NewzIntel.com

Category: Science

  • MIL-OSI Canada: New habitat-protection measures support caribou in northeastern B.C.

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    The B.C. government, Fort Nelson First Nation and the B.C. Energy Regulator (BCER) are working collaboratively to implement new protection measures to support boreal caribou recovery in northeastern B.C.

    “Helping caribou populations recover is a complex challenge requiring multiple approaches to stabilize and reverse the decline of herds in B.C.,” said Randene Neill, Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship. “The Boreal Caribou Protection and Recovery Plan and the implementation of the new measures are crucial for caribou-recovery efforts in these four northeast ranges. The Fort Nelson First Nation community continues to be an integral partner in this important work.”

    The new measures are consistent with the Boreal Caribou Protection and Recovery Plan that was endorsed by the B.C. government in 2023. The Boreal Caribou Protection and Recovery Plan was co-developed by the B.C. government and Fort Nelson First Nation, with contributions from the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality. The plan is designed to meet federal and provincial targets for species-at-risk recovery, while supporting opportunities to strengthen the natural-resource economy in the region.

    “Finalizing the Boreal Caribou Protection and Recovery Plan is a vital step in our shared responsibility to steward the land,” said Chief Archie Harrold, Fort Nelson First Nation. “By working together with the provincial government, we are proving that true collaboration, rooted in respect for Indigenous knowledge and western science, leads to real action. This plan reflects our commitment to protecting boreal caribou and ensuring a healthy land for future generations.”

    The new protection measures applied to selected boreal caribou habitat areas include:

    • the establishment of six new Wildlife Habitat Areas (WHA) through a Government Actions Regulation (GAR) order approved by the delegated decision-maker;
    • the establishment of Resource Review Areas (RRA), where new requests to grant the right to explore for and produce petroleum or natural gas have been temporarily suspended; and
    • interim permitting measures for energy-resource activities.  

    The GAR order to establish the new WHAs targets areas of highest habitat value to boreal caribou, while avoiding areas of highest timber value as much as possible. The management measures laid out in the order apply to primary forestry activities, such as timber harvesting and the construction of associated resource roads in specified areas of the Fort Nelson Timber Supply Area.

    The BCER is implementing interim permitting measures in 1.4 million hectares of habitat that is important for boreal caribou protection. These measures prohibit the issuance of new or amended permits for energy-resource activities or authorizations in Boreal Caribou Management Type 1 areas (core areas) in the affected region, except for:

    • activities necessary to protect health and safety;
    • restoration activities; or
    • technical or administrative activities, with appropriate mitigations to protect boreal caribou habitat and support habitat restoration.

    The Ministry of Energy and Climate Solutions is establishing RRAs within Boreal Caribou Management Type 1 areas where new requests for petroleum and natural gas rights (postings) in the affected region are temporarily suspended. These measures align with the BCER’s interim permitting restrictions and are expected to remain in place for at least three years.

    Collectively, these actions target the specific threats to caribou habitat and support caribou-population recovery objectives, while leaving room for sustainable, inclusive economic opportunities and public access and recreational uses that are compatible with shared recovery goals. The conservation measures will not affect recreation or public access to these areas.

    In July 2024, the B.C. government consulted First Nation governments and potentially affected forestry licensees about the establishment of WHAs. These discussions were completed in February 2025.

    The Province has also engaged with and notified other parties who are not legally affected by habitat-protection measures, such as registered trappers, guide outfitters or local governments, but have interests overlapping the WHAs. The consultation and engagement process provided an opportunity to review the socio-economic assessment and refine boundaries or regulatory actions if needed.

    Learn More:

    To learn more about Boreal Caribou Protection and Recovery Plan, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/download/7701D375C38E4E29ACB37046EC9FAF8F

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: A Career Built on Helping Others: Cory Chovanec’s Journey in Weatherization

    Source: US National Renewable Energy Laboratory

    NREL Researcher Uses His Field Experience To Help Increase Energy Affordability for Americans Through the Weatherization Assistance Program

    Cory Chovanec leans on a ladder outside a house he is weatherizing. This photo was taken early in Chovanec’s career, between 1998 and 2008. Photo from Cory Chovanec, NREL

    At 17 years old, NREL researcher Cory Chovanec was traveling door to door in his hometown of Berlin, Wisconsin. His mission: to sell enough vacuum cleaners to qualify for an all-expenses-paid trip to Lake Tahoe. At around $1,000 dollars a pop and in a town of just over 5,000 people, it was no easy feat.

    Yet he managed to sell them all—sending both him and his sister on a free vacation.

    “I think if you can sell Kirby vacuums at that price in the ’90s, you can do just about anything,” Chovanec said.

    After following a career path in the weatherization and home performance industry from entry level to a position at a national laboratory, Chovanec found that he really could do just about anything—from crawling through cold, uninsulated subspaces and hot attics to inspecting hundreds of homes with advanced diagnostic equipment.

    Now serving as weatherization team lead at NREL, Chovanec has worked in many different roles supporting the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP). The program aims to reduce energy costs for low-income households by increasing home energy efficiency. Weatherization saves money for families and enhances health, home comfort, and safety.

    In his nearly four years at NREL, Chovanec has contributed to and led technical assistance, research, and resource development to support WAP, leveraging his extensive experience to ensure these activities benefit field staff and aid in their work improving energy affordability across the country.

    Bit by the Weatherization Bug

    Chovanec did not even know what weatherization was until after high school, when he started working for a local temporary employment agency. One day, they placed him at a community action agency, where he filled in as a weatherization technician.

    Cory Chovanec holds up the damaged door of a manufactured home and the new one he replaced it with. This photo was taken early in Chovanec’s career, between 1998 and 2008. Photo from Cory Chovanec, NREL

    “I didn’t see this as a career. I thought these people were crazy, crawling around attics and everything,” Chovanec said.

    Chovanec was in a Wisconsin farmhouse in the middle of winter when he began to feel the impact of the work “click” for him. It was his first time insulating an attic on his own, and the space was almost unbearably hot because of the lack of insulation. This meant that a large amount of heat was escaping out from the living space, ultimately costing the kind, elderly owners more money to warm their home. As he carried out his work, blowing 13 to 14 inches of insulation over the attic floor, he noticed the attic change from hot to cold. With less heat escaping into the attic, the owners would need less energy to warm their home—greatly reducing their energy bills. 

    Chovanec was hooked. “It was then I could actually feel that this work really does make a difference,” he said.

    Workers in the industry describe this feeling as “getting bit by the weatherization bug.” The work is physically taxing, but Chovanec feels the reward goes far beyond a paycheck. Weatherization technicians and energy auditors are regularly exposed to the extreme heat and cold, exploring all the unseen and potentially hazardous places in a home. Yet Chovanec believed strongly in the WAP mission, saving money on energy bills, and helping people be comfortable and safe in their homes.

    Without prior knowledge of building science or weatherization work, Chovanec learned on the job. Absorbing skills and knowledge through every task and mentorship experience, he accepted a full-time role and climbed the career ladder at the community action agency, eventually accepting a position at a weatherization training center.

    Weatherization training centers provide structured hands-on training opportunities to workers in the weatherization and home performance industry. Chovanec’s main roles at the center were to provide building science training and perform quality control inspections for the state. These inspections help ensure the appropriateness and quality of the work completed on the home by installers and technicians. Chovanec estimates he visited all 72 counties of Wisconsin at least once to perform inspections during his 10-plus years at the center.

    “One of the best things was going back to do a post-weatherization inspection and hearing nothing but good things,” Chovanec said. “Their bills are going down, their house is more comfortable, they physically feel better—it’s just a dose of good news.”

    For Chovanec, home energy auditing is a passion, not just a job. An energy audit consists of a thorough examination to identify potential comfort or safety problems and energy-saving opportunities. He works on his field skills in his free time, taking the four-hour energy auditor recertification field exam every three years. He has now passed the exam five times and enjoys providing home assessments for his friends and family.

    While an energy audit might provide homeowners with the most comprehensive look at ways to cut energy costs in their home, Chovanec emphasized that there are simple steps people can take to minimize energy use and lower bills. Even just ensuring that lights are off in empty rooms and the thermostat is adjusted when you are out of the house can make a difference.

    “When you were a kid and your parents told you to turn the light off when you’re not in the room: That is real, and it helps,” Chovanec said. “We all have control over small things like that, and if we want to save some money on a utility bill, we can achieve that without extensive training.”

    Translating Field Experience Into Valuable Workforce Resources

    In keeping with his unique ability to simplify complex concepts, Chovanec’s favorite projects examine the most technical aspects of weatherization work to streamline them or make them easier to understand.

    One of these projects includes the development of two interactive 3D houses, providing virtual examples of a single-family and manufactured home. These learning tools allow users to explore relevant retrofit strategies and common weatherization measures for different areas of the home, all with a few clicks of their mouse. Chovanec used his field experience to accurately represent the spaces.

    “When thinking about developing resources for the weatherization network, you have to think about how it will look in the hands of the people actually doing the work,” Chovanec said.

    Cory Chovanec explains how to inspect a crawlspace to fellow NREL employees Juliana Williams and Alexa Carrera. Photo by Janna Babad, NREL

    Chovanec also assists volunteer expert committees with updating job task analyses for energy auditor and quality control inspector certification schemes, the role that introduced him to NREL when he volunteered to serve on the update committee as a subject matter expert. These resources are updated roughly every five years with weatherization industry feedback.

    “We are really working to improve the foundational components of credentials through each update cycle, and this is clear with each iteration,” Chovanec said. “The program is always evolving in a way that puts an emphasis on high-quality work that saves people money.”

    Over the years, Chovanec has seen WAP grow in a variety of ways, providing more robust, formalized education and incorporating new technologies as they emerge, like infrared imaging, which helps identify air leaks and thermal anomalies in homes. As research continues, Chovanec knows that there will always be something new to improve homes and lives, and he is excited that NREL can play a key part in those discoveries and enhancements.

    When reflecting on his career journey—from his first WAP agency to NREL—Chovanec said it is important to reach out and take hold of opportunities as they come.

    “The stepping stones are there, you just have to follow the path: volunteer for those committees, go to extra trainings, try to make the most of it,” Chovanec said. “No matter what my role was, I just felt really fortunate to work in WAP and have been mentored by so many incredible and brilliant people, some of whom were around when the program first began in 1976. It is a privilege to continue to support this program.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: A Career Built on Helping Others: Cory Chovanec’s Journey in Weatherization

    Source: US National Renewable Energy Laboratory

    NREL Researcher Uses His Field Experience To Help Increase Energy Affordability for Americans Through the Weatherization Assistance Program

    Cory Chovanec leans on a ladder outside a house he is weatherizing. This photo was taken early in Chovanec’s career, between 1998 and 2008. Photo from Cory Chovanec, NREL

    At 17 years old, NREL researcher Cory Chovanec was traveling door to door in his hometown of Berlin, Wisconsin. His mission: to sell enough vacuum cleaners to qualify for an all-expenses-paid trip to Lake Tahoe. At around $1,000 dollars a pop and in a town of just over 5,000 people, it was no easy feat.

    Yet he managed to sell them all—sending both him and his sister on a free vacation.

    “I think if you can sell Kirby vacuums at that price in the ’90s, you can do just about anything,” Chovanec said.

    After following a career path in the weatherization and home performance industry from entry level to a position at a national laboratory, Chovanec found that he really could do just about anything—from crawling through cold, uninsulated subspaces and hot attics to inspecting hundreds of homes with advanced diagnostic equipment.

    Now serving as weatherization team lead at NREL, Chovanec has worked in many different roles supporting the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP). The program aims to reduce energy costs for low-income households by increasing home energy efficiency. Weatherization saves money for families and enhances health, home comfort, and safety.

    In his nearly four years at NREL, Chovanec has contributed to and led technical assistance, research, and resource development to support WAP, leveraging his extensive experience to ensure these activities benefit field staff and aid in their work improving energy affordability across the country.

    Bit by the Weatherization Bug

    Chovanec did not even know what weatherization was until after high school, when he started working for a local temporary employment agency. One day, they placed him at a community action agency, where he filled in as a weatherization technician.

    Cory Chovanec holds up the damaged door of a manufactured home and the new one he replaced it with. This photo was taken early in Chovanec’s career, between 1998 and 2008. Photo from Cory Chovanec, NREL

    “I didn’t see this as a career. I thought these people were crazy, crawling around attics and everything,” Chovanec said.

    Chovanec was in a Wisconsin farmhouse in the middle of winter when he began to feel the impact of the work “click” for him. It was his first time insulating an attic on his own, and the space was almost unbearably hot because of the lack of insulation. This meant that a large amount of heat was escaping out from the living space, ultimately costing the kind, elderly owners more money to warm their home. As he carried out his work, blowing 13 to 14 inches of insulation over the attic floor, he noticed the attic change from hot to cold. With less heat escaping into the attic, the owners would need less energy to warm their home—greatly reducing their energy bills. 

    Chovanec was hooked. “It was then I could actually feel that this work really does make a difference,” he said.

    Workers in the industry describe this feeling as “getting bit by the weatherization bug.” The work is physically taxing, but Chovanec feels the reward goes far beyond a paycheck. Weatherization technicians and energy auditors are regularly exposed to the extreme heat and cold, exploring all the unseen and potentially hazardous places in a home. Yet Chovanec believed strongly in the WAP mission, saving money on energy bills, and helping people be comfortable and safe in their homes.

    Without prior knowledge of building science or weatherization work, Chovanec learned on the job. Absorbing skills and knowledge through every task and mentorship experience, he accepted a full-time role and climbed the career ladder at the community action agency, eventually accepting a position at a weatherization training center.

    Weatherization training centers provide structured hands-on training opportunities to workers in the weatherization and home performance industry. Chovanec’s main roles at the center were to provide building science training and perform quality control inspections for the state. These inspections help ensure the appropriateness and quality of the work completed on the home by installers and technicians. Chovanec estimates he visited all 72 counties of Wisconsin at least once to perform inspections during his 10-plus years at the center.

    “One of the best things was going back to do a post-weatherization inspection and hearing nothing but good things,” Chovanec said. “Their bills are going down, their house is more comfortable, they physically feel better—it’s just a dose of good news.”

    For Chovanec, home energy auditing is a passion, not just a job. An energy audit consists of a thorough examination to identify potential comfort or safety problems and energy-saving opportunities. He works on his field skills in his free time, taking the four-hour energy auditor recertification field exam every three years. He has now passed the exam five times and enjoys providing home assessments for his friends and family.

    While an energy audit might provide homeowners with the most comprehensive look at ways to cut energy costs in their home, Chovanec emphasized that there are simple steps people can take to minimize energy use and lower bills. Even just ensuring that lights are off in empty rooms and the thermostat is adjusted when you are out of the house can make a difference.

    “When you were a kid and your parents told you to turn the light off when you’re not in the room: That is real, and it helps,” Chovanec said. “We all have control over small things like that, and if we want to save some money on a utility bill, we can achieve that without extensive training.”

    Translating Field Experience Into Valuable Workforce Resources

    In keeping with his unique ability to simplify complex concepts, Chovanec’s favorite projects examine the most technical aspects of weatherization work to streamline them or make them easier to understand.

    One of these projects includes the development of two interactive 3D houses, providing virtual examples of a single-family and manufactured home. These learning tools allow users to explore relevant retrofit strategies and common weatherization measures for different areas of the home, all with a few clicks of their mouse. Chovanec used his field experience to accurately represent the spaces.

    “When thinking about developing resources for the weatherization network, you have to think about how it will look in the hands of the people actually doing the work,” Chovanec said.

    Cory Chovanec explains how to inspect a crawlspace to fellow NREL employees Juliana Williams and Alexa Carrera. Photo by Janna Babad, NREL

    Chovanec also assists volunteer expert committees with updating job task analyses for energy auditor and quality control inspector certification schemes, the role that introduced him to NREL when he volunteered to serve on the update committee as a subject matter expert. These resources are updated roughly every five years with weatherization industry feedback.

    “We are really working to improve the foundational components of credentials through each update cycle, and this is clear with each iteration,” Chovanec said. “The program is always evolving in a way that puts an emphasis on high-quality work that saves people money.”

    Over the years, Chovanec has seen WAP grow in a variety of ways, providing more robust, formalized education and incorporating new technologies as they emerge, like infrared imaging, which helps identify air leaks and thermal anomalies in homes. As research continues, Chovanec knows that there will always be something new to improve homes and lives, and he is excited that NREL can play a key part in those discoveries and enhancements.

    When reflecting on his career journey—from his first WAP agency to NREL—Chovanec said it is important to reach out and take hold of opportunities as they come.

    “The stepping stones are there, you just have to follow the path: volunteer for those committees, go to extra trainings, try to make the most of it,” Chovanec said. “No matter what my role was, I just felt really fortunate to work in WAP and have been mentored by so many incredible and brilliant people, some of whom were around when the program first began in 1976. It is a privilege to continue to support this program.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Secretary-General’s remarks at the 2025 United Nations Population Award Ceremony

    Source: United Nations secretary general

    I am pleased to represent the Secretary-General at this important celebration. I will now read his remarks.

    Excellencies, Distinguished guests, Friends,

    I am honoured to share a message of profound respect and heartfelt congratulations to this year’s laureates of the United Nations Population Award.

    The work we celebrate today – from advancing population science to protecting reproductive rights – is central to sustainable development.

    Because when every person can make informed decisions about their body and their future, we unlock opportunities, strengthen communities, and accelerate progress for all.

    I thank Dr. Natalia Kanem for her dedication and leadership, as Secretary of the United Nations Population Award Committee and Executive Director of UNFPA.

    I also salute the Chair, Ambassador Sidi Mohamed Laghdaf, of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, along with the committee members, for selecting this year’s honourees.

    In the individual category, we celebrate Ms. Varsha Deshpande of India.

    In a village in Maharashtra, young girls once faced futures decided for them.

    Child marriage.

    No education.

    No choice.

    But Varsha Deshpande stood up and said no.

    For over 30 years, she has been a force for change. 

    Preventing hundreds of child marriages.

    Providing legal aid to over 10,000 women.

    And transforming the simple phrase “Lek Ladki Abhiyan”, “the cherished girl child”, into a movement of hope.

    Halfway around the world in France, the International Union for the Scientific Study of Population, has spent nearly a century bridging the gap between data and dignity.

    Every four years, they gather global experts to take a deep look at some of our most pressing population challenges, including migration, aging societies, and climate displacement.

    The IUSSP ensures lives are not only counted – but understood and supported.

    On behalf of the Secretary-General and the United Nations, congratulations. 

    We are all inspired by the work of today’s honourees and the future they help to shape.

    A future of dignity, equality, and opportunity, for every woman, every child, and every person, everywhere.

    Thank you.
     

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA to Provide Coverage of Axiom Mission 4 Departure from Station

    Source: NASA

    NASA will provide live coverage of the undocking and departure of the Axiom Mission 4 private astronaut mission from the International Space Station.
    The four-member astronaut crew is scheduled to undock from the space-facing port of the station’s Harmony module aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft at approximately 7:05 a.m. EDT Monday, July 14, pending weather, to begin their return to Earth and splashdown off the coast of California.
    Coverage of departure operations will begin with hatch closing at 4:30 a.m. on NASA+. Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of platforms, including social media.
    Peggy Whitson, former NASA astronaut and director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space, ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization) astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, ESA (European Space Agency) project astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland, and HUNOR (Hungarian to Orbit) astronaut Tibor Kapu of Hungary, will have spent about two weeks in space at the conclusion of their mission.
    The Dragon spacecraft will return with more than 580 pounds of cargo, including NASA hardware and data from over 60 experiments conducted throughout the mission.
    NASA’s coverage is as follows (all times Eastern and subject to change based on real-time operations):
    Monday, July 14
    4:30 a.m. – Hatch closing coverage begins on NASA+.
    4:55 a.m. – Crew enters spacecraft followed by hatch closing.
    6:45 a.m. – Undocking coverage begins on NASA+, Axiom Space, and SpaceX channels.
    7:05 a.m. – Undocking
    NASA’s coverage ends approximately 30 minutes after undocking when space station joint operations with Axiom Space and SpaceX conclude. Axiom Space will resume coverage of Dragon’s re-entry and splashdown on the company’s website.
    A collaboration between NASA and ISRO allowed Axiom Mission 4 to deliver on a commitment highlighted by President Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to send the first ISRO astronaut to the station. The space agencies participated in five joint science investigations and two in-orbit science, technology, engineering, and mathematics demonstrations. NASA and ISRO have a long-standing relationship built on a shared vision to advance scientific knowledge and expand space collaboration.
    The private mission also carried the first astronauts from Poland and Hungary to stay aboard the space station.
    The International Space Station is a springboard for developing a low Earth orbit economy. NASA’s goal is to achieve a strong economy off the Earth where the agency can purchase services as one of many customers to meet its science and research objectives in microgravity. NASA’s commercial strategy for low Earth orbit provides the government with reliable and safe services at a lower cost, enabling the agency to focus on Artemis missions to the Moon in preparation for Mars while also continuing to use low Earth orbit as a training and proving ground for those deep space missions.
    Learn more about NASA’s commercial space strategy at:
    https://www.nasa.gov/commercial-space
    -end-
    Claire O’SheaHeadquarters, Washington202-358-1100claire.a.o’shea@nasa.gov
    Anna SchneiderJohnson Space Center, Houston281-483-5111anna.c.schneider@nasa.gov

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 to Support Health Studies for Deep Space Travel

    Source: NASA

    NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission is set to launch a four-person crew to the International Space Station later this summer. Some of the crew have volunteered to participate in a series of experiments to address health challenges astronauts may face on deep space missions during NASA’s Artemis campaign and future human expeditions to Mars.
    The research during Crew-11 includes simulated lunar landings, tactics to safeguard vision, and other human physiology studies led by NASA’s Human Research Program.
    Select crew members will participate in a series of simulated Moon landings, before, during, and after their flight. Using a handheld controller and multiple screens, the astronauts will fly through simulated scenarios created to resemble the lunar South Pole region that Artemis crews plan to visit. This experiment allows researchers to evaluate how different gravitational forces may disorient astronauts and affect their ability to pilot a spacecraft, like a lunar lander.
    “Even though many landing tasks are automated, astronauts must still know how to monitor the controls and know when to take over to ensure a safe landing,” said Scott Wood, a neuroscientist at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston coordinating the scientific investigation. “Our study assesses exactly how changes in gravity affect spatial awareness and piloting skills that are important for navigating these scenarios.”
    A ground control group completing the same tasks over a similar timeframe will help scientists better understand gravitational effects on human performance. The experiment’s results could inform the pilot training needed for future Artemis crews.
    “Experiencing weightlessness for months and then feeling greater levels of gravity on a planet like Mars, for example, may increase the risk of disorientation,” said Wood. “Our goal is to help astronauts adapt to any gravitational change, whether it’s to the Moon, a new planet, or landing back on Earth.”
    Other studies during the mission will explore possible ways to treat or prevent a group of eye and brain changes that can occur during long-duration space travel, called spaceflight associated neuro-ocular syndrome (SANS).  
    Some researchers suspect the redistribution of bodily fluids in constant weightlessness may increase pressure in the head and contribute to SANS. One study will investigate fluid pressure on the brain while another will examine how the body processes B vitamins and whether supplements can affect how astronauts respond to bodily fluid shifts. Participating crew members will test whether a daily B vitamin supplement can eliminate or ease symptoms of SANS. Specific crew members also will wear thigh cuffs to keep bodily fluids from traveling headward.
    Crew members also will complete another set of experiments, called CIPHER (Complement of Integrated Protocols for Human Exploration Research), which measures how multiple systems within the human body change in space. The study includes vision assessments, MRI scans, and other medical exams to provide a complete overview of the whole body’s response to long-duration spaceflight.
    Several other studies involving human health and performance are also a part of Crew-11’s science portfolio. Crew members will contribute to a core set of measurements called Spaceflight Standard Measures, which collects physical data and biological samples from astronauts and stores them for other comparative studies. Participants will supply biological samples, such as blood and urine, for a study characterizing how spaceflight alters astronauts’ genetic makeup. In addition, volunteers will test different exercise regimens to help scientists explore what activities remain essential for long-duration journeys.
    After landing, participating crew members will complete surveys to track any discomfort, such as scrapes or bruises, acquired from re-entry. The data will help clarify whether mission length increases injury risks and could help NASA design landing systems on future spacecraft as NASA prepares to travel to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
    NASA’s Human Research Program pursues methods and technologies to support safe, productive human space travel. Through science conducted in laboratories, ground-based analogs, and aboard the International Space Station, the program investigates how spaceflight affects human bodies and behaviors. Such research drives NASA’s quest to innovate ways that keep astronauts healthy and mission-ready.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Celebrating the potential and promise of the largest youth generation ever

    Source: United Nations 2

    Secretary-General António Guterres said empowering young people in a fair and hopeful world reaffirms the UN promise that every person has the right to make informed choices about their lives and futures.

    While many young people face economic uncertainty, gender inequality, health challenges, the climate crisis and a spike in conflicts – they are still leading with courage, conscience and clarity, “calling for systems that uphold their rights and support their choices,” he said in his message.

    “Let’s listen to what young people want and support them in exercising their rights, making their own choices and enjoying a hopeful future,” said Natalia Kanem, Director of the UN sexual and reproductive rights agency, formally known as the UN Population Fund (UNFPA).

    An inclusive future

    “Young people are not just thinking about their future children – they are thinking about the world those children will inherit,” one youth activist told UNFPA.

    Mr. Guterres urged countries to invest in policies that will ensure young people have access to education, healthcare, and promoting the protection of reproductive rights.

    “Let us stand with young people and build a future where every person can shape their destiny in a world that is fair, peaceful and full of hope,” he said. 

    2025 award winners

    Each year, the Committee for the UN Population Award honours an individual and/or institution in recognition of outstanding contributions to population and reproductive health questions and to their solutions.

    On this World Population Day, the 2025 recipients were recognised for their groundbreaking work in empowering women and addressing critical challenges facing demographic growth.

    The winner in the individual category, Varshan Deshpande who founded Dalit Mahila Vikas Mandal, tirelessly works to empower women at the community level in India, by building vocational skills, connecting them to vital resources and services, and fostering financial independence.

    The winner in the institutional category, the International Union for the Scientific Study of Population (IUSSP), has played a pivotal role in advancing population science and policy, notably by helping establish regional population associations in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

    Watch our interview with Natalia Kanem who is stepping down as UNFPA’s Director after more than eight years.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: How citizenship chaos was averted, for now, by a class action injunction against Trump’s birthright citizenship order

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Julie Novkov, Professor of Political Science and Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies, University at Albany, State University of New York

    Protesters support birthright citizenship on May 15, 2025, outside of the Supreme Court in Washington. AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin

    Legal battles over President Donald Trump’s executive order to end birthright citizenship continued on July 10, 2025, after a New Hampshire federal district judge issued a preliminary injunction that will, if it’s not reversed, prevent federal officials from enforcing the order nationally.

    The ruling by U.S. District Judge Joseph Laplante, a George W. Bush appointee, asserts that this policy of “highly questionable constitutionality … constitutes irreparable harm.”

    In its ruling in late June, the Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to deny citizenship to infants born to undocumented parents in many parts of the nation where individuals or states had not successfully sued to prevent implementation – including a number of mid-Atlantic, Midwest and Southern states.

    Trump’s executive order limits U.S. citizenship by birth to those who have at least one parent who is a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident. It denies citizenship to those born to undocumented people within the U.S. and to the children of those on student, work, tourist and certain other types of visas.

    The preliminary injunction is on hold for seven days to allow the Trump administration to appeal.

    The June 27 Supreme Court decision on birthright citizenship limited the ability of lower-court judges to issue universal injunctions to block such executive orders nationwide.

    Laplante was able to avoid that limit on issuing a nationwide injunction by certifying the case as a class action lawsuit encompassing all children affected by the birthright order, following a pathway suggested by the Supreme Court’s ruling.

    Pathways beyond universal injunctions

    In its recent birthright citizenship ruling, Trump v. CASA, the Supreme Court noted that plaintiffs could still seek broad relief by filing such class action lawsuits that would join together large groups of individuals facing the same injury from the law they were challenging.

    And that’s what happened.

    Litigants filed suit in New Hampshire’s district court the same day that the Supreme Court decided CASA. They asked the court to certify a class consisting of infants born on or after Feb. 20, 2025, who would be covered by the order and their parents or prospective parents. The court allowed the suit to proceed as a class action for these infants.

    President Donald Trump takes questions on June 27, 2025, in Washington, D.C., after the Supreme Court ruled on the birthright citizenship case.
    Joe Raedle/Getty Images

    What if this injunction doesn’t stick?

    If the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit or the Supreme Court invalidates the New Hampshire court’s newest national injunction and another injunction is not issued in a different venue, the order will then go into effect anywhere it is not currently barred from doing so. Implementation could begin in as many as 28 states where state attorneys general have not challenged the Trump birthright citizenship policy if no other individuals or groups secure relief.

    As political science scholars who study race and immigration policy, we believe that, if implemented piecemeal, Trump’s birthright citizenship order would create administrative chaos for states determining the citizenship status of infants born in the United States. And it could lead to the first instances since the 1860s of infants being born in the U.S. being denied citizenship categorically.

    States’ role in establishing citizenship

    Almost all U.S.-born children are issued birth certificates by the state in which they are born.

    The federal government’s standardized form, the U.S. standard certificate of live birth, collects data on parents’ birthplaces and their Social Security numbers, if available, and provides the information states need to issue birth certificates.

    But it does not ask questions about their citizenship or immigration status. And no national standard exists for the format for state birth certificates, which traditionally have been the simplest way for people born in the U.S. to establish citizenship.

    If Trump’s executive order goes into effect, birth certificates issued by local hospitals would be insufficient evidence of eligibility for federal government documents acknowledging citizenship. The order would require new efforts, including identification of parents’ citizenship status, before authorizing the issuance of any federal document acknowledging citizenship.

    Since states control the process of issuing birth certificates, they will respond differently to implementation efforts. Several states filed a lawsuit on Jan. 21 to block the birthright citizenship order. And they will likely pursue an arsenal of strategies to resist, delay and complicate implementation.

    While the Supreme Court has not yet confirmed that these states have standing to challenge the order, successful litigation could bar implementation in up to 18 states and the District of Columbia if injunctions are narrowly framed, or nationally if lawyers can persuade judges that disentangling the effects on a state-by-state basis will be too difficult.

    Other states will likely collaborate with the administration to deny citizenship to some infants. Some, like Texas, had earlier attempted to make it particularly hard for undocumented parents to obtain birth certificates for their children.

    People demonstrate outside the Supreme Court of the United States on May 15, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
    Matt McClain/The Washington Post via Getty Images

    Potential for chaos

    If the Supreme Court rejects attempts to block the executive order nationally again, implementation will be complicated.

    That’s because it would operate in some places and toward some individuals while being legally blocked in other places and toward others, as Justice Sonia Sotomayor warned in her Trump v. CASA dissent.

    Children born to plaintiffs anywhere in the nation who have successfully sued would have access to citizenship, while other children possibly born in the same hospitals – but not among the groups named in the suits – would not.

    Babies born in the days before implementation would have substantially different rights than those born the day after. Parents’ ethnicity and countries of origin would likely influence which infants are ultimately granted or denied citizenship.

    That’s because some infants and parents would be more likely to generate scrutiny from hospital employees and officials than others, including Hispanics, women giving birth near the border, and women giving birth in states such as Florida where officials are likely to collaborate enthusiastically with enforcement.

    The consequences could be profound.

    Some infants would become stateless, having no right to citizenship in another nation. Many people born in the U.S. would be denied government benefits, Social Security numbers and the ability to work legally in the U.S.

    With the constitutionality of the executive order still unresolved, it’s unclear when, if ever, some infants born in the U.S. will be the first in the modern era to be denied citizenship.

    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 citizenship chaos was averted, for now, by a class action injunction against Trump’s birthright citizenship order – https://theconversation.com/how-citizenship-chaos-was-averted-for-now-by-a-class-action-injunction-against-trumps-birthright-citizenship-order-260175

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kaptur, Doggett, & Sorensen Lead Call for Urgent Federal Action After Deadly Texas Flood

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09)

    Washington, DC — Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09) Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Energy and Water Subcommittee, joined by Congressman Lloyd Doggett (TX-37) Dean of the Texas Congressional Delegation, and Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17) the only meteorologist serving in Congress, today led a forceful letter to federal agencies calling for immediate action following the catastrophic flash flooding in Kerr County, Texas, that claimed over 100 lives. The letter — sent to President Donald J. Trump, NOAA leadership, and the US Army Corps of Engineers — demands an urgent review of staffing shortages, stalled forecasting improvements, and insufficient flood preparedness that contributed to the disaster.

    The lawmakers point to dangerous gaps in public warning coordination and a 15% reduction in National Weather Service (NWS) staffing since January as critical failures that must be addressed before the next extreme weather event. Accurate weather forecasts are not enough. It is imperative that these warnings are adequately communicated to members of the public and in a way that prompts the appropriate lifesaving action by emergency managers, first responders, and the public at-large.  

    “This flood was not just a natural disaster but a failure of foresight and leadership,” said Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09). “A changing climate is rewriting the rules of weather, and our federal agencies must keep pace. The American people deserve a weather warning system that does more than sound the alarm. It must be fully staffed and ready to act to ensure that everyone in harms way receives it. This letter is a demand for accountability, but more importantly, it’s a demand for lives to be protected anywhere severe weather strikes.”

    “As Texans in my state are faced with much pain and uncertainty, we cannot wait to ask the hard questions,” said Congressman Lloyd Doggett (TX-37). “Effective oversight saves lives. That is why we need a full account of the ways in which the Trump administration’s recent actions have undermined the federal response, both before and after this catastrophe. Learning from these failures and recognizing that weather intensification driven by climate change increasingly endangers lives will help prevent more tragedies.”

    “As someone who has reported on dangerous floods for my neighbors as a meteorologist in my local community, I know how critical it is for NWS meteorologists, local media, and emergency management coordinators to work together seamlessly and quickly to share urgent warnings,” said Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17). “The deadly toll of the flash floods that hit Texas last week beg the question of what went wrong with the warning systems in place and what more could have been done to prevent this tragedy. The Trump Administration’s cuts to NOAA and the NWS are already having a real impact on the accuracy of our nation’s weather forecasting, creating cause for major concern. That is why I am calling on President Trump, NOAA, and the Army Corps of Engineers to undertake a full-scale investigation into what went wrong and what can be done to prevent catastrophes like this in the future.” 

    This tragedy echoes a troubling national pattern of accelerating flash flood disasters that have claimed lives in recent years: 46 lives in the greater New York City area in September 2021, 45 lives in Kentucky in July 2022, 20 lives in Tennessee in August 2021, and 250 lives across the Southeast in September 2024.  These events are not anomalies — they are harbingers of a climate-disrupted future.

    Kaptur, Doggett, and Sorensen request a response within 30 days and underscore that federal weather services must not be the weak link in the nation’s climate resilience.

    A full copy of the letter can be found by clicking here or reading below: 

    July 11, 2025

    Honorable Donald J. Trump 
    President of the United States
    The White House

    1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW 
    Washington, DC 20500

    Laura Grimm
    Chief of Staff, performing the duties of Undersecretary for Commerce of Oceans and Atmosphere and Administrator, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
    1401 Constitution Ave NW

    Washington, DC 20230

    Lieutenant General William H. Graham Jr. 
    Commanding General and 56th Chief of Engineers
    U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 

    441 G St NW

    Washington DC, 20314 

    		  

    Dear Mr. President, Ms. Grimm, and General Graham:

    We write with deep concern about the recent flooding in Kerr County, Texas, by both the severity of this event and the structural shortcomings at the federal, state, and local levels that contributed to the tragic loss of life. On July 4, 2025, Kerr County was struck by a flash flood of devastating impact. The Guadalupe River rose by more than 20 feet in less than two hours,[1] engulfing homes and campsites, and leaving over a hundred dead in its wake.[2] This tragedy echoes a troubling national pattern of accelerating flash flood disasters that have claimed lives: 46 lives in the greater New York City area in September 2021,[3] 45 lives in Kentucky in July 2022, 20 lives in Tennessee in August 2021, and 250 lives across the Southeast in September 2024.[4]  These events are not anomalies—they are harbingers of a climate-disrupted future.

    Atmospheric scientists have long warned that warmer air holds more water vapor and thus latent energy produces heavier rainfall. In 1989, the Director of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, James Hansen, wrote presciently that “the greenhouse effect enhances both ends of the hydrologic cycle…, there is an increased frequency of extreme wet situations, as well as increased drought. Model results are shown to imply that increased greenhouse warming will lead to more intense thunderstorms, that is, deeper thunderstorms with greater rainfall.”[5]

    While the National Weather Service (NWS) forecast may have been accurate, accurate weather forecasts are not enough. It is imperative that these warnings are adequately communicated to members of the public and in a way that prompts the appropriate lifesaving action by emergency managers, first responders, and the public at-large.  We are concerned that there seems to have been a breakdown at this stage starting with the first flash flood watches issued on Thursday afternoon.

    Following a series of catastrophic tornadoes in the spring of 2011 that culminated in the worst tornado in a generation in Joplin, Missouri, NWS acknowledged that accurate forecasts were not enough to protect life and property, and thereby elevated the importance of properly communicating to the public about life-threatening weather events.  As a result, NWS developed the Weather Ready Nation initiative to ensure that Americans knew how to appropriately respond to dangerous weather conditions when alerted by NWS or the private weather enterprise. In support of this effort, Congress codified the position of Warning Coordination Meteorologist in every weather forecast office (WFO) around the country in the 2017 Weather Act.

    While staffing across NWS has long been a bipartisan concern, the staffing reductions mandated by the Department of Government Efficiency has greatly magnified the issue, with NWS losing nearly 15% of its staff nationwide since January.  The forecast accuracy and timeliness during this event in Texas was a testament to the dedication of the local NWS staff who flexed their schedules to ensure adequate coverage during such a high-impact event. That is not a sustainable solution, nor is it reliable enough for the increasing incidence of dangerous weather events.

    In particular, the loss of the Warning Coordination Meteorologist at the San Antonio weather forecast office (WFO) and the reduced number of forecasters put the people of Texas at risk. Lacking a full staff complement requires the team to focus only on issuing the forecasts and warnings. Outreach and coordination, a key responsibility of the Warning Coordination Meteorologist, do not occur. Also, we understand that the funding supporting travel to the community for outreach and coordination, including meeting with emergency managers and elected officials, has been suspended. Having the Warning Coordination Meteorologist position and the vacancies filled may have been critical to saving more lives by connecting with as many local community leaders as possible in the hours between the 1 a.m. NWS warning and 4 a.m. when the most dangerous conditions began impacting residents.[6]  

    Given these concerns, we intend to work quickly to enact the Weather Staffing Improvement Act, which will streamline the hiring of federal weather forecasters. Meanwhile, we request that NWS expedites the backfilling of vacancies at all WFOs and the National Centers for Environmental Prediction. Further, we request that, despite proposed cuts to programs in the fiscal year 2026 budget request, no other reductions in funding or staffing occur without the explicit direction of Congress to programs that support precipitation prediction and decision support or the improvement of those services, including, but not limited to the work of the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research.

    NWS Director Ken Graham has also laid out strategic priorities to transform NWS’ staffing models and organizational effectiveness, known as “Ken’s 10”.[7] We applaud his thoughtful proposals, though we urge NOAA to provide more detailed information for Congress to consider prior to wholesale implementation.  Further, we urge that any adoption and implementation be done in a measured way so as to prevent any failures in the current system during the transition.   

    We ask that your agencies please provide the following information:

    1. Staffing Cuts: Provide a breakdown of NWS staffing levels since 2017 at WFOs and the National Centers for Environmental Protection.  Identify how many WFOs, and for how long each, has lacked each of the following positions over that time: Meteorologist in Charge, a Science Operations Officer, and a Warning Coordination Meteorologist? What performance impacts have resulted?
    2. Communication Gaps: How did the absence of a Warning Coordination Meteorologist and reduced staffing affect warning distribution, communication and coordination in Kerr County and other nearby jurisdictions? What is the standard operating procedure for such a role in such critical weather events?
    3. Precipitation Prediction: Atlas-15 will provide detailed estimates of maximum probable precipitation rates for any location in the U.S., critical information for planning for severe weather events.  Please explain any reasons for the current delays in Atlas-15’s national release.  Are sufficient funds available for the completion of this tool?  Have any funds been redirected away from this purpose?
    4. Status of PPGC: The Precipitation Prediction Grand Challenge (PPGC), an initiative to dramatically improve the accuracy of forecasting when, where, and how much precipitation will occur has been chronically underfunded.  Please provide an update on the current efforts to date and the requirements to make significant progress over the next 5 years.
    5. Adopting Graham’s Priorities: Which of Ken Graham’s ten transformation proposals have been implemented? Provide projected costs and timelines.
    6. Corps Flood Control Improvements: This event also highlights the need for improvements from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) who is tasked with flood control across the country. How has the Corps updated its standard operating procedures to recognize the increased risk of extreme precipitation?  What is the status of the adoption of the Forecast-Informed Reservoir Operations (FIRO) to reduce flooding risk and maximize water availability? What additional research and monitoring is necessary, and on what timeline, to incorporate FIRO into the Corps’ standard procedures?
    7. Interagency Collaboration: What NOAA and Corps coordination mechanisms are in place to improve rural flood-warning infrastructure and emergency preparedness, including hydrology modeling and flood response planning?
    8. Future Preparedness Plan: Describe plans to adapt federal weather services to the growing frequency of extreme precipitation events attributable to climate change.

    Across America, we are entering a perilous new era of extreme precipitation. The science is clear: a warming world means heavier rains, more frequent flash floods, and rising stakes. Failure to learn from this disaster will only exacerbate future risk. Now is the moment to prioritize investments—restoring NOAA staffing and accelerating research and coordinating flood preparedness across the Federal Government. We respectfully ask for your prompt attention and response within 30 days to ensure federal weather infrastructure is not the weak link in our national resilience.  We further request a quick response to the July 8, 2025 letter from Rep. Doggett, the Dean of the Texas Congressional Delegation.

     

    Sincerely,

    # # #
     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reps. Castro, Foster, Johnson Introduce the Strengthening Science Through Diplomacy Act

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Joaquin Castro (20th District of Texas)

    July 11, 2025

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Yesterday, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Congressman Bill Foster (IL-11), the co-chair of the Research and Development Caucus and only Ph.D. physicist in Congress, and Congressman Dusty Johnson (SD-AL), a senior member of the Agriculture Committee, introduced the Strengthening Science Through Diplomacy Act, legislation that would strengthen U.S. science and research partnerships by extending appropriate privileges and immunities to CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research. 

    “Strengthening international partnerships between European and U.S.-based scientists will pave the way for ground-breaking advances in the coming years,” said Congressman Castro. “The Strengthening Science Through Diplomacy Act will reduce barriers between the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) and American research institutions while maintaining our leadership in physics and nuclear research. I’m proud to introduce this bill with Congressmen Foster and Johnson, and I look forward to our continued collaboration and advancement within the global scientific community.” 

    “The exchange of knowledge and ideas across borders not only promotes peace, but also serves as a powerful instrument to address urgent global challenges. As a physicist, I spent more than two decades working with colleagues from around the globe at Fermilab in Illinois, where scientific collaboration transcended national boundaries and helped us better understand the world around us,” said Congressman Foster. “I’m proud to join Reps. Castro and Johnson in introducing this bipartisan legislation, which is an important step in solidifying our partnership with CERN and maintaining our nation’s role as a leader in scientific research.”  

    BACKGROUND

    The International Organization Immunities Act, enacted in 1945, governs how the United States extends the rights and treaties to international organizations like CERN. The U.S. typically extends automatic privileges and immunities to international organizations to which it belongs (e.g. the UN, NATO), but a special act of Congress is needed to extend recognition to international organizations where the United States is not a member. The Strengthening Science Through Diplomacy Act would amend the International Organizations Immunities Act to extend necessary privileges and immunities to CERN. If passed, the legislation would protect the independence of CERN researchers, ease travel to the United States for CERN officials, and support research and development cooperation between CERN and U.S.-based scientists.

    CERN currently partners with six U.S. National Laboratories, including Argonne National Laboratory and Fermilab in Illinois, Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory in California, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee. The partnership, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation, and CERN, enables researchers employed by American universities and national laboratories to work on the international high energy physics experiments hosted at CERN. These experiments contribute to innovations in computing, medicine, radiation sensing, cryogenic cooling, superconducting materials, and other fields that are critical to U.S. security, technological capability, and economic development.

    Congressman Castro previously reintroduced the PARTNER with ASEAN Act and Strengthening U.S.-Caribbean Partnership Act, similar legislation to extend diplomatic privileges and immunities to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), respectively. 

    The full text of the Strengthening Science Through Diplomacy Act can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: VIDEO: Capito Highlights WV’s Impact to NOAA Operations, Weather Warning System Improvement

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito

    [embedded content]

    Click here or on the image above to watch Senator Capito’s questions. 

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — This week, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, participated in a nominations hearing for Dr. Neil Jacobs to be Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, Taylor Jordan to be an Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Environmental Observation and Prediction, and Harry Kumar to be an Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs. 

    Senator Capito’s questions focused on West Virginia’s contributions to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) operations, as well as nominees’ plans to improve weather warning systems for communities across the country. 

    HIGHLIGHTS:

    ON NOAA’S ENVIRONMENTAL SECURITY COMPUTING CENTER IN FAIRMONT, WEST VIRGINIA: 

    SENATOR CAPITO: “The I-79 tech park in Fairmont is a unique asset for NOAA and the broader adoption of AI. The park houses the supercomputing operation with the high-performance computers named Hera and Raya…what is your institutionalization of AI at NOAA and how would you use these assets that I’ve referenced?” 

    ON IMPROVING WEATHER WARNING SYSTEMS: 

    SENATOR CAPITO: “I’d like to pivot to the storms in Texas and weather predicting. Obviously, I live in an area that is prone to rapid flooding like that, but the tragedy we see in Texas is like nothing I’ve seen. It’s unimaginable for many of us. Community engagement, community warning systems, how can that be improved?” 

    DR. JACOBS: “Even if you have a perfect forecast, if you can’t get the information to the people, it’s totally useless. So having a way to distribute the watches and warnings, and particularly in regions that don’t have good cell coverage, I think there’s an opportunity to modernize NOAA Weather Radio…Probably an all-of-the-above approach and modernizing these watches and warnings is something that’s going to be a top priority.” 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Peters Secures Funding for Michigan Priorities in Agriculture Appropriations Bill

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Michigan Gary Peters

    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) helped the Senate Appropriations Committee pass the Fiscal Year 2026 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. This bipartisan legislation would fund critical federal agencies and programs that support rural communities, food safety, and America’s robust agricultural economy. The bill also supports Michigan’s agriculture priorities as well as high-impact local projects across Michigan. The bill now advances to the full Senate. 

    “This bill makes investments that matter to Michigan, like strengthening local emergency response efforts, supporting our robust agricultural economy, and improving access to affordable food,” said Senator Peters. “It also delivers resources for food safety initiatives that will help keep all Americans healthy. I’ll keep advocating for these key priorities as this bill moves to the full Senate.” 

    Meanwhile, the House of Representatives is considering their own funding bills. The Senate and House will then need to reach an agreement on a final funding bill and have it pass both chambers before being sent to the President to be signed into law.

    The bill includes numerous measures led and supported by Peters, including: 

    Funding to Support Communities in Michigan:

    New Fire Truck for City of Alpena: Peters secured $1,105,000 in the bill for the City of Alpena to replace an essential aerial ladder fire truck to help ensure safe and efficient operations.

    Improving Public Safety in Bad Axe: The bill includes $850,000 to support the construction of a new public safety building for the City of Bad Axe. The project would help ensure that first responders have the resources they need to efficiently and effectively respond to emergencies.

    New Fire Engine for the City of Berkley: The bill would provide $385,000 to replace the City of Berkley’s primary front-line fire engine responsible for responding to fire and vehicle extraction emergencies.

    Upgrading Emergency Communications Infrastructure in Big Creek Township: Peters secured $74,000 for the Big Creek Township Fire Department to upgrade its radio system. The new system will ensure department staff can efficiently and effectively communicate when responding to emergencies. 

    New Fire Truck for City of Big Rapids: The bill includes $378,000 for the City of Big Rapids to purchase a new fire truck, which will improve community safety and be used to better protect both people and property. 

    New Aerial Ladder Truck for Escanaba: The bill would provide $700,000 for the Escanaba Public Safety Department to replace an aerial ladder fire truck essential to providing safe and efficient emergency and fire services for the community.

    Training First Responders in Grand Traverse County: Peters secured $80,000 in the bill to support the construction of a new training facility for the Northwest Regional Fire Training Center Authority. The facility would support education and training needs for fire, EMS, local and state law enforcement, and maritime professionals. 

    Improving Wildfire Response in Montcalm: The bill would provide $245,000 for the Lakeview District Fire Department in Montcalm to purchase equipment needed to adequately protect the community and property from growing threats of wildfires. 

    Expanding Access to Child Care in Stanton: Peters secured $225,000 to expand the Central Montcalm Public School’s Early Childhood Center to provide more childcare and educational services for the community. 

    New Plow Truck for Village of Ontonagon: The bill includes $169,000 for the Village of Ontonagon to purchase a new plow truck, which will help keep streets and alleyways clear of snow and ice for the safety of both residents and visitors to the nearby Porcupine Mountains State Park.

    New Fire Engine for the City of Rockwood: The bill would provide $765,000 for the City of Rockwood to purchase a new fire engine to help strengthen its fire response for the community. 

    Improving Library Access in Caro: The bill includes $200,000 secured by Peters, which will be used to modernize a 46-year-old elevator currently in use at the Caro Area District Library.

    Supporting Farmers & Michigan’s Agricultural Sector:

    Funding for Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS): This bill includes funding for APHIS, which helps farmers combat specialty crop pests. This funding would support Peters’ Spotted Wing Abatement Trust (SWAT) Act, legislation that aims to reduce the spread of, and advance research on, the spotted wing drosophila (SWD). SWD an invasive insect that harms fruit growers and their crops in Michigan and across the country.  

    Research to Advance Technology in Agriculture: Peters supported a provision in the bill to provide funding for the Agricultural Research Service Crop Production Program, which would allow researchers to identify and develop new methods for increasing crop production sustainably using emerging technologies. These methods include satellites, geospatial systems, and artificial intelligence. 

    Promoting Urban Farming and Indoor Agriculture Sector: The bill includes funding for the Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production Program, which seeks to promote urban, indoor, and other innovative agricultural practices that have been adopted for use in both urban and rural areas to bolster local food systems and extend short growing seasons. 

    Boosting Agricultural Research: The bill includes funding for the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), which provides funding for key research projects that can contribute to substantial breakthroughs in food, agriculture, natural resources, and human sciences. Investments from NIFA help ensure that farmers, ranchers, and foresters have access to fair and competitive markets, while supporting resilient growing practices that produce nutritious and affordable foods for American families.

    Strengthen Public Health & Expand Nutrition Assistance:

    Funding to Protect Domestic Violence Survivors and Their Pets: Peters secured $3 million in funding for the Emergency and Transitional Pet Shelter and Housing Assistance Grant Program, which provides funding to facilities who harbor survivors of domestic violence, along with their pets, as well as animal shelters that partner with domestic violence service providers. This program was established by Peters’ PAWS Act, which was signed into law in 2018. 

    Funding to Improve Food Safety: The bill includes funding for the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Human Foods Program, which aims to ensure the food we consume is safe and nutritious, including baby food and infant formula. The bill’s report language will begin the work to support FDA’s oversight of baby formula production and update food labeling and consumer guidance. This language was inspired by Peters’ Protect Infant Formula from Contamination Act, which would strengthen FDA’s oversight of infant formula manufacturing and improve the security of our nation’s infant formula supply, ensuring American families have access to safe, affordable formula.

    Language Requiring the FDA to Develop Monitoring Guidelines for Human Cell and Tissue Products (HCT/P): The bill includes language Peters secured that would require the FDA to examine the feasibility of implementing tissue-tracking protocols for HCT/Ps, similar to those required for solid organs and blood products. The bill also requests that the FDA works with other federal agencies to develop routine post HCT/P implant monitoring guidelines similar to current practices for all tissue allograft recipients. This provision builds on Senator Peters’ previous efforts to prevent tuberculosis contaminations in HCT/Ps, including introduction last Congress of the Shandra Eisenga Human Cell and Tissue Products Safety Act, which would establish an education campaign to prevent tuberculosis (TB) outbreaks from infected HCTP donations. 

    Supporting Nutrition Assistance: The bill funds critical programs that help meet the nutrition needs of American families across the country. The bill funds the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), which provides nutrition assistance to millions of women and children nationwide and includes funding to support fruit and vegetable benefits. 

    The bill also funds the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) which assists millions of Americans every month. Additionally, the bill funds vital nutrition programs aimed at supporting children in school, such as the federal school lunch and breakfast programs, and the Summer EBT program. The funding provided by this bill will support approximately 5 billion lunches and 2.7 billion breakfasts to children across the country. 

    Improving Food Safety: The bill provides funding for the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), a vital agency that helps protect the safety and resiliency of America’s food supply. 

    Improving Transparency in FDA Oversight: Peters secured language in the bill that would prevent the FDA from using funds for activities that are non-compliant with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), which governs the establishment, operation, and termination of advisory committees within the executive branch of the federal government. FACA’s main purpose is to ensure transparency and improve public access to the guidance provided by these committees.

    Improving Public Infrastructure:

    Strengthening Dam Infrastructure: The bill includes $1 million for the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Watershed Rehabilitation Program. This program provides technical and financial assistance to communities seeking to extend the service life of aging dam infrastructure and bring dams into compliance with current safety and performance standards. 

    Rental Assistance in Rural Communities: The bill provides funding for rental assistance for Americans living in rural areas to help expand access to safe and affordable housing options.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Kehoe Announces Five Gubernatorial Appointments

    Source: US State of Missouri

    JULY 11, 2025

    Jefferson City — Today, Governor Mike Kehoe announced four appointments to various boards and filled one county vacancy.

    Nelson Dinsmore, of Meadville, was appointed as the Linn County Presiding Commissioner.

    Mr. Dinsmore is the co-owner and general manager of Butterfield & Associates Grain, Inc, and is a Missouri Certified Crop Advisor. Dinsmore, born and raised in Linn County, remains active in his community, having served on the Meadville Board of Alderman and the Meadville R-IV School Board. Dinsmore earned a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science & Agronomy from Missouri Western State University.

    Heather Hall, of Kansas City, was appointed to the Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners.

    Ms. Hall previously served as Kansas City Missouri’s 1st District Councilwoman, where she advocated for the men and women of the Kansas City Police Department. She also previously served on the Clay County Board of Election Commissioners. Hall has been highly involved in several organizations in the Kansas City community, including Veterans Community Project and Variety KC. Hall earned her Bachelor of Science in Journalism and Public Relations from Kansas State University.

    Jim Martin, of Perryville, was appointed to the Missouri Ethics Commission.

    Mr. Martin is a United States Army veteran and retired instructor for the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education – Missouri Schools for the Severely Disabled. Martin currently serves as president and director at River TREE Partnership in Perryville, working in strategic planning and stakeholder engagement. He previously served as board president for the Stars and Stripes National Museum and Library in Bloomfield. Martin earned a Bachelor of Science from Southeast Missouri State University.

    Ken McClure, of Springfield, was appointed to the Missouri Ethics Commission.

    Mr. McClure previously served as the Mayor of the City of Springfield. Prior to his service to the city, McClure was the vice president for administrative and information services at Missouri State University. McClure, a veteran, has served in multiple levels of city and state government, including service at the City Utilities of Springfield, the Missouri Public Service Commission, and as Chief of Staff for Governor Matt Blunt. McClure earned his master’s degree from the University of Missouri and his bachelor’s degree from Missouri State University.

    Dr. Thomas Prater, of Springfield, was appointed to the Missouri School Funding Modernization Task Force.

    Dr. Prater is a physician and partner at Mattax-Neu-Prater Eye Center in Springfield. From 2016 to 2020, he served as the Zone 2 Councilman on the Springfield City Council. He was also a member of the Springfield R-12 Board of Education from 1998 to 2014. Dr. Prater is an active member of the Missouri State Medical Society and the American Academy of Ophthalmology. He earned his Doctor of Medicine from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Kehoe Announces Five Gubernatorial Appointments

    Source: US State of Missouri

    JULY 11, 2025

    Jefferson City — Today, Governor Mike Kehoe announced four appointments to various boards and filled one county vacancy.

    Nelson Dinsmore, of Meadville, was appointed as the Linn County Presiding Commissioner.

    Mr. Dinsmore is the co-owner and general manager of Butterfield & Associates Grain, Inc, and is a Missouri Certified Crop Advisor. Dinsmore, born and raised in Linn County, remains active in his community, having served on the Meadville Board of Alderman and the Meadville R-IV School Board. Dinsmore earned a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science & Agronomy from Missouri Western State University.

    Heather Hall, of Kansas City, was appointed to the Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners.

    Ms. Hall previously served as Kansas City Missouri’s 1st District Councilwoman, where she advocated for the men and women of the Kansas City Police Department. She also previously served on the Clay County Board of Election Commissioners. Hall has been highly involved in several organizations in the Kansas City community, including Veterans Community Project and Variety KC. Hall earned her Bachelor of Science in Journalism and Public Relations from Kansas State University.

    Jim Martin, of Perryville, was appointed to the Missouri Ethics Commission.

    Mr. Martin is a United States Army veteran and retired instructor for the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education – Missouri Schools for the Severely Disabled. Martin currently serves as president and director at River TREE Partnership in Perryville, working in strategic planning and stakeholder engagement. He previously served as board president for the Stars and Stripes National Museum and Library in Bloomfield. Martin earned a Bachelor of Science from Southeast Missouri State University.

    Ken McClure, of Springfield, was appointed to the Missouri Ethics Commission.

    Mr. McClure previously served as the Mayor of the City of Springfield. Prior to his service to the city, McClure was the vice president for administrative and information services at Missouri State University. McClure, a veteran, has served in multiple levels of city and state government, including service at the City Utilities of Springfield, the Missouri Public Service Commission, and as Chief of Staff for Governor Matt Blunt. McClure earned his master’s degree from the University of Missouri and his bachelor’s degree from Missouri State University.

    Dr. Thomas Prater, of Springfield, was appointed to the Missouri School Funding Modernization Task Force.

    Dr. Prater is a physician and partner at Mattax-Neu-Prater Eye Center in Springfield. From 2016 to 2020, he served as the Zone 2 Councilman on the Springfield City Council. He was also a member of the Springfield R-12 Board of Education from 1998 to 2014. Dr. Prater is an active member of the Missouri State Medical Society and the American Academy of Ophthalmology. He earned his Doctor of Medicine from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Kehoe Announces Five Gubernatorial Appointments

    Source: US State of Missouri

    JULY 11, 2025

    Jefferson City — Today, Governor Mike Kehoe announced four appointments to various boards and filled one county vacancy.

    Nelson Dinsmore, of Meadville, was appointed as the Linn County Presiding Commissioner.

    Mr. Dinsmore is the co-owner and general manager of Butterfield & Associates Grain, Inc, and is a Missouri Certified Crop Advisor. Dinsmore, born and raised in Linn County, remains active in his community, having served on the Meadville Board of Alderman and the Meadville R-IV School Board. Dinsmore earned a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science & Agronomy from Missouri Western State University.

    Heather Hall, of Kansas City, was appointed to the Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners.

    Ms. Hall previously served as Kansas City Missouri’s 1st District Councilwoman, where she advocated for the men and women of the Kansas City Police Department. She also previously served on the Clay County Board of Election Commissioners. Hall has been highly involved in several organizations in the Kansas City community, including Veterans Community Project and Variety KC. Hall earned her Bachelor of Science in Journalism and Public Relations from Kansas State University.

    Jim Martin, of Perryville, was appointed to the Missouri Ethics Commission.

    Mr. Martin is a United States Army veteran and retired instructor for the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education – Missouri Schools for the Severely Disabled. Martin currently serves as president and director at River TREE Partnership in Perryville, working in strategic planning and stakeholder engagement. He previously served as board president for the Stars and Stripes National Museum and Library in Bloomfield. Martin earned a Bachelor of Science from Southeast Missouri State University.

    Ken McClure, of Springfield, was appointed to the Missouri Ethics Commission.

    Mr. McClure previously served as the Mayor of the City of Springfield. Prior to his service to the city, McClure was the vice president for administrative and information services at Missouri State University. McClure, a veteran, has served in multiple levels of city and state government, including service at the City Utilities of Springfield, the Missouri Public Service Commission, and as Chief of Staff for Governor Matt Blunt. McClure earned his master’s degree from the University of Missouri and his bachelor’s degree from Missouri State University.

    Dr. Thomas Prater, of Springfield, was appointed to the Missouri School Funding Modernization Task Force.

    Dr. Prater is a physician and partner at Mattax-Neu-Prater Eye Center in Springfield. From 2016 to 2020, he served as the Zone 2 Councilman on the Springfield City Council. He was also a member of the Springfield R-12 Board of Education from 1998 to 2014. Dr. Prater is an active member of the Missouri State Medical Society and the American Academy of Ophthalmology. He earned his Doctor of Medicine from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kaptur, Doggett, & Sorenson Lead Call for Urgent Federal Action After Deadly Texas Flood

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09)

    Washington, DC — Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), joined by Congressman Lloyd Doggett (TX-37) and Congressman Eric Sorenson (IL-17), today led a forceful letter to federal agencies calling for immediate action following the catastrophic flash flooding in Kerr County, Texas, that claimed over 100 lives. The letter — sent to President Donald J. Trump, NOAA leadership, and the US Army Corps of Engineers — demands an urgent review of staffing shortages, stalled forecasting improvements, and insufficient flood preparedness that contributed to the disaster.

    The lawmakers point to dangerous gaps in public warning coordination and a 15% reduction in National Weather Service (NWS) staffing since January as critical failures that must be addressed before the next extreme weather event. Accurate weather forecasts are not enough. It is imperative that these warnings are adequately communicated to members of the public and in a way that prompts the appropriate lifesaving action by emergency managers, first responders, and the public at-large.  

    “This flood was not just a natural disaster but a failure of foresight and leadership,” said Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09). “A changing climate is rewriting the rules of weather, and our federal agencies must keep pace. The American people deserve a weather warning system that does more than sound the alarm. It must be fully staffed and ready to act to ensure that everyone in harms way receives it. This letter is a demand for accountability, but more importantly, it’s a demand for lives to be protected anywhere severe weather strikes.”

    “As Texans in my state are faced with much pain and uncertainty, we cannot wait to ask the hard questions,” said Congressman Lloyd Doggett (TX-37). “Effective oversight saves lives. That is why we need a full account of the ways in which the Trump administration’s recent actions have undermined the federal response, both before and after this catastrophe. Learning from these failures and recognizing that weather intensification driven by climate change increasingly endangers lives will help prevent more tragedies.”

    “As someone who has reported on dangerous floods for my neighbors as a meteorologist in my local community, I know how critical it is for NWS meteorologists, local media, and emergency management coordinators to work together seamlessly and quickly to share urgent warnings,” said Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17). “The deadly toll of the flash floods that hit Texas last week beg the question of what went wrong with the warning systems in place and what more could have been done to prevent this tragedy. The Trump Administration’s cuts to NOAA and the NWS are already having a real impact on the accuracy of our nation’s weather forecasting, creating cause for major concern. That is why I am calling on President Trump, NOAA, and the Army Corps of Engineers to undertake a full-scale investigation into what went wrong and what can be done to prevent catastrophes like this in the future.” 

    This tragedy echoes a troubling national pattern of accelerating flash flood disasters that have claimed lives in recent years: 46 lives in the greater New York City area in September 2021, 45 lives in Kentucky in July 2022, 20 lives in Tennessee in August 2021, and 250 lives across the Southeast in September 2024.  These events are not anomalies — they are harbingers of a climate-disrupted future.

    Kaptur, Doggett, and Sorenson request a response within 30 days and underscore that federal weather services must not be the weak link in the nation’s climate resilience.

    A full copy of the letter can be found by clicking here or reading below: 

    July 11, 2025

    Honorable Donald J. Trump 
    President of the United States
    The White House

    1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW 
    Washington, DC 20500

    Laura Grimm
    Chief of Staff, performing the duties of Undersecretary for Commerce of Oceans and Atmosphere and Administrator, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
    1401 Constitution Ave NW

    Washington, DC 20230

    Lieutenant General William H. Graham Jr. 
    Commanding General and 56th Chief of Engineers
    U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 

    441 G St NW

    Washington DC, 20314 

    		  

    Dear Mr. President, Ms. Grimm, and General Graham:

    We write with deep concern about the recent flooding in Kerr County, Texas, by both the severity of this event and the structural shortcomings at the federal, state, and local levels that contributed to the tragic loss of life. On July 4, 2025, Kerr County was struck by a flash flood of devastating impact. The Guadalupe River rose by more than 20 feet in less than two hours,[1] engulfing homes and campsites, and leaving over a hundred dead in its wake.[2] This tragedy echoes a troubling national pattern of accelerating flash flood disasters that have claimed lives: 46 lives in the greater New York City area in September 2021,[3] 45 lives in Kentucky in July 2022, 20 lives in Tennessee in August 2021, and 250 lives across the Southeast in September 2024.[4]  These events are not anomalies—they are harbingers of a climate-disrupted future.

    Atmospheric scientists have long warned that warmer air holds more water vapor and thus latent energy produces heavier rainfall. In 1989, the Director of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, James Hansen, wrote presciently that “the greenhouse effect enhances both ends of the hydrologic cycle…, there is an increased frequency of extreme wet situations, as well as increased drought. Model results are shown to imply that increased greenhouse warming will lead to more intense thunderstorms, that is, deeper thunderstorms with greater rainfall.”[5]

    While the National Weather Service (NWS) forecast may have been accurate, accurate weather forecasts are not enough. It is imperative that these warnings are adequately communicated to members of the public and in a way that prompts the appropriate lifesaving action by emergency managers, first responders, and the public at-large.  We are concerned that there seems to have been a breakdown at this stage starting with the first flash flood watches issued on Thursday afternoon.

    Following a series of catastrophic tornadoes in the spring of 2011 that culminated in the worst tornado in a generation in Joplin, Missouri, NWS acknowledged that accurate forecasts were not enough to protect life and property, and thereby elevated the importance of properly communicating to the public about life-threatening weather events.  As a result, NWS developed the Weather Ready Nation initiative to ensure that Americans knew how to appropriately respond to dangerous weather conditions when alerted by NWS or the private weather enterprise. In support of this effort, Congress codified the position of Warning Coordination Meteorologist in every weather forecast office (WFO) around the country in the 2017 Weather Act.

    While staffing across NWS has long been a bipartisan concern, the staffing reductions mandated by the Department of Government Efficiency has greatly magnified the issue, with NWS losing nearly 15% of its staff nationwide since January.  The forecast accuracy and timeliness during this event in Texas was a testament to the dedication of the local NWS staff who flexed their schedules to ensure adequate coverage during such a high-impact event. That is not a sustainable solution, nor is it reliable enough for the increasing incidence of dangerous weather events.

    In particular, the loss of the Warning Coordination Meteorologist at the San Antonio weather forecast office (WFO) and the reduced number of forecasters put the people of Texas at risk. Lacking a full staff complement requires the team to focus only on issuing the forecasts and warnings. Outreach and coordination, a key responsibility of the Warning Coordination Meteorologist, do not occur. Also, we understand that the funding supporting travel to the community for outreach and coordination, including meeting with emergency managers and elected officials, has been suspended. Having the Warning Coordination Meteorologist position and the vacancies filled may have been critical to saving more lives by connecting with as many local community leaders as possible in the hours between the 1 a.m. NWS warning and 4 a.m. when the most dangerous conditions began impacting residents.[6]  

    Given these concerns, we intend to work quickly to enact the Weather Staffing Improvement Act, which will streamline the hiring of federal weather forecasters. Meanwhile, we request that NWS expedites the backfilling of vacancies at all WFOs and the National Centers for Environmental Prediction. Further, we request that, despite proposed cuts to programs in the fiscal year 2026 budget request, no other reductions in funding or staffing occur without the explicit direction of Congress to programs that support precipitation prediction and decision support or the improvement of those services, including, but not limited to the work of the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research.

    NWS Director Ken Graham has also laid out strategic priorities to transform NWS’ staffing models and organizational effectiveness, known as “Ken’s 10”.[7] We applaud his thoughtful proposals, though we urge NOAA to provide more detailed information for Congress to consider prior to wholesale implementation.  Further, we urge that any adoption and implementation be done in a measured way so as to prevent any failures in the current system during the transition.   

    We ask that your agencies please provide the following information:

    1. Staffing Cuts: Provide a breakdown of NWS staffing levels since 2017 at WFOs and the National Centers for Environmental Protection.  Identify how many WFOs, and for how long each, has lacked each of the following positions over that time: Meteorologist in Charge, a Science Operations Officer, and a Warning Coordination Meteorologist? What performance impacts have resulted?
    2. Communication Gaps: How did the absence of a Warning Coordination Meteorologist and reduced staffing affect warning distribution, communication and coordination in Kerr County and other nearby jurisdictions? What is the standard operating procedure for such a role in such critical weather events?
    3. Precipitation Prediction: Atlas-15 will provide detailed estimates of maximum probable precipitation rates for any location in the U.S., critical information for planning for severe weather events.  Please explain any reasons for the current delays in Atlas-15’s national release.  Are sufficient funds available for the completion of this tool?  Have any funds been redirected away from this purpose?
    4. Status of PPGC: The Precipitation Prediction Grand Challenge (PPGC), an initiative to dramatically improve the accuracy of forecasting when, where, and how much precipitation will occur has been chronically underfunded.  Please provide an update on the current efforts to date and the requirements to make significant progress over the next 5 years.
    5. Adopting Graham’s Priorities: Which of Ken Graham’s ten transformation proposals have been implemented? Provide projected costs and timelines.
    6. Corps Flood Control Improvements: This event also highlights the need for improvements from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) who is tasked with flood control across the country. How has the Corps updated its standard operating procedures to recognize the increased risk of extreme precipitation?  What is the status of the adoption of the Forecast-Informed Reservoir Operations (FIRO) to reduce flooding risk and maximize water availability? What additional research and monitoring is necessary, and on what timeline, to incorporate FIRO into the Corps’ standard procedures?
    7. Interagency Collaboration: What NOAA and Corps coordination mechanisms are in place to improve rural flood-warning infrastructure and emergency preparedness, including hydrology modeling and flood response planning?
    8. Future Preparedness Plan: Describe plans to adapt federal weather services to the growing frequency of extreme precipitation events attributable to climate change.

    Across America, we are entering a perilous new era of extreme precipitation. The science is clear: a warming world means heavier rains, more frequent flash floods, and rising stakes. Failure to learn from this disaster will only exacerbate future risk. Now is the moment to prioritize investments—restoring NOAA staffing and accelerating research and coordinating flood preparedness across the Federal Government. We respectfully ask for your prompt attention and response within 30 days to ensure federal weather infrastructure is not the weak link in our national resilience.  We further request a quick response to the July 8, 2025 letter from Rep. Doggett, the Dean of the Texas Congressional Delegation.

     

    Sincerely,

    # # #
     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: The forgotten 80-year-old machine that shaped the internet – and could help us survive AI

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Martin Rudorfer, Lecturer in Computer Science, Aston University

    Many years ago, long before the internet or artificial intelligence, an American engineer called Vannevar Bush was trying to solve a problem. He could see how difficult it had become for professionals to research anything, and saw the potential for a better way.

    This was in the 1940s, when anyone looking for articles, books or other scientific records had to go to a library and search through an index. This meant drawers upon drawers filled with index cards, typically sorted by author, title or subject.

    When you had found what you were looking for, creating copies or excerpts was a tedious, manual task. You would have to be very organised in keeping your own records. And woe betide anyone who was working across more than one discipline. Since every book could physically only be in one place, they all had to be filed solely under a primary subject. So an article on cave art couldn’t be in both art and archaeology, and researchers would often waste extra time trying to find the right location.

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

    This had always been a challenge, but an explosion in research publications in that era had made it far worse than before. As Bush wrote in an influential essay, As We May Think, in The Atlantic in July 1945:

    There is a growing mountain of research. But there is increased evidence that we are being bogged down today as specialisation extends. The investigator is staggered by the findings and conclusions of thousands of other workers – conclusions which he cannot find time to grasp, much less to remember, as they appear.

    Bush was dean of the school of engineering at MIT (the Massachusetts Institute of Technology) and president of the Carnegie Institute. During the second world war, he had been the director of the Office of Scientific Research and Development, coordinating the activities of some 6,000 scientists working relentlessly to give their country a technological advantage. He could see that science was being drastically slowed down by the research process, and proposed a solution that he called the “memex”.

    The memex was to be a personal device built into a desk that required little physical space. It would rely heavily on microfilm for data storage, a new technology at the time. The memex would use this to store large numbers of documents in a greatly compressed format that could be projected onto translucent screens.

    Most importantly, Bush’s memex was to include a form of associative indexing for tying two items together. The user would be able to use a keyboard to click on a code number alongside a document to jump to an associated document or view them simultaneously – without needing to sift through an index.

    Bush acknowledged in his essay that this kind of keyboard click-through wasn’t yet technologically feasible. Yet he believed it would be soon, pointing to existing systems for handling data such as punched cards as potential forerunners.

    Punched cards were an early way of storing digital information.
    Wikimedia, CC BY-SA

    He envisaged that a user would create the connections between items as they developed their personal research library, creating chains of microfilm frames in which the same document or extract could be part of multiple trails at the same time.

    New additions could be inserted either by photographing them on to microfilm or by purchasing a microfilm of an existing document. Indeed, a user would be able to augment their memex with vast reference texts. “New forms of encyclopedias will appear,” said Bush, “ready-made with a mesh of associative trails running through them, ready to be dropped into the memex”. Fascinatingly, this isn’t far from today’s Wikipedia.

    Where it led

    Bush thought the memex would help researchers to think in a more natural, associative way that would be reflected in their records. He is thought to have inspired the American inventors Ted Nelson and Douglas Engelbart, who in the 1960s independently developed hypertext systems, in which documents contained hyperlinks that could directly access other documents. These became the foundation of the world wide web as we know it.

    Beyond the practicalities of having easy access to so much information, Bush believed that the added value in the memex lay in making it easier for users to manipulate ideas and spark new ones. His essay drew a distinction between repetitive and creative thought, and foresaw that there would soon be new “powerful mechanical aids” to help with the repetitive variety.

    He was perhaps mostly thinking about mathematics, but he left the door open to other thought processes. And 80 years later, with AI in our pockets, we’re automating far more thinking than was ever possible with a calculator.

    If this sounds like a happy ending, Bush did not sound overly optimistic when he revisited his own vision in his 1970 book Pieces of the Action. In the intervening 25 years, he had witnessed technological advances in areas like computing that were bringing the memex closer to reality.

    Yet Bush felt that the technology had largely missed the philosophical intent of his vision – to enhance human reasoning and creativity:

    In 1945, I dreamed of machines that would think with us. Now, I see machines that think for us – or worse, control us.

    Bush would die just four years later at the age of 84, but these concerns still feel strikingly relevant today. While it’s great that we do not need to search for a book by flipping through index cards in chests of drawers, we might feel more uneasy about machines doing most of the thinking for us.

    Just 80 years after Bush proposed the Memex, AIs on smartphones are an everyday thing.
    jackpress

    Is this technology enhancing and sharpening our skills, or is it making us lazy? No doubt everyone is different, but the danger is that whatever skills we leave to the machines, we eventually lose, and younger generations may not even get the opportunity to learn them in the first place.

    The lesson from As We May Think is that a purely technical solution like the memex is not enough. Technology still needs to be human-centred, underpinned by a philosophical vision. As we contemplate a great automation in human thinking in the years ahead, the challenge is to somehow protect our creativity and reasoning at the same time.

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

    – ref. The forgotten 80-year-old machine that shaped the internet – and could help us survive AI – https://theconversation.com/the-forgotten-80-year-old-machine-that-shaped-the-internet-and-could-help-us-survive-ai-260839

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: The forgotten 80-year-old machine that shaped the internet – and could help us survive AI

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Martin Rudorfer, Lecturer in Computer Science, Aston University

    Many years ago, long before the internet or artificial intelligence, an American engineer called Vannevar Bush was trying to solve a problem. He could see how difficult it had become for professionals to research anything, and saw the potential for a better way.

    This was in the 1940s, when anyone looking for articles, books or other scientific records had to go to a library and search through an index. This meant drawers upon drawers filled with index cards, typically sorted by author, title or subject.

    When you had found what you were looking for, creating copies or excerpts was a tedious, manual task. You would have to be very organised in keeping your own records. And woe betide anyone who was working across more than one discipline. Since every book could physically only be in one place, they all had to be filed solely under a primary subject. So an article on cave art couldn’t be in both art and archaeology, and researchers would often waste extra time trying to find the right location.

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

    This had always been a challenge, but an explosion in research publications in that era had made it far worse than before. As Bush wrote in an influential essay, As We May Think, in The Atlantic in July 1945:

    There is a growing mountain of research. But there is increased evidence that we are being bogged down today as specialisation extends. The investigator is staggered by the findings and conclusions of thousands of other workers – conclusions which he cannot find time to grasp, much less to remember, as they appear.

    Bush was dean of the school of engineering at MIT (the Massachusetts Institute of Technology) and president of the Carnegie Institute. During the second world war, he had been the director of the Office of Scientific Research and Development, coordinating the activities of some 6,000 scientists working relentlessly to give their country a technological advantage. He could see that science was being drastically slowed down by the research process, and proposed a solution that he called the “memex”.

    The memex was to be a personal device built into a desk that required little physical space. It would rely heavily on microfilm for data storage, a new technology at the time. The memex would use this to store large numbers of documents in a greatly compressed format that could be projected onto translucent screens.

    Most importantly, Bush’s memex was to include a form of associative indexing for tying two items together. The user would be able to use a keyboard to click on a code number alongside a document to jump to an associated document or view them simultaneously – without needing to sift through an index.

    Bush acknowledged in his essay that this kind of keyboard click-through wasn’t yet technologically feasible. Yet he believed it would be soon, pointing to existing systems for handling data such as punched cards as potential forerunners.

    Punched cards were an early way of storing digital information.
    Wikimedia, CC BY-SA

    He envisaged that a user would create the connections between items as they developed their personal research library, creating chains of microfilm frames in which the same document or extract could be part of multiple trails at the same time.

    New additions could be inserted either by photographing them on to microfilm or by purchasing a microfilm of an existing document. Indeed, a user would be able to augment their memex with vast reference texts. “New forms of encyclopedias will appear,” said Bush, “ready-made with a mesh of associative trails running through them, ready to be dropped into the memex”. Fascinatingly, this isn’t far from today’s Wikipedia.

    Where it led

    Bush thought the memex would help researchers to think in a more natural, associative way that would be reflected in their records. He is thought to have inspired the American inventors Ted Nelson and Douglas Engelbart, who in the 1960s independently developed hypertext systems, in which documents contained hyperlinks that could directly access other documents. These became the foundation of the world wide web as we know it.

    Beyond the practicalities of having easy access to so much information, Bush believed that the added value in the memex lay in making it easier for users to manipulate ideas and spark new ones. His essay drew a distinction between repetitive and creative thought, and foresaw that there would soon be new “powerful mechanical aids” to help with the repetitive variety.

    He was perhaps mostly thinking about mathematics, but he left the door open to other thought processes. And 80 years later, with AI in our pockets, we’re automating far more thinking than was ever possible with a calculator.

    If this sounds like a happy ending, Bush did not sound overly optimistic when he revisited his own vision in his 1970 book Pieces of the Action. In the intervening 25 years, he had witnessed technological advances in areas like computing that were bringing the memex closer to reality.

    Yet Bush felt that the technology had largely missed the philosophical intent of his vision – to enhance human reasoning and creativity:

    In 1945, I dreamed of machines that would think with us. Now, I see machines that think for us – or worse, control us.

    Bush would die just four years later at the age of 84, but these concerns still feel strikingly relevant today. While it’s great that we do not need to search for a book by flipping through index cards in chests of drawers, we might feel more uneasy about machines doing most of the thinking for us.

    Just 80 years after Bush proposed the Memex, AIs on smartphones are an everyday thing.
    jackpress

    Is this technology enhancing and sharpening our skills, or is it making us lazy? No doubt everyone is different, but the danger is that whatever skills we leave to the machines, we eventually lose, and younger generations may not even get the opportunity to learn them in the first place.

    The lesson from As We May Think is that a purely technical solution like the memex is not enough. Technology still needs to be human-centred, underpinned by a philosophical vision. As we contemplate a great automation in human thinking in the years ahead, the challenge is to somehow protect our creativity and reasoning at the same time.

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

    – ref. The forgotten 80-year-old machine that shaped the internet – and could help us survive AI – https://theconversation.com/the-forgotten-80-year-old-machine-that-shaped-the-internet-and-could-help-us-survive-ai-260839

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Pets can get sunburned too – what you need to know

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jacqueline Boyd, Senior Lecturer in Animal Science, Nottingham Trent University

    While there is good awareness of the potential dangers of pets overheating in high temperatures during summer months, recognising that the sunburn itself can be a source of harm is also important.

    We might think that our furry friends are protected from the sun’s harmful rays thanks to their typical hairiness, but in reality, we need to protect them too.

    This is especially important for pets with light-coloured hair, pale, pink skin or those with fine or thin coats such as the sphynx cat or the xoloitzcuintle dog that lack natural protection.

    For pets that live outdoors or spend a lot of time in the sun, this can also be a significant problem.

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

    Pink skin lacks the pigment, melanin, that provides a natural level of protection from sunlight. As a result, pets with exposed areas of pink skin can become painfully sunburned, even on days that might not appear overly sunny. The tips of cats’ ears are commonly affected, as are horses with pink muzzles and other lightly pigmented areas of their body.

    Dogs can also be affected on their noses and bellies – I have even known one unfortunate pooch to suffer sunburn on his scrotum after a period of garden sunbathing. Essentially, just like us, any unprotected area of skin that is exposed to the sun can become painfully burned, with both short and more prolonged effects.

    Even minor areas of sunburn are associated with reddening of the skin, irritation and discomfort. More severe cases of sunburn can cause blistering, crusting and scabs to form on affected areas. While these signs typically heal and resolve quickly, they can be painful and distressing for our pets.

    The longer-term consequences can include significant damage to the skin and may increase the risk of certain forms of skin cancer developing.

    There is also the potential for thermal burns to occur after exposure to intense sunlight, especially over the backs of animals. These can be severe, affecting the full thickness of the skin and causing significant distress.

    Consequently, protecting our pets from the pain of sunburn is important.

    How to protect your pet

    An easy way to keep your pet safe both from the damaging UV radiation in sunlight and high temperatures, is to limit their access outdoors during the sunniest and warmest times of the day. This might mean exercising your dog early in the morning and later in the evening, providing shade and shelter for horses and encouraging cats to sunbathe safely indoors.

    The use of sunscreen can be a useful protective method to limit harm to exposed areas of skin, but do select a pet-safe sunscreen. Many human sunscreen preparations contain ingredients that can be toxic for our pets, especially if accidentally licked and ingested.

    Reapply sunscreen regularly and don’t forget to apply it to the areas most likely to be exposed, such as ears, noses and pink-skinned or lightly coated areas of the body.

    For some pets, suitable protective clothing and coverings, including UV eye protection might be appropriate, although do take time to get your pet used to wearing and moving in these before use.

    What if your pet has been sunburned?

    If your pet gets a mild sunburn but seems comfortable and not in distress, a cold compress can offer some soothing relief. Gently apply it to the affected area to help ease discomfort. Keep a close eye on the healing process, and be sure to protect your pet from further sun exposure.

    In more severe cases, contact your vet for advice and additional treatment. Painkillers or antibiotics might be needed and these can only be prescribed for your pet by a veterinary surgeon.

    Equally, if you find unusual areas on your pet’s skin such as non-healing or unusually crusty sores and are concerned that it could be a sign of skin cancer, speak to your vet for guidance and support.

    Global UV levels are increasing. This means that in the same way that we have increased exposure to potentially harmful levels, our pets do too. By managing how our pets experience sunshine and by using protective options where possible, we can go some way to avoiding the pain and distress of sunburn, as well as the more serious possible long-term consequences such as skin cancer.

    In addition to her academic affiliation at Nottingham Trent University (NTU) and support from the Institute for Knowledge Exchange Practice (IKEP) at NTU, Jacqueline Boyd is affiliated with The Kennel Club (UK) through membership, as advisor to the Health Advisory Group and membership of the Activities Committee. Jacqueline is also a full member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT #01583). She also writes, consults and coaches on canine matters on an independent basis.

    – ref. Pets can get sunburned too – what you need to know – https://theconversation.com/pets-can-get-sunburned-too-what-you-need-to-know-260076

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: How citizens’ assemblies could improve animal welfare

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Heather Browning, Lecturer in Philosophy, University of Southampton

    Heather Browning speaks about animal welfare and ethics as part of the Citizens’ Assembly for Animal Welfare opening event in Birmingham. RSPCA, CC BY-NC-ND

    As an animal lover, should you visit zoos? Should you have pets? Should you make your garden friendly for birds, pollinators and other wildlife? Should you try to reduce meat in your diet or avoid consuming all animal products? Should you write to politicians about changing the laws for animals?

    As a lecturer in animal ethics and animal welfare science, and someone who’s spent a lot of time working with animals, these are the sorts of questions I think about.

    There are lots of ways to be kinder to animals. All have their merits. But the big question is: what sort of future do we want to see for animals in our society?

    We live in a time where animals are facing some of their biggest challenges, from the climate crisis to industrial farming. Combined with other social issues such as the cost of living crisis and global conflicts, we as citizens and consumers have many other competing claims on our capacity to care. This can mean less attention for animals and the harms they face.

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    This creates a big problem. Alongside the ethical reasons for improving animals’ lives, good animal welfare can benefit everyone – among other things, care for and connections with animals improves our own mental health, fosters compassion in our communities, and can lead to improvements in our natural environment. We don’t want to lose sight of the progress we’ve made in our thinking about and treatment of animals.

    It’s undeniable that there have been many welfare gains for animals over the years, but in the face of how far we still have to go, perhaps new approaches are needed. How can we conceive of new, and perhaps more radical, ways to help animals? And importantly, how do we keep animal welfare on the agenda, both socially and politically?

    For over two centuries, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) has played a central role in this fight. Alongside their animal rescue work, they have campaigned for changes in over 400 laws, and worked with the public to find ways to improve welfare for pets, farmed animals and wildlife.

    This year they are stepping into a new frontier and have commissioned what is possibly the first ever citizens’ assembly focused entirely on animal welfare in the world, delivered with the assistance of experts from the New Citizen Project, a consultancy that specialises in citizen-led engagement. The assembly is part of the RSPCA’s Animal Futures project, which aims to examine what the future may hold for animals by 2050, and most importantly how everyone (citizens, consumers and policymakers) has a role in influencing this.

    Citizens’ assemblies are being held to debate animal welfare issues, such as chicken farming for eggs.
    Dewald Kirsten/Shutterstock

    Citizens’ assemblies bring together a randomly selected representative sample of the population, who learn about and debate issues and make recommendations. It’s a form of deliberative democracy, where the people can have their say on important social and political issues.

    Assemblies are a means of overcoming some of the current problems with the democratic process, like the exclusion of people who often aren’t heard in politics (such as those with less money or education, or racial and religious minorities) and polarisation between major government parties that can slow down decision-making and action.

    Beyond just a focus group asking for existing opinions, citizen’s assemblies provide opportunities for members to learn and shape their thinking, to build expertise on the topics they deliberate.

    Assemblies have already been used around the world on issues as diverse as abortion rights, electoral reform and food waste. As they are independently facilitated, they don’t just follow the accepted institutional narratives and can instead encourage organisations and policymakers to envision new directions for thought and action – in line with the realities of what the public believe and value.

    There are now several examples of the recommendations coming from such assemblies successfully driving policy change, such as climate change reform in France.

    While organisations such as the RSPCA may know a lot about animals, hosting this assembly is an acknowledgement that they don’t have all the answers about what is best for society as a whole, as we consider our interactions with animals. The scope of this problem is far larger than any one organisation can tackle alone, and through initiatives such as the citizens’ assembly, we can gain a greater insight into the possible solutions for the future.

    Animal assembly

    I recently attended this assembly’s opening session in Birmingham, where members were gathered from all around England and Wales (neatly marked by pins scattered across a map of the country). Looking around the room there was obvious diversity in demographics and backgroun and as I spoke with the members it was also apparent there was a wide range of opinions and beliefs on the topics we discussed.

    What everyone shared was a commitment to the process – to learn from the experts who were there to introduce the topics, to deliberate and discuss carefully and thoughtfully – and a desire to contribute and influence the process. Being there felt like being part of an important moment for the future of animal welfare.

    In the weeks that followed, the members of the assembly met again several times to absorb and consider huge amounts of information about topics such as farming, responsible pet ownership, wildlife, and nature. Based on this, they will make a series of recommendations that will drive change at the RSPCA.

    What they produce will be used to shape its future direction, how it works, and how it lobbies governments. What these assembly members recommend could have a substantial and lasting impact on animal welfare in the UK.

    Like many animal welfare experts from academia, industry or charities, I might think I have the answers on what animals need. But successful solutions require public backing to have real impact. Improving the future for animals is something that everyone has a role in and a citizens’ assembly can be a catalyst for positive change.

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

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

    Heather Browning 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 citizens’ assemblies could improve animal welfare – https://theconversation.com/how-citizens-assemblies-could-improve-animal-welfare-259755

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Overhauling the NHS app is at the heart of UK healthcare plans, but it could leave some people behind

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Catia Nicodemo, Professor of Health Economics, Brunel University of London

    The ‘doctor in your pocket’ will see you soon. CeltStudio/Shutterstock

    The UK government’s ten-year health plan promises a radical digital transformation of the NHS. A key part of this change is said to come from developing the NHS app, which is being hailed as a “doctor in your pocket”.

    The upgraded app will apparently offer features like instant health advice, appointment booking, prescription management and access to personal health records. It is hoped the software will become users’ “front door” to the NHS.

    It’s an ambitious vision which aims to empower patients, streamline services and reduce red tape. And for tech-savvy users, these innovations could significantly improve access to care, reduce waiting times and enhance patient autonomy.

    But while it may herald a new era of convenience for many, it risks leaving behind anyone who struggles with an increasingly digital world. This could then exacerbate health inequalities which already exist – and increase pressure on some areas of already strained services.

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    In particular, a digital-first approach to healthcare risks excluding older adults, who may lack the skills or resources to confidently navigate the necessary software. The media regulator Ofcom estimates that around 6% of UK households still lack internet access at home. Figures from the charity Age UK suggest that 33% of people over 75 in the UK lack basic digital skills.

    With regard to health specifically, a 2024 study found that older patients were more likely to misunderstand automated symptom checkers, leading to unnecessary anxiety or delayed care.

    For these people, the planned shift to app-based services could create new barriers to accessing care, potentially leading to delayed diagnoses and worsening health outcomes.

    The NHS plan does at least acknowledge this divide, and says it will confer with patient groups and work with other establishments (such as libraries) to support digital literacy. But these measures will not be enough without guaranteed funding.

    And older people, even those who are comfortable with technology, may face other challenges such as visual impairment or cognitive decline, which can make using apps difficult.

    Others who struggle to use the NHS App for routine care may delay seeking help until their conditions worsen, placing avoidable strain on overstretched hospitals.

    Digital diversion

    This strain might include digital triage inadvertently funnelling non-urgent cases to A&E if users misinterpret symptoms or find the app’s guidance unclear, a risk compounded by the lack of human oversight in automated systems. Or a patient with chronic pain might avoid the app due to digital anxiety or confusion, and end up going to A&E when their condition becomes unbearable and more costly to treat.

    Not everyone is comfortable with apps.
    Halfpoint/Shutterstock

    To avoid all of this, the NHS needs to maintain traditional communication options. Telephone and in-person services must remain accessible and widely available. The ten-year plan’s focus on “digital by default” should not become “digital only”.

    There should also be plenty of investment to help people feel digitally empowered and included. Places like libraries and community centres can certainly help, but targeted outreach will also be necessary, such as partnerships with charities.

    This is not to say the NHS should be overly wary of the benefits of increased digital capabilities. The ten-year plan highlights, for example, the app’s potential to alleviate some of the burdens on healthcare staff, with AI able to take care of admin, saving clinicians time which can be used for patient care instead.

    Such efficiencies are critical for a system grappling with workforce shortages and rising demand. Yet if digital tools are not universally accessible or usable, not everyone will benefit.

    So while the NHS’s digital ambitions are commendable, their success hinges on inclusivity. If it’s not careful, the system risks entrenching a two-tier system where younger, tech-literate patients benefit while older and disadvantaged groups face greater exclusion. As the NHS embraces innovation, it must ensure no one is left behind – especially those who rely on it the most.

    Catia Nicodemo 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. Overhauling the NHS app is at the heart of UK healthcare plans, but it could leave some people behind – https://theconversation.com/overhauling-the-nhs-app-is-at-the-heart-of-uk-healthcare-plans-but-it-could-leave-some-people-behind-260540

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Pallets are the backbone of global trade but supplies are threatened by theft, loss – and giant bonfires

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Liz Breen, Professor of Health Service Operations, School of Pharmacy & Medical Sciences, University of Bradford

    Craigyhill bonfire was declared the world’s tallest at a height of 203 feet (63 metres) in 2022. Thousands of pallets were used to build it. Stephen Barnes/Shutterstock

    Pallets don’t usually make headlines. But amid fresh controversy around the traditional July bonfires held in Northern Ireland this year, they’ve suddenly become a talking point. Wooden pallets used in these bonfires are popular due to their stacking ability, and also their colours – which include the red, white and blue of Britain.

    Ordinarily, pallets are used to transport products from manufacturers to retailers. But their numbers are shrinking due to theft and loss – and of course, they cost money to buy, store, use and replace. A study by one of us (Liz) in 2006 quoted a logistics firm that estimated 14 million pallets were generally missing throughout Europe, costing £140 million. And it’s an ongoing problem: millions of products such as pallets and packaging containers are still stolen each year across the continent.

    Just one bonfire in Larne, County Antrim, in July 2021 reportedly used 17,000 pallets in its construction. This year, police are investigating where the pallets used in the same community’s bonfire originated from. Amid speculation that some may belong to Australia-based supply chain firm Chep, that company has stated its pallets can never legally be bought, sold or destroyed.

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    Pallet losses can lead to logistical disruptions, delayed orders and bare shelves in supermarkets. And the impact is felt by pallet owners, manufacturers, customers and end-users alike.

    Pallets are big business. In the US, around 513 million – mainly wooden, some plastic – are produced each year. In 2021, 48.6 million wooden pallets were produced in the UK, up 8.3% from 2020.

    Rental companies can hold high numbers of pallets, which support the movement of “fast-moving” customer goods – including food, drinks and toiletries. North American firm Peco, for example, manages stock of over 20 million distinctive red wooden pallets across its 90 depots.

    Manufacturers rely on pallets being available to fulfil orders and distribute them to customers quickly. Also known as “returnable transit packaging”, they are valuable assets as they can be maintained and reused. They are usually owned by a pallet pooling agent, which must absorb the loss when they are not returned from customers.

    Why steal pallets?

    Good-condition pallets have a resale value. Both wood and plastic pallets can be deconstructed and sold as components to other industries. Some people even use them to create furniture for homes and gardens.

    Customers may feel these are legitimate upcycled products and won’t think to check where the pallets came from. However, some do have distinctive identification stamps that may remain in upcycled pallet products.

    The organised theft of these products takes its toll on companies. Cargo crime (which includes consumer goods and transportation pallets and containers) is said to cost the UK economy £700 million each year.

    If pallets are not available, production lines may be slowed down or stopped. And it may take longer to produce items, potentially leading to unnecessary transportation as well as greater fuel consumption and emissions.

    But it can also be challenging to map pallet movements and know, at any given time, how many are in transit, with retailers, or lost. Digital tracking solutions such as radio frequency identification can be expensive to implement and are not foolproof. This can make it easy for pallets to go “missing in action”.

    Pallets are a staple mechanism for stock to be received into retailers’ warehouses and distribution centres. Both the size of the pallets and their ownership can be colour-coded – at least some of the blue pallets making headlines this summer in Larne’s red, white and blue tower are thought to be owned by Chep. Warehouse bays are designed with specific pallets in mind – so changes to the pallets can bring extra costs.

    Similarly, replacing lost or stolen pallets comes at a price – which could ultimately be felt by consumers if these costs are passed on by retailers.

    Reducing theft and loss

    Pallet owners cannot afford to continue losing them to theft. Firms that are found using non-compliant or untracked pallets because they have bought them from unauthorised sources can face shipment fines, while other initiatives, such as deposit or voucher schemes or one-for-one exchange plans, could incentivise the return of pallets.

    These practices may influence corporate return behaviour, but the theft of pallets by organised crime gangs is increasing. Changing the materials used to construct pallets could reduce their financial attractiveness and resale value.

    At first glance, a used pallet might look no more useful than discarded wood and be considered fair game for reuse or selling on. But businesses or individuals who collect, sell or purchase stolen pallets are putting themselves at legal risk. Firms found stockpiling or selling-on pallets without permission have faced legal action and even jail in Europe.

    Aside from the legal implications, there are other operational and environmental costs. Each pallet taken out of circulation must be replaced, increasing demand for virgin timber, straining forest resources, and increasing labour costs.

    The humble pallet is the backbone of global trading, and businesses rely on a steady and dependable supply. Pallet services function only if they continue to circulate – but theft and losses undermine this. Without this simple product, everyone from producers to retailers and consumers could end up paying more for the goods they take for granted.

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

    – ref. Pallets are the backbone of global trade but supplies are threatened by theft, loss – and giant bonfires – https://theconversation.com/pallets-are-the-backbone-of-global-trade-but-supplies-are-threatened-by-theft-loss-and-giant-bonfires-260948

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Channel crossings: what is a safe and legal route?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Gillian McFadyen, Lecturer in International Politics, Aberystwyth University

    Since figures were first recorded in 2018, more than 170,000 people have crossed the Channel in small boats, hoping to claim asylum in the UK. Over 20,000 have crossed this year alone, and many dozens have died.

    Over the years, UK governments have tried a number of tactics – returns agreements, increased law enforcement, deportation schemes, and “smashing” organised smuggling gangs – to try and put an end to this dangerous practice. The latest attempt is the government’s new “one in, one out” pilot migration deal with France, which would see the UK accept some asylum seekers with legitimate claims to life in the UK, while sending an equivalent number back to France.



    Read more:
    How UK-France ‘one in, one out’ migration deal will work – and what the challenges could be

    Campaigners, academics and groups that support asylum seekers have long called for the UK to introduce “safe and legal routes”. They argue that this is the only way to reduce demand for unsafe Channel crossings. The logic is that people seeking protection are turning to smugglers and small boats because, for most, there are no other options to enter the UK and claim asylum.

    But what are these routes?

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    A safe and legal route is a scheme or journey approved by the UK government that allows people to enter the country without a visa in order to claim asylum. The 1951 refugee convention says that people have the right to claim asylum. But UK law requires someone to be physically present in the country to do so.

    A safe and legal route stresses that arriving irregularly – for instance, by crossing the Channel in a small boat – is illegal, even though the UN refugee convention is explicit that refugees should not be penalised for how they arrive to claim refuge.

    Does the UK have safe and legal routes?

    The UK has had safe and legal routes available for refugees in the recent past.

    Most schemes are restricted to certain populations and limited in accessibility. For example, two nationality-specific schemes for Afghans were set up in January 2022, after the fall of Kabul to the Taliban. These have resettled roughly 34,000 Afghans in the UK.

    The schemes prioritised those who had worked or assisted UK efforts in Afghanistan, as well as assisting vulnerable people such as women and girls at risk, and minority groups. Both routes are now shut.

    The UK also has schemes for Ukrainians and Hong Kongers. The Ukrainian schemes (Homes for Ukrainians and the now-closed Ukrainian Family Scheme), established in March 2022, have resettled 217,000 to the UK. The Hong Kong scheme is only eligible for British National Overseas status holders and their dependants. Most of these are not recognised, and nor do they identify, as refugees. Since opening in January 2021, 179,000 have been granted a visa to live in the UK.

    There is also the family reunion pathway for those already granted protection in the UK, who can invite spouses or other dependants to join them. This can be viewed as a safe route, but it is specifically for those already with status (refugee or otherwise) in the country. Importantly, those who gain access this way are not given refugee status in their own right, but granted leave to remain that is connected to their family member’s status.

    The UK has also worked closely with UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, since March 2021. The UNHCR identifies vulnerable candidates for resettlement direct from regions of conflict, primarily the Middle East and North Africa. This scheme highlights the value of safe and legal routes and the potential for developing a humane asylum route, but at present it is limited in scope, with only 3,798 people granted safe and dignified resettlement in the UK via this route.

    The prime minister, Keir Starmer, has stressed that the new pilot with France will be limited to people “who have not tried to enter the UK illegally” and who have a strong case for asylum in the UK – again highlighting the strict access and eligibility for this “safe and legal” route.

    A refugee camp in Greece in 2016.
    Ververidis Vasilis/Shutterstock

    If we look at the map of international conflict today, the majority of people in conflict zones would be ineligible for these schemes. Afghans, Eritreans, Syrians, Iranian and Sudanese are some of the top nationalities arriving via the Channel crossing to the UK, but are provided with no safe or legal routes to sanctuary. Yet, in claiming asylum, 68% of small boat arrivals are ultimately granted status.

    Conflicts in Gaza, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan have not led to any bespoke humanitarian refugee protection rights from the UK. In practice, it is legally impossible for most asylum seekers to reach the UK via a safe and legal route as the schemes are so limited in scope.

    Smashing the gangs

    In January 2025, the Refugee Council, an organisation that supports asylum seekers and refugees in the UK, urged the UK to introduce a safe and legal route – in the form of a limited number of refugee visas – in order to stop deaths in the Channel.

    Between 2018 and April 2025, 147 people have died attempting to cross the Channel in small boats, with 2024 being the deadliest year for child migrant deaths.

    The UK government’s most recent approach has been to “smash the gangs” to prevent small boat crossings. But evidence shows that a criminal justice approach, while popular, ultimately leads smugglers to change their business practices – often jeopardising people further as they take longer routes or put more people into boats.

    More safe and legal routes would, on the other hand, reduce demand for smuggling across the Channel, by giving people another option.

    Crucially, even if the UK were to successfully “smash the gangs”, this does not eradicate peoples’ need for protection when fleeing war zones. Safe and legal routes would introduce a compassionate and humane refugee system which adheres with the UK’s obligations under international refugee law.

    Gillian McFadyen receives funding from ACE Hub Wales, Public Health Wales for the project ‘A Welsh Pathways to Peace: Digital Storytelling and Forced Migration’ (2025-2026).

    – ref. Channel crossings: what is a safe and legal route? – https://theconversation.com/channel-crossings-what-is-a-safe-and-legal-route-246931

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Don’t let food poisoning crash your picnic – six tips to keep your spread safe

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Edward Fox, Associate Professor, Department of Applied Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle

    Jenny_Tr/Shutterstock

    Nothing says summer quite like a picnic. Whether you’re lounging on a beach towel, stretched out in a park, or unpacking a hamper in your garden, picnics are a beloved way to enjoy good food in the great outdoors.

    In the UK alone, the picnic food market is worth over £2 billion each year, with millions of us heading out for an alfresco feast with family or friends when the sun is shining.

    But as idyllic as they may seem, picnics come with hidden risks, especially when it comes to food safety. Without access to fridges, ovens or running water, the chances of foodborne illness such as diarrhoea increase. So, how can you keep your spread both delicious and safe?

    Warm, sunny weather is perfect for picnics – and unfortunately, also for bacteria. High temperatures can cause harmful microbes to multiply quickly in certain foods – especially meat, eggs, dairy or salads with creamy dressings. Add in a few flies or some dirty hands, and your picnic could become a recipe for illness.

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    Food poisoning bacteria can find their way into picnic food from several sources: flies that land on uncovered dishes, unwashed hands, cross-contaminated utensils, or even from leaving perishable food out in the sun too long.

    This is not just a theoretical risk. There have been several well-documented outbreaks linked to picnics, including one event in Texas where more than 100 people developed diarrhoea and fever after eating food contaminated with salmonella. In another case at a church picnic in Ohio, clostridium botulinum – a bacterium that can be fatal – contaminated potato salad and led to one death.



    Read more:
    Salmonella cases are at ten-year high in England – here’s what you can do to keep yourself safe

    Six tips to enjoy your picnic safely

    However, with a few simple steps, you can protect yourself and others while enjoying that alfresco feast:

    1. Keep cold food cold. If you’re bringing dishes that normally need refrigeration (think meats, cheese, egg mayo), don’t pack them until the last minute. Use a cool bag or insulated box with ice packs or frozen water bottles to help keep things chilled. Once you’re out, only take food out of the cooler when it’s time to eat, and always try to keep it in the shade.

    2. Watch the clock. On hot days, perishable foods should be eaten within two hours (or four hours if it’s mild). After that, any leftovers should be thrown away. Don’t be tempted to take food home and refrigerate it “just in case” – one family in Belgium did just that with a salad, and ended up with severe food poisoning two days later.

    3. Wash those hands. Picnics often mean touching tables, grass, pets or public benches – all potential sources of bacteria. Hand sanitiser is your best friend. Use it before handling or eating any food.

    4. Cover up. Insects, especially flies, can carry bacteria and leave them behind when they land. Keep food in sealed containers or cover with foil or clean cloths to protect your spread. This helps keep animals (and rogue seagulls) away too.

    5. Prep fresh produce properly. Salads, fruits and veg are picnic staples, but they must be washed thoroughly before being packed. Even pre-washed leaves can benefit from a rinse. Pack them in clean containers and don’t let utensils touch dirty surfaces.



    Read more:
    New study: Salmonella thrives in salad bags

    6. Keep your utensils clean. Bring enough serving spoons, tongs and plates – and avoid putting them down on picnic tables or the ground. A spare clean plate is always a good idea when it comes to safe serving.

    Enjoy the food, not the fallout

    Picnics should leave you with warm memories – not stomach cramps. By following these food safety basics, you can enjoy your outdoor feast without any unwanted after-effects. From chilled pasta salads to hand-cut fruit or that classic homemade quiche, safe food is happy food.

    So, pack a blanket, grab your cool bag, and soak up the sunshine – just keep the bacteria at bay.



    Read more:
    Food safety: are the sniff test, the five-second rule and rare burgers safe?

    Edward Fox has received funding from the Food Safety Research Network.

    – ref. Don’t let food poisoning crash your picnic – six tips to keep your spread safe – https://theconversation.com/dont-let-food-poisoning-crash-your-picnic-six-tips-to-keep-your-spread-safe-260834

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Women with ADHD three times more likely to experience premenstrual dysphoric disorder – new research

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jessica Agnew-Blais, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, Queen Mary University of London

    PMDD causes symptoms such as mood swings, irritability, depressed mood and anxiety. LightField Studios/ Shutterstock

    Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has historically been under-studied in women. This means we still have a limited understanding of how the condition may uniquely affect women – and what effect monthly hormonal changes may have on women with ADHD.

    But a recent study conducted by me and my colleagues has shown that women with ADHD are at higher risk for mental health struggles associated with the menstrual cycle. We found that having ADHD makes women around three times more likely to experience premenstrual dysphoric disorder.

    Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), is a serious condition that affects about 3% of women worldwide. The condition can seriously interfere with a person’s everyday life, causing symptoms such as mood swings, irritability, depressed mood and anxiety.

    These symptoms occur in the days before menstruation, and resolve after the period starts. For some, PMDD may lead to severe outcomes, such as being at an increased risk of attempting suicide.



    Read more:
    Premenstrual dysphoric disorder: the frightening psychological condition suffered by Dixie D’Amelio

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    We conducted an online survey of 715 women aged 18 to 34 in the UK. We asked them whether they experienced different symptoms of ADHD or PMDD, whether they’d received an ADHD diagnosis from a doctor and how symptoms interfered with their lives.

    We found that about 31% of women with a clinical ADHD diagnosis also had PMDD, as did around 41% of women who scored high for ADHD symptoms (whether they had been formally diagnosed with ADHD or not). In comparison, only about 9% of women without ADHD met the criteria for PMDD. We also found that women who had ADHD and a clinical diagnosis of depression or anxiety had an even greater risk of PMDD.

    The research showed that the most common PMDD symptoms women experienced were irritability, feeling overwhelmed and depression. But women with ADHD may also be more likely to experience insomnia when they have PMDD.

    The PMDD and ADHD link

    Our study isn’t the first to show a link between the two conditions, but it is the first to identify a similar PMDD risk among women with ADHD symptoms, not just among those who were in treatment. We’re also the first to show that people who have ADHD plus depression or anxiety are at an even greater risk of PMDD.

    Other research suggests that women with ADHD may also be at higher risk for mental health problems during other times of hormonal change. For instance, one study found women with ADHD experienced higher rates of depression and anxiety after starting combined oral hormonal contraceptives. Another study found that women with ADHD were more likely to experience depression after giving birth than those without the condition.

    More research is now needed to understand why women with ADHD appear to be more vulnerable to PMDD, and whether this affects what treatments work best.

    It should be noted that our study assesses “provisional PMDD diagnosis”. An official diagnosis requires two months of symptom tracking across the menstrual cycle. But we asked women to remember how they felt across their menstrual cycle rather than tracking how they feel in real-time.

    This means we could be over- or under-estimating PMDD prevalence as we’re relying on participants to recall their symptoms.

    Future research should assess PMDD symptoms among women in real-time as they experience their menstrual cycles to more accurately assess symptoms without having to rely on people’s memory. Additionally, it may be difficult to distinguish PMDD from other disorders that may worsen during the premenstrual period, such as depression or anxiety. Tracking symptoms across the menstrual cycle in real-time would help to disentangle this.

    PMDD can have profoundly negative effects on women’s lives. Some women even report it can make them feel “physically unable to see the joy in things”. Although symptoms can be managed with prescription treatments, this can only happen if the condition is diagnosed by a doctor.

    Our new research shows us that women with ADHD are an at-risk group for PMDD, especially if they also have depression or anxiety. This suggests doctors should consider screening for PMDD among women with ADHD to reduce distress and adverse outcomes associated with the condition.

    Jessica Agnew-Blais receives funding from the UK Medical Research Council and GambleAware for her research.

    – ref. Women with ADHD three times more likely to experience premenstrual dysphoric disorder – new research – https://theconversation.com/women-with-adhd-three-times-more-likely-to-experience-premenstrual-dysphoric-disorder-new-research-260222

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Women with ADHD three times more likely to experience premenstrual dysphoric disorder – new research

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jessica Agnew-Blais, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, Queen Mary University of London

    PMDD causes symptoms such as mood swings, irritability, depressed mood and anxiety. LightField Studios/ Shutterstock

    Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has historically been under-studied in women. This means we still have a limited understanding of how the condition may uniquely affect women – and what effect monthly hormonal changes may have on women with ADHD.

    But a recent study conducted by me and my colleagues has shown that women with ADHD are at higher risk for mental health struggles associated with the menstrual cycle. We found that having ADHD makes women around three times more likely to experience premenstrual dysphoric disorder.

    Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), is a serious condition that affects about 3% of women worldwide. The condition can seriously interfere with a person’s everyday life, causing symptoms such as mood swings, irritability, depressed mood and anxiety.

    These symptoms occur in the days before menstruation, and resolve after the period starts. For some, PMDD may lead to severe outcomes, such as being at an increased risk of attempting suicide.



    Read more:
    Premenstrual dysphoric disorder: the frightening psychological condition suffered by Dixie D’Amelio

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

    We conducted an online survey of 715 women aged 18 to 34 in the UK. We asked them whether they experienced different symptoms of ADHD or PMDD, whether they’d received an ADHD diagnosis from a doctor and how symptoms interfered with their lives.

    We found that about 31% of women with a clinical ADHD diagnosis also had PMDD, as did around 41% of women who scored high for ADHD symptoms (whether they had been formally diagnosed with ADHD or not). In comparison, only about 9% of women without ADHD met the criteria for PMDD. We also found that women who had ADHD and a clinical diagnosis of depression or anxiety had an even greater risk of PMDD.

    The research showed that the most common PMDD symptoms women experienced were irritability, feeling overwhelmed and depression. But women with ADHD may also be more likely to experience insomnia when they have PMDD.

    The PMDD and ADHD link

    Our study isn’t the first to show a link between the two conditions, but it is the first to identify a similar PMDD risk among women with ADHD symptoms, not just among those who were in treatment. We’re also the first to show that people who have ADHD plus depression or anxiety are at an even greater risk of PMDD.

    Other research suggests that women with ADHD may also be at higher risk for mental health problems during other times of hormonal change. For instance, one study found women with ADHD experienced higher rates of depression and anxiety after starting combined oral hormonal contraceptives. Another study found that women with ADHD were more likely to experience depression after giving birth than those without the condition.

    More research is now needed to understand why women with ADHD appear to be more vulnerable to PMDD, and whether this affects what treatments work best.

    It should be noted that our study assesses “provisional PMDD diagnosis”. An official diagnosis requires two months of symptom tracking across the menstrual cycle. But we asked women to remember how they felt across their menstrual cycle rather than tracking how they feel in real-time.

    This means we could be over- or under-estimating PMDD prevalence as we’re relying on participants to recall their symptoms.

    Future research should assess PMDD symptoms among women in real-time as they experience their menstrual cycles to more accurately assess symptoms without having to rely on people’s memory. Additionally, it may be difficult to distinguish PMDD from other disorders that may worsen during the premenstrual period, such as depression or anxiety. Tracking symptoms across the menstrual cycle in real-time would help to disentangle this.

    PMDD can have profoundly negative effects on women’s lives. Some women even report it can make them feel “physically unable to see the joy in things”. Although symptoms can be managed with prescription treatments, this can only happen if the condition is diagnosed by a doctor.

    Our new research shows us that women with ADHD are an at-risk group for PMDD, especially if they also have depression or anxiety. This suggests doctors should consider screening for PMDD among women with ADHD to reduce distress and adverse outcomes associated with the condition.

    Jessica Agnew-Blais receives funding from the UK Medical Research Council and GambleAware for her research.

    – ref. Women with ADHD three times more likely to experience premenstrual dysphoric disorder – new research – https://theconversation.com/women-with-adhd-three-times-more-likely-to-experience-premenstrual-dysphoric-disorder-new-research-260222

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  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Don’t let food poisoning crash your picnic – six tips to keep your spread safe

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Edward Fox, Associate Professor, Department of Applied Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle

    Jenny_Tr/Shutterstock

    Nothing says summer quite like a picnic. Whether you’re lounging on a beach towel, stretched out in a park, or unpacking a hamper in your garden, picnics are a beloved way to enjoy good food in the great outdoors.

    In the UK alone, the picnic food market is worth over £2 billion each year, with millions of us heading out for an alfresco feast with family or friends when the sun is shining.

    But as idyllic as they may seem, picnics come with hidden risks, especially when it comes to food safety. Without access to fridges, ovens or running water, the chances of foodborne illness such as diarrhoea increase. So, how can you keep your spread both delicious and safe?

    Warm, sunny weather is perfect for picnics – and unfortunately, also for bacteria. High temperatures can cause harmful microbes to multiply quickly in certain foods – especially meat, eggs, dairy or salads with creamy dressings. Add in a few flies or some dirty hands, and your picnic could become a recipe for illness.

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

    Food poisoning bacteria can find their way into picnic food from several sources: flies that land on uncovered dishes, unwashed hands, cross-contaminated utensils, or even from leaving perishable food out in the sun too long.

    This is not just a theoretical risk. There have been several well-documented outbreaks linked to picnics, including one event in Texas where more than 100 people developed diarrhoea and fever after eating food contaminated with salmonella. In another case at a church picnic in Ohio, clostridium botulinum – a bacterium that can be fatal – contaminated potato salad and led to one death.



    Read more:
    Salmonella cases are at ten-year high in England – here’s what you can do to keep yourself safe

    Six tips to enjoy your picnic safely

    However, with a few simple steps, you can protect yourself and others while enjoying that alfresco feast:

    1. Keep cold food cold. If you’re bringing dishes that normally need refrigeration (think meats, cheese, egg mayo), don’t pack them until the last minute. Use a cool bag or insulated box with ice packs or frozen water bottles to help keep things chilled. Once you’re out, only take food out of the cooler when it’s time to eat, and always try to keep it in the shade.

    2. Watch the clock. On hot days, perishable foods should be eaten within two hours (or four hours if it’s mild). After that, any leftovers should be thrown away. Don’t be tempted to take food home and refrigerate it “just in case” – one family in Belgium did just that with a salad, and ended up with severe food poisoning two days later.

    3. Wash those hands. Picnics often mean touching tables, grass, pets or public benches – all potential sources of bacteria. Hand sanitiser is your best friend. Use it before handling or eating any food.

    4. Cover up. Insects, especially flies, can carry bacteria and leave them behind when they land. Keep food in sealed containers or cover with foil or clean cloths to protect your spread. This helps keep animals (and rogue seagulls) away too.

    5. Prep fresh produce properly. Salads, fruits and veg are picnic staples, but they must be washed thoroughly before being packed. Even pre-washed leaves can benefit from a rinse. Pack them in clean containers and don’t let utensils touch dirty surfaces.



    Read more:
    New study: Salmonella thrives in salad bags

    6. Keep your utensils clean. Bring enough serving spoons, tongs and plates – and avoid putting them down on picnic tables or the ground. A spare clean plate is always a good idea when it comes to safe serving.

    Enjoy the food, not the fallout

    Picnics should leave you with warm memories – not stomach cramps. By following these food safety basics, you can enjoy your outdoor feast without any unwanted after-effects. From chilled pasta salads to hand-cut fruit or that classic homemade quiche, safe food is happy food.

    So, pack a blanket, grab your cool bag, and soak up the sunshine – just keep the bacteria at bay.



    Read more:
    Food safety: are the sniff test, the five-second rule and rare burgers safe?

    Edward Fox has received funding from the Food Safety Research Network.

    – ref. Don’t let food poisoning crash your picnic – six tips to keep your spread safe – https://theconversation.com/dont-let-food-poisoning-crash-your-picnic-six-tips-to-keep-your-spread-safe-260834

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Environment – France and the IUCN celebrate 20 years of partnership by signing a new framework agreement (July 11, 2025)

    Source: Republic of France in English
    The Republic of France has issued the following statement:

    In 2025, the French government and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature

    (IUCN) mark 20 years of joint action for nature and sustainable development.

    The celebration of that anniversary on July 8 highlighted the achievements of a historic partnership that since 2005 has played a key role in protecting biodiversity at the global level. The occasion was marked by the signing of a new partnership agreement for 2026-2029, reflecting the two parties’ ongoing commitment to tackle climate and biodiversity challenges. This new partnership will expand global climate and environmental commitments ahead of the World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi (from October 9 to 15) and the UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belém, Brazil (from November 10 to 21).

    The signing ceremony was held in Paris. Those present included Thani Mohamed-Soilihi, Minister Delegate for Francophonie and International Partnerships; Barbara Pompili, Ambassador for the Environment; Bertrand Walckenaer, Deputy CEO of the French Development Agency (AFD); and Grethel Aguilar, Director General of the IUCN.

    A network of government and civil society organizations, the IUCN has historically played a key role in preserving protected areas and threatened species. Since 2005, its partnership with France has contributed to large-scale conservation projects generating concrete results for global biodiversity, particularly in Africa and the Mediterranean basin. France and the IUCN spearheaded the development and international promotion of the Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions (NbS), which serves as a guide for public and private stakeholders seeking to ensure the effectiveness of actions to protect and restore natural or modified ecosystems. The Partnership has also worked on ocean conservation through projects in France’s overseas territories and by actively participating in negotiations of the UN Agreement on Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ). It also prioritizes such crucial challenges to biodiversity as sustainable food and agricultural systems and the interface between science and politics.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: What would it take for a new British leftwing party to succeed?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Colm Murphy, Lecturer in British Politics, Queen Mary University of London

    Last week, the MP for Coventry South, Zarah Sultana, made an audacious decision. Having already lost the Labour party whip for opposing the two-child benefit cap, Sultana announced she would co-lead a new leftwing party with Jeremy Corbyn, who was expelled from Labour in 2024.

    From one angle, her decision may seem simple. Discontent with Keir Starmer’s Labour government, on everything from welfare cuts to Gaza, has never been higher, and Sultana is a vocal critic. Yet, launching a (still unnamed) new party is bold. It tackles head-on an old and vexing question for socialist critics of capitalism in the UK.

    In 1976, the socialist theorist Ralph Miliband (yes, Ed and David’s dad) described the faith in Labour’s capacity to become a socialist vehicle as “the most crippling of all illusions”. But socialists who agree with Miliband senior then have an almighty problem.

    Writing months after the 2019 defeat of Corbyn’s Labour party, the veteran “New Left” academics Colin Leys and Leo Panitch echoed Miliband in their book Searching for Socialism. But they also saw few immediate alternatives with “any prospect of electoral success”. This, they wrote, is the “central dilemma” for British democratic socialists.

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

    The reaction to Sultana’s announcement from the British left has been accordingly mixed. Leaks revealed that Corbyn’s team was caught off guard. Responses from prominent potential supporters were reserved. Momentum, the leftwing grassroots organisation, hastily distributed the pamphlet Why Socialists Should Be in the Labour Party.

    It’s too early to know whether these issues are teething problems or portents. But the barriers to Sultana’s venture are formidable. What would it take for a new leftwing party to succeed? What would “success” even look like?

    A careful reading of political history can help us answer these questions. This is not the first time that new parties have emerged from Labour factionalism. Many readers will be aware of the 1981 departure of the “gang of four” Labour figures, who founded the Social Democratic party (SDP) that later merged with the Liberal party to form the Liberal Democrats.

    Nor is it the first time that smaller parties have appeared on Labour’s left. Between 1920 and 1991, the Communist party of Great Britain was a potent force in the trade union movement. From the 1990s to the 2010s, several vehicles contested local and national elections against Labour, from the Socialist Alliance to Left Unity.

    Challenges for a new party

    Each of these iterations had its historical peculiarities. But stepping back, we can identify three recurring challenges that any leftwing insurgent party must confront.

    First, they must agree on an electoral strategy and purpose, given the institutional brutality of British democracy. The UK has some proportional elections, including in Scotland and Wales (expected to be next contested in 2026). Councils are also possible avenues of influence.

    But there is no avoiding the fact that legislative and executive power is hoarded in the House of Commons, elected by first past the post. Labour will discourage possible defectors by warning that a split in the left vote will let in the right. Neil Kinnock, Labour’s former leader who found himself fighting off the SDP while trying to evict Thatcher in the 1980s, dubbed Sultana and Corbyn’s venture the “Farage assistance party”.

    Left of Labour parties are often aware of the risk. Indeed, far left activists have in the past advocated voting Labour, with “varying degrees of (un)enthusiasm”.

    Advocates of a new party will note that Labour is only polling in the low 20s, suggesting a pool of ex-Labour voters potentially interested in shopping around. However, there are others it could torpedo too.

    One recent poll on support for a hypothetical Corbyn-led party – which we should take with some salt – found that its 10% support comes partly from eating into the Green vote. An electoral arrangement with the Greens, on the other hand, may require shared policy platforms, raising the question of why a separate party is needed.

    A poll from More in Common conducted specifically about a Sultana-Corbyn party found 9% of Labour voters and 26% of current Green voters saying that would vote for such a party.

    The Socialist Labour party (SLP) – founded in 1996 by the prominent trade unionist Arthur Scargill in reaction to Tony Blair’s New Labour – is the obvious cautionary tale. Scargill wanted a purer, better Labour party. Yet, Labour looked set to kick out an 18-year-long Conservative government.

    Scargill could not convince many sympathetic activists to join. As historian Alfie Steer argues, the SLP instead became dominated by socialists hostile to the Labour party. The party could not overcome the resultant contradictions in its purpose and collapsed into acrimony.

    The SLP also illustrates the second key consideration: timing. The SLP struggled partly because it launched just as Labour was sweeping triumphantly into power. Sultana’s timing is arguably more astute. She has waited for Starmer’s bubble to burst and for disillusionment to fester.

    However, the broad left within Labour has also just found its voice by rebelling against government policy. The temptation for a risk-averse Labour activist may be to leap onto this critical bandwagon without taking the more dangerous step of defecting.



    Read more:
    The mistakes Keir Starmer made over disability cuts – and how he can avoid future embarrassment

    Keir Starmer, then shadow Brexit secretary, accompanies then-Labour leader Corbyn to Brussels in 2019.
    Alexandros Michailidis/Shutterstock

    The final challenge is securing institutional durability without debilitating splits. It is telling that Sultana felt compelled to include Corbyn’s name despite his reported reservations.

    Sultana herself has an impressive political profile, especially on TikTok. Any new party will rely heavily on prominent spokespeople to force it into the national conversation. Yet, such vehicles can become trapped by their dependence on individuals. The Respect party of the 2000s, for example, was reliant on the charismatic but polarising figure of George Galloway.

    The fledgling party will also need a lasting structure that determines how candidates are selected and policy is formed. This risks dragging it into dreaded constitutional debates. It is already reportedly divided over the existence of co-leaders.

    Intra-party democracy is off-putting to outsiders. But as constitutional scholar Meg Russell argues, it speaks to fundamental questions about the extent, and limits, of democracy. Such disputes have frequently wracked the left (and the radical right, as Reform’s recent constitutional changes show).

    To what extent should policy be “democratically” decided? Should a new party limit who can join, and if so, on what criteria? How will leaders be selected? From the CPGB to the SLP, these questions have proven divisive in the past. They could easily prove so again.

    The new party faces severe challenges, but it would be unwise to write it off completely. In a volatile context, it has a chance to make its mark if it is clear in its strategic electoral purpose, cultivates an institutional and activist base and times its interventions astutely. But the obstacles to success are enormous – and with Reform currently polling top, the risks are high.

    Colm Murphy is currently a member of the Labour Party, but he is writing purely in an academic capacity.

    – ref. What would it take for a new British leftwing party to succeed? – https://theconversation.com/what-would-it-take-for-a-new-british-leftwing-party-to-succeed-260599

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  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Why it can be hard to warn people about dangers like floods – communication researchers explain the role of human behavior

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Keri K. Stephens, Professor & Co-Director, Technology & Information Policy Institute, The University of Texas at Austin

    How emergency alerts convey risks matters. AP Photo/Eric Gay

    Flash floods like the one that swept down the Guadalupe River in Texas on July 4, 2025, can be highly unpredictable. While there are sophisticated flood prediction models and different types of warning systems in some places, effective flood protection requires extensive preparedness and awareness.

    It also requires an understanding of how people receive, interpret and act on risk information and warnings. Technology can be part of the solution, but ultimately people are the critical element in any response.

    As researchers who study emergency communications, we have found that simply providing people with technical information and data is often not enough to effectively communicate the danger and prompt them to act.

    The human element

    One of us, Keri Stephens, has led teams studying flood risk communication. They found that people who have experienced a flood are more aware of the risks. Conversely, groups that have not lived through floods typically don’t understanding various flood risks such as storm surges and flash floods. And while first responders often engage in table-top exercises and drills – very important for their readiness to respond – there are only a few examples of entire communities actively participating in warning drills.

    Messages used to communicate flood risk also matter, but people need to receive them. To that end, Keri’s teams have worked with the Texas Water Development Board to develop resources that help local flood officials sort through and prioritize information about a flood hazard so they can share what is most valuable with their local communities.

    The commonly used “Turn Around Don’t Drown” message, while valuable, may not resonate equally with all groups. Newly developed and tested messages such as “Keep Your Car High and Dry” appeal specifically to young adults who typically feel invincible but don’t want their prized vehicles damaged. While more research is needed, this is an example of progress in understanding an important aspect of flood communication: how recipients of the information make decisions.

    Interviews conducted by researchers often include responses along these lines: “Another flash flood warning. We get these all the time. It’s never about flooding where I am.” This common refrain reveals a fundamental challenge in flood communication. When people hear “flood warning,” they often think of different things, and interpretations can vary depending on a person’s proximity to the flooding event.

    Some people equate flood warnings with streamflow gauges and sensors that monitor water levels – the technical infrastructure that triggers alerts when rivers exceed certain thresholds. Others think of mobile phone alerts, county- or geographic-specific notification systems, or even sirens.

    A typical alert from the National Weather Service.
    AP Photo/Lisa Rathke

    Beyond technologies and digital communication, warnings still come through informal networks in many communities. Emergency managers directly coordinate with and share information with major businesses and organizations, saying, “Hey, John, be sure you have somebody up tonight watching the National Weather Service alerts and rivers.”

    This human-centered approach, similar to neighborhood-level systems we have studied in Japan, can provide direct confirmation that warnings have been received. This is something mass media and mobile systems cannot guarantee, especially during infrastructure failures such as power and cell tower outages.

    Effective messages

    Research shows that effective warning messages need to include five critical components: a clear hazard description, location-specific information, actionable guidance, timing cues and a credible source. The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s integrated public alert and warning system message design dashboard assists authorities in rapidly drafting effective messages.

    This warning system, known as IPAWS, provides nationwide infrastructure for wireless emergency alerts and Emergency Alert System messages. While powerful, IPAWS has limitations − not all emergency managers are trained to use it, and messages may extend beyond intended geographic areas. Also, many older mobile devices lack the latest capabilities, so they may not receive the most complete messages when they are sent.

    Hyperlocal community opt-in systems can complement IPAWS by allowing residents to register for targeted notifications. These systems, which can be run by communities or local agencies, face their own challenges. People must know they exist, be willing to share phone numbers, and remember to update their information. Social media platforms add another communication channel, with emergency managers increasingly using social media to share updates, though these primarily reach only certain demographics, and not everyone checks social media regularly.

    The key is redundancy through multiple communication channels. Research has found that multiple warnings are needed for people to develop a sense of urgency, and the most effective strategy is simple: Tell another person what’s going on. Interpersonal networks help ensure the message is delivered and can prompt actions. As former Natural Hazards Center Director Dennis Mileti observed: The wireless emergency alerts system “is fast. Mama is faster.”

    A Colorado news report explains why emergency alerts have to be tailored for local needs and conditions and use multiple communication channels.

    Warning fatigue

    Professionals from the National Weather Service, FEMA and the Federal Communications Commission, along with researchers, are increasingly concerned about warning fatigue – when people tune out warnings because they receive too many of them.

    However, there is limited empirical data about how and when people experience warning fatigue – or about its impact.

    This creates a double bind: Officials have an obligation to warn people at risk, yet frequent warnings can desensitize recipients. More research is needed to determine the behavioral implications of and differences between warnings that people perceive as irrelevant to their immediate geographic area versus those that genuinely don’t apply to them. This distinction becomes especially critical when people might drive into flooded areas outside their immediate vicinity.

    The key to effective emergency communication is to develop messages that resonate with specific audiences and build community networks that complement technological systems. We are now studying how to do this effectively in the United States and internationally. It’s also important to apply behavioral insights to the design of every level of communication warning systems. And it’s important to remember to test not just the technology but the entire end-to-end system, from threat identification to community response.

    Finally, maintaining true redundancy across multiple communication channels is an important strategy when trying to reach as many people as possible. Technology supports human decision-making, but it doesn’t replace it.

    Keri K. Stephens’ research reported here has been externally funded by the Texas Water Development Board, Texas General Land Office, and the National Science Foundation. Results published are peer-reviewed, and opinions reflect those of the author, not the funder.

    Hamilton Bean has earned research funding from U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Results published are peer-reviewed, and opinions reflect those of the author, not the funder.

    – ref. Why it can be hard to warn people about dangers like floods – communication researchers explain the role of human behavior – https://theconversation.com/why-it-can-be-hard-to-warn-people-about-dangers-like-floods-communication-researchers-explain-the-role-of-human-behavior-260780

    MIL OSI Analysis –