Sharing PLANETS Curriculum with Out-of-School Time Educators

Source: NASA

Out of school time (OST) educators work with youth in afterschool, community, and camp programs. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) learning in OST can be challenging for multiple reasons, including lack of materials and support for educators. The NASA Science Activation program’s PLANETS project – Planetary Learning that Advances the Nexus of Engineering, Technology, and Science – led by Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, AZ, provides both written curriculum and virtual educator support on planetary science and engineering.
PLANETS offers three curriculum units focused on themes from NASA’s strategic priorities and mission directives in planetary science over the next decade:

Space Hazards for learners in grades 3-5,
Water in Extreme Environments, and
Remote Sensing for learners in grades 6-8.

PLANETS recently exhibited at two national conferences for educators to share these free NASA partner resources: the Space Exploration Educators Conference at Space Center Houston in Houston, TX on Feb 6-8, 2025 and the Beyond School Hours conference in Orlando, FL on Feb 13-16, 2025. Approximately 500 educators interacted with PLANETS team members to learn about the curriculum and to share their needs for OST learners. Some educators shared how they are already using PLANETS and how much their learners enjoy the lessons. In addition to sharing PLANETS resources, the team also had QR codes and flyers providing information about all the other Science Activation project teams, making sure educators grow in awareness of all that NASA’s Science Mission Directorate does to engage the public.
OST educators appreciate the integrity and quality of NASA-funded resources. One educator shared, “Free resources are always critical to youth-serving organizations. PLANETS also has everyday materials and educator dialogue on how to deliver, making it easy to pick up and use.”
Another OST educator said, “There are programs out there, like PLANETS, that truly help people of all backgrounds,” and yet another expressed, “I love the activities, and could see our youth engaging with it in a fun way.” Disseminating these types of NASA Science Activation program resources at regional and national venues is vital.
The PLANETS project is supported by NASA under cooperative agreement award number NNX16AC53A and is part of NASA’s Science Activation Portfolio. Learn more about how Science Activation connects NASA science experts, real content, and experiences with community leaders to do science in ways that activate minds and promote deeper understanding of our world and beyond: https://science.nasa.gov/learn

MIL OSI USA News –

February 26, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: NASA’s Europa Clipper Uses Mars to Go the Distance

Source: NASA

The orbiter bound for Jupiter’s moon Europa will investigate whether the moon is habitable, but it first will get the help of Mars’ gravitational force to get to deep space.
On March 1, NASA’s Europa Clipper will streak just 550 miles (884 kilometers) above the surface of Mars for what’s known as a gravity assist — a maneuver to bend the spacecraft’s trajectory and position it for a critical leg of its long voyage to the Jupiter system. The close flyby offers a bonus opportunity for mission scientists, who will test their radar instrument and thermal imager.
Europa Clipper will be closest to the Red Planet at 12:57 p.m. EST, approaching it at about 15.2 miles per second (24.5 kilometers per second) relative to the Sun. For about 12 hours prior and 12 hours after that time, the spacecraft will use the gravitational pull of Mars to pump the brakes and reshape its orbit around the Sun. As the orbiter leaves Mars behind, it will be traveling at a speed of about 14 miles per second (22.5 kilometers per second).
The flyby sets up Europa Clipper for its second gravity assist — a close encounter with Earth in December 2026 that will act as a slingshot and give the spacecraft a velocity boost. After that, it’s a straightforward trek to the outer solar system; the probe is set to arrive at Jupiter’s orbit in April 2030.
“We come in very fast, and the gravity from Mars acts on the spacecraft to bend its path,” said Brett Smith, a mission systems engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. “Meanwhile, we’re exchanging a small amount of energy with the planet, so we leave on a path that will bring us back past Earth.”

[embedded content]
This animation depicts NASA’s Europa Clipper as it flies by the Red Planet. The spacecraft will use the planet’s gravity to bend its path slightly, setting up the next leg of its long journey to investigate Jupiter’s icy moon Europa. NASA/JPL-Caltech

Harnessing Gravity
Europa Clipper launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Oct. 14, 2024, via a SpaceX Falcon Heavy, embarking on a 1.8-billion-mile (2.9-billion-kilometer) trip to Jupiter, which is five times farther from the Sun than Earth is. Without the assists from Mars in 2025 and from Earth in 2026, the 12,750-pound (6,000-kilogram) spacecraft would require additional propellant, which adds weight and cost, or it would take much longer to get to Jupiter.
Gravity assists are baked into NASA’s mission planning, as engineers figure out early on how to make the most of the momentum in our solar system. Famously, the Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 spacecraft, which launched in 1977, took advantage of a once-in-a-lifetime planetary lineup to fly by the gas giants, harnessing their gravity and capturing data about them.
While navigators at JPL, which manages Europa Clipper and Voyager, have been designing flight paths and using gravity assists for decades, the process of calculating a spacecraft’s trajectory in relation to planets that are constantly on the move is never simple.
“It’s like a game of billiards around the solar system, flying by a couple of planets at just the right angle and timing to build up the energy we need to get to Jupiter and Europa,” said JPL’s Ben Bradley, Europa Clipper mission planner. “Everything has to line up — the geometry of the solar system has to be just right to pull it off.”

Refining the Path
Navigators sent the spacecraft on an initial trajectory that left some buffer around Mars so that if anything were to go wrong in the weeks after launch, Europa Clipper wouldn’t risk impacting the planet. Then the team used the spacecraft’s engines to veer closer to Mars’ orbit in what are called trajectory correction maneuvers, or TCMs.
Mission controllers have performed three TCMs to set the stage for the Mars gravity assist — in early November, late January, and on Feb. 14. They will conduct another TCM about 15 days after the Mars flyby to ensure the spacecraft is on track and are likely to conduct additional ones — upwards of 200 — throughout the mission, which is set to last until 2034.
Opportunity for Science
While navigators are relying on the gravity assist for fuel efficiency and to keep the spacecraft on their planned path, scientists are looking forward to the event to take advantage of the close proximity to the Red Planet and test two of the mission’s science instruments.
About a day prior to the closest approach, the mission will calibrate the thermal imager, resulting in a multicolored image of Mars in the months following as the data is returned and scientists process the data. And near closest approach, they’ll have the radar instrument perform a test of its operations — the first time all its components will be tested together. The radar antennas are so massive, and the wavelengths they produce so long that it wasn’t possible for engineers to test them on Earth before launch.
More About Europa Clipper
Europa Clipper’s three main science objectives are to determine the thickness of the moon’s icy shell and its interactions with the ocean below, to investigate its composition, and to characterize its geology. The mission’s detailed exploration of Europa will help scientists better understand the astrobiological potential for habitable worlds beyond our planet.
Managed by Caltech in Pasadena, California, JPL leads the development of the Europa Clipper mission in partnership with the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington. APL designed the main spacecraft body in collaboration with JPL and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, and Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. The Planetary Missions Program Office at Marshall executes program management of the Europa Clipper mission. NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at Kennedy, managed the launch service for the Europa Clipper spacecraft.
Find more information about Europa Clipper here:

Europa Clipper

News Media Contacts
Gretchen McCartneyJet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.818-287-4115gretchen.p.mccartney@jpl.nasa.gov
Karen Fox / Molly WasserNASA Headquarters, Washington202-358-1600karen.c.fox@nasa.gov / molly.l.wasser@nasa.gov
2025-024

MIL OSI USA News –

February 26, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: NASA Prepares Gateway Lunar Space Station for Journey to Moon

Source: NASA

Assembly is underway for Gateway’s Power and Propulsion Element, the module that will power the lunar space station’s journey to and around the Moon as part of NASA’s Artemis campaign.

NASA’s Artemis IV astronauts will be the first to inhabit the Gateway lunar space station, opening the door to greater exploration of the Moon and paving the way to Mars. Gateway’s Power and Propulsion Element, which will make the station the most powerful solar electric spacecraft ever flown, takes shape at Maxar Space Systems. In lunar orbit, Gateway will allow NASA to conduct unique science and exploration while preparing astronauts to go to the Red Planet.
Technicians install key hardware on the element’s Propulsion Bus Module following installation of both electric propulsion and chemical propulsion control modules. The image highlights a propellant tank exposed on the right, positioned within the central cylinder of the element.
The Power and Propulsion Element will launch with Gateway’s HALO (Habitation and Logistics Outpost) ahead of NASA’s Artemis IV mission. During Artemis IV, V, and VI, international crews of astronauts will assemble the lunar space station around the Moon and embark on expeditions to the Moon’s South Pole region.
The Power and Propulsion Element is managed out of NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland and built by Maxar Space Systems in Palo Alto, California.
Gateway is an international collaboration to establish humanity’s first lunar space station as a central component of the Artemis architecture designed to return humans to the Moon for scientific discovery and chart a path for the first human missions to Mars.

MIL OSI USA News –

February 26, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Cantwell-Led Fusion Energy Commercialization Commission Releases Roadmap to Secure American Leadership in Fusion Energy

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell
02.25.25
Cantwell-Led Fusion Energy Commercialization Commission Releases Roadmap to Secure American Leadership in Fusion Energy
Cantwell: Expanding fusion can help “meet our growing electricity demand, lower emissions, & increase export opportunities”
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, the Commission on the Scaling of Fusion Energy, which is co-chaired by 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, and Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee; Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID), chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; and Ylli Bajraktari, President, Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP), released a preliminary report titled “Fusion Power: Enabling 21st Century American Dominance.”
“Fusion could provide vast amounts of the type of power we need to keep electricity prices down and increase America’s economic competitiveness,” said Sen. Cantwell. “This preliminary report provides a roadmap for how the United States could lead the world in fusion commercialization in order to meet our growing electricity demand, lower emissions, and increase export opportunities.”
Fusion, the same process that powers the sun, typically utilizes an inexhaustible supply of water as its fuel, and produces negligible atmospheric emissions and zero greenhouse gas emissions. Fusion reactors cannot melt down, and do not generate the high-level, long-lasting radioactive waste associated with nuclear fission reactors.
The Commission’s recommendations are organized into three categories:
Declare Fusion a National Security Priority: The United States should prioritize fusion energy development. A presidential executive order should articulate a National Fusion Goal and establish a national fusion strategy led by the Department of Energy (DOE), with a 90-day action plan to streamline regulations, organize public and private stakeholders, and align the necessary resources. This will ensure U.S. leadership in fusion energy, which is vital for national prosperity and security.
Establish Fusion Leadership and Drive Commercialization: A political appointee at the DOE should be appointed as the national “Fusion Lead” and be empowered to implement the Fusion Executive Order (EO). This senior leader should report to the Secretary and oversee existing DOE fusion commercialization programs, develop the 90-day action plan, and dismantle bureaucratic obstacles.
Strategic Investment to Win the Fusion Race: The United States will not be able to achieve fusion power unless it invests in the fundamental building blocks of commercial fusion: infrastructure, supply chain, and talent. To outpace China, the United States should make a one-time investment towards these strategic assets, de-risk multiple commercial fusion pathways, and sustain basic research to cultivate the next generation of fusion science.
The 13-member Commission on the Scaling of Fusion Energy, first announced in Fall 2023 at SCSP’s Global Emerging Technology Summit, aims to position the United States not only as the leader in fusion science but also in its scaling as the technology matures. The Commission will hold sessions throughout 2025, culminating in its final report later this year.
This effort represents a step towards ensuring U.S. leadership in a transformative technology, with implications for national security, economic prosperity, and energy independence. The Commission’s work will lay the foundation for a future where fusion energy could be the key pillar of global energy infrastructure.
Sen. Cantwell is a leading Senate champion for the development and deployment of fusion energy.
In July 2024, Sen. Cantwell hosted a Pacific Northwest Energy Summit, joining U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) and regional energy stakeholders to discuss technological and policy solutions that will ensure NW ratepayers and our regional economy continue to benefit from abundant, affordable, and reliable clean energy. More than 200 business, government, and non-profit energy professionals attended the event.
In May 2023, Sen. Cantwell applauded Everett-based Helion Energy’s announcement that they plan to be the first company in the world to generate and sell electricity from a fusion reactor.
Thanks to leading fusion companies like Helion, as well as Everett-based Zap and Seattle-based Avalanche, many consider the Puget Sound region to be the world’s biggest fusion energy hub.
During a Senate hearing in April 2023, Sen. Cantwell pressed Department of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm about plans to expand federal support for fusion research.
At an Energy Committee hearing in September 2022, Sen. Cantwell asked fusion experts like Dr. Scott Hsu, Lead Fusion Coordinator for the Department of Energy, and Professor Steven Cowley, Director of the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, about what more we can be doing to boost fusion R&D and make sure we can manufacture fusion components domestically.

MIL OSI USA News –

February 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: AAAI Ad Spend Optimizer Hackathon
Source: Government of India

Posted On: 25 FEB 2025 6:30PM by PIB Delhi

Smart Solutions for Ad Spend Optimization

Introduction

The AdSpend Optimizer Hackathon part of the WAVES Create India Challenge Season 1 is an exciting event that brings together industry experts to revolutionize ad spend optimization using predictive analytics. Organized by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in collaboration with the Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI), this hackathon offers a platform to address key challenges, share expertise and drive growth in the advertising sector. With 35 registrations so far, including 1 international participant the event is gaining momentum.

The World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit (WAVES) in its first edition is a unique hub and spoke platform poised for the convergence of the entire Media and Entertainment (M&E) sector. The event is a premier global event that aims to bring the focus of the global M&E industry to India and connect it with the Indian M&E sector along with its talent.

The summit will take place from May 1-4, 2025 at the Jio World Convention Centre & Jio World Gardens in Mumbai. With a focus on four key pillars—Broadcasting & Infotainment, AVGC-XR, Digital Media & Innovation, and Films-WAVES will bring together leaders, creators and technologists to showcase the future of India’s entertainment industry.

The AAAI Ad Spend Optimizer Hackathon is a part of the Broadcasting & Infotainment pillar. It invites young advertising and marketing professionals from India and beyond to showcase their expertise in ad optimization. Participants will use data science, machine learning and statistical modeling to create solutions that help advertisers make data-driven decisions, maximize ROI and achieve their marketing goals.

Participation Criteria

The AAAI Ad Spend Optimizer Hackathon invites professionals to craft innovative ad strategies:
- Participate individually or in teams (max 3 members), with a mix of skills in data science, Machine Learning, statistics, software, marketing and advertising.
- Open to professionals from advertising agencies (full service, media, digital) or marketing departments, with at least 1 year of experience.
- Develop a strategy to meet TrimMaster’s marketing objectives within a set budget.
- Participants are required to submit their solution in the form of a PowerPoint presentation.
Shaping TrimMaster’s Brand Strategy

Participants can use the case “TrimMaster – Enhancing Brand Strategy for Male Grooming” to elevate top-funnel marketing efforts.

Background: TrimMaster is a well-known direct-to-consumer brand that specializes in male grooming products. Their main product the PrecisionTrim trimmer has become popular among customers. However, even with a great product and growing customer base TrimMaster faces challenges in taking its brand awareness to the next level.

Current Situation: TrimMaster’s research shows a strong link between brand searches and unaided awareness. Currently, the brand has an unaided awareness score of 52 which is solid but leaves room for growth. With increasing competition in the male grooming market TrimMaster aims to boost brand searches to improve overall brand recall and awareness.

Challenges: TrimMaster’s marketing team faces key challenges in optimizing top-funnel marketing efforts:

Objective: TrimMaster aims to raise its unaided brand awareness score from 52 to 75 through an optimized ad spend strategy across multiple channels, ensuring measurable impact on brand lift and ROI. The budget is Rs 2,00,00,000/- (Two Crore). Focus on:

Evaluation Criteria

Participants’ brand strategies will be evaluated based on these key parameters:

Prizes

The winning individuals and teams will receive:
- The top 3 will present their solutions at the WAVES event (details to be announced) with travel expenses reimbursed.
- Exciting prizes for exceptional presentations.
- AAAI will cover the registration costs for the top 3 to participate in Advertising Festivals/Conferences in India.
Conclusion

The AAAI Ad Spend Optimizer Hackathon part of the WAVES Create India Challenge invites professionals to develop innovative strategies to optimize ad spend and boost brand awareness for TrimMaster. With exciting prizes and the chance to present at WAVES, this is a unique opportunity to shape the future of advertising and make a real impact.

References

Click here to see PDF.

*****

Santosh Kumar/ Ritu Kataria/ Kamna Lakaria

(Release ID: 2106195) Visitor Counter : 34

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –
February 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: “Space economy expected to increase five-fold from 8 bn $ to 44 bn $ in few years making value addition in Indian economy and moving towards Viksit Bharat @2047” says Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh

Source: Government of India

“Space economy expected to increase five-fold from 8 bn $ to 44 bn $ in few years making value addition in Indian economy and moving towards Viksit Bharat @2047” says Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh

2014 was a pivotal turning point for India’s space journey, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took an out-of-box decision to “unlock” India’s Space sector

Prime Minister Narendra Modi increased Space budget almost three times from 5,615 crore in 2013-14 to 13,416 crore in 2025-2026: Dr. Singh

“Jammu & Kashmir emerging as a role model in Agri-tech startups with the success of the Aroma Mission: Purple Revolution” highlights Dr. Jitendra Singh

Posted On: 25 FEB 2025 5:41PM by PIB Delhi

“India’s Space economy is expected to increase fivefold from 8 bn $ to 44 bn $ in next few years, making value addition in the Indian economy and moving towards Viksit Bharat in 2047”.

This was stated here today by Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Earth Sciences, MoS PMO, Department of Atomic Energy and Department of Space and MoS Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Dr. Jitendra Singh while addressing the “Business Conclave” organized by the Times Network in New Delhi.

The Minister highlighted the remarkable progress achieved by the Indian space sector, citing the increased space budget as a key factor driving this success. He noted that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the space budget has almost tripled—from ₹5,615 crore in 2013-14 to ₹13,416 crore in 2025-2026, reflecting the government’s commitment to fostering growth in the space sector.

Dr. Jitendra Singh pointed to 2014 as a pivotal turning point for India’s space journey, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took an out-of-box decision to “unlock” India’s Space sector, marking a proactive shift in government policies. He credited the enabling environment created by the Modi government, which had thrown open the gates of Sriharikota for the public and opened up the space sector for private sector participation, bringing in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh addressing at the “Business Conclave” organized by the Times Network in New Delhi.

This strategic approach, initiated with the personal intervention of PM Narendra Modi, is creating synergy between the government and non-government sectors through frameworks such as the NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) and In-SPACe, boosting innovation and opportunities across the space industry. He added that first Generation space Startups have become successful enterprises.

Dr. Jitendra Singh also spoke about the historic milestones of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), such as becoming the first nation to successfully reach the South Pole of the Moon.

While ISRO’s journey began when other nations had already sent humans to the moon, Dr. Jitendra Singh highlighted how India is now leading the way in space exploration with cost-effective and indigenous technologies. Citing the Chandrayaan mission, which was executed at just ₹600 crore—half the cost of similar missions by other countries—he emphasized India’s rise as a global leader in space, science and technology.

The Minister underscored the transformative impact of space technology on various sectors. He drew attention to the Swamitva Scheme, which uses satellite mapping and drone technology for land record mapping, eliminating the reliance on revenue officials.

Dr. Jitendra Singh also discussed ISRO’s role in improving communication and connectivity, reinforcing India’s self-reliance in space and satellite technology, and highlighted that 433 foreign satellites had been launched by ISRO which earned 292 million Euros and 172 million $.

Dr. Jitendra Singh highlighted India’s efforts to foster an inclusive space ecosystem, with women playing a central role in key space projects like Chandrayaan and Aditya L1. He also spoke about India’s growing prominence on the global stage, citing recent developments such as the US’s invitation to send an Indian astronaut to the International Space Station and other future collaborations between India and international space agencies.

The Minister also pointed to India’s untapped potential in its Himalayan, coastal, and marine resources, which are expected to drive further economic growth and innovation in the coming years. He emphasized how the space sector will play a key role in unlocking these resources for the benefit of the nation.

Dr. Singh also discussed the growing StartUp ecosystem in India, with Jammu & Kashmir emerging as a role model in agri-tech startups. He highlighted the success of the Aroma Mission: Purple Revolution, which featured in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Mann Ki Baat” and showcased at the Republic Day Parade, empowering the youth in the region. The record number of tourists visiting Jammu and Kashmir each season serves as a testament to the region’s growing development and peace.

In closing, Dr Jitendra Singh affirmed that India is committed to leading the global space race with entirely indigenously developed technologies that are cost-effective, futuristic, and designed for sustainable growth. He concluded by reiterating that India’s space sector will not only follow the global path but will also carve out its own leadership role on the world stage, marking a new era in space exploration.

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NKR/PSM

(Release ID: 2106162) Visitor Counter : 45

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

February 26, 2025
MIL-OSI: Virtu Financial Announces Fifth Annual Women in Data Science Conference

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

NEW YORK, Feb. 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Virtu Financial, Inc. (Nasdaq: VIRT), a leading provider of financial services and products that leverages cutting edge technology to deliver innovative, transparent trading solutions to its clients and liquidity to the global markets, today announced its fifth annual Women in Data Science (WiDS) conference. This event continues Virtu’s commitment to fostering education and advancement in data science and technology.

This year’s conference features insightful discussions on core statistical concepts in AI, practical applications of AI in professional and personal settings, and ethical considerations in AI development. Designed for a wide range of attendees—from beginners to seasoned professionals—the event provides a unique opportunity to learn, connect, and engage with experts in the field. Additional event details and registration can be found here.

“We’re proud to host this conference for the fifth consecutive year,” said Erin Stanton, Global Head of Analytics Client Services at Virtu. “With AI rapidly evolving, it’s critical to provide a space where professionals can learn, share, and discuss AI’s potential applications and implications in a supportive community.”

“At Virtu, we are constantly seeking new avenues to promote and support women in technology fields,” said Doug Cifu, Chief Executive Officer. “The WiDS conference exemplifies our dedication to empowering the next generation of innovators and data leaders.”

Virtu’s WiDS conference will take place on February 26, March 5 and March 12 and is open to professionals at all experience levels. For more information and to register, visit the event website: https://www.virtu.com/wids-2025/.

About Virtu Financial, Inc.
Virtu is a leading financial services firm that leverages cutting-edge technology to provide execution services and data, analytics and connectivity products to its clients and deliver liquidity to the global markets. Leveraging its global market making expertise and infrastructure, Virtu provides a robust product suite including offerings in execution, liquidity sourcing, analytics and broker-neutral, multi-dealer platforms in workflow technology. Virtu’s product offerings allow clients to trade on hundreds of venues across 50+ countries and in multiple asset classes, including global equities, ETFs, foreign exchange, futures, fixed income and myriad other commodities. In addition, Virtu’s integrated, multi-asset analytics platform provides a range of pre- and post-trade services, data products and compliance tools that clients rely upon to invest, trade and manage risk across global markets.

Contact:

Investor Relations and Media Relations
Andrew Smith
investor_relations@virtu.com
media@virtu.com

The MIL Network –

February 26, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: I spy with my little eye: 3 unusual Australian plant ecosystems to spot on your next roadtrip

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences, The University of Melbourne

A boab tree in the Kimberley. Hideaki Edo Photography/Shutterstock

When the growing gets tough, the tough trees and shrubs get growing.

Australia’s environment is brutal. Its ancient, low-nutrient soils and generally low rainfall make it a hard place for plants to grow. Despite this, the continent is filled with wonderfully diverse plant ecosystems.

If you don’t know what you’re looking for, it can be easy to miss these seemingly unremarkable species. So, here are three little-known Australian plant species and ecosystems to look out for during your next roadtrip.

1. Cycads and eucalypts

If you are driving a coastal route along southern New South Wales, keep an eye out for the stunning combination of burrawang cycads (Macrozamia communis) and spotted gum (Corymbia maculata). These species live in harmony along the NSW coastline, from Kempsey to Bega, and inland as far as Mudgee.

Spotted gum trees with burrawang cycad understorey on the Burrawang walking track, NSW South Coast.
Destinations Journey/Shutterstock

If you’re on a road trip, now is the perfect time to talk to children about ancient moving continents, volcanoes and dinosaurs.

Cycads are ancient gymnosperms (cone-bearing plants) which evolved long before the Gondwanan supercontinent separated. These tough, hardy plants saw the dinosaurs come and go, and their relatives are found all around the world.

These cycads form a striking understorey to the spotted gum. As their scientific name (Macrozamia communis) suggests, they form a dense community.

Further north in Queensland, pineapple cycads (Lepidozamia peroffskyana), and Western Australia’s zamia palm (Macrozamia riedlei) are also worth spotting.

Cycad seeds are poisonous, but First Nations Australians worked out a complex process to prepare them for safe eating. This involved dissolving the plant’s toxins in running water, cooking, working and grinding the seeds into a powder.

Spotted gums evolved long after dinosaurs went extinct. Early eucalypt fossils date from about 34 million years ago, while current species are often only a few million years old.

Spotted gums are a great example of how plants that survive tough environments often also do well in difficult urban situations.

Cycads are similarly found growing in poor soils and arid conditions. They have long, glossy leaves up to about 1.5 metres in length with lots of leaflets.

There are both male and female plants. The female cone is an impressive, wide-domed structure that can be almost half a metre across. Its bright orange-red seeds are eaten by foraging marsupials, large birds and flying foxes.

Spotted gums are tall, straight eucalyptus trees with dark green, glossy leaves. Old bark creates dark grey spots against their cream coloured trunk, giving them a mottled look.

It is interesting to see ancient and modern species in such a close community relationship in cycad-spotted gum forests. Both are also well-adapted to the fires that frequent their habitat.

2. Ancient acacias

Travelling inland, the environment gets even tougher. Most large trees disappear and are replaced by woodlands dominated by inland acacia (wattle) species.

These inland acacias are short but mighty, with deep, extensive root systems.

Two of these species, mulga (Acacia aneura) and brigalow (A. harpophylla) are part of Australian folklore. A Banjo Paterson character says: “You know how the brigalow grows […] saplings about as thick as a man’s arm”.

Nutrients and water resources are limited, so mulga and brigalow trees are often evenly spaced across the landscape. This eerie symmetry makes it look like they were planted by humans.

Acacias grow in arid conditions and are what many Australians think of when they envisage the red inland of our continent.
Ashley Whitworth/Shutterstock

Many people are unaware that the twisted, stunted specimens they see are more than 250 years old and occupy vast tracts of the Australian landscape.

Waddy-wood (Acacia peuce) is a rare species of acacia, found in just three locations on the edge of the Simpson Desert. This tree has very strong wood, and was used by Indigenous Australians for making clubs (waddys) and tools for carrying fire.

Inland acacias were widely used by Indigenous Australians for their wood, resins and medicinal properties. They have also been used as fodder for livestock, especially during drought.

These crucial species provide important habitat for other plants and animals. But they are under threat.

As old trees collapse and die, there are no young trees replacing them. This is because of drought and grazing, compounded by climate change.

Desertification – where fertile land is degraded until it essentially becomes desert – is becoming a huge problem due to the massive area dominated by acacias.

3. Boabs

If you’re driving across the Northern Territory and Western Australia, you might come across the mighty boab (Adansonia gregoryii).

These close relatives of the African and Madagascan baobabs floated to Australia as seeds or seedlings around 12 million years ago.

Swollen boab tree trunks (called a caudex) can store thousands of litres of water.
bmphotographer/Shutterstock

These deciduous trees live in mostly dry environments that also experience strong monsoonal-type rains. Boabs trap and store water in their trunks, allowing them not only to survive but thrive.

Their African and Madagascan baobab relatives are sometimes called trees of life, as they support many species.

Australian boabs are similar. They offer habitat, roosting and nesting sites. Their flowers and fruits are food sources to many species of insects and birds.

They were – and are – important trees in First Nations cultures. Carvings and symbols on their trunks can last for more than a century, much longer than on other trees. These are called dendroglyphs.

For example, snake carvings dated to more than 200 years old have been found on boab trees in Northern Australia’s Tanami Desert.

While these special trees are usually found far from the beaten track, they can be spotted growing around Darwin and other remote towns. If you get the chance to see them, count yourself lucky.

Tough terrain, tough trees

Plant communities are remarkably resilient. They also display great creativity when evolving ways to survive tough environments.

Make sure to keep an eye out as you’re exploring Australia and enjoy the fascinating plants our country has to offer.

Gregory Moore 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. I spy with my little eye: 3 unusual Australian plant ecosystems to spot on your next roadtrip – https://theconversation.com/i-spy-with-my-little-eye-3-unusual-australian-plant-ecosystems-to-spot-on-your-next-roadtrip-246129

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

February 26, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: England subsidises drugs like Ozepmic for weight loss. Could Australia follow?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonathan Karnon, Professor of Health Economics, Flinders University

Nomad_Soul/Shutterstock

People with a high body weight living in England can now access subsidised weight-loss drugs to treat their obesity. This includes Wegovy (the weight-loss dose of Ozempic, or semaglutide) and Mounjaro (one of the brand names for tirzepatide).

These drugs, known as GLP-1 agonists, can improve the health of people who are overweight or obese and are unable to lose weight and keep it off using other approaches.

In Australia, the government subsidises the cost of semaglutide (Ozempic) for people with diabetes.

But it is yet to subsidise semaglutide (Wegovy) on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) for weight loss.

This is despite Australia’s regulator approving GLP-1 agonists for people with obesity, and for overweight people with at least one weight-related condition.

This leaves Australians who use Wegovy for weight loss paying around A$450–500 out of pocket per month.

But could Australia follow the England’s lead and list drugs such as Wegovy or Mounjaro on the PBS for weight loss? Doing so could bring the price down to $31.60 ($7.70 concession).

Australia has already knocked back Wegovy for subsidies

The Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) reviews the submissions pharmaceutical companies make for their drug therapies to be subsidised through the PBS.

For every such recommendation, PBAC publishes a public document that summarises the evidence and the reasons for recommending that the drug should be added to the PBS – or not.

In November 2023, PBAC reviewed Novo Nordisk’s submission. It proposed including semaglutide on the PBS for adults with an initial BMI of 40 or above and a diagnosis of at least two weight-related conditions. At least one of these related conditions needed to be obstructive sleep apnoea, osteoarthritis of the knee, or pre-diabetes.

Sleep apnoea was one of the weight-related conditions in the original application.
JPC-PROD/Shutterstock

However, PBAC concluded semaglutide should not be subsidised through the PBS because it didn’t consider the drug cost-effective at the price proposed.

PBAC referred to evidence on the long-term benefits from weight loss for people at increased risk of developing heart disease, diabetes or having a stroke. However, it didn’t factor these effects into its calculations when estimating the cost-effectiveness of semaglutide.

The committee suggested a future submission could focus on patients with either pre-existing cardiovascular (heart) disease, type 2 diabetes, or at least two markers of “high cardiometabolic risk”. This could include hypertension (high blood pressure), high cholesterol, chronic kidney disease, fatty liver disease or pre-diabetes.

What did England decide?

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has a similar role to the PBAC, informing decisions to subsidise medicines in England.

As a result of NICE’s recommendation, semaglutide is subsidised in England for adults with at least one weight-related condition and BMI of 30 or above. Patients must be treated by a specialist weight-management service and prescriptions are for a maximum of two years.

More recently, NICE approved another GLP-1 agonist, tirzepatide, for adults with at least one weight-related condition and a BMI of 35 or above.

This approval didn’t restrict prescriptions to those treated in a specialist weight-management service. However, only 220,000 of the 3.4 million who meet the eligibility criteria will receive tirzepatide in the next three years. It is not clear how the 220,000 patients will be selected.

The limits on tirzepatide will reduce the impact of GLP-1 agonists on the health budget. It is also intended to inform the broader roll-out to all eligible patients.

For both semaglutide and tirzepatide, NICE noted that clinicians should consider stopping the treatment if the patient loses less than 5% of their body weight after six months of use.

Australians who use Wegovy for weight loss or heart disease pay A$450–$500 out of pocket per month.
antoniodiazShutterstock

Why did they reach such different decisions?

NICE assessed the use of GLP-1 agonists for a broader population than PBAC: people with one weight-related condition and a BMI of 30 or above.

Another difference was that NICE’s cost-effectiveness analysis included estimates of the longer-term benefits of these drugs in reducing the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular (heart) disease, stroke, knee replacement and bariatric surgery.

The proposed prices of the GLP-1 agonists in England and Australia are not reported. We can only observe the estimated health benefits. These are represented as the additional number of “quality-adjusted life years” (QALYs) associated with using the drugs. One QALY is the equivalent of one additional year of life in best imaginable health.

Committees estimate the amount of additional health spending required to gain QALYs, to see if it’s worth the public investment. Looking at the committees’ estimates of weight-loss drugs (without a two-year maximum):
- NICE reported a gain of 0.7 QALYs per patient receiving semaglutide for a target population with a BMI of 30 or more
- PBAC reported a gain of 0.3 QALYs, but for a population with a BMI of 40 and above.
Part of the explanation for the difference in estimated QALY gains is that PBAC did not consider the reduced risk of future weight-related conditions, only the impact on existing conditions.

In contrast, NICE referred to substantial cost offsets due to reduced weight-related conditions, in particular because some patients would avoid developing diabetes.

England and Australia’s estimates of the benefits of Wegovy differed.
Matt Fowler KC/Shutterstock

Time to rethink PBAC’s focus?

Both NICE and PBAC are clearly concerned about the impact of GLP-1 agonists on the health budget.

PBAC is trying to restrict access to a limited pool of people at highest risk. It is also being more conservative than NICE in estimating the expected benefits of GLP-1 agonists. This would require manufacturers to reduce their price in order for PBAC to consider these drugs cost-effective.

Maybe this approach will work and the Australian government will pay less for these drugs the next time it considers publicly funding them.

However, GLP-1 agonists are not on the agenda for the forthcoming PBAC meetings, so there is no timeline for when GLP-1 agonists might be funded in Australia for weight loss.

Read more:
People on Ozempic may have fewer heart attacks, strokes and addictions – but more nausea, vomiting and stomach pain

Jonathan Karnon receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council and the Medical Research Future Fund.

– ref. England subsidises drugs like Ozepmic for weight loss. Could Australia follow? – https://theconversation.com/england-subsidises-drugs-like-ozepmic-for-weight-loss-could-australia-follow-245367
MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –
February 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Journal of Infectious Diseases Publishes Article on 40 Years of NAMRU SOUTH Work and Research

Source: United States Navy (Medical)

LIMA, Peru – U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit (NAMRU) SOUTH published a collection of peer-reviewed articles highlighting the command’s ongoing military medical research efforts in The Journal of Infectious Diseases on February 15.

The articles cover 40 years of NAMRU SOUTH’s medical achievements in infectious disease surveillance, control and prevention in Peru and partner nations in Latin America, with the goal of ensuring U.S. service member readiness, and of reinforcing strategic global alliances.

“The research conducted by NAMRU SOUTH plays a crucial role in detecting and characterizing infectious disease threats that can impact the U.S. warfighter in deployed operations,” said Capt. Michael Prouty, commanding officer for NAMRU SOUTH. “Through the efforts of our dedicated staff, of which 95% are Peruvian nationals, we are able to both maximize service member readiness, and protect the U.S. from emerging infectious diseases. Additionally, through our collaborations with partner nations, we also strengthen these partnerships, enhancing health security for both their military and civilian populations.”

The Journal of Infectious Diseases publishes patient and disease-focused research for scientific audiences, to help translate laboratory science into the clinical and experimental setting. The Journal is produced by the Infectious Diseases Society of America, whose work focuses on research, education and prevention efforts.

NAMRU SOUTH has driven research projects since 1983, when the Peruvian Navy invited the U.S to collaborate on shared health science research objectives.

The command is one of six overseas organizations within the DoD dedicated to the detection, prevention, treatment and preventative measures of infectious disease prevalent in regions where military training, deployments or operations could occur.

“Constant environmental changes contribute to more frequent spread of emerging infectious diseases, potentially threatening DoD’s readiness to achieve and maintain its national defense goals,” explained Dr. Henju Marjuki, chief science officer at NAMRU SOUTH. “The U.S. National Biodefense Strategy recognizes that pathogens are global risks, and that enhancing resilience means strengthening global health defense to protect the nation in the same ways we develop and project conventional defenses.”

NAMRU SOUTH conducts research on a wide range of infectious diseases of military and public health significance, and supports Global Health Engagement through surveillance of those diseases, including dengue fever, malaria, diarrheal diseases and antimicrobial-resistant infections.

NMR&D, led by Naval Medical Research Command, is engaged in a broad spectrum of activity from basic science in the laboratory to field studies in austere and remote areas of the world to investigations in operational environments. In support of the Navy, Marine Corps, and joint U.S. warfighters, enterprise researchers study infectious diseases, biological warfare detection and defense, combat casualty care, environmental health concerns, aerospace and undersea medicine, medical modeling, simulation, operational mission support, epidemiology and behavioral sciences.

MIL Security OSI –

February 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: How Nutriset, a French company, has helped alleviate hunger and create jobs in some of the world’s poorest places

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Nicolas Dahan, Professor of Management, Seton Hall University

Michel Lescanne, founder and president of the French company Nutriset, holds Plumpy’nut packets in 2005. Robert Francois/AFP via Getty Images

About 19 million children under 5 around the world suffer from severe acute malnutrition every year. This life-threatening condition kills 400,000 of them – that’s one child every 10 seconds.

These numbers are staggering, especially because a lifesaving treatment has existed for nearly three decades: “ready-to-use therapeutic food.”

Nutriset, a French company, was founded by Michel Lescanne. He was one of two scientists who invented this product in 1996. A sticky peanut butter paste branded Plumpy’nut, it’s enriched with vitamins and minerals and comes in packets that require no refrigeration or preparation.

Health care professionals were quickly convinced of its promise. What was harder to figure out was how to manufacture as many packets as possible while cutting costs. In 2008, ready-to-use therapeutic food producers like Nutriset charged US$60 for one box of 150 packets – the number needed to treat one severely malnourished child for the 6-8 weeks needed for their recovery.

In a study we published in the Journal of Management Studies in October 2024, we explained how the international agencies, nongovernmental organizations, activists and for-profit companies involved in the product’s distribution managed to resolve a public controversy over the use of Nutriset’s patent and its for-profit business model.

Contrary to the expectations of activists and many humanitarian NGOs, this for-profit company managed to reduce its prices down to $39 per box of Plumpy’nut packets by 2019 and keep them consistently lower than any nonprofit or for-profit competitors could, all the while enforcing its patent rights.

We interviewed Jan Komrska, a pharmacist then serving as the ready-to-use therapeutic food procurement manager at UNICEF, the United Nations agency for children; Tiddo von Schoen-Angerer, a pediatrician who was leading the access to medicines campaign at Doctors Without Borders, a medical charity; and Thomas Couaillet, a Nutriset executive. We also studied documents issued over the course of a decade to find out why this company’s unusual approach to intellectual property protection was so successful.

Helping franchisees in low-income countries get started

Nutriset and humanitarian organizations disagreed at the start over how to proceed with the production of ready-to-use therapeutic food.

Doctors Without Borders at first accused Nutriset of behaving like a big drugmaker, shielding itself from competition by aggressively enforcing its patents to charge excessively high prices. The nongovernmental organization demanded that Nutriset allow any manufacturer to make its patented packets, without any compensation for that intellectual property.

By 2012, Nutriset had changed course. It had stopped being almost the sole producer of ready-to-use therapeutic food and instead allowed licensees and franchisee partners, chiefly located in low-income countries, to make the packets without having to pay any royalties. It did, however, make an exception for the United States. It allowed Edesia, a Rhode Island-based nonprofit, to become a Nutriset franchisee.

It also provided these smaller producers with seed funding and technical advice.

Nutriset is still the world’s largest ready-to-use therapeutic food producer, we have determined through our research. It’s responsible for about 30% to 40% of the world’s annual production, down from more than 90% in 2008.

There are some other U.S. manufacturers, such as Tabatchnick Fine Foods, but they aren’t Nutriset partners.

Nutriset produced this video in 2012 to explain the scale of hunger around the world and how its ready-to-use therapeutic food packets can help.

Threatening legal action

At the same time, the company continued to threaten to take legal action against potential rivals located in developed countries that were replicating their recipe without authorization. Usually, cease-and-desist letters were sufficient.

Nutriset implemented this strategy to ward off competition from big multinational corporations that might try to establish their brands in new markets, gaining a foothold before flooding them with imported ultraprocessed food. A big risk, had that occurred, would have been less breastfeeding for newborns and the disruption of local diets.

Nutriset’s strategy of opening access to its patent selectively has enabled UNICEF to double the share of packets it buys from producers located in the Global South.

UNICEF, the world’s biggest buyer of ready-to-use therapeutic food, bought less than one-third of its supplies from those nations in 2011. That share climbed to two-thirds in 2022.

Nutriset’s reliance on local franchisees has helped create over 1,000 jobs in hunger-stricken regions while strengthening the supply chain and reducing the carbon emissions of transportation, according to UNICEF.

Nutriset’s creative patent strategy also helped its partner producers in low-income countries, which include nonprofit and for-profit ventures, compete with large corporations in developed countries by the time its patent expired in 2018.

In this instance, a for-profit company not only managed to keep its prices lower than its competitors, including nonprofits, but used its patent to support economic development in developing countries by shielding startup producers from international competition.

As a result of these successes, we found that nongovernmental organizations eventually stopped criticizing the French company and recognized that high prices were actually not due to Nutriset’s patent policy but rather to global prices of the packets’ ingredients.

In recognition of its contributions and innovation, Nutriset won the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s Patents for Humanity Award in 2015.

Offering a cheap, convenient and effective treatment

One of the biggest advantages of ready-to-use therapeutic food is that parents or other caregivers can give it to their kids at home or on the go. That’s more convenient and cheaper than the alternative: several months of hospitalization where children receive a nutrient-dense liquid called “therapeutic milk.”

The at-home treatment works most of the time. More than 80% of the children who get three daily food packets recover within two months.

Severe acute malnutrition deaths remain high because historically only 25% to 50% of children suffering from it get treated with ready-to-use therapeutic food, due to insufficient funding. The treatment programs are run by governments, UNICEF and other international agencies, and NGOs such as Doctors Without Borders.

USAID’s funding role

The U.S. government spent about $200 million in 2024 through the U.S. Agency for International Development on ready-to-use therapeutic food, enough packets to treat 3.9 million children. That’s nearly as much as UNICEF, which treats about 5 million children annually.

It’s unclear whether the Trump administration, which is trying to dismantle USAID, will discontinue its funding of ready-to-use therapeutic food that the U.S. government has purchased exclusively from U.S. manufacturers with U.S.-sourced ingredients.

At a time when the flow of development aid from several wealthy countries is declining, the precedent Nutriset set suggests that humanitarian organizations, by teaming up with international agencies, governments and for-profit companies, can help drive down the costs of saving lives threatened by hunger while increasing the nutritional autonomy of the Global South.

But the funding for ready-to-use therapeutic food and its distribution has to come from somewhere, whether it is from governments, foundations or other donors.

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

– ref. How Nutriset, a French company, has helped alleviate hunger and create jobs in some of the world’s poorest places – https://theconversation.com/how-nutriset-a-french-company-has-helped-alleviate-hunger-and-create-jobs-in-some-of-the-worlds-poorest-places-249258

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

February 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: How the Victorians started the modern health obsession with collagen

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Michelle Spear, Professor of Anatomy, University of Bristol

Dream79/Shutterstock

Shimmering, wobbling and painstakingly prepared, jelly was a staple of elite Victorian dining tables. But beneath its elegant presentation lay a deeper significance – one that reveals much about the era’s understanding of bone, health and scientific progress.

By examining what jelly meant to the Victorians, we gain a fascinating insight into how food, science, and social status were entwined, and why our modern fascination with bone broth and collagen supplements is nothing new.

To the Victorians, food was not merely sustenance but spectacle, and few dishes displayed culinary prowess as effectively as jelly.

The ability to produce a flawless, quivering mould showed not only a cook’s technical skill but also a household’s refinement and affluence. A beautifully set table featuring jewel-toned jellies and savoury aspics signified sophistication, wealth and control over one’s domestic sphere.

Despite its seemingly effortless appearance, jelly was among the most labour-intensive dishes a Victorian cook could prepare. Before the advent of commercially available gelatin, creating the perfect jelly required hours of patient work, beginning with the extraction of gelatin from animal bones.

Beneath the quivering surface of a Victorian jelly lies a remarkable structural conversion that begins deep within bone.

The key to jelly is collagen, the most abundant protein in the body and a fundamental component of bone. Collagen provides bone with tensile strength and flexibility, working alongside hydroxyapatite, a crystalline form of calcium phosphate, which lends bone its rigidity.

In its natural state, collagen exists as a tightly wound triple-helix structure – a molecular arrangement that resists breakdown under normal conditions. However, through prolonged exposure to heat and water, this resilient protein undergoes hydrolysis, breaking apart into gelatin — a substance capable of setting liquids into the delicate, tremulous form so prized by the Victorians.

The process begins with the slow simmering of bones, a practice familiar to both culinary and medical traditions.

When bones are boiled in water over extended periods, heat disrupts the hydrogen bonds stabilising the collagen fibrils, causing them to unravel. This process, known as thermal denaturation, leads to the gradual breakdown of collagen’s highly ordered triple helix, transforming it into smaller, soluble protein fragments.

The longer the bones are boiled, the more collagen dissolves, releasing a rich, proteinaceous broth — the precursor to both gelatin and the contemporary trend of bone broth, a healthy soup made by boiling animal bones.

As hydrolysis progresses, collagen loses its fibrous structure, forming a loose network of protein chains that remain suspended in the liquid. Unlike intact collagen, which is rigid and insoluble, these denatured fragments possess the unique ability to trap water molecules within a gel matrix when cooled.

This transformation is the defining characteristic of gelatin: once heated, it dissolves readily into a liquid, but upon cooling, the reformation of weak intermolecular bonds allows it to set into a flexible, semi-solid state.

The final stages of gelatin extraction involve purification and clarification. Victorian kitchens employed traditional methods of refining the broth, often using egg whites to bind to impurities, which were then skimmed from the surface. Once sufficiently clarified, the liquid was left to cool, allowing the gelatin to set into its characteristic wobbly structure.

Unlike modern commercial gelatin, which undergoes industrial processing for uniformity and ease of use, Victorian gelatin varied in strength and purity depending on the bones used and the duration of boiling.

Some bones yielded a stronger gelatin than others, influencing both its setting properties and clarity. Calves’ feet were among the most prized sources, rich in collagen and capable of producing a firm, well-setting jelly.

In contrast, ox bones, though commonly used for broths, contained less collagen and required prolonged boiling to extract enough gelatin, often resulting in a weaker set.

Boiling time was critical in determining gelatin strength. A long, slow simmer (12–24 hours) was optimal. Shorter boiling times, often used for poultry or lighter broths (and lighter bones), resulted in weaker gelatin. However, overboiling (beyond 24–36 hours) risked breaking down the protein structure too much, preventing the gelatin from setting properly.

Collagen and health

The link between gelatin and bone health was not lost on Victorian society. Medical texts of the period frequently recommended gelatin-rich broths for invalids, children, and the elderly, reinforcing the belief that consuming gelatin could replenish and strengthen the body’s own systems.

This intuitive logic mirrors contemporary claims that bone broth supports joint health, digestion and skin elasticity. However, while broth provides collagen and minerals, scientific evidence for its direct functional benefits remains limited.

Collagen from food is broken down during digestion and does not directly restore cartilage or connective tissue. Despite its nutrient content, bone broth is no more beneficial than other protein sources, with its resurgence driven more by slow food and wellness trends than firm scientific backing.

In many ways, the gelatinous dishes that graced Victorian dining tables were as much a product of scientific curiosity as they were of culinary tradition. The transformation of bone into jelly encapsulated an era fascinated by both anatomy and domestic mastery, offering a rare but not exclusive intersection between the dinner table and the laboratory.

Michelle Spear 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. How the Victorians started the modern health obsession with collagen – https://theconversation.com/how-the-victorians-started-the-modern-health-obsession-with-collagen-249215

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

February 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: IAEA Profile: A Woman’s Mission to Advance Nuclear Information Management

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

Dibuleng Mohlakwana speaking at the ‘Innovative Technologies for Nuclear Information Management’ side event during the 68th IAEA General Conference in September 2024. (Photo: IAEA)

The IAEA profiles employees to provide insight into the variety of career paths that support the Agency’s mission of Atoms for Peace and Development and to inspire and encourage readers, particularly women, to pursue careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) or STEM-adjacent fields. Read more profiles of women at the IAEA.

Technology is increasingly shaping how we share and retrieve information, and demand for information continues to grow. As a result, information science stands at the forefront of innovation and knowledge sharing.

“Information is key to driving performance in organizations, just like financial and human resources. Every decision relies on available data and information,” said Dibuleng Mohlakwana, Head of the IAEA Nuclear Information Section. “My mission at the IAEA is to help people make informed decisions and navigate the vast amount of information available today.”

With nearly 30 years of experience in information, knowledge and records management, Mohlakwana oversees the collection and management of nuclear information accessible to the IAEA and the public. Her role also involves introducing innovative tools and techniques to help the IAEA continuously improve how it shares, organizes and makes information accessible.

Born in Limpopo Province, South Africa, Mohlakwana grew up in a family of educators and agriculturalists. From a young age, her family instilled in her the value of hard work, resilience and education, as well as the independence to carve her own path. This gave her a strong foundation for pursuing her ambitions.

“Information science chose me,” Mohlakwana said. “At 17, I was drawn to information science while studying at the University of Limpopo. I realized effective information management is crucial for organizational success, motivating me to ensure that the right information reaches the right people at the right time.” She went on to earn a master’s degree in information and knowledge management and a PhD in information science.

Mohlakwana began her career as a librarian and credits her network and mentors for shaping her along the way. Prior to joining the IAEA, she was Director of the eResearch Knowledge Centre in South Africa where she was responsible for research support, library and information services, and the accessibility of research outputs and data via an open access repository.

As her career progressed, Mohlakwana was motivated by the desire to help address international challenges, particularly energy solutions.

“As I witnessed the growing energy challenges in South Africa, from aging infrastructure to heavy reliance on coal, and the country’s need for solutions like nuclear power expansion, I realized that both the challenges and the solutions were not just local—but global,” said Mohlakwana. “Joining the IAEA was a chance to be part of something larger, to contribute to the global effort in shaping a more sustainable energy future for all.”

MIL Security OSI –

February 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Alcohol ingestion by animals is surprisingly widespread – and we’re starting to understand its impact

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Anna Christina Bowland, PhD Candidate in Biosciences, University of Exeter

Humans may not be the only animals that ingest alcohol, research is suggesting. Studies on animals are showing they may be eating natural ethanol for its medicinal or nutritional properties.

Humans drink alcohol in almost every part of the world, apart from places where people abstain for religious reasons. In the past, many people believed alcohol consumption was unique to humans, but growing evidence is showing we aren’t alone in our taste for booze.

It has long been known that vinegar flies are closely linked to alcohol given their tendency to breed on fermented fruits. However, it turns out they are not an outlier.

When you think of alcohol, you may think of a pint of beer or a glass of wine. But there are many types of alcohol, most of which are extremely toxic. For example, isopropanol (rubbing alcohol), which is commonly used as a disinfectant.

Ethanol, or ethyl alcohol, is the alcohol found in alcoholic beverages, but ethanol is also prevalent in nature. Yeasts, including Saccharomyces cerevisiae, also known as brewer’s yeast, are widespread in the natural environment and produce ethanol (possibly to defend the plant’s sugary resource from competing microorganisms), when they metabolise sugars via fermentation. Many fruits, nectars and saps contain an abundance of sugars. Some of this sugar becomes ethanol when colonised by yeast.

Fruit from plants in Panama, Costa Rica, Singapore, Israel and Finland have been found to contain ethanol, as well as some nectars and saps. The concentration of ethanol in naturally fermenting fruit is typically much lower than those in human-made alcoholic beverages, but some overripe fruit, such as fruits of the black palm (Astrocaryum standleyanum) have ethanol levels similar to a standard beer (5%).

If fruit, nectars and saps ferment in the wild, it is not surprising that some animals may ingest ethanol. Studies, experimental and in the wild, have confirmed insects (including honeybees and butterflies) ingest it, as well as birds (such as hummingbirds, cedar waxwings and bohemian waxwings) and mammals (for example, pen-tailed tree shrews and the slow loris). Non-human primates, including one of our closest living relatives the chimpanzee, ingest it too.

Although examples in the wild are rare, this may be due to lack of research rather than prevalence. Researchers are developing methods that make it easier to measure ethanol in the field, and as more research is conducted, more examples will probably be discovered.

Do animals get drunk?

There are many anecdotes of “drunk” animals, from moose to elephants, but none of these cases have actually been validated. From an evolutionary standpoint, being drunk is disadvantageous. Intoxicated animals could be more susceptible to injury or predation, and less likely to survive.

Instead, many scientists expect natural selection would favour adaptations for increased ethanol metabolism to avoid becoming “drunk”. This allows animals to eat fermented foods while minimising the negative effects of intoxication.

In animals, including humans, the primary metabolic route for ethanol is similar. Ethanol is first oxidised to acetaldehyde (a toxic intermediate) by the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase.

Acetaldehyde is then converted to acetate (which is less toxic) by aldehyde dehydrogenase. Yet, the efficiency at which different animals metabolise ethanol varies. It can vary between humans too.

Some animals appear to have enhanced ethanol metabolism. Much like humans, chimpanzees, gorillas and bonobos share a mutation that make them particularly efficient at metabolising ethanol.

Interestingly, the only Asian great ape (orangutan), which is highly arboreal (tree-dwelling), doesn’t share this mutation. This may be because orangutans did not experience the same evolutionary pressures as the more terrestrial (ground-dwelling) African great apes.

For example, orangutans primarily feed in trees where fruit is expected to be less fermented than when it falls to the ground.

Adult female chimpanzee feeding on ripe Spondias mombin
Kimberley Hockings, CC BY-NC-ND

It is possible that if sugary foods ferment naturally, then animals that eat these foods may consume ethanol without meaning to. Ethanol may have some benefits. It has antimicrobial properties and vinegar flies are known to use it to self-medicate against parasites. However, not much is known on whether other animals also use ethanol for medicinal purposes.

There are confirmed sightings of many animals, from chimpanzees to orangutans using plants for medication, so the use of ethanol in this way could be widespread. Animals may also ingest food with ethanol in it because ethanol itself is a source of calories and its presence indicates sugar and nutrient content.

Ambrosia beetles use the smell of ethanol as a cue to find suitable host trees to colonise. The ethanol increases the growth of fungi which the beetles feed on.

Many of us are keenly aware of ethanol’s cognitive impact, including feelings of relaxation. Ethanol might play a significant role in promoting sociality among humans. This may also apply to other species, but has yet to be studied in a natural context.

We still have much to learn about wild animals’ natural use of ethanol. Many
hypotheses remain untested, and we know little about whether animals seek out ethanol and fermented foods. But many animals ingest it. It is clear the party is growing, and we are just one of many species that partake in ethanol.

Anna Christina Bowland has received funding from the Primatological Society of Great Britain (PSGB) and the University of Exeter.

– ref. Alcohol ingestion by animals is surprisingly widespread – and we’re starting to understand its impact – https://theconversation.com/alcohol-ingestion-by-animals-is-surprisingly-widespread-and-were-starting-to-understand-its-impact-246638

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

February 26, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: In Framingham Town Hall, Warren Lays Out Plan to Fight Back Against Trump Policies That Hurt Massachusetts Families

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
February 22, 2025
“[U]ltimately, the power is not actually in the White House. The power is not actually in the Congress. The power lies with the people, and that’s what I’m counting on.”
“[Billionaires like Elon Musk] believe that the rich can get even more squeezed out of this country and they can do it on the backs of everyone else in this nation, and they hope you won’t see that, and they are wrong. We see it, and we will stop it.”
“This is not just Republican versus Democrat. Not anymore. This is a whole lot bigger than that.”
Video of Remarks (YouTube)
Boston, MA – At a town hall in Framingham, Massachusetts, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) shared her thoughts on President Trump and Elon Musk’s work to “bring down our government from the inside,” and laid out her plan to fight back against the Trump administration’s policies that hurt Massachusetts families.
February 22, 2025 As Delivered
Senator Elizabeth Warren: Hello Framingham! Hello Massachusetts! Oh, sit down, sit down. Damn, it is good to be here with you all. Not that it’s not fun to be in Washington. But thank you all for being here.
This is such an extraordinary moment. I know there’s a lot you could be out doing, but you’re in here because you care. And I’m so glad we have this chance to be together, but I’m not going to sugarcoat it. It’s a hard time out there.
It is a hard time when our federal government is firing the people who are trying to do cancer research. It is a hard time when our federal government, under co-presidents Elon Musk and Donald Trump, is laying off the people who keep our nuclear materials safe. It is a hard time when our co-presidents are firing veterans. It is a hard time when they are trying to bring down our government from the inside. It is a hard time when President Elon Musk is out there mowing through every federal database that has all your personal financial information, and in some cases, medical information, all of the ways that you can be identified. It is a hard time when that little consumer agency—can we hear it for the CFPB? Yeah. When the cop on the beat that has discovered more than 20 billion dollars of scams over the last dozen years shut them down and made the scammers give the money back to the people they cheated, and now co-president Musk wants to shut that down—not on my watch. You bet. Yeah. Yeah. Not here. And it is a hard time when co-president Trump thinks that he’s going to rule by bullying people, whether those people are immigrants, whether those people identify differently he does, whether or not those people are the governor of Maine. It’s not going to work.
Here’s the deal. Yes, it is a hard time. I acknowledge that, and we came together to talk about it. We don’t have all the tools we want. I get it. Boy, can I count to exactly 47 Democrats in the United States Senate and 53 Republicans. I can do that math. I understand that. But the fact that we don’t have as many tools as we want does not mean that we have no tools at all. We are in this fight. You bet. So, I want to do something today. I want to tell you, just as our topper, we’re going to ask some questions in a minute, but I want to tell you what I’m working on and what we’re all trying to do right now.
So part one: what Donald Trump and Elon Musk are doing in large parts of government is flatly illegal. It’s just illegal. It’s not like, “Well on the one hand, on the other.’ A big part of what they’re doing is illegal, and we are in the courts. We are in the courts, and we’re going to fight this out in the courts. That’s part one.
Part two: right in the United States Senate, we are the ones who are supposed to do advice and consent. Now, like I said, we’re in a 47-53. These nominees are horrible. It’s a term of art here. Right. They are terrible. We now have someone who’s going to be in charge of our Health and Human Services. Yep. Yep. Yep. Someone who’s in charge of the Department of Defense. The Director of National Intelligence. So, I see you’ve been reading, right? You’re staying up, you get who these people are.
The Republicans are going forward in the Senate with these people, Donald Trump has nominated them, going forward. Here’s the deal. We’re not giving it away for free. They can name horrible people, and maybe we don’t have the votes to stop them, but we are not giving it away for free. When RFK gets nominated—you bet—I tried to make clear with my questions: not only does he traffic in antiscience, traffic in antivaxx, but he’s making millions of dollars to do it, and that’s not right. When our Secretary of Defense is credibly accused of sexual assault, I managed to pry out the information: he paid $50,000 to hush that woman up. When he’s falling down drunk at work events and when he drove not one, but two nonprofits straight into the ground financially. We couldn’t stop him, but we didn’t give it away for free.
Here’s how I look at it, with all of these nominees. We’re putting a stink on them, and making sure the American people see it, and that every damn Republican who voted for him is going to feel a part of that stink now, and into the future. So, that’s part two. And part three is to try to raise a movement. To do it all across this country. Yep. If you’ve seen me on TV, if you’ve seen me on podcasts, if you’ve seen me out in the streets or sidewalks, you understand that’s what I’m trying to do and it’s what others are trying to do. Because ultimately, the power is not actually in the White House. The power is not actually in the Congress. The power lies with the people, and that’s what I’m counting on.
So, with that in mind, I know what we need. We’ve got people in this room. I don’t have to tell you not to give up. You don’t give up. You’re in this room because you were ready for this fight. So, I wanted to be here today to ask for three things. You know I always come with an ask. I mean everybody, anybody wants to meet me, “Oh, Elizabeth, what do you want now?” because that’s my job. So ask number one; tell the stories of what this means. Ask number one, that’s it.
Tell the stories of what it means if cancer research is halted.
Tell the stories about what it means if we’re going to shut down our national parks.
Tell the stories of what it’s going to mean if someone who has dedicated 22 years working in public service just gets laid off.
Tell the stories of what it means if you’re going to terrorize an immigrant community so that little business owners have to close their doors because people are afraid to be out on the sidewalks.
Tell the story about what it means when children are afraid to go to school.
Tell those stories.
And the reason for that is: we are at the moment of developing the national narrative for what Donald Trump and Elon Musk are doing. It is bad, and we need to tell that story, and I need you to tell it. So that’s part one, and by the way, when I say tell it, tell it everywhere. Tell it online, do it on your Facebook, do it on Insta, do it texting, but also the group you went to school with, your group that you work on, anybody, anywhere around the country. Go on these chats and tell the stories, because this is how, as a nation, we make the voice of people heard. So that’s part one. Part two: do not underestimate the value of organizing. Indivisible. God bless them. Some of you, we have some Indivisible members. And other organizations. I’m all in. One voice is powerful. Two voices is more than twice as powerful. Organizing and getting energy behind it—we keep each other going. So please, organize, get in a group that’s organized. Work with others, build your own, bring in your neighbors, but come.
And then, part three, you’ve got to take care. These are hard times, and remember how they say on the airplane, ‘Adjust your own mask before helping the person sitting next to you.’ You actually do have to take a deep breath. This is a time when Donald Trump and Elon Musk are trying to undermine our confidence and our ability to be with each other, to make our voices heard, to make this government work. And we have to take care of ourselves.
And that’s going to be a lot of different things for different people. I have my own. We can talk about that. But with your friends, with yourself, you got to take care, because we’re not in this just until tonight. We’re not in this just until the end of this month. We are in this for the long haul to save our country.
I know it’s hard right now. It’s hard to maintain focus. There’s so much going on. I sometimes think of this as feeling like you’re in a sandstorm, right, and it’s just buffeting, and things are coming from every direction. Understand that is intentional. They are doing this because they don’t want people to be able to get focused and respond. Why is that? Why all this noise? Why are they doing all these pieces at once? Because they want you to not see the driving force behind it. There is a driving force here, and the driving force is that billionaires like Elon Musk and a handful of the other cronies, they want giant tax cuts so that they can be even richer and so they can run this country. And they want regular folks, people who depend on a little help from the federal government, to be able to stay in a nursing home. People who need, a little kid down the street from you who has a severe disability and he needs an aide to be able to be in a public school. They believe that the rich can get even more squeezed out of this country and they can do it on the backs of everyone else in this nation, and they hope you won’t see that, and they are wrong. We see it, and we will stop it. You bet. Yup. I think of this as what we fight for.
This is not just Republican versus Democrat. Not anymore. This is a whole lot bigger than that. This is truly what we think our government is for. Why we organize and get out there, why we vote, why we show up. The Republicans right now have completely caved in. It’s Elon Musk and whatever he wants to do, and Donald Trump wants to name himself King. That’s where they’re headed.
We are the people who actually believe that we can build an America that doesn’t just work for a handful at the top. We believe in an America where everybody gets a fighting chance, and what that ultimately means is that we make those investments so people can get them. We make the investment, damn it, in public education—can we hear it for our teachers? You bet. We make those investments in healthcare because healthcare is a basic human right. And we’re in the fight to make those investments in housing so everyone has an opportunity to buy a home and build some security.
I’m here because I’m an optimist. And yeah, this is, this is, this tests me. I get it. But I’m still an optimist. I’m an optimist because I truly see up close and personal what happens when we work together. I see the things we build, and I see the people right now here in Framingham, here in Massachusetts, who show up to say investing in our government is worth it. So we’re going to stay in this fight. Thank you.

MIL OSI USA News –

February 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Demi Moore: the Oscar nominee with a career defined by defiance

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Caroline Ruddell, Reader in Film and Television, Brunel University of London

Demi Moore won the Golden Globe for best actress in January for her performance in the horror sci-fi film, The Substance. In her acceptance speech, she shared that, 30 years ago, a producer told her she was a “popcorn actress”. The implication was that she was not the kind of “serious” actor who might win awards.

Having now also received an Oscar nomination for the role, it seems her work is finally being taken seriously. During the 1980s and 1990s, Moore was a huge star and renowned for appearing in mainstream, big budget films – hence the “popcorn” label. If you go back to the films she is best known for, however, an interesting trend emerges.

As a researcher of gender in film and television, I’ve long been interested in Moore’s work. That’s because, while it is perhaps most explicit in The Substance, the majority of her oeuvre interrogates womanhood and power.

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.

In The Substance, Moore plays the fading celebrity Elisabeth Sparkle with ferocity. But the plaudits for her performance don’t mean this is something new – that ferociousness has always been there in her onscreen roles.

As femme fatale Meredith in Disclosure (1994), for example, she dominated every scene with an aggressive power that is rare to behold. Writing about Moore’s work in 2004, film researcher Linda Ruth Williams described that power as a “dangerous sexiness”.

Read more:
The Substance: Demi Moore is ferocious in gloriously gory satire on Hollywood’s female ageism

Meredith is a woman from senior executive Tom’s (Michael Douglas) past. When she walks back into his life, she comes close to derailing it entirely through a concoction of manipulative and cunning behaviour, an impressive business sense, and outright pure and simple aggression.

At one point, Tom even says he would in no way be a physical match for her due to the amount of time she spends exercising on a StairMaster machine. Though she doesn’t win out in the end, Meredith is by far the most powerful and compelling character in the film.

Moore’s Golden Globe acceptance speech.

Even in Moore’s more passive roles, such as Molly in Ghost (1990), she steals the show. A big part of that is her uncanny ability to make her eyes flit between intense dark fury and overwhelming grief.

And I can’t ignore G.I. Jane (1997). In that film, Moore shaved herself a buzzcut on camera and yelled the unforgettable line “suck my dick” at Master Chief Urgayle (Viggo Mortensen) upending, or at least unsettling, social expectations of women in the military. Much of the power of Moore’s performance in this film is in the way she physically transformed for the role. Williams described the role as a work of “corporeal shapeshifting” due to the intense physical training Moore undertook for the part.

In A Few Good Men (1992), her character, Lieutenant Commander Joanne Galloway, rivals all others with her fierce intellect and knowledge of the law. While Tom Cruise’s Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee wows in the courtroom, it is Galloway’s knowledge of the case and refusal to bow to patriarchal power (largely embodied by Jack Nicholson’s Colonel Jessep) that sees them through.

Ageing in Hollywood

In September 2024, I was interviewed for an article about older women in film and television by the journalist Christobel Hastings.

In it, Hastings stated that “Hollywood has a long history of ignoring female actors”. Citing several research studies, she noted that women’s careers peak at age 30 in the industry, while men’s peak 15 years or more later.

But she also made the case that there has been an increase in the diversity of roles available to older actresses both in film and television. Such movement for female actresses has long been championed by the Geena Davis Institute, a research organisation focusing on equitable representation in media, for over 20 years.

If I were to sum up Moore’s career with one word, it would be defiance. And now, with The Substance, she has defied expectations once again by joining the (thankfully increasing) ranks of female actresses who are finding meaty roles as they head into middle or older age.

Caroline Ruddell 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. Demi Moore: the Oscar nominee with a career defined by defiance – https://theconversation.com/demi-moore-the-oscar-nominee-with-a-career-defined-by-defiance-249765

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

February 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Understanding the cultural experience of keeping warm can help us embrace clean energy

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Becky Shaw, Professor in Fine Art, Birmingham City University

The way we heat our homes is a major contributor to the greenhouse gases that are heating up the planet. So moving to more sustainable home heating is vital for decarbonisation and meeting emissions targets.

Campaigns usually offer technological solutions as well as environmental and economic incentives. But they rarely recognise that the way we heat our homes is a way of life – connected to our identities, relationships, communities, culture, values and the “practice” of making a home.

Changing something as fundamental as heating can bring up complex feelings. To understand how people are connected to the way they heat their homes, we – a group of academics at Sheffield Hallam University, Birmingham City University and universities in Finland, Sweden and Romania – embarked on a project that combined history, art, and social science research to find out how cultures and histories of heating can inform fair and effective change.

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 Justheat research project explores the experience of eight communities in four nations that have had different heating transition journeys. These are: Sweden, which is at an advanced stage of energy transition; Finland, where a culture of burning wood is in conflict with decarbonisation; Romania, with a hesitant energy plan where experiences of heating poverty make change unpopular; and the UK which has a “lagging” uptake of low carbon heating sources.

We gathered oral histories from selected communities to encourage personal reflection on the past through the perspective of the present. Oral histories encourage people to decide what is important to tell – not the researcher. We collected more than 300 accounts of changes in the way people heated their homes since 1940.

Artists were appointed in each country to create artworks that highlighted various aspects of the oral histories. This included Finnish painter and textiles artist Henna Aho, Romanian photographer Denise Lobont and video artist Ram Krishna Ranjan, who lives in Sweden. I am both the project UK artist and co-ordinator of the other artists. All were selected because they had an existing interest in home heating and had experience of collaboration.

When listening to people’s stories, the artists noted how detailed descriptions or emotional intensity stood out. These included reflections on how children found fires to be a source of play (one participant described “crashing” toy planes into the flames), a son’s guilt for not helping his mother with making the fire, and a woman’s memory of a friend becoming ill from severe cold. The artists were inspired by the creative ways people mixed past, present and future in their stories.

Each nation and story is unique, but the tension between government (or other forms of authority) and communities was a common theme. For example, in Finland people value wood as a secure fuel that they can grow and control themselves – but this means some people move away from the efficient and sustainable networked heating solutions that are already in use there.

In Sweden, oral histories showed a strong trust in government energy policy, but renters struggled with the ways that landlords can limit heating. In Romania, a severe lack of energy during the fall of Communism in 1989 and austerity measures to pay off national debt led to desperate households burning furniture to keep warm.

In Romania and some other countries, descriptions of past distrust in the government often accompanies a negative reaction to current policies, fearing that they will reduce individual control and benefit.

In the UK the last mining pits closed as recently as 2013, so the pain of losing livelihoods and communities is still felt. Some of our UK oral histories documented how coal provided people with a sense of security because they could control how long the fuel would last.

Coal was described as a total way of life, linking home, family, work, community, love, food, safety and care. Despite the dirt and drudgery of coal home heating, the joy of getting warm by the fire was seared into people’s memory. While there were stories of feeling cold, they often described feeling joy in the contrast of being cold and then getting warm. This was seen as part of the intense joy of radiant heat.

When gas central heating was rolled out in the 1970s and 1980s, our oral histories described it as “marvellous” in its speed and cleanliness, but some participants also felt that it lacked the comfort, cheer and invitation to gather together that a solid fuel fire offers.

Despite Sweden’s successful electric heating network, the Swedish oral histories recorded an enduring joy in the use of wood-burning stoves to heat their summer houses. This did not counter their appreciation of electric networked heating, but the delight of an additional fire and its capacity to draw people together, persists.

Combined, the oral histories and the artworks inspired by them let us understand how past changes to the way we heat our homes have affected us. We are currently sharing the artists’ work with communities and local energy leaders, and we are interested to see how artworks might encourage discussion.

Current research and policy focuses on technological change to generate rapid decarbonisation. However, no change can be made without getting households on board. As part of this, we need to understand how past experiences influence communities’ response to energy change.

Changing the way we heat our homes is likely to be attractive only if it offers a significant improvement in the experience of keeping warm, rather than merely appealing to us in economic terms, or for environmental reasons.

Becky Shaw receives funding from Arts and Humanities Research Council and Birmingham City University.

– ref. Understanding the cultural experience of keeping warm can help us embrace clean energy – https://theconversation.com/understanding-the-cultural-experience-of-keeping-warm-can-help-us-embrace-clean-energy-244710

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

February 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Ukraine war: game theory reveals the complexities (and fragility) of a nuclear deterrent

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Renaud Foucart, Senior Lecturer in Economics, Lancaster University Management School, Lancaster University

Since the cold war, deterrence has been a fundamental principle underpinning peace between global superpowers. The idea is that if two sides have nuclear weapons, the consequences of actually using them mean the button never gets pressed.

But the strategy goes beyond the countries which own the weapons. In practice, for instance, most of Europe relies on the US for a nuclear “umbrella” of deterrence. And any country with nuclear weapons can offer guarantees of peace to others.

This is what happened in 1994 when Russia, the UK and the US signed the Budapest memorandum in which Ukraine renounced its nuclear weapons from the Soviet era in exchange for a promise to “respect the independence and sovereignty and the existing borders of Ukraine”. This was widely seen as a good idea for Ukraine and the world, reducing the risk of a nuclear accident.

But that memorandum has not served Ukraine well. As North Korea, India, Pakistan or Israel know, owning nuclear weapons – even against international agreements – ensures your protection. A piece of paper does not.

And now, across the world, the ability to offer the equivalent of a Budapest memorandum to other countries has vanished. A key part of the theory behind a successful nuclear deterrent has fallen away.

This is described in game theory – the mathematical study of strategic interactions – as the idea of a “credible commitment”. To deter a military invasion, the country offering protection must be ready to do something that hurts its own interests if it happens.

In the case of Ukraine, this has so far involved allies sending costly military equipment, financial support and enduring the small risk of further escalation of the conflict. Being a trustworthy guarantor is a matter of international reputation: a country that delivers is considered credible. But no one will trust a guarantor that breaks its promises.

Read more:
Ukraine war: what is the Budapest Memorandum and why has Russia’s invasion torn it up?

And while credible retaliation is important, so too is avoiding escalation. For it is also in everyone’s interest to reduce the probability of a catastrophic outcome.

Over the years, the small number of countries with internationally accepted nuclear arsenals (the US, UK, France, Russia and China) have developed nuclear doctrines. These are sophisticated and often deliberately opaque rules for escalation and deescalation.

The Nobel prize-winning economist, Thomas Schelling, argues that the uncertainty around these rules is what makes them so effective. It strengthens a system in which protection can be offered to other countries in exchange for them not developing their own nuclear capabilities.

War games

Game theory research has also shed light on the complexity of these rules of engagement (or non-engagement), such as the expectation (and necessity) of credible retaliation against an attack.

Imagine, for example, that China launches a nuclear bomb that completely destroys Manchester. A rational British prime minister may prefer to end hostilities and accept the destruction of a major city rather than retaliate and risk the total destruction of human life.

But for the deterrent to actually work, they must retaliate – or expect to see Birmingham and London disappear.

Another difficulty comes in finding the appropriate response to varying levels of provocation. When Russian-affiliated soldiers were found guilty by Dutch courts of downing a Malaysian Airlines civilian flight with 298 people onboard, including 196 Dutch nationals, there was no talk of proportional retaliation. No one seriously contemplated shooting down a Russian plane or bombing a small Russian city.

Nor was there any retaliation to Russian interventions in European elections, or to the sabotage of infrastructure in Baltic states, or to murders and attempted murders on European soil.

And after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the reaction of the west was consistent with principles designed to avoid escalation. Sanctions were imposed on Russia, military aid was sent to Ukraine.

But to abandon Ukraine now, forcing it to cede territory after three years of fighting, death, and destruction, would be a significant shift. It would represent a clear and deliberate abandonment of the international guarantees Ukraine thought it had.

Arsenals and agreements

Game theory also suggests that the most likely consequence of abandoning those commitments is that no country will repeat Ukraine’s mistake of giving up its nuclear capabilities. And no country will want to place their trust in potentially unreliable allies.

Europe for instance, will aim to develop its own nuclear umbrella, potentially combining French and British capabilities. It will also hasten to integrate the next likely targets of Moscow’s military ambitions.

This will include the parts of Ukraine not annexed by Russia, but also Georgia, already invaded by Russia in 2008, and Moldova, partly occupied by Russia.

The second consequence is that the west will no longer have a good reason to convince countries to abandon their nuclear ambitions. That means no credible deal for North Korea, no convincing offer for Iran, and even fewer prospects to end the nuclear programmes of Pakistan, India or Israel.

Looking at the ruins of Mariupol or Gaza City, and comparing them to Pyongyang, Tel Aviv or Tehran, many countries will conclude that a nuclear weapon is a better way to ensure security than any piece of paper.

So if the west does abandon Ukraine, game theory suggests that the world should expect a proliferation of nuclear powers. Each will need to learn, as Russia and the US have, to live on the threshold of diastrous confrontation. But research shows that establishing a situation of reduced risk takes time.

And that could be a time filled with increased potential for events reminiscent of the Cuban missile crisis – and a growing belief that nuclear war is inevitable.

Renaud Foucart 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. Ukraine war: game theory reveals the complexities (and fragility) of a nuclear deterrent – https://theconversation.com/ukraine-war-game-theory-reveals-the-complexities-and-fragility-of-a-nuclear-deterrent-249995

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

February 26, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Cantwell Sounds Alarm on DOGE Plan to Cut Half the Staff at Federal Housing Agency

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell

02.25.25

Cantwell Sounds Alarm on DOGE Plan to Cut Half the Staff at Federal Housing Agency

Mass firings could increase housing costs, and delay or halt funding for critical housing programs that protect families, address homelessness; The Washington Post: HUD cuts expected to worsen America’s housing crisis, staffers say

WASHINGTON, D.C. – ICYMI, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and senior member of the Senate Committee on Finance, joined 24 Senate Democrats in sending a letter to the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Scott Turner, questioning the alarming consequences of the recently announced “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) Task Force on HUD’s ability to support vulnerable communities.

“HUD engages in critical work supporting communities in expanding their housing supply, providing rental assistance, and preventing homelessness—work that is urgently important for millions of Americans looking to purchase a home to build generational wealth or find an affordable place to rent,” wrote the Senators. “Axing these offices will handicap the Department’s ability to serve the American public and exacerbate the housing crisis we currently find ourselves in.”

The DOGE Task Force plans reportedly include laying off 50% of its workforce, eliminating half of HUD’s field offices serving local communities across the country, and gutting programs that protect families and people with disabilities from discrimination, address our homelessness crisis, and provide resources to communities to tackle our housing shortage and recover from disasters.

The senators are also seeking clarity on the DOGE Task Force’s overall objectives and how it is defining waste: “In addition to personnel cuts, you also announced that HUD and DOGE have identified $260 million in savings on wasteful contracts. If this represents legitimate waste, we are happy to work with you to wipe it out,” wrote the Senators. “But to date, there has been no transparency about DOGE’s involvement, or what exactly it is finding. We ask that you provide additional information on the allegedly wasteful spending identified by DOGE, and a clear accounting of how these funds have been misused.”

There are also reports that HUD is terminating the Green and Resilient Retrofit Program, which was provided by Congress to help repair and improve efficiency in homes for families, seniors, and people with disabilities. These funds have already been awarded and obligated to nonprofits and other housing providers to improve more than 30,000 homes across the country – but now DOGE at HUD is trying to claw these funds back.

Sen. Cantwell has been a longtime supporter of affordable housing and is the leading champion of the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC). In the previous Congress, Sen. Cantwell successfully negotiated the inclusion of two provisions to enhance LIHTC in the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024. A background document detailing those provisions in addition to Sen. Cantwell’s advocacy on LIHTC is available HERE.

Since its creation in 1986, LIHTC has helped pay for 90% of the federally-funded affordable housing construction across the country, and has financed over 3.8 million affordable homes, including more than 100,000 in Washington state. The economic activity that the credit generated has supported nearly 170,000 jobs and generated more than $19 billion in wages.

The full text of the HUD letter is available HERE.

MIL OSI USA News –

February 26, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Invasive Species Science at WARC

Source: US Geological Survey

Cuban treefrogs are native to Cuba, the Bahamas, and the Cayman Islands, but are an invasive species in the U.S. They outcompete native frogs for food and habitat and can be a nuisance to homeowners as they clog plumbing and cause power outages when they seek shelter in utility boxes. WARC researchers use frog calls – or vocalizations made primarily by males interested in attracting a mate – to identify and track invasive frog species in the southeastern U.S. WARC researchers also perform visual encounter surveys and passively capture Cuban treefrogs to remove as many of the invasive anurans as possible.

What is an invasive species?

A species is considered invasive if it is introduced outside of its native range and causes harm to ecosystems, the economy, and/or human health.

Nonnative, or nonindigenous, species are those organisms that have been introduced outside of their native range but are not yet known to cause harm. This means that while an invasive species is also non-native, not all non-native species are considered invasive.

Why are they an issue?

More than 6,500 of these harmful, non-native species cause more than 100 billion dollars in damage each year to the U.S. economy. Invasive species can severely impact native species and ecosystems. They often outcompete and prey upon native species, which can ultimately reduce biodiversity and alter an ecosystem’s food web. Aquatic invasive plant species, like hydrilla, can rapidly overtake a water body, blocking sunlight from reaching the plants and animals below and preventing navigation due to clogged waterways. Other aquatic invasive species, like the zebra mussel, damage infrastructure associated with power plants and other water systems, which results in increased maintenance costs.

What is WARC doing to address invasive species in the U.S.?

The USGS Ecosystems Mission Area’s Biological Threats and Invasive Species Program provides the research, management tools, and decision support needed to meet the science needs of resource managers to reduce or eliminate the threat of invasive species and wildlife disease. At WARC, we work closely with our local, state, Tribal, and federal partners to provide the science they need to address the critical invasive species issues facing the southeastern U.S. Our center leads research and monitoring programs and implements innovative technologies to help control or eradicate invasive species.

Monitoring the Introduction and Spread of Aquatic Invasive Species

The USGS WARC houses the Nonindigenous Aquatic Species (NAS) database, which tracks the distribution of introduced aquatic organisms across the United States. The publicly accessible information repository monitors, records, and analyzes reported sightings for more than 1,300 plant and animal species such as lionfish, zebra mussels, and hydrilla. The database contains observations from as early as 1800, derived from many sources, including scientific literature; federal, state, and local natural resource monitoring programs; museum collections; news agencies; and direct submission through online reporting forms from citizen scientists. Subscribers to NAS alerts emails can be informed when a new non-native species has been reported in their area as part of a national early detection and rapid response (EDRR) system. The NAS program also uses the data to help forecast where these species may go next. One such tool developed by members of the NAS team, along with WARC’s Advanced Application Team, is the NAS Flood and Storm Tracker (FaST) maps, which help natural resource managers track and manage the potential spread of non-native aquatic species into new water bodies due to storm-related flooding. The FaST maps are easily accessible, informative, and provide the most up-to-date information to resource managers about potential new invasions, acting as an additional tool for EDRR systems.

Hurricane Isaias (2020) Flood and Storm Tracker (FaST) Map for Zebra MusselsFlooding related to hurricanes and tropical storms can help spread non-native aquatic plants and animals, like zebra mussels, into new waterbodies. Once established, they have the potential to cause infrastructural damage (e.g., block pipes) and upset aquatic food webs by preying on native species. The USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species (NAS) program, which houses records for non-native aquatic species across the nation, creates Flood and Storm Tracker (FaST) maps which help managers track and manage the potential spread of non-native aquatic species into new water bodies via storm-related flooding.For more information, please visit: https://nas.er.usgs.gov/viewer/Flooding/

CSI: Python-Style

How do you detect a cryptic species? A droplet digital PCR platform can detect even a single piece of genetic material, if present in an environmental sample. This information can be used to accurately estimate the likelihood that the species of interest is present in the environment.

True crime shows/movies/podcasts often tell the story of a criminal who thought they got away with it, only to be brought down by a forensic investigator who discovered a small piece of genetic material at the crime scene belonging to said criminal. Just like a crime scene, ecosystems often require researchers to zoom in to the microscopic, hard-to-spot clues to better understand the full picture. Like humans, wildlife shed genetic material, in the form of excrement, hair, saliva, mucus, skin cells, etc., as they move. The organism’s genetic material is shed into the surrounding environment (i.e., soil, water, snow, air) and referred to as environmental DNA (eDNA). At WARC, researchers are using eDNA techniques to help detect hard-to-find invasive species, like the Burmese python. The cryptic constrictor camouflages into the surrounding Everglades ecosystem, which has made it difficult to find and eradicate. By testing environmental samples, WARC scientists can identify python eDNA in an area whether or not a snake has actually been observed. With improved detection capabilities comes the increased capacity to effectively delineate range limits and better assess the status, distribution, and habitat requirements for pythons and other secretive or rare invasive species.

This close-up is of the radio-transmitter on a 16 1/2-foot python. The snake, being removed from the wild by USGS and NPS personnel, was re-captured in a thicket in Everglades National Park in April 2012. After its first capture, the snake was equipped with a radio-transmitter and an accelerometer as part of one of the Burmese python projects led by USGS to learn more about the biology of the species to help in efforts to develop better control methods.

EDRR – Early Detection and Rapid Response

The first confirmed lionfish sighting was reported in 1985 off the coast of Dania Beach, Florida. Though native to the Indo-Pacific region, a single lionfish didn’t raise many alarms. But then another lionfish was reported in 1990. And then another one in 1992. And then a few more in 1995. By the early 2000s, lionfish had taken over coastal waters in the southeastern U.S. Lionfish have invaded Atlantic coastal waters from New York to the Florida Keys, the Caribbean Sea, and the Gulf with unprecedented speed and now serve as a case study demonstrating why early detection and rapid response efforts (also known as EDRR) are critical. A single non-native fish might not immediately pose a problem, but if it isn’t removed, it could reproduce and quickly take over the new habitat. Once a population has established and begins reproducing, it is difficult to manage or eradicate.

Since 2013, WARC has led a non-native freshwater fish scavenger hunt in Florida. The two-day Fish Slam event helps USGS and partners monitor new non-native fishes and track the possible spread of known non-natives. Many of these species, such as the Asian swamp eel and the sailfin catfish, are outcompeting native species and disrupting the aquatic food webs. By monitoring the introduction and expansion of non-native fishes, USGS WARC is able to provide communities and land managers with critical information to help inform and guide management strategies. This includes removing the fish whenever possible, to help prevent potential future invasions.

Using hook and line, electroshock boats and backpacks, seines, traps, and other fishing techniques, USGS and partners capture non-native fishes. from Florida canals, ponds, and even ditches. The data collected during the event is entered into the USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species database, a publicly accessible resource that monitors the introduction and expansion of non-native aquatic plant and animal species. The database also uses this information to project potential future spread of species into new areas during hurricanes and flooding events. USGS’s Fish Slam has provided a unique opportunity for federal, state, local, Tribal, and academic partners to coordinate sampling, data collection, and information sharing while providing up-to-date geographic distribution information via publicly accessible resources. Florida spends millions of dollars each year to combat invasive species and the data collected by Fish Slam informs managers and communities what species are present in their area and helps them develop control/removal plans and allocate resources appropriately.

MIL OSI USA News –

February 26, 2025
MIL-OSI: Ponemon Cybersecurity Report: Insider Risk Management Enabling Early Breach Detection and Mitigation
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

SAN JOSE, Calif., Feb. 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — DTEX Systems, the trusted leader of insider risk management, today announced the findings of the 2025 Cost of Insider Risks Global Report, independently conducted by the Ponemon Institute. For the first time since the inception of the report, the average time to contain an insider incident has declined (81 days, down from 86 in 2023).

The decrease comes amid growing adoption of insider risk management solutions. The findings show that organizations are spending 16.5% of their annual IT security budget on insider risk management – up from 8.2% in 2023. Eighty-one percent of organizations now have or are planning to have an insider risk management program. Notably, of those with an insider risk management program, 65% say their program was the only security strategy that enabled them to pre-empt a data breach by detecting insider risk early. Meanwhile, 63% of respondents cited faster breach response as a top outcome of early insider risk detection.

“With escalating foreign interference, global remote workforces, and a rapidly shifting political landscape, the need for proactive insider risk management has never been greater. Insider-driven security incidents result in significant financial and reputational costs. However, organizations investing in dedicated insider risk management programs are achieving faster containment or preventing incidents entirely—a decisive win in the fight against data loss,” DTEX Systems CEO Marshall Heilman said.

“The findings underscore the importance of insider risk management as an essential component of security and highlight key opportunities for governments, critical infrastructure, and commercial organizations to protect sensitive data and maintain operational integrity in an increasingly volatile threat landscape.”

Now in its sixth edition, the 2025 Cost of Insider Risks Global Report is a comprehensive study designed to understand the financial consequences of insider risks caused by negligent or mistaken employees, outsmarted employees (including insider incidents related to credential theft), or malicious insiders. This year’s report examines how organizations are funding their insider risk management programs and introduces new data evaluating the effectiveness.

“Our research findings highlight the growing need to drive awareness of the increasing costs of insider risks, often occurring due to employee negligence while handling sensitive data,” Ponemon Institute Chairman and Founder Larry Ponemon said.

“This study helps materialize risk by shining light on the increasing cost behind an incident to help organizations reduce containment time and ultimately, reduce cost.”

Key findings of the 2025 Cost of Insider Risks Global Report include:
- Post-incident activity costs have climbed significantly, contributing to a higher average annualized cost of insider risk: $17.4M — up from $16.2M in 2023. The average costs of containment ($211,021) and incident response ($154,819) are the most expensive activity cost centers (up from $179,209 and $113,635 in 2023 respectively). Escalation is the least costly activity center at $32,242.
- For the first time since the inception of the report, the time to contain an insider incident has declined. The average time to contain an insider incident has reduced to 81 days, down from 86 days in 2023.
- Insider risk management is affording companies a proactive approach to security through early insider risk detection. 65% said their insider risk management program was the only security strategy that effectively enabled them to pre-empt a data breach by detecting insider risk early.
- Companies with an insider risk management program are saving time, money, and reputational damage associated with a breach. When asked the top three outcomes of having an insider risk management program, 63% said saved time in responding to a breach, 61% said protected brand reputation, and 59% said saved money lost in a breach.
- Organizations are increasingly adopting insider risk management. The amount of IT security budget allocated to insider risk management has more than doubled, rising from 8.2% in 2023 to 16.5%. Additionally, 81% of companies now have or plan to have an insider risk management program, up from 77% in 2023.
- Companies expect insider risk management budgets to increase. 45% say the current level of funding is inadequate. 46% expect a mild to significant increase in funding in 2025.
- About half of organizations (49%) agree that technology consolidation is essential or very important. The top three driving factors, ranked by importance, are cost savings (85%), reduced complexity (64%), and faster detection times (61%), followed by scalability (48%), and actionable data (42%).
- More than half (51%) of organizations say AI and machine learning are essential or very important in the detection and prevention of insider risks. The top three driving factors, ranked by importance, are reduced investigation times (70%), improved behavioral insights (59%), and lowered skillset for insider risk analysts (58%).
- Health and pharma have the highest average activity costs. The average activity cost for health and pharma is $29.2M, followed by technology and software ($23M).
- The most prevalent insider security incident continues to be caused by negligent or careless employees. 55% of incidents are due to employee negligence or mistakes, while 25% of incidents are caused by malicious insiders, and 20% by outsmarted insiders.
Sponsored by DTEX Systems, the 2025 Cost of Insider Risks Global Report is based on responses from 8,306 IT and IT security practitioners in 349 organizations across North America, Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Asia-Pacific region.

Read the complete 2025 Cost of Insider Risks Global Report here.

Join Dr. Larry Ponemon, DTEX CTO Rajan Koo and national security veteran Christopher Burgess on March 12 for a webcast on the key findings and turning insights into action.

About DTEX Systems
As the trusted leader of insider risk management, DTEX transforms enterprise security by displacing reactive tools with a proactive solution that stops insider risks from becoming data breaches. DTEX InTERCEPT™ consolidates data loss prevention, user activity monitoring, and user behavior analytics in one lightweight platform to enable organizations to achieve a trusted and protected workforce. Backed by behavioral science, powered by AI, and used by governments and organizations around the world, DTEX is the trusted authority for protecting data and people at scale with privacy by design.

To learn more about DTEX, visit dtexsystems.com
Connect with DTEX: LinkedIn | Twitter | YouTube

Media Contact
Mariah Gauthier
dtex@highwirepr.com

The MIL Network –
February 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: VATICAN – Archbishop Nappa appointed Secretary General of the Governorate of the Vatican City State

Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

Tuesday, 25 February 2025

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – Pope Francis has appointed Archbishop Emilio Nappa as the new Secretary General of the Governorate of the Vatican City State, with effect from 1 March 2025. This was announced today by the Holy See Press Office.Until now, Archbishop Nappa has been adjunct secretary of the Dicastery for Evangelization, in the Section for First Evangelization and the new particular Churches, and president of the Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS).Archbishop Nappa was born in Naples on August 9, 1972. He was ordained a priest for the diocese of Aversa on June 28, 1997. He received a doctorate in theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in 2004 and has held various offices in the diocese, including that of Rector of the Church of San Rocco, Director and Permanent Professor of Fundamental Theology at the Interdiocesan High School of Religious Sciences “Ss. Apostles Peter and Paul” of the Caserta Region in Capua and Canon of the Cathedral. He was also a local collaborator of the Apostolic Nunciature in Italy and an official of the General Affairs Department of the Secretariat of State. In September 2022 he was appointed Official of the Secretariat for the Economy.On December 3, 2022, Pope Francis appointed him Adjunct Secretary of the Dicastery for Evangelization and President of the Pontifical Missionary Societies, conferring on him the title of Archbishop and assigning him the titular See of Satriano.The episcopal ordination was celebrated on Saturday, January 28, 2023, in St. Peter’s Basilica. The Archbishop was consecrated by Cardinal Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle, Pro-Prefect of the Missionary Dicastery.Archbishop Nappa’s motto is “Caritas diffusa est” and refers to a passage from St. Paul’s letter to the Romans. At the liturgy for the episcopal ordination at the papal altar in St. Peter’s Basilica, Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra, Deputy for General Affairs in the Secretariat of State, and Angelo Spinillo, Bishop of Aversa, were the co-consecrators.In the more than two years of Archbishop Nappa’s activity at the head of the Pontifical Mission Societies, a National Direction of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Albania was established and a representation of the Pontifical Mission Societies in the Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia, called “Missio Avona”, was set up. Work is still underway to set up a National Direction of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Ukraine.During Archbishop Nappa’s presidency, synergies between the International Secretariats and National Directions were also intensified, with the aim of strengthening the network of assistance with which the Pontifical Mission Societies support the mission in the local Churches on a daily basis. (Agenzia Fides, 25/2/2025)
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MIL OSI Europe News –

February 26, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: 85 Metric System Estimation – CANCELED
Source: US Government research organizations

The International System of Units (SI), commonly known as the metric system, is easy to use and learn when taught using metric tools. The ability to interpret measurement scales, magnitude, and approximate a quantity are essential Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) competencies.

This 1.5-hour session presents The Metric Estimation Game, a fun, hands-on activity that helps middle students become familiar with SI measurements by practicing estimation skills. This session is designed to reinforce using common measurement tools, developing reference points, and building proficiency and confidence in working with metric measurements. Because many educators report that students have limited opportunities to gain experience in metric system use, this activity can increase the occasions where SI abilities can be practiced.

Learning Objectives

The Metric Estimation Game is presented as a model learning activity. At the end of this session, using your notes, you will be able to:
- DEMONSTRATE metric system measurement estimation skills.
- APPLY the metric system of measurement to quantify the length, mass, and volume of everyday household objects at multiple magnitudes.
- SELECT and EMPLOY appropriate length measurement tools.
- DEVELOP quantity benchmarks that facilitate the sensemaking of 1 kilogram, 1 liter, and 1 meter.
- APPROXIMATE measurement scale using at least three metric system prefixes.
Game participants collaborate in small groups to earn points as they become familiar with metric (SI) mass, length, and volume measurement units. Students determine a quantity estimate for each game item, which is compared to a verified value. Multiple measurement methods may be used to verify results. Some estimations are determined using basic math formulas. The SI prefixes milli, centi, and kilo are used. Measurement writing style requirements for unit symbols are applied during the game.

Although this activity is designed for a middle school audience, it can be modified to accommodate elementary or high school learners. Extensions include updating the game board to focus on only one measurement parameter during a game session (e.g., mass, length, or volume). Products identified in this session do not imply recommendation or endorsement by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) nor imply that they are necessarily best for the purpose.

Materials & Supplies

Participants should bring these materials to the online session: Two 500 mL water bottles (full, remove label), one 2 L bottle (empty, from recycling), one plastic produce bag (from recycling), one U.S. nickel coin, one unused colored wax crayon, and a timer (clock or phone displaying seconds).

Pre-Work/Post-Work

None.

Minimum Requirements

Successful completion includes participation in all activities and discussions. Session participants will receive a Certificate of Attendance (which does not include participant names or CEUs) by email after the session. Attendance is recorded in the unofficial transcript, which is available in the OWM Contacts System.

Audience

This session is ideal for K-12 educators and Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics (STEAM) professionals and other outreach ambassadors responsible for instructing middle school students on measurement techniques and STEAM careers.

Registration Fee

There is currently no registration fee for this webinar.

Instructor

Elizabeth Benham
Phone: (301) 975-3690
Email: elizabeth.benham [at] nist.gov (elizabeth[dot]benham[at]nist[dot]gov)

Technology Requirements

The webinar will be a live stream, so participants must have a constant connection during the webinar (hard-wired is preferred). Review these system requirements to verify that MS Teams may be used on your computer, mobile device, or web browser. The performance of MS Teams may be influenced by other factors, such as network connectivity or other device applications.

Operating System (browsing) configurations:
- Windows
  - Windows 8.1 and later, 64-bit;
    
    Google Chrome;
    
    Mozilla Firefox; and
    
    Microsoft Edge.
- macOS
  - One of the three latest MacOS versions;
    
    Mozilla Firefox;
    
    Apple Safari (no calls via Teams possible); and
    
    Google Chrome.
- Linux
  - Operating system: DEB or RPM;
  - Desktop environment: GNOME, KDE;
    
    Mozilla Firefox; and
    
    Opera.
Web Browsers:
- On computers running Windows, Mac, or Linux, ensure you have the latest release of one of these browsers:
  - Google Chrome;
  - Mozilla Firefox;
  - Apple Safari; and
  - Microsoft Edge.
MIL OSI USA News –
February 26, 2025

Category: Science

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Why did they reach such different decisions?

Time to rethink PBAC’s focus?

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How Trump uses sports for political gain

Trump using sport to reinforce his image

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2. Ancient acacias

3. Boabs

Tough terrain, tough trees

Australia has already knocked back Wegovy for subsidies

What did England decide?

Why did they reach such different decisions?

Time to rethink PBAC’s focus?

Helping franchisees in low-income countries get started

Threatening legal action

Offering a cheap, convenient and effective treatment

USAID’s funding role

Collagen and health

Do animals get drunk?

Ageing in Hollywood

War games

Arsenals and agreements

Cantwell Sounds Alarm on DOGE Plan to Cut Half the Staff at Federal Housing Agency

Mass firings could increase housing costs, and delay or halt funding for critical housing programs that protect families, address homelessness; The Washington Post: HUD cuts expected to worsen America’s housing crisis, staffers say

What is an invasive species?

Why are they an issue?

What is WARC doing to address invasive species in the U.S.?

Learning Objectives

Materials & Supplies

Pre-Work/Post-Work

Minimum Requirements

Audience

Registration Fee

Instructor

Technology Requirements