NewzIntel.com

Category: Transport

  • MIL-OSI USA: UConn Law Faculty Member and Librarian Receive Promotions

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    The Office of the Provost has announced the promotions of one UConn School of Law faculty member and a law librarian. Rachel Timm has been promoted to Clinical Professor of Law. Tanya Johnson has been promoted to Librarian 3.

    “We are extremely proud of these two outstanding colleagues,” Dean Eboni S. Nelson said. “Professor Timm is an excellent educator who helps prepare students for successful and meaningful careers. Tanya Johnson is a skilled librarian and teacher who provides invaluable assistance to our students, faculty, and patrons. We could not be more pleased to see their many contributions recognized.”

    Timm, who joined UConn Law in 2019, teaches legal practice courses, including Interviewing, Counseling and Negotiation, and Research and Writing. She was recently named the winner of this year’s Perry Zirkel ’76 Distinguished Teaching Award. Timm previously worked as a trial attorney for the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section at the Department of Justice. She earned her JD from Creighton University School of Law.

    Johnson provides reference and research services in all areas of the law, co-manages the library’s research assistant pool, and provides general and specialized legal research instruction. She also teaches courses as an adjunct professor, including Advanced Legal Research, Research for Social Justice, and Diversity & Inclusion in the Legal Profession. Johnson earned her JD from the University of Pennsylvania Carey School of Law and her MLIS from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. Prior to her library work, Tanya practiced law in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

    These promotions come on the recommendation of the Office of the Provost and by vote of the University’s Board of Trustees.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Stephenville — Bay St. George RCMP seeks public’s assistance locating stolen vehicle that fled from police

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Bay St. George RCMP is seeking assistance from the public in locating a stolen vehicle that fled from police in Stephenville on the evening of May 1, 2025.

    Shortly before 8:30 p.m. last night, Bay St. George RCMP attempted to conduct a traffic stop on Gallant Street in Stephenville. The vehicle failed to stop for police and fled the area in a dangerous manner. In the interest of public safety, police did not pursue the vehicle.

    A short time later, at approximately 9:15 p.m., police received a report of a stolen vehicle from a residential property on Hillview Avenue in Stephenville which occurred sometime earlier that day. The stolen vehicle, a 2018 brown Mazda CX5 SUV, with NL licence plate JHC530, matched the vehicle that fled from police. An image of a similar vehicle is attached.

    The investigation is continuing.

    Bay St. George RCMP asks the public to check for possible surveillance footage of the vehicle on Thursday, May 1, 2025. Anyone having information about the current location of the stolen vehicle, the driver, or any other information about this incident is asked to contact police at 709-643-2118. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers: #SayItHere 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), visit www.nlcrimestoppers.com or use the P3Tips app.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How Trump’s tariffs could hit developing economies – even those not involved in the trade war

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Selim Raihan, Professor of Economics, University of Dhaka

    The world has witnessed a resurgence of protectionism since Donald Trump returned to the White House. So-called “reciprocal” tariffs, imposed on all US trading partners at varying degrees based on the tax they charge on American goods, have been one of the hallmark features of Trump’s economic policy. They aim to correct what he perceives as “unfair” trade practices.

    In early April, Trump said many countries had “ripped us off left and right” and declared “now it’s our turn to do the ripping”. His administration swiftly imposed sweeping tariff increases, with some of the highest rates falling on poorer countries like Laos and Lesotho.

    A 90-day suspension was eventually made for most of these tariffs, and Trump has now softened duties on imported cars and car parts. But the danger remains high. No one can be certain that the initial reciprocal tariffs will not be reinstated.

    Developing countries, many of which rely heavily on the export of manufactured goods to the US, will be keeping a keen eye on what happens next.

    We employed the Global Trade Analysis Project model to analyse the possible effects of US tariffs on trade and economic growth. The model captures interactions and feedback among economic agents (households, firms and governments), markets, sectors and regions in the world economy.

    It can be used to forecast the effect of trade reforms on various indicators such as production, welfare, income, prices and trade flows. Based on certain assumptions, the changes are likely to be seen in between two and three years.

    We used simulations to compute the effects of Trump’s tariff regime under two alternative scenarios. In the first, which reflects the global trade situation at the time of writing, baseline tariffs are levied on all countries at 10%. The duties are 25% on goods from Canada and Mexico, and 145% on China. Retaliatory duties by China on US goods are set at 125%.

    In the second, across-the-board reciprocal tariffs are imposed on countries at the levels Trump declared in his initial plan on April 2. This is in addition to the 145% tariff on Chinese goods, 25% on those from Canada and Mexico and a 125% duty by China on imports from the US.

    Winners and losers

    As shown by the graph below, our simulations suggest the US tariff regime will distort export patterns worldwide. The most painful effects will fall on China and the US itself.

    Chinese exports would shrink by 10.8% in the first scenario and 10.9% in the second. The US would suffer an even larger loss of 11.7% and 14.9%, respectively.

    The model suggests that other major US trading partners such as Canada and Mexico would also experience deep export declines of over 5% in both scenarios. Roughly 75% of Canada’s exports head south towards the US.

    Among the developing Asian economies, Nepal, Pakistan and the Philippines would experience substantial export declines. This is particularly the case in the second scenario, with losses ranging from 2% to 4.4%. These countries are particularly vulnerable to reciprocal tariffs because they rely heavily on exports and are deeply tied to global supply and production chains.

    Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Vietnam may benefit in the first scenario due to a possible diversion of trade. These countries, which are known for having some of the lowest labour costs in the world, offer cheap alternatives for goods that US importers would previously have sourced from China.

    But they are expected to lose the majority of these benefits in the second scenario under a full reciprocal tariff regime. The exceptions are Cambodia and Indonesia, which our simulations suggest will retain positive export growth – albeit reduced to 1.6% from 4% for Cambodia and unchanged at 0.7% for Indonesia.

    This may be because Cambodia and Indonesia have slightly more diversified export baskets than countries like Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, and trade with more partners. However, these gains are likely to be short lived if global uncertainties continue.

    Major advanced economies such as Japan, the UK and EU will lose exports by a moderate amount. And the Middle East, north Africa, sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America (excluding Brazil) will see similar declines.

    The second graph presents a concerning picture of how trade disruption could affect GDP, which economists use to measure the size of a country’s economy. The US and China are again set to suffer the steepest GDP losses, of 0.3% in the US and 1.9% in China under the second scenario. This confirms the well-established economic consensus that trade wars are mutually destructive.

    Under the second scenario, most emerging and developing economies would suffer modest GDP declines between 0.3% and 1%. Thailand (1%), Malaysia (0.9%), Brazil (0.9%) and Vietnam (0.9%) are the worst hit countries in this category.

    Like most of the developing countries in Asia, which are not directly involved in the trade war, many countries in Latin America, the Middle East, north Africa and sub-Saharan Africa would still face hits to their GDP. This underscores the global interconnectedness of trade and investment flows.

    The simulations confirm what economists have been asserting for years: trade wars do not have winners. While some countries do benefit in the short term by way of trade diversion, the total losses are high and developing countries are not immune from the damage.

    However, there are strategies developing countries can employ to improve their resilience to global trade disruptions. This includes diversifying their export markets by, for example, establishing stronger trade ties in regional blocs.

    One example is the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, a free trade agreement between the Asia-Pacific nations of Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Such ties can be strengthened further.

    Developing countries should also use this turbulent period to streamline customs, upgrade port infrastructure and improve logistics. This can reduce costs, enhance competitiveness and help developing economies engage more deeply in international trade.

    No country is exempt from disruptions to global trade. But those with diversified economies, strong regional linkages and resilient trade infrastructure will weather the turbulence more successfully.

    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. How Trump’s tariffs could hit developing economies – even those not involved in the trade war – https://theconversation.com/how-trumps-tariffs-could-hit-developing-economies-even-those-not-involved-in-the-trade-war-255435

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Glitter’s sparkle hides a darker side – it can change the chemistry of our oceans

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Juan Diego Rodriguez-Blanco, Ussher Associate Professor in Nanomineralogy, Trinity College Dublin

    Glitter is festive and fun – a favourite for decorations, makeup and art projects. But while it may look harmless, beautiful even, glitter’s sparkle hides a darker side. Those shimmering specks often end up far from party tables and greeting cards. You can even spot them glinting on beaches, washed in with the tide.

    In our recent research, we discovered that glitter – specifically, the kind made from a common plastic polymer called polyethylene terephthalate (PET) – is not merely polluting the ocean. It could actively interfere with marine life as it forms shells and skeletons, which is a much bigger deal than it might sound.

    Put simply: glitter helps the formation of crystals that nature did not plan for. And those crystals can break the glitter into even smaller pieces, making the pollution problem worse and more long-lasting.

    We tend to think of microplastics as tiny beads from face scrubs or fibres from clothes, but glitter is in its own special category. It is often made of layered plastic film with metal coatings – the same stuff found in craft supplies, cosmetics, party decorations and clothing. It is shiny, colourful and durable – and extremely tiny. That makes it hard to clean up and easy for marine animals to eat, because it looks tasty.

    New research reveals that PET-based glitter microplastics in the sea can actively influence a process known as biomineralisation.

    However, our research paper in the journal Environmental Sciences Europe suggests that what really sets glitter apart from other microplastics is the way it behaves once it enters the ocean. It actively interacts with its surroundings; it’s not drifting passively.

    In our lab, we recreated seawater conditions and added glitter to the mix to explore whether glitter would affect how minerals – like the ones marine animals use to make their shells – form. What we saw was surprisingly fast and incredibly consistent: the glitter was kickstarting the formation of minerals such as calcite, aragonite and other types of calcium carbonates in a process known as “biomineralisation”.

    These minerals are the building blocks that many marine creatures – including corals, sea urchins and molluscs – use to make their hard parts. If glitter is messing with that process, we could be looking at a serious threat to ocean life.

    A crystal-growing machine

    Under the microscope, we saw that glitter particles acted like little platforms for crystal growth. Minerals formed all over their surfaces, especially around cracks and edges. It was not a slow build-up – crystals appeared within minutes.

    This can complicate natural processes. Marine creatures use very precise conditions to make their shells the right shape and strength. When something like glitter comes along and changes the rules – speeding up crystal growth, changing the types of crystals that form – it could mess with those natural processes. Like baking a cake and suddenly having the oven heat up to 1,000ºC, you might still get a cake – but it will not be the one you intended to cook.

    Worse still, as the crystals grow, they push against the layers of glitter, causing it to crack, flake and break apart. That means the glitter ends up turning into even smaller pieces, known as nanoplastics, which are more easily absorbed by marine life and nearly impossible to remove from the environment.

    Microplastics are eaten by marine life, from fish and turtles to oysters and plankton. This affects how animals feed, grow and survive. When we eat seafood, these microplastics become part of our own diet.

    But our findings show that glitter does not just get eaten. It changes the chemistry of the ocean in tiny but important ways. By promoting the wrong kind of mineral growth, glitter might interfere with how ocean animals form their shells or skeletons in the first place.

    This problem does not stop with wildlife. The ocean plays a key role in regulating Earth’s climate, and mineral formation is part of that equation. If calcium carbonate formation in the ocean changes, it could also affect how carbon moves through the planet.

    So, the next time you see glitter on a birthday card or in a makeup palette, remember this: it might look like harmless sparkle, but in the ocean, it behaves more like a flashy chemical troublemaker. What seems small and shiny to us could be a big, silent disruptor for the marine world.

    And once it is out there, it is not going away.

    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.

    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. Glitter’s sparkle hides a darker side – it can change the chemistry of our oceans – https://theconversation.com/glitters-sparkle-hides-a-darker-side-it-can-change-the-chemistry-of-our-oceans-255155

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Historical films and TV shows are embracing diversity – but real historical voices are still overlooked

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Éadaoin Agnew, Senior lecturer in English literature, Kingston University

    In the Disney+ television series, A Thousand Blows, Malachi Kirby plays Hezekiah Moscow, a Jamaican immigrant in London who is part of an underground boxing ring in the 1880s.

    The character, like many in the show, is based on a real-life figure. However, as historian David Olusoga recently explained in a comment to the Radio Times, Moscow is typical of many people who have come from the Caribbean or Africa in that we only have a fractured biography in the British historical records. We get flashes of information before he disappears.

    In recent years, there have been increasing creative efforts to fill these historical gaps. This suggests there is a willingness, at least in some spheres, to acknowledge the long history of multiculturalism in Britain and to see people of colour in 19th-century histories (see also 2019’s David Copperfield starring Dev Patel and the multicultural cast of Bridgerton).

    These costume dramas build on decades of scholarly work. There are now many excellent historical studies that document the various ways in which the Atlantic slave trade and imperialism produced routes and reasons for travel to Britain.

    Most people who arrived here from the colonies in the 18th and 19th centuries did not have the means to write their own stories, so we glance their lives through incomplete historical records. But, there were also British subjects of colour who were educated in English with a degree of relative privilege and who produced compelling and popular accounts of their experiences in Britain or life in the colonies. They also wrote fascinating fiction and beautiful poetry.

    These narratives directly challenge the general perception that multiculturalism emerged in Britain after the Windrush (Caribbean immigrants who arrived in Britain after the second world war to rebuild the nation) and that 19th-century English literature emerged only from Britain. Yet, there remains an unwillingness to centre these stories and to allow diverse voices to speak for themselves.

    My own work on the AHRC-funded Victorian Diversities Research Network seeks to recuperate and promote these stories.

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

    Historical writers of colour and writers from other marginalised communities are continually excluded from school curricula, literary anthologies and TV adaptations. This is a kind of cultural gate-keeping that reinforces imperialist ideas about literary value.

    One example of this literary exclusion is Mary Seacole (1805-1881). Born in Jamaica to a Creole mother and Scottish father, she is now remembered in Britain for her contributions to nursing during the Crimean War. She is commemorated for her work by a statue at St. Thomas’ Hospital in London and by John Aagard’s wonderful poem Checking Out Me History (2019).

    Even so, there is a notable neglect of her fantastic memoir. Published in 1857, Wonderful Adventures of Mrs. Seacole in Many Lands is a funny, insightful and interesting account of her fulsome life. It clearly shows an affinity for Britain, while also acknowledging the difficulties she experienced there.

    One of two known photographs of Mary Seacole, taken circa 1873.
    Wiki Commons

    Another example is Ham Mukasa (1870-1956), who penned an account of his travels to England as part of an official African delegation in 1902 titled Uganda’s Katikiro in England. Written in a light and lively manner, his travelogue offers a fascinating picture of London at the turn of the century, as seen from a unique perspective.

    When Mukasa visited the British Museum not long after arriving in the metropolis, he admired the displays of “wonderful things of long ago”. He explains to his readers that these items are stored behind glass so visitors cannot touch them. It’s a fact that becomes particularly pertinent when he comes across several Ugandan artefacts donated to the museum by British travellers:

    We saw different articles from our country; some had been brought by Sir H. H. Johnston, who had given a great many things, and others by other Englishmen … the Rev. R. P. Ashe had given a great many, and others too had given things from our country of Uganda.

    It is a powerful image: the Ugandan men standing in a British institution looking at their own indigenous culture through a glass. The encounter speaks directly to contemporary debates about museum collections and the need for inclusive cultural spaces.

    Both Mukasa and Seacole, as people of colour and colonial subjects, articulate feelings of belonging and unbelonging in the metropolitan centre. They find much to admire in British culture and society while also acknowledging the fact of racial marginalisation.

    As such, they give historical and literary expression to the affects of mobility, migration and multiculturalism. As professor of global literatures Ruvani Ranasinha argues, current debates on citizenship rights, migration policy, what constitutes “Englishness” and multiculturalism were prompted and anticipated by the presence of colonial subjects within Britain over a century ago.

    Ignatius Sancho by Thomas Gainsborough (1768).
    National Gallery of Canada

    In a 2019 paper, he explains that “Britain was always ‘multicultural’ even before multiculturalism was theorised: multicultural in terms of a sense of (un)belonging, a redrawing of culturally and racially defined borders and remapping of British identities”. And so, Ranashina notes, we must do more than simply acknowledge the historical presence of marginalised people and start engaging with diverse cultural contributions.

    This is vital because an inclusive canon more accurately represents the multiple stories that make up English literary history.

    It also makes important critical and cultural contributions to the creation of an inclusive society today. This is acknowledged by actor and writer Paterson Joseph who recently fictionalised the letters of Ignatius Sancho, a writer and composer, who was born on a slave ship crossing the Atlantic Ocean:

    “I was once timid about my place here in the UK, but researching Sancho’s story … has given me a deep sense of belonging, of a shared history with a nation that sometimes ignores, sometimes rejects, my people’s right to an equal role in its storytelling.”

    Éadaoin Agnew receives funding from AHRC for the Victorian Diversities Research Network https://victoriandiversities.co.uk

    – ref. Historical films and TV shows are embracing diversity – but real historical voices are still overlooked – https://theconversation.com/historical-films-and-tv-shows-are-embracing-diversity-but-real-historical-voices-are-still-overlooked-253191

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Three strategies to help European carmakers regain their edge

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Francesco Grillo, Academic Fellow, Department of Social and Political Sciences, Bocconi University

    sylv1rob1/Shutterstock

    Even before US president Donald Trump announced a 25% tariff on all imported cars, European automakers had been facing a multitude of challenges. Sales have slumped and manufacturers face rising costs, while Chinese rivals have rapidly been gaining market share.

    The day before the tariffs announcement, the combined market capitalisation of Europe’s five major automakers (Volkswagen, Stellantis, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Renault) stood at around US$212 billion (£159 billion). This total is less than a quarter of the value of Tesla alone.

    Yet the five European giants sell 25 million vehicles annually, accounting for a third of all cars purchased worldwide. Tesla, despite losing half of its market value since the beginning of the year, only just makes the top 15 automakers. It sells less than a third of what Stellantis alone delivers.

    This essentially means that financial markets no longer believe that European carmakers can make money out of a business they have been dominating for almost a century.

    The crisis does, in fact, stem from the obsolescence of the technology upon which the entire industrial model of the car was built.

    The invention of German engineer Karl Benz, later made widely accessible to millions of consumers by American entrepreneur Henry Ford, was far more than just a product.

    Cars enabled people to go anywhere whenever they wanted. This fuelled the last industrial revolution and one of the greatest leaps in human prosperity.

    However, more than 100 years after the first assembly lines appeared in Detroit, the dream has stalled. In a world where economic and environmental resources are increasingly scarce, an entire industrial model looks unsustainable.

    Why? Because it became inefficient.

    A privately owned car is used for only 5% of its potential lifetime. It remains idle and occupying valuable parking space for the other 95%. It carries an average of just 1.2 passengers, utilising only a quarter of its capacity.

    If an alien were to observe human civilisation, it might conclude that humans have lost that special ability that made them so different from all other species: to do more with less.

    Additionally, around 80% of cars are still powered by fossil fuels that cost significantly more than electricity per mile. This is despite economies of scale that are bringing down the price of purchasing a plug-in electric vehicle (EV).

    These issues have hit the European – and also the US – automotive industries hard. These regions were the birthplace of the industry itself. For CEOs and policymakers, who often belong to a generation (and a gender) steeped in traditional automotive culture, finding solutions has proven difficult. However, there could be a clear path forward.

    Here are three ideas to bring the European automotive industry in the 21st century.

    1. Become more competitive by attracting EV rivals

    China has already secured a technological advantage in this field – similar to the dominance once held by Volkswagen when it first established factories in Shanghai.

    In the same week when BYD announced that it has surpassed Tesla in terms of revenues of electric cars, the Chinese automaker also revealed that it had developed a system to charge an electric car with 400km (249 miles) of range in five minutes.

    BYD and other Chinese manufacturers export less than 10% of their products to the EU. They will survive any import duty that the EU imposes on them. Instead of fearing Chinese automakers, the EU should entice them to establish production facilities in the bloc, encouraging competition and innovation within its borders.

    2. Sell services and symbols

    New business models should focus on selling services as well as objects. This trend is prevailing in many industries, and carmakers should embrace it to develop partnerships with organisations that can make driving a less wasteful experience. Autonomous driving technology, for example, offers the chance to take vehicle-sharing to a much wider customer base.

    And European automakers should trade on their history as a symbol of expertise and longevity. This is not so different to what camera-maker Kodak has done to survive to the digital revolution. It is notable that Ferrari is now worth more than its bigger sister company Stellantis.

    3. Governments must get involved

    For the transformation to succeed, governments must play a role. It is not about propping up the European industry with subsidies or treating cars as the new steel industry. Rather, it is about designing and implementing the infrastructure that the future of mobility requires.

    The Fiat Topolino brought private transport to the masses.
    Dan74/Shutterstock

    A century ago, European cities were completely restructured to transition from horse-drawn carriages to the first Fiat Topolinos rolling out of the Mirafiori factory.

    Today, we need new charging networks and dedicated lanes for electric and autonomous vehicles. This is already happening in China clearly showing that without a significant modernisation of infrastructure innovation does not happen.

    The impact of tariffs

    Trump’s tariffs will hurt – badly. Volkswagen, which exports two thirds of its production outside western Europe, will suffer most after assuming that its “people’s cars” could be sold indiscriminately to different populations.

    However, the era of tariffs should serve as a wake-up call rather than a death sentence. The European automotive sector must use this challenge to reinvent itself, just as it did in the post-war era.

    In the 1960s, countries like Italy and France combined industrial strategy of the likes of Fiat and Renault with a vision of the future. This alignment of industrial ambition and pragmatic policymaking was a key part of post-war reconstruction.

    Now European leaders must embrace the same spirit of bold, forward-thinking innovation to build a transport system that is capable of setting global standards. The automotive crisis is not just an industry-specific issue. It demands a revival of both vision and pragmatism.

    Francesco Grillo is affiliated with Vision, an independent European Think Tank. Vision is the convenor of two global conferences: on “the Europe of the Future” (in Siena) and on “global governance of climate change” (in Trento).

    – ref. Three strategies to help European carmakers regain their edge – https://theconversation.com/three-strategies-to-help-european-carmakers-regain-their-edge-255259

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How dogs and cats are evolving to look alike and why it’s humans’ fault – new research

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Grace Carroll, Lecturer in Animal Behaviour and Welfare, School of Psychology, Queen’s University Belfast

    Africa Studio/Shutterstock

    Domestication has made cats and dogs more diverse, but also curiously alike – with serious implications for their health and welfare, new research shows.

    At first glance, Persian cats and pugs don’t seem like they’d have much in common. One’s a cat, the other’s a dog, separated by 50 million years of evolution. But when evolutionary biologist Abby Grace Drake and her colleagues scanned 1,810 skulls of cats, dogs and their wild relatives, they found something strange. Despite their distant histories, many breeds of cats and dogs show striking similarity in skull shape.

    In evolutionary biology, divergence is a common process. In simple terms, divergence is where two organisms that share a common ancestry become increasingly different over time, while convergence means becoming more similar. As populations of animals split and adapt to different environments, they gradually develop new traits, a process known as divergent evolution.

    This is one of the main ways new species form different traits, causing populations to evolve along separate paths. But sometimes, evolution can take a different direction. Convergence happens when unrelated species, shaped by similar pressures, independently evolve similar features.

    In the case of domestic cats, dogs and many other domesticated species, intentional and unintentional selection by humans seems to have created convergence, accidentally steering different species toward similar traits.

    Despite a long history of evolutionary separation, flat-faced breeds like the Persian cat and pugs share similar skull structures.

    Persian cats have a similar skull structure to pugs.
    Zanna Pesnina/Shutterstock

    To investigate how far domestication has reshaped skull structure, Drake and her colleagues analysed 3D scans of skulls from museum specimens, veterinary schools and digital archives. Their dataset included domestic cats such as Siamese, Maine coon and Persian breeds, as well as over 100 dog breeds from short-muzzled dogs like pugs, to long-muzzled breeds like collies.

    Their findings showed that domestication has not only increased skull shape diversity beyond that of wolves and wildcats, but also led some cat and dog breeds to resemble one another, with convergence towards either long or flat faces. Wild canids (the group of animals that includes dogs, wolves, foxes and jackals) tend to share a similar elongated skull, while wild felids (the group of animals that includes domestic cats, lions, tigers and jaguars) show more natural variation.

    Yet domestic breeds of both species now span a more extreme range at both ends of the scale. This trend can be seen in the emergence of cats bred to resemble XL bully dogs.

    Domestication has long shown that when humans intervene, even distantly related species can end up looking, and sometimes suffering, in similar ways.

    Selective breeding has exaggerated traits across species. Many other human-made changes can push animals beyond what their bodies can naturally support. For instance, some chickens bred for their meat carry 30% of their body weight in breast muscle, which often results in heart and lung problems.

    The human preference for flat-faced pets taps into some of our most fundamental instincts. Humans are hard-wired to respond to infant features like rounded heads, small noses and large, low set eyes. These traits, which are exaggerated in many flat-faced cat and dog breeds, mimic the appearance of human babies.

    Of all species, humans are among the most altricial, meaning that we are born helpless and dependent on caregivers for survival, a trait we share with puppies and kittens. In contrast, precocial animals are able to see, hear, stand and move shortly after birth. Because human infants rely so heavily upon adult care, evolution has shaped us to be sensitive to signals of vulnerability and need.

    These signals like the rounded cheeks and wide eyes of babies, are known as social releasers. They trigger caregiving behaviour in adults, from speaking in higher-pitched tones to offering parental care.

    Herring gulls (a type of seagull) are an example of this in non-human animals. Their chicks instinctively peck at a red spot on the parent’s beak, which triggers the adult to regurgitate food. This red spot acts as a social releaser, ensuring the chick’s needs are met at the right time. In a similar way, domesticated animals have effectively hijacked ancient caregiving mechanisms evolved for our own offspring.

    These traits may give pets an advantage in soliciting human care and attention, but they come at a cost.

    The UK government commissions its Animal Welfare Committee to provide independent expert advice on emerging animal welfare concerns. In reports they produced in 2024, the committee raised serious concerns about the effect of selective breeding in both cats and dogs.

    The reports highlighted that breeding for extreme physical traits, like flat faces and exaggerated skull shapes, has led to widespread health problems, including breathing difficulties, neurological conditions and birth complications.

    The committee argues that animals with severe hereditary health issues should no longer be used for breeding, and calls for tougher regulation of breeders. Without these reforms, many popular breeds will continue to suffer from preventable, life-limiting conditions.

    Selective breeding has shown how easily humans can bend nature to their preferences, and how quickly millions of years of evolutionary separation can be overridden by a few decades of artificial selection.

    In choosing pets that mimic the faces of our own infants, we have, often unwittingly, selected for traits that harm the animals. Understanding the forces that drive convergence between species is a reminder that we play a powerful and sometimes dangerous role in shaping it.

    Grace Carroll 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 dogs and cats are evolving to look alike and why it’s humans’ fault – new research – https://theconversation.com/how-dogs-and-cats-are-evolving-to-look-alike-and-why-its-humans-fault-new-research-255260

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warner, Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Expand Great American Outdoors Act, Protect Public Lands

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Commonwealth of Virginia Mark R Warner
    WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner joined Sens. Steve Daines (R-MT) and Angus King (I-ME) in introducing the America the Beautiful Act, legislation that builds on the senators’ landmark Great American Outdoors Act by strengthening and reauthorizing the Legacy Restoration Fund (LRF) and addressing the serious maintenance backlog in national parks and public lands.
    “Our Great American Outdoors Act was transformative for America’s national public lands and the many communities whose economies depend on them,” said Sen. Warner. “I’m proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation to continue this great work. Investing in our beautiful natural treasures is a not only boosts our tourism economy but preserves these landmarks for generations to come.”
    Specifically, this legislation reauthorizes the LRF through 2033 and increases funding to $2 billion per year to help address the maintenance backlog in national parks and public lands. Currently, the maintenance backlog for each agency is as follows:
    U.S. Park Service: $23.26 billion
    U.S. Forest Service: $8.695 billion
    U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: $2.65 billion
    U.S. Bureau of Land Management: $5.72 billion
    U.S. Bureau of Indian Education: $804.5 million
    Joining Sens. Warner, Daines, and King in introducing this legislation are Sens. Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Tim Sheehy (R-MT), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK). The senators’ Great American Outdoors Act was one of the largest-ever investments in conservation and public lands in our nation’s history. Signed into law by President Trump in 2020, the bipartisan legislation provided billions of dollars to improve infrastructure and expand recreation opportunities in national parks and other public lands after years of underinvestment led a massive backlog in needed maintenance and repairs to Park Service sites. In Virginia alone, this historic legislation has provided over $470 million for projects at Virginia’s 22 park service units and supported thousands of jobs.
    The America the Beautiful Act is supported by over 40 public lands, conservation and recreation groups.
    “America’s parks are our legacy to uphold — and bold action is essential to fulfill that promise. The National Park Foundation applauds Senators Daines and King for their leadership in introducing bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the Legacy Restoration Fund. Since its establishment through the Great American Outdoors Act, this vital program has already delivered billions toward transformative infrastructure projects across our national parks. As we approach America’s 250th anniversary, reauthorizing this investment affirms a bold democratic ideal — that every generation deserves to experience our parks as we do today. We look forward to working with Congress to ensure these magnificent landscapes and historic sites can continue welcoming visitors for generations to come,” said Jeff Reinbold, President and CEO, National Park Foundation.
    “The National Forest Foundation thanks Sens. Daines, King, Cramer and Warner for their leadership in investing in the future of America’s public lands.  The investments in recreation infrastructure as outlined in the America the Beautiful Act will benefit the economies of local communities and enhance the enjoyment of the millions of visitors who hike, camp, hunt, fish, paddle, and play in our nation’s 193-million acres of National Forests and Grasslands,” said Dieter Fenkart-Froeschl, President and CEO, National Forest Foundation.
    “The Appalachian Trail Conservancy is grateful for the leadership of Senators Daines, King, Cramer, and Warner for the America the Beautiful Act. Chronic underinvestment, extreme weather events, and heavy use have left our public lands in a precarious position. The Appalachian Trail relies on more than 5,000 volunteers and dozens of partners to keep it accessible to people and functional for nature. With ATC in its 100th year, the long-term care needs for the A.T. and its connected national parks and forests have never been clearer. This legislation will increase the monetary support, public awareness, and the impact of partners like the ATC in addressing critical deferred—and cyclic—maintenance needs for our public lands. We are proud to strongly endorse this legislation and will work diligently for its enactment,” said Sandra Marra, President and CEO, The Appalachian Trail Conservancy.
    Full text of the bill is available here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Greens are the positive and progressive antidote to Reform after local election results 

    Source: Green Party of England and Wales

    by Green Party

    The Green Party is celebrating another record-breaking year having taken their councillor numbers to a new record high. Greens delivered impressive results with gains in counties like Worcestershire, Gloucestershire and Devon while breaking through onto councils for the first time in areas where Reform dominated, including in Staffordshire and Leicestershire. 

    Co-Leader Carla Denyer MP said: 

    “The Green Party has broken new records by increasing our number of councillors for the eighth year running. While Labour and the Conservatives have buckled under the Reform insurgency, Greens just keep growing. 

    “Two party politics is dead and five party politics in England is the new norm. We have taken seats off the Tories and Labour and have shown we can be the positive and progressive antidote to Reform, holding their vote back in some places while breaking through onto other councils where Reform dominated.” 

    Co-leader Adrian Ramsay added: 

    “These elections have shown that Labour needs a complete reset. The government needs to listen to the anger and disquiet over our NHS being in crisis, winter fuel allowance being cut from many pensioners and the removal of benefits for many ill and disabled people. It needs to increase taxes for the super-rich so our councils can be properly funded to provide the local services that people are crying out for. 

    “Going into these elections Greens were already in administration in over 40 Councils and on the back of these results this is likely to increase. With over 850 councillors compared to a likely 650 or so, Greens still have many more councillors than Reform. 

    “Green councillors also have a track record of being community champions, offering hope and practical solutions on the housing crisis, cost of living, climate breakdown and protecting public services. They will continue to work hard all year round and the Green Party will carry on growing our representation at all levels of government.”  

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Latta and Kaptur Introduce Resolution Proclaiming May 9th to May 18th National American Birding Week

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bob Latta (R-Bowling Green Ohio)

    This week, Congressman Bob Latta (R-OH5) and Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (D-OH9), introduced a bipartisan resolution proclaiming May 9 through May 18, 2025, as “National American Birding Week.” Birding is a pastime that generates billions in economic benefits annually, but migratory bird populations face many threats to their survival. Annual birding events such as the “Biggest Week in American Birding”, sponsored by the Black Swamp Bird Observatory in Oak Harbor, Ohio, leverage government, nonprofit, and private resources to promote conservation of migratory bird populations and economic development through a multifaceted approach that combines research, education, and outreach. Coordinated efforts by Federal, State, and local governments, conservation organizations, and businesses help to promote conservation of migratory birds and economic development through birding.

    “Birdwatching in Ohio is a year-round activity, with a wide variety of birds and over 400 species to spot,” Latta said. “There is a reason Northwest Ohio is dubbed the ‘Warbler Capital of the World,’ and I am proud to introduce this bipartisan resolution with Congresswoman Kaptur, to continue recognizing the art of birdwatching, support local conservation and to encourage more people to get outside enjoy birdwatching during National American Birding Week.”

    “Our bipartisan resolution calls attention to the array of natural and human-caused threats to migratory bird populations, emphasizes contributions birders make to local economies, and applauds the cooperation among governments, conservation organizations, and businesses,” Kaptur said. “I call on my fellow Ohioans to join Congressman Latta and me in supporting the designation of ‘National American Birding Week’ as we celebrate this important event that brings birders from around the world to Northwest Ohio every year. I encourage birders and people from across our nation to attend events including the ‘Biggest Week in American Birding’ to learn about efforts to preserve migratory bird populations.”

    Approximately 3,500,000,000 songbirds, raptors, shore birds, and waterfowl representing over 350 species migrate north through the United States to breeding grounds every spring from wintering grounds in the southern United States, Mexico, and the tropics. Populations of many migratory bird species are in decline due to habitat loss, predation, and collisions with buildings, utility infrastructure, and vehicles. An estimated 45,000,000 American birders spend close to $40 Billion annually on birdwatching and birding activities creating hundreds of thousands of jobs and billions in employment income and Federal and State tax revenue.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tonko, Pressley Demand Investigation Into Trump’s Attack on Smithsonian Museums, Brazen Attempt to Whitewash History

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Paul Tonko (Capital Region New York)

    WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Paul Tonko (NY-20), Co-Chair of the Congressional Museum Caucus, and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) led 69 of their colleagues on a letter to the Inspector General of the Smithsonian Institution demanding an investigation of the impact of Donald Trump’s harmful Executive Order attacking Smithsonian museums – namely,  the American Art Museum, the American Women’s History Museum, and the National Museum of African American History and Culture – attempting to erase histories of marginalized communities.

    Created by Congress in 1846, the Smithsonian Institution has a clear mandate to operate as a non-partisan and autonomous museum, education, and research complex, free from political influence. Not only is it home to dozens of museums, libraries, education and research centers, and the National Zoo within Washington, D.C., but the Smithsonian also coordinates with over 200 affiliate organizations in nearly every state – all of which could be impacted by the proposed cuts and erasure of race and culture in the Executive Order.

    “On March 27, 2025, President Trump signed Executive Order 14253, which would infringe on the independence of the Smithsonian Institution to carry out its core mission to provide Americans and the world with the tools and information we need to forge our shared future,” the lawmakers wrote in their letter to Smithsonian Inspector General Nicole Angarella. “The funding cuts and content directives will undoubtedly have a devasting impact on the preservation and integrity of American history and culture.”

    The Trump Administration’s executive order specifically directs the Smithsonian Institution to remove exhibits and narratives it considers ‘divisive’ or ‘race-centered’, politicizing the Smithsonian’s foundational purpose and eroding public trust. Both the National Museum of African American History and Culture Act and the National Museum of the American Latino Act were enacted with strong bipartisan support, reflecting a shared commitment across party lines to explore, document, and interpret the central role of race and cultural identity in American history. Additionally, the funding cuts and content mandates would have a significant trickle-down effect on local museums and cultural organizations across the United States, diminishing the Smithsonian’s ability to provide guidance, professional development, and travel exhibits to smaller museums.

    “Conditioning funding on adherence to prescribed, right-wing ideology jeopardizes the Smithsonian’s legal compliance oversight and its capacity to document American history and culture accurately,” the lawmakers continue. “It is both ironic and self-defeating to demand that the Smithsonian Institution adhere to content mandates banning race, as doing so undermines the very rationale for the creation of these museums.”

    The lawmakers are requesting an inspector general investigation and report on findings including:

    • An audit of the operational and financial implications of the proposed content mandate and funding cuts, including the consequences on the Smithsonian Affiliates;
    • An audit of the expected impact on existing contractual obligations;
    • An analysis of EO 14253’s compliance with statutory requirements established by Congress;
    • Any documentation of deaccessioned artifacts following EO 14253 and plan to prevent the destruction or sale of cultural and historical artifacts; and
    • A recommendation for the Smithsonian Board of Regents on how to adhere to statutory law and the institutions’ public trust responsibilities.

    “Our shared responsibility is to ensure that the Smithsonian remains a source of inspiration and learning for all, free from undue political interference,” the lawmakers wrote.

    A copy of the letter is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Vermont Delegation Introduces the Nulhegan River and Paul Stream Wild and Scenic River Study Act to Protect Vermont Waterways

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Becca Balint (VT-AL)

    Washington, D.C. — The Vermont Congressional Delegation, U.S. Senators Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and U.S. Representative Becca Balint (VT-At Large) this week reintroduced the bicameral Nulhegan River and Paul Stream Wild and Scenic River Study Act. This bill would protect the ecological, recreational, and economic value of Northern Vermont waterways by commissioning a study to determine whether the Nulhegan River and Paul Stream could be included in the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. 
     
    “Keeping Vermont’s rivers healthy is crucial to the success of our outdoor recreation and tourism industries. We’re proud to once again introduce this legislation as a Delegation help protect our State’s natural beauty and boost our economy,” said the Vermont Congressional Delegation. “This bill is an important step forward in preserving and protecting the Nulhegan River and Paul Stream for future generations of Vermonters to enjoy.” 
     
    The National Wild and Scenic Rivers System protects free-flowing rivers with outstanding natural, cultural, or recreational value. Since its creation in 1968, the system has grown to encompass more than 13,400 miles of rivers across the country, including segments of the Missisquoi and Trout Rivers in Vermont. Depending on their characteristics, rivers may be classified as wild, scenic, or recreational. Wild and Scenic rivers are managed to maintain their free-flowing condition, high water quality, and outstanding recreational opportunities, from rafting to fishing. 

    The Nulhegan River and Paul Stream Wild and Scenic River Study Act is supported by a broad coalition of local municipalities, cultural and regional organizations, and environmental conservation groups, including American Rivers, the Connecticut River Joint Commission, Connecticut River Conservancy, Essex County Conservation District, Nature Conservancy, Northeastern Vermont Development Association, Northern Forest Canoe Trail, Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk – Abenaki Nation, Trout Unlimited (including the David and Francis Smith Northeast Kingdom Chapter), Vermont Chapter of the Native Fish Coalition, and the Vermont River Conservancy. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Boston.com: Warren questions Walgreens sale, warns of potential impact on healthcare access

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
    April 29, 2025
    Sen. Elizabeth Warren is demanding answers from Sycamore Partners over its proposed $10 billion acquisition of Walgreens, warning the deal could threaten healthcare access for Massachusetts residents.
    In a letter to the private equity firm Sycamore Partners on Tuesday, Warren listed a series of questions aimed at ensuring there won’t be a repeat of the Steward Health Care debacle and to prevent “pharmacy deserts” in the state. 
    Questions include: 
    Does Sycamore plan to close any additional Walgreens stores in Massachusetts?
    Does Sycamore plan to sell the real estate from any Walgreens stores, including through sale-leaseback transactions?
    Does Sycamore plan on firing any Walgreens employees?
    …
    Read the full article here.
    By:  Beth TreffeisenSource: Boston.com
    Previous Article

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: People urged to apply for around £2,000 in funeral help

    Source: Scottish Government

    Funeral Support Payment helps cover costs for bereaved

    With the start of this year’s Dying Matters Awareness Week, the Executive Director of a Scottish charity has encouraged people to use the help that’s available for funeral costs. 

    Dying Matters Awareness Week (5 – 11 May), organised by Hospice UK, aims to break down the stigma and taboos surrounding talking about death and dying. 

    Social Security Scotland is using the awareness week as an opportunity to encourage people to talk about the difficult topic of how to pay for a friend or relative’s funeral. 

    Helene Rodger, Executive Director with the Passion4Fusion, a multi-cultural charity, has highlighted how the organisation dealt with her approach for Funeral Support Payment with, “respect and grace,” describing the process as, “easy and smooth.” 

    People in Scotland who need help paying for a funeral, and who get Universal Credit or other qualifying benefits, can apply for Funeral Support Payment. It can be used towards funeral costs for a baby, including stillborn babies, a child or an adult. The average payment in 2024/25, up to 31 December 2024, was just over £2,100. 

    Funeral Support Payment can help towards the cost of; burial or cremation, travel, moving the person who died and the relevant documents. 

    The theme of this year’s Dying Matters campaign is: The Culture of Dying Matters. Different cultures have widely different funeral rites and rituals but the central tenet they share is honoring the person who has died and recognizing their life. 

    Shirley-Anne Somerville, Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, said: 

    “Research carried out for the Marie Curie charity found that people want to commemorate the life which has ended with meaning and dignity. There are strong emotions around funerals and how much they cost. 

    “Funeral Support Payment supports people in their grief. While it doesn’t usually cover the full cost of a funeral, it does help people respectfully mark the life of their friend or relative without the fear of funeral poverty.”   

    Helene Rodger, Executive Director with the Passion4Fusion multi-cultural charity said: 

    “I’d never heard about the funeral payment until we lost a community member to cancer who I’d supported through her illness. 

    “I was asked to step in and claim for the funeral fund. When I called, I expected it would be very intrusive with lots of questions but that was far from the truth. 

    “The adviser treated my enquiry with so much respect and grace. The process was very easy and smooth and eventually I got the money for the funeral cover. The professionalism and empathy that I was treated with was amazing.” 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hoyer Statement on April Jobs Report

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steny H Hoyer (MD-05)

    WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) released the following statement today on the April jobs report: 

    “While April saw modest job growth, with 177,000 jobs added last month and the unemployment rate holding around 4.2% – other key indicators reveal just how precarious this moment is for the American economy. This week, we learned that for the first time since the end of the pandemic, the American economy shrank over the past three months. Costs continue to go up, the stock market continues to fall, and Americans’ confidence in their economy continues to erode with no end in sight.

    “Trump has taken a chainsaw to the American economy, just as he has to vital services the American people use every day. His erratic, incoherent flip-flopping on tariffs have made our markets as volatile as his temper. Americans should not have to pay the price for this administration’s incompetence, but they will continue to until Trump puts his economic ‘agenda’ where it belongs: the trash.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Marystown — Prohibited driver arrested by Burin Peninsula RCMP, refuses roadside breath test

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Seventy-two-year-old Alvin Roff of Mortier was arrested by Burin Peninsula RCMP on April 30, 2025, for driving while prohibited.

    On Wednesday evening, as part of an ongoing investigation into a previous report of prohibited driving involving Roff, Burin Peninsula RCMP attended his residence in Mortier. Roff was prohibited from driving as part of his sentencing for a previous conviction of an impaired driving offence.

    While in the area of the home, police observed a vehicle pull into the driveway and observed Roff as he exited the driver seat. He was arrested for prohibited driving. During the arrest, the officer observed signs of alcohol impairment and provided Roff with a demand for a roadside screening test. He refused to provide a breath sample. His vehicle was seized and impounded.

    Roff was held in police custody overnight and attended court on May 1, 2025. He is charged with prohibited driving and refusing to provide a breath sample. Roff was released by the court on a number of conditions and is scheduled to appear in court again at a later date.

    RCMP NL continues to fulfill its mandate to protect public safety, enforce the law, and ensure the delivery of priority policing services in Newfoundland and Labrador.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Revere Man Pleads Guilty to Role in International Money Laundering Organization

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    More than 16 kilograms of methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine seized during the investigation

    BOSTON – A Revere man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to laundering hundreds of thousands of dollars in drug proceeds for drug suppliers based in Central and/or South America and possessing over 17 kilograms of various controlled substances.

    Jason Hunter, 48, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances; one count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine, 500 grams or more of cocaine and other controlled substances; and one count of money laundering conspiracy. U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for July 22, 2025.

    According to court documents, law enforcement received information from a confidential source about large-scale international money laundering organizations that used money brokers in Colombia as liaisons between drug suppliers based in Central and/or South America and their drug customers in the United States. The money brokers arrange contracts with U.S.-based money launderers to conduct pickups of drug proceeds on behalf of the drug suppliers in Latin America. As part of the investigation, law enforcement agents – posing as money launderers – conducted controlled pickups in connection with contracts offered by the money brokers in cities throughout the United States, including Boston.

    Over the course of the investigation, Hunter delivered drug proceeds to undercover investigators on multiple occasions, including on Feb. 28, 2024, when he delivered $140,000 of bulk cash drug proceeds. On April 3, 2024 Hunter was arrested on his way to a money pickup that had been arranged by a broker. At the time of his arrest $100,000 in drug proceeds was seized from Hunter’s possession. A subsequent search of his residence and vehicle resulted in the seizure of over 16 kilograms of counterfeit pills containing methamphetamine, thousands of counterfeit pills containing fentanyl, additional pills containing oxycodone, as well as over a kilogram of cocaine and multiple kilograms of marijuana.

    The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of substance containing methamphetamine provides for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. The charge of distribution and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of substance containing methamphetamine provides for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. The charge of money laundering conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $500,000 or twice the amount of laundered funds, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Ferguson and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alathea Porter of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit are prosecuting the case.  

    This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

    The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The remaining defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.  
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Passaic County Man Admits Embezzling More Than $3 Million

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEWARK, N.J. – A Passaic County, New Jersey man admitted his role in embezzling approximately $3.2 million from a New Jersey couple, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.

    Charles Gallo, 34, of Hawthorne, New Jersey pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Julien X. Neals in Newark federal court to an Information charging him with wire fraud.

    According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

    In 2018, Gallo began working as the part-time personal assistant for the victims.  Gallo’s duties included managing the victims’ monthly bills and assisting them with banking, email, and other computer/technology-related issues.  From March 2022 through March 2023, Gallo, abused this position of trust by engaging in a fraudulent scheme to misappropriate approximately $3,200,000 from the victims’ accounts.  Gallo accomplished this fraud by routinely using the victims’ ATM card to withdraw large amounts of money, opening a line of credit, and cashing checks made payable to himself drawn on the victims’ bank accounts.  He also used the victims’ credit cards to purchase for his personal use computer equipment, gaming systems, collectible items from online retailers, and other unauthorized transactions.

    The wire fraud charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. Sentencing is scheduled for September 10, 2025.

    U.S. Attorney Habba credited postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, under the direction of Christopher A. Nielsen, Philadelphia Division, and special agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Thomas Mahoney, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea.  She also thanked the Ridgewood Police Department, under the direction of Chief Forest R. Lyons, and the Hawthorne Police Department under the direction of Chief James Knepper, for their assistance.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shontae D. Gray of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.

                                                               ###

    Defense counsel: Dennis S. Clearly, Esq., West Orange, New Jersey.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: BATON ROUGE MAN SENTENCED TO 120 MONTHS IN FEDERAL PRISON FOR A FIREARM VIOLATION

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Acting United States Attorney April M. Leon announced that Judge John W. deGravelles sentenced Ledale Deanthony Sawyer, age 35, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to 120 months in federal prison following his conviction for possession of a stolen firearm. The Court further sentenced Sawyer to serve three years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment and ordered the firearm seized by law enforcement be forfeited.

    According to admissions made as part of his guilty plea, on July 16, 2023, Baton Rouge Police officers were dispatched to a residence in Baton Rouge in response to a domestic disturbance. The caller, identified as Victim-1, told dispatch that Sawyer was inside her residence armed with an AR-15 rifle. Upon arrival, officers spoke with Victim-1, who stated that Sawyer possessed a firearm. Victim-1 said that she hid the firearm from Sawyer and showed officers its location. Officers recovered the firearm, identified as a Wise Arms, Model WA-15B rifle. Shortly thereafter, officers located an individual matching Sawyer’s description at a house approximately one block from Victim-1’s residence. The individual was positively identified as Sawyer by both Victim-1 and by the distinctive tattoo on his neck with the name “Sawyer” at which time Sawyer was arrested.

    A trace on the firearm indicated that the firearm had previously been reported stolen on June 22, 2023. In that case, the victim, identified as Victim-2, stated that she met an individual to sell him a television. The individual pulled a firearm from his waistband, pointed it at Victim-2 and her partner, and took the firearm from the backseat of her vehicle.

    ATF agents also located pictures of Sawyer in possession of a firearm that were posted on his public social media profile on June 30, 2023. Agents compared these images to photos of the firearm seized in this case. Based on the markings and distinctive scratch marks, agents determined the firearm from Sawyer’s social media photos was the same firearm seized upon his arrest on July 16, 2023.

    This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the Baton Rouge Police Department, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristen Lundin Craig.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mexican National Sentenced for Drug Conspiracy and Attempted Possession of Methamphetamine

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    TULSA, Okla. – A Mexican national was sentenced for drug conspiracy and attempted possession of methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.

    U.S. District Judge John D. Russell sentenced Luis Enrique Rios-Soriano, 25, for Drug Conspiracy and Attempted Possession of Methamphetamine. Judge Russell ordered Rios-Soriano to serve 140 months imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release.

    In June 2024, Texas Department of Public Safety troopers pulled over a driver for traffic violations. During a search of the vehicle, troopers located a suitcase containing 21 plastic bags containing a white substance that appeared to be methamphetamine. The investigation revealed that the driver was getting paid $4k to deliver the methamphetamine to Tulsa.

    Drug Enforcement Administration agents tested the white substance and confirmed that it was methamphetamine. In a coordinated effort, agents replaced the methamphetamine with fake methamphetamine and allowed the driver to complete the transaction.

    The driver met with Luis Enrique Rios-Soriano and Morgan Ashley Kirby, 20, to be paid and delivered the fake methamphetamine for further distribution.

    Later, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol pulled over the vehicle Rios-Soriano was driving. Kirby was in the passenger side of the vehicle. Upon search of the vehicle, troopers discovered more than 46 pounds of fake methamphetamine and cash sitting on the floorboard of the passenger side of the vehicle.

    According to court documents, Rios-Soriano admitted to conspiring with others to make money by distributing and selling methamphetamine.

    Rios-Soriano’s co-defendant, Kirby, was convicted by a jury in February for Drug Conspiracy and Attempted Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute. She is awaiting sentencing. 

    Rios-Soriano will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.

    The Drug Enforcement Administration – Tulsa and Amarillo Resident Offices, Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and Texas Department of Public Safety investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam Bailey and Christian Harris prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Met releases CCTV of missing 17-year-old in urgent witness appeal

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    The Met is releasing CCTV of a 17-year-old boy who’s been missing for more than a month as his family appeal for information about his whereabouts.

    Deante James left his home in Enfield at around 23:00hrs on Monday, 31 March and was reported missing to the Met the following morning.

    Officers began an investigation and recovered CCTV which identified a sighting in The Courtfield Pub in Earl’s Court Road in Earl’s Court at around 20:00hrs on Thursday, 3 April. Further footage showed he had also visited a nearby McDonald’s.

    In the footage, Deante is seen wearing a black ‘Trapstar’ cap, a blue jacket, black tracksuit and black trainers. He was carrying a Nike backpack and Nike cross body bag.

    As part of our investigation, officers have already viewed over 18 hours of CCTV footage, including multiple cameras across the public transport network. Officers are still awaiting further CCTV which officers will review once it becomes available.

    While officers believe that Deante is not carrying a mobile phone, enquiries have been carried out to obtain historic mobile phone date, in order to identify and associates that could know about Deante’s whereabouts.

    As well as Enfield, Deante has links to Romford, Dagenham, Hackney, Ilford and Earl’s Court. He may have also travelled to Brighton.

    Deante’s mum, Vandana Bhogowoth, said:

    “To Boo (Darell Deante, sun son) wherever you are please know that we love you unconditionally and just want you home safe. You are not in any trouble, you are missed beyond words! We are desperate to know you are okay, and all your family are waiting with wide open arms and heart!

    “If anyone has seen my son or has any information please contact the police or us immediately. We are desperate for your help. Every piece of information matters. He is very vulnerable as of recent and just want him home so he can get the love, help and support he desperately needs. All our lives are on standstill until he is home safe.”

    Detective Chief Inspector Elsa Mak, from the missing person’s team in north London, said:

    “Deante has been missing for more than a month as we are increasingly concerned for his welfare. He has not been in contact with any of his family or friends and left without any traceable items which means we have limited opportunity to identify his movements.

    Anyone with information that could assist the investigation is asked to call 101 quoting the reference 01/7330181/25. Report immediate sightings by calling 999.

    You can also contact the Missing People charity online or by calling 116 000.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Reform enters local government for the first time with UK mayoral election wins

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Alex Nurse, Reader in Urban Planning, University of Liverpool

    The UK now has two regional mayors representing the Reform party, following English local elections on May 1. This is the first time anyone from the party has held a government position at any level.

    Andrea Jenkyns, formerly a Conservative government minister, is now the mayor of Greater Lincolnshire following an election win on May 1. She becomes the first Reform and Luke Campbell is now mayor of Hull and East Yorkshire. Both are new mayoralities, created as part of the government’s developing devolution plans.

    The creation of more mayoralties meant that, perhaps inevitably, the near-monopoly that Labour held on mayors after the 2024 local elections has ended. But with an unproven track record, it’s reasonable to ask what we might expect from the new reform mayors as they take office.

    Since the first devolution deals were signed back in 2014, English devolution has always been about the ability of local governments to convince Westminster to let go of power. The result has been that devolution deals have varied in strength across the country.

    In broad terms, city regions have tended to get more powers, while others get slightly less. This means that not every new regional (also known as metro) mayor will be a budding Andy Burnham – though in practice most can expect to have core powers of housing, transport and education. Over time we have seen how the existing mayors have sought to inhabit those powers in their own way, and bring about their own priorities.

    So, we now wait to see what that means for the new mayors as they take power. We already know that Jenkyns’ election manifesto touched upon the key powers the mayor will hold (transport, education and the economy) but her agenda on these was painted only in the broadest of brush strokes.

    For example, there were promises to upgrade major roads, and to secure more funding for transport – although achieving both would require a willing Labour government to play nice. More realistic promises include more frequent buses which better serve parts of what is a large rural area, and creating skills bodies to work with local employers.

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    Sign up for our weekly politics newsletter, delivered every Friday.

    Elsewhere, however, the manifesto delved into the realm of memes and bogeymen. For example, Jenkyns has proposed creating “DOGE Lincolnshire”, mirroring Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency in the US.

    This promises to cut government waste and “ensure efficiency”. Yet, given the combined authority she heads was only constituted in February, it’s not quite clear what inefficiencies Jenkyns is referring to.

    Another pledge is to push back against net zero – something that Reform seems to be using as their protest lodestar now that Brexit is no longer fertile feeding ground. Here, the policies seem to be to fight against national government policy on net-zero rather than anything really specific.

    Playing nicely with central government

    A regional mayor’s fate often hinges on their ability to interact effectively with central government – either by trying to secure concessions from it, or resisting it. Here, it will be very interesting to watch how Jenkyns, Campbell and the new Conservative mayor of Cambridge and Peterborough, Paul Bristow, assimilate.

    They are now members of the Council of the Regions – which for the last 12 months has been largely a cosy cabal of Labour mayors (and Tory Ben Houchen).

    How will Reform mayors – and Jenkyns in particular do business with the others? She is known as a disruptor so it could change the dynamic significantly.

    English local government is littered with examples of national government visiting retribution on local authorities for perceived transgressions. For example, most famously, Margaret Thatcher’s government abolished the Metropolitan Councils in 1986 for getting a bit too big for their boots. While there is no suggestion that will happen this time, current devolution deals are heavily premised on trust and ability to work with government.

    The other issue will be how what started as a protest party deals with the minutiae of governing. Mario Cuomo, a former governor of New York, once famously said that you campaign in poetry and govern in prose. Sometimes, however, local government can be about the grammar – dealing with those minor details.

    I remember interviewing a local councillor who once told me most of the time people want to talk about dog poo and bins. Equally, things like potholes are shown to be what residents want to see fixed.

    From now on, Jenkyns and other reform-led councils will have a record that they will have to defend. Ultimately, while a manifesto that is half-built on memes might grab attention on election day, it probably isn’t going to make the buses run on time.

    Alex Nurse receives funding from the ESRC.

    – ref. Reform enters local government for the first time with UK mayoral election wins – https://theconversation.com/reform-enters-local-government-for-the-first-time-with-uk-mayoral-election-wins-255731

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Bingeable comedy, a Jim Crow-era vampire thriller and William Morris mania – what to watch, read and do this week

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Naomi Joseph, Arts + Culture Editor

    I recently bought a Now TV subscription because we are in prime prestige TV season and I needed it to watch The White Lotus and The Last of Us. Deep into those big, confronting shows (which are brilliant but, let’s be honest, a lot), I was looking for something that was comforting and easy. If this is what you are also craving right now, I could not recommend Hacks more.

    Hacks is a whip-smart and hilarious show with 30-minute episodes. It follows Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder), an edgy comedy writer who isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, and spiky Las Vegas comedy veteran Deborah Vance (Jean Smart). This pair are shoved together by their shared manager when Ava is fired from a writing gig for making an off-colour joke on social media, and Deborah loses her headline slot on the Vegas strip as the city moves on without her.

    The trailer for season four of Hacks.

    Since its first season, Hacks has provided insightful commentary on the male-dominated world of comedy. The push and pull relationship between Ava and Deborah is hilarious as they clash over generational differences on everything from comedy to sexuality. The show has been rightly lauded for its brilliant writing, which manages to go all the way up to the line without being hateful – a skill many comedians who argue that it’s hard to make comedy in our politically correct age could learn from.

    Now in its fourth season, our reviewer, Jacqueline Ristola, an expert in the media industry and comedy, says Hacks has managed to maintain the quality (and hilarity) while finding new ground to explore women’s precarious place in the entertainment industry.



    Read more:
    Hacks season four tackles late-night TV – and is as funny and perceptive as ever

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

    If you are in the mood for something a bit moodier and serious, then Sinners might be for you. The film follows twin brothers Smoke and Stack (both played by Michael B. Jordan) who have returned home to Mississippi in an attempt to leave their troubles behind. What they find waiting for them, however, is much worse.

    Sinners is set in Jim Crow-era Mississippi, a time of harsh segregation and racial injustice. While the horrors of this period are certainly enough to scare anyone, director Ryan Coogler has decided to tell a story grounded in supernatural evil. Vampires aside, there is a lot of history in Sinners too. Criminology expert Rachel Stuart found it interesting how the real stories of Irish and Choctaw oppression informed the film.



    Read more:
    Sinners: how real stories of Irish and Choctaw oppression inform the film

    The trailer for Sinners.

    If you’re looking for something to read, we recommend the memoir Red Pockets. In this piece, Alice Mah, a professor in urban and environmental studies, writes about why she was inspired to create this book after a personal detour to her ancestral village she took while on a research trip.

    In Red Pockets, Mah chronicles her journey from the rice villages of south China back to postindustrial England. Her research on pollution leads to growing eco-anxiety, and paired with this trip leaves her in spiritual crisis. Part memoir, part cultural history and environmental exploration, this book explores what we owe our ancestors and also future generations.



    Read more:
    Travelling to my ancestral home in China unearthed tragedy tinged by the climate crisis – it inspired me to write Red Pockets

    Inky worlds and popular patterns

    Also moody and brilliant is the Victor Hugo exhibition at the Royal Academy in London. I did not know that the French writer was an avid artist, and this exhibition is a wonderful and rare opportunity to gaze into the dark and surreal world of the mind behind Les Misérables and The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

    Hugo’s inky paintings and drawings of townscapes and watery underworlds invoke a sort of nightmarish and apocalyptic reality. The low lighting in which these extremely fragile works must be kept adds to the whole foreboding atmosphere. The exhibition’s title comes from Van Gogh’s opinion of Hugo’s work as “astonishing things”, and they really are. Our review, expert in fine art Martin Lang, found “the sense of uncertainty to feel oddly relevant to today”.



    Read more:
    Astonishing Things: The Drawings of Victor Hugo at the Royal Academy is dark and brilliant

    Another man whose art has had enduring appeal is designer William Morris. Most people probably have or know of someone who owns something adorned with one of his hypnotising patterns. His work has remained incredibly popular since he first started producing it in the 1860s. A new exhibition at the William Morris exhibition, Morris Mania: How Britain’s Greatest Designer Went Viral, explores how his work proliferated to such a degree.

    While you may be able to spot a Morris, you might not know much about the man. He was a fervent socialist who championed a principle of handmade production that didn’t chime with the Victorian era’s focus on industrial “progress”. These ideals sit in opposition to how his work has come to be used today.

    Our reviewer, an expert in applied art, found that the exhibition was sensitive to this, championing “ethical and bespoke production, while confronting the darker currents that move objects around our world”.



    Read more:
    William Morris: new exhibition reveals how Britain’s greatest designer went viral

    – ref. Bingeable comedy, a Jim Crow-era vampire thriller and William Morris mania – what to watch, read and do this week – https://theconversation.com/bingeable-comedy-a-jim-crow-era-vampire-thriller-and-william-morris-mania-what-to-watch-read-and-do-this-week-255742

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Perfect storm of tech bros, foreign interference and disinformation is an urgent threat to press freedom

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Tom Felle, Associate Professor of Journalism, University of Galway

    Media freedom has long been essential to healthy democracy. It is the oxygen that fuels informed debate, exposes corruption and holds power to account. But around the world, that freedom is under sustained attack.

    The actions of populist political elites, tech billionaires and foreign disinformation campaigns are reinforcing one another. This is weakening independent journalism and reshaping the global public sphere.

    This convergence was on full display at US president Donald Trump’s 2025 inauguration. The presence of Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg signalled that the tech elite are no longer simply disruptors. They are increasingly aligned with populist politics, a project openly hostile to independent journalism and democratic accountability.

    Nowhere is this clearer than on X (formerly Twitter). Musk’s takeover has transformed the platform into a breeding ground for conspiracy theories and misinformation, while systematically undermining the credibility of established media outlets. Meta’s decision to abandon factchecking political content in the US also marks a dangerous retreat from even the minimal efforts once made to curb disinformation.

    At its core, journalism’s role is simple but essential: to inform the public and hold power to account. Independent media – outlets free from government, political, or corporate control – are essential to democracy. They play a critical role in exposing corruption, amplifying marginalised voices, scrutinising government decisions and challenging abuses of power.

    When media organisations are weakened, this essential accountability collapses – allowing governments, politicians and corporations to operate unchecked. Minorities and vulnerable groups suffer most when no one is left to shine a light on abuse or discrimination. Human rights violations go unreported. Misinformation and rumour fill the void.

    That is precisely what is happening, not just in fragile states but in established democracies. Populist leaders have attacked journalists as enemies of the people and smeared media outlets that challenge them.

    Donald Trump infamously branded critical coverage as “fake news”. Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro vilified journalists who investigated corruption and environmental crimes. Hungary’s Viktor Orbán has systematically dismantled media independence. Slovakia’s Robert Fico called journalists “bloodthirsty bastards” and “possessed by the devil”.

    These leaders know that controlling the narrative is key to holding power. Discrediting the media is the first step.

    One of the clearest recent examples is the Trump administration’s shuttering of Voice of America (VOA). This move to silence a broadcaster that had promoted press freedom for over 80 years has been celebrated by authoritarian regimes. China’s state media mocked VOA as “discarded like a dirty rag”.

    Foreign threats

    What makes this moment uniquely dangerous is that these political attacks are now supercharged by technology platforms retreating from accountability, and exploited by hostile foreign powers.

    The latest European External Action Service (EEAS) Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference Threat Report paints a stark picture of how disinformation is used as a strategic weapon to weaken democracies from within.

    In 2024, the EEAS – the diplomatic service of the European Union – detected
    record levels of foreign manipulation, particularly from Russia and China. The EEAS recorded more than 500 coordinated manipulation campaigns targeting 90 countries.

    These included AI-generated deepfake videos impersonating European politicians, such as a fabricated video of Moldova’s president endorsing a pro-Russian party.

    Bot networks were deployed to amplify false narratives about migration and inflation, distorting online discourse and inflaming social divisions. Impersonation tactics cloning legitimate news websites like Le Monde and German media were used to disseminate pro-Kremlin disinformation. All these efforts were aimed at undermining trust in democratic institutions, inflaming social divisions and creating confusion.

    Want more politics coverage from academic experts? Every week, we bring you informed analysis of developments in government and fact check the claims being made.

    Sign up for our weekly politics newsletter, delivered every Friday.

    Disinformation has become a standard geopolitical weapon, often used as a precursor to military or economic action. In the lead-up to its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russia conducted a sustained disinformation campaign. Fabricated videos and false flag operations portrayed Ukraine as the aggressor to justify military action.

    Similarly, during the 2020-21 border clashes with India, China spread disinformation downplaying its military build-up while casting India as the instigator.

    Russia has also used disinformation to pursue economic goals, notably by spreading falsehoods about European renewable energy and gas supply stability, to influence energy policy and sow public doubt about the EU’s energy independence strategy.

    While this happens, platforms like Meta and X are retreating from content moderation and fact-checking. The result is a perfect storm where domestic populism, platform failure and foreign manipulation reinforce one another. Platforms like X have become the key battleground, accounting for 88% of detected disinformation activity.

    What’s at stake – and what must change

    As these threats grow, the traditional media model is collapsing. Advertising revenue – once the lifeblood of newspapers, radio, and television – has shifted almost entirely to digital platforms. Local newsrooms are closing, while investigative journalism is increasingly rare, expensive and risky.

    In the UK, more than 320 local papers have closed since 2009. Titles like the Evening Standard ended daily print in 2024 due to plummeting ad revenues. Across Europe, rising news deserts and newsroom cuts are weakening media’s democratic role.

    In the US, things are even worse – 3,200 newspapers have closed since 2005. More than half of all counties now have little or no local news coverage.

    As social media platforms abandon even basic content moderation, they create vast, ungoverned digital spaces where bad actors dominate the conversation.

    Into this gap flood social media influencers, partisan outlets and state-backed propaganda. The result is a fractured, polarised information ecosystem. Facts struggle to compete with viral misinformation and coordinated disinformation campaigns.

    News consumers must navigate a sea of misinformation and propaganda.
    Olezzo/Shutterstock

    In the end, it is citizens who pay the price, bombarded by propaganda and adrift in a sea of misinformation. This is not just a media problem, it is a fundamental threat to democracy itself. Without independent journalism, there is no one left to ask difficult questions, expose wrongdoing or defend the public interest.

    Protecting media freedom must now be treated as a democratic priority, as essential as free and fair elections or an independent judiciary. Governments need to regulate tech platforms effectively, enforcing transparency over algorithms and bringing in meaningful protections against disinformation.

    Public investment in journalism is critical to ensure the press can survive and hold power to account. Democracies must coordinate efforts to counter foreign information manipulation, and protect journalists facing harassment and threats from authoritarian regimes.

    The future of democratic accountability now depends on whether governments, regulators and the media can reclaim this space before it is lost entirely. Above all, this means recognising that journalism is not a luxury or a relic. It is a vital public good.

    Tom Felle 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. Perfect storm of tech bros, foreign interference and disinformation is an urgent threat to press freedom – https://theconversation.com/perfect-storm-of-tech-bros-foreign-interference-and-disinformation-is-an-urgent-threat-to-press-freedom-252986

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Feenstra Announces Winner and Three Runners-Up of 2025 Congressional Art Competition

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Randy Feenstra (IA-04)

    HULL, IOWA – Today, U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-Hull) announced that Ella Strudthoff – a senior at Gilbert High School – is the winner of the 2025 Congressional Art Competition in Iowa’s 4th Congressional District with her artwork titled “Reunion.”

    Feenstra also announced three runners-up – Ben Waddle from Ames High School, Ella Grail from Ames High School, and Autumn Bousema from Unity Christian High School – whose artwork will be displayed in one of his three district offices in Sioux City, Council Bluffs, and Fort Dodge. Ben’s artwork is titled “Our Place in the Universe,” Ella’s artwork is titled “Almost Home,” and Autumn’s artwork is titled “The Dutch Siblings.”

    “I’m excited to announce that Ella Strudthoff from Gilbert High School has won our 4th District Congressional Art Competition with her artwork titled ‘Reunion.’ This piece – which depicts a military couple embracing – was especially moving to me as members of the Iowa National Guard will embark on an active-duty deployment at the end of May. It is important that we keep our soldiers and their loved ones in our prayers while they serve our country abroad,” said Rep. Feenstra. “I also want to congratulate Ben Waddle from Ames High School, Ella Grail from Ames High School, and Autumn Bousema from Unity Christian High School whose amazing artwork will be displayed in one of our three district offices. I appreciate every student who participated in this year’s Congressional Art Competition!”

    The four pieces of artwork can be viewed below:

    Ella Strudthoff: “Reunion”

    Ben Waddle: “Our Place in the Universe”

    Ella Grail: “Almost Home”

    Autumn Bousema: “The Dutch Siblings”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Tajikistan: Staff Concluding Statement for the 2025 Article IV Mission

    Source: IMF – News in Russian

    May 2, 2025

    A Concluding Statement describes the preliminary findings of IMF staff at the end of an official staff visit (or ‘mission’), in most cases to a member country. Missions are undertaken as part of regular (usually annual) consultations under Article IV of the IMF’s Articles of Agreement, in the context of a request to use IMF resources (borrow from the IMF), as part of discussions of staff monitored programs, or as part of other staff monitoring of economic developments.

    The authorities have consented to the publication of this statement. The views expressed in this statement are those of the IMF staff and do not necessarily represent the views of the IMF’s Executive Board. Based on the preliminary findings of this mission, staff will prepare a report that, subject to management approval, will be presented to the IMF Executive Board for discussion and decision.

    Washington, DC: An International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission led by Mr. Matthew Gaertner held the 2025 Article IV consultation and discussions on the second review under the Policy Coordination Instrument (PCI) with the Tajikistan authorities during April 2-15, 2025, in Dushanbe. At the conclusion of the mission, Mr. Gaertner issued the following statement:

    Economic Developments, Outlook and Risks

    Strong broad-based growth continued in 2024, and the external position remained favorable. Real GDP increased 8.4 percent in 2024, marking the fourth consecutive year of growth above 8 percent, as strong momentum in mining, manufacturing and agriculture was underpinned by public and private investment. Strong financial inflows, including remittances, have also supported domestic demand and liquidity and contributed to a current account surplus of 6.2 percent of GDP in 2024. This alongside the NBT’s purchases of domestic gold production has boosted FX reserves from $3.6 billion at end-2023 to $4.7 billion at the end of February 2025, amounting to 7 months import coverage.

    Inflation remains well contained within the NBT’s target range. Twelve-month inflation stood at 3.7 percent in February, within the NBT’s updated target range of 5 percent (±2 percent) for 2025, reflecting stable prices for imported food and fuel and an appreciation of the somoni against key trading partner currencies. Reserve money growth has moderated since mid-2024 as the NBT stepped up its sterilization efforts but remained strong at 32 percent (y/y) in February, boosted by the NBT’s gold purchases.

    Banks’ asset quality continued to improve in 2024, amid strong growth in consumer lending. Banks’ NPL ratio declined to 7.0 percent in February as they continued to clean up their balance sheets, largely through write-offs of legacy NPLs. Credit to the private sector grew at 29 percent (y/y) in February, boosted by a continued expansion of banks’ deposit base. This has been primarily driven by household loans in local currency, supported by the introduction of new retail lending products.

    The medium-term outlook appears positive. Real GDP is projected to increase by 7 percent in 2025, retaining the current strong momentum. Twelve-month inflation (y/y) is projected to remain close to the mid-point of the NBT’s target range in 2025 and 2026, in line with stable inflation expectations. The current account surplus is expected to narrow in 2025 as financial inflows stabilize, with FX reserves projected to remain at comfortable levels. Financial inflows are expected to normalize over the medium term after the strong inflows experienced since 2022, heightening the importance of continuing to advance structural reforms to strengthen potential growth over the medium-term.

    Risks to the outlook are tilted to the downside, in the context of significant regional and global uncertainty. A pronounced decline in financial inflows due to a less favorable environment for remittances or a slowdown in Tajikistan’s key trading partners would adversely affect growth, fiscal performance, and the banking sector. More frequent and severe natural disasters and heightened security risks can also strain budget resources. On the upside, continued strength in gold prices and rising demand for rare earth metals could attract increased investment in the mining sector.

    Fiscal Policy

    Fiscal performance remained well within the program target in 2024, with a fiscal surplus of 0.3 percent. The favorable fiscal outturn was underpinned by stable revenue growth despite a reduction in the VAT rate from 15 to 14 percent, while externally financed capital spending was lower than planned. Revenue collection reflected continued improvements in tax and customs administration supported by digitalization measures. The 2025 budget envisages a fiscal deficit of up to 2.5 percent of GDP, conditional on available financing. In this context, continuing to expand the domestic debt market is key to diversifying sources of financing. The MOF successfully launched market-based auctions of government securities in 2024; establishing a robust secondary market for these instruments will help to expand the investor base and further deepen the market.

    The fiscal deficit target of 2.5 percent of GDP remains an important anchor to ensure that debt remains on a favorable medium-term trajectory. Prudent fiscal policy coupled with strong GDP growth has contributed to a notable reduction in the public debt ratio over the past few years, with public debt declining to 25 percent of GDP at the end of 2024. Public debt is assessed as sustainable but remains at high risk of distress due to large debt service obligations during 2025-2027; the first semi-annual Eurobond repayment was completed as planned in March. Building fiscal buffers is key to mitigating fiscal risks from potential shocks to revenue and expenditure in the context of the uncertain external environment, with contingency plans for spending reprioritization to protect social assistance and other critical spending.

    Improved revenue mobilization and spending efficiency are key to increasing fiscal space for priority social and development projects. The Medium-Term Revenue Plan (MTRP) aims to raise total revenues by at least 2 percentage points to 26 percent of GDP in 2026 through a combination of tax policy, tax administration and SOE reform measures. In line with the MTRP, the MOF has taken steps to improve revenue mobilization through the expansion of digitalization of payments. Moreover, tax exemptions granted to several large investment projects were discontinued in 2024. A time-bound action plan is essential to anchor a further streamlining of tax exemptions and customs preferences over the medium-term. On the expenditure side, strengthening appraisal, selection and oversight of internally financed capital projects are crucial for enhancing the efficiency of public investment.

    Strong corporate governance and oversight is essential to strengthen SOE efficiency and minimize fiscal risks. Recent reforms include the expansion of the MOF’s financial monitoring coverage from 27 SOEs to 77 entities with state participation, and amendments to the regulations for SOE board composition to ensure that board members are appointed through transparent and competitive procedures in line with best practices. The MOF has also continued to expand the scope of the annual fiscal risk statement, which provides an overview of SOE performance, including profitability, leverage, and budget allocations to SOEs. The publication of an updated SOE list and completion of the ongoing sectorization exercise will also improve monitoring and oversight.

    Greater efforts are needed to improve the financial performance of the electricity sector. Low collection rates for key electricity consumers, together with high technical and commercial losses and end-user tariffs that are below cost recovery levels has led the state electricity generation company Barki Tojik to accumulate sizable arrears to suppliers and creditors. Reducing quasi-fiscal losses in the electricity sector will require sustained efforts to improve collection rates for the largest electricity consumers, as well as implementation of the authorities’ strategy to roll-out smart metering, increase penalties for electricity theft and improve cost controls across the electricity sector. The electricity tariff was increased by about 15 percent in April 2025, and further annual tariff adjustments are envisaged to reach cost recovery by 2027.

    Monetary, Exchange Rate and Financial Sector Policies

    Inflation remains well contained, but strong credit growth warrants continued vigilance. The NBT lowered its inflation target from 6 to 5 percent (±2 percent) for 2025 to reflect well-anchored inflation expectations, and the policy rate was lowered by 25 basis points to 8.75 percent in February 2025 as inflation remains close to the lower bound. Although the real policy rate is still relatively high at about 5 percent (based on realized inflation), monetary policy should remain data-driven and vigilant to potential upward demand pressure on inflation from strong credit growth and robust financial inflows. Proactive liquidity management also remains essential to moderate the impact of the NBT’s gold purchases and FX interventions on the money supply.

    Enhancing exchange rate flexibility is essential to build resilience to external shocks. The NBT has taken several measures to modernize the local FX market, including ending auctions of inward transfers improving the mechanism for executing public sector FX transactions; enhancing the dissemination of information on FX rates; and introducing price-based auctions for FX interventions to facilitate price discovery. The NBT should also aim to limit its FX operations only to avoid disorderly market conditions to facilitate development of the FX market and further support greater exchange rate flexibility.

    Strong macroprudential oversight and banking supervision are key to mitigating external risks to financial stability. The banking system has strengthened its balance sheet following the resolution of two troubled banks but may face possible challenges from the volatile external environment and any reversal of recent inflows. Strong lending to households warrants careful oversight of macroprudential norms to ensure prudent lending standards, and close monitoring of maturity mismatches and funding- and asset-side concentration risk. The planned introduction of macroprudential tools and forward-looking stress tests is essential to manage risks posed by strong credit growth.

    Structural Reforms

    Governance and transparency reforms across economic sectors aim to foster sustainable and inclusive growth. Structural reforms are underway to close existing governance gaps across the public and private sectors through upgrades to the legal and regulatory frameworks. The reforms aim to (i) improve public sector efficiency; (ii) foster financial and private sector development; and (iii) promote an enabling investment climate for private sector-led growth.

    Transparent governance and policy frameworks and robust financial safety nets are key to further strengthen trust in public institutions. Good governance fosters macro-financial stability both directly and indirectly by enhancing the credibility and effectiveness of macroeconomic policies. Transparent corporate ownership is critical to promote an enabling business climate based on the rule of law and prudent AML-CFT standards.

    Timely and comprehensive macroeconomic data is essential to economic policymaking. The authorities have started publishing fiscal statistics in line with GFS standards and broadened the coverage of state-owned enterprises. Compilation of quarterly demand-side GDP data and expanding the use of GFS-based fiscal data would further strengthen data quality.

    Discussions on the policies to complete the second review under the PCI are well advanced and will continue following this mission. The mission would like to thank the Tajik authorities for their hospitality and close collaboration and express its appreciation for the constructive and insightful discussions.

     

    IMF Communications Department
    MEDIA RELATIONS

    PRESS OFFICER: Angham Al Shami

    Phone: +1 202 623-7100Email: MEDIA@IMF.org

    https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2025/05/02/mcs-tajikistan-staff-concluding-statement-for-the-2025-article-iv-mission

    MIL OSI

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Miller-Meeks, Carey Introduce Bill to Unleash American Energy and Boost Iowa Biofuels

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks’ (IA-02)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representatives Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA) and Mike Carey (R-OH) introduced legislation to extend critical tax incentives that support Iowa’s biofuels industry and advance American energy independence.

    “Iowa’s biofuels industry powers America and supports thousands of good-paying jobs across our state. We lead the nation in renewable fuel production, and it’s time our tax code reflected that strength. By extending tax incentives for biodiesel and second-generation biofuels,” said Miller-Meeks. “We’re delivering certainty for Iowa farmers and producers and furthering President Trump’s America First agenda for energy dominance. I’m proud to lead this effort during Renewable Fuels Month and will keep fighting to get this bill to the President’s desk.”

    “Biodiesel is a homegrown resource that can support our long-term energy independence and support farmers, producers, and energy workers right here in Ohio,” said Rep. Carey. “With America’s energy dominance at stake, we’re working to strengthen our supply of biodiesel for years to come.”

    “With the continued delay in the implementation of the 45Z tax credit, extending the 2nd Generation Biofuel Producer Tax Credit for two years is a much-needed bridge to a new tax regime, and would provide some certainty for many ethanol producers across this country,” said RFA President & CEO Geoff Cooper. “We applaud Reps. Miller-Meeks and Carey for taking action to protect the market for cellulosic ethanol made from grain fiber, which is the lowest-cost, lowest-carbon liquid fuel available in the marketplace today.”

    Background:

    Iowa leads the nation in both ethanol and biodiesel production. These renewable fuels are primarily made from Iowa-grown corn and soybeans and emit significantly less carbon than petroleum-based fuels—cutting emissions by over 70% in many cases.

    The Biodiesel Tax Credit and Second-Generation Biofuel Producer Tax Credit support innovation, reduce emissions, and create rural jobs by incentivizing the production and blending of renewable fuels. The bill has earned support from national industry leaders, including the American Trucking Associations, Renewable Fuels Association, and Clean Freight Coalition.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Pressley, Tonko Demand Investigation Into Trump’s Attack on Smithsonian Museums, Brazen Attempt to Whitewash History

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07)

    Lawmakers Warn Funding Cuts, Politically Motivated Attacks Will Undermine Integrity of Smithsonian, Accuracy of Exhibits

    “Conditioning funding on adherence to prescribed, right-wing ideology jeopardizes the Smithsonian’s legal compliance oversight and its capacity to document American history and culture accurately,”

    Text of Letter (PDF) | Pressley Floor Speech (YouTube)

    WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) and Congressman Paul Tonko (NY-20), Co-Chair of the Congressional Museum Caucus, led 69 of their colleagues on a letter to the Inspector General of the Smithsonian Institution demanding an investigation of the impact of Donald Trump’s harmful Executive Order attacking Smithsonian museums – namely, the American Art Museum, the American Women’s History Museum, and the National Museum of African American History and Culture – attempting to erase histories of marginalized communities.

    Earlier this year, Rep. Pressley delivered a floor speech slamming Trump’s attack on Smithsonian museums and affirming that Black history is American history.

    Created by Congress in 1846, the Smithsonian Institution has a clear mandate to operate as a non-partisan and autonomous museum, education, and research complex, free from political influence. Not only is it home to dozens of museums, libraries, education and research centers, and the National Zoo within Washington, D.C., but the Smithsonian also coordinates with over 200 affiliate organizations in nearly every state – all of which could be impacted by the proposed cuts and erasure of race and culture in the Executive Order.

     “On March 27, 2025, President Trump signed Executive Order 14253, which would infringe on the independence of the Smithsonian Institution to carry out its core mission to provide Americans and the world with the tools and information we need to forge our shared future,” the lawmakers wrote in their letter to Smithsonian Inspector General Nicole Angarella. “The funding cuts and content directives will undoubtedly have a devasting impact on the preservation and integrity of American history and culture.”

    The Trump Administration’s executive order specifically directs the Smithsonian Institution to remove exhibits and narratives it considers ‘divisive’ or ‘race-centered’, politicizing the Smithsonian’s foundational purpose and eroding public trust. Both the National Museum of African American History and Culture Act and the National Museum of the American Latino Act were enacted with strong bipartisan support, reflecting a shared commitment across party lines to explore, document, and interpret the central role of race and cultural identity in American history. Additionally, the funding cuts and content mandates would have a significant trickle-down effect on local museums and cultural organizations across the United States, diminishing the Smithsonian’s ability to provide guidance, professional development, and travel exhibits to smaller museums.

    “Conditioning funding on adherence to prescribed, right-wing ideology jeopardizes the Smithsonian’s legal compliance oversight and its capacity to document American history and culture accurately,” the lawmakers continue. “It is both ironic and self-defeating to demand that the Smithsonian Institution adhere to content mandates banning race, as doing so undermines the very rationale for the creation of these museums.”

    The lawmakers are requesting an inspector general investigation and report on findings including:

    • An audit of the operational and financial implications of the proposed content mandate and funding cuts, including the consequences on the Smithsonian Affiliates;
    • An audit of the expected impact on existing contractual obligations;
    • An analysis of EO 14253’s compliance with statutory requirements established by Congress;
    • Any documentation of deaccessioned artifacts following EO 14253 and plan to prevent the destruction or sale of cultural and historical artifacts; and
    • A recommendation for the Smithsonian Board of Regents on how to adhere to statutory law and the institutions’ public trust responsibilities.

    “Our shared responsibility is to ensure that the Smithsonian remains a source of inspiration and learning for all, free from undue political interference,” the lawmakers wrote.

    The letter was also signed by Representatives Gabe Amo (RI-01), Nanette Barragán (CA-44), Joyce Beatty (OH-03), Donald Beyer (VA-08), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Shontel Brown (OH-11), Troy Carter (LA-02), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Judy Chu (CA-28), Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05), Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), Danny Davis (IL-07), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Debbie Dingell (MI-12), Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07), ValeriE Foushee (NC-04), Laura Friedman (CA-30), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), Jesús García (IL-04), Steven Horsford (NV-04), Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Henry Johnson (GA-04), Julie Johnson (TX-32), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37), William Keating (MA-09), Robin Kelly (IL-02), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Teresa Leger Fernandez (NM-03), Lucy McBath (GA-06), Jennifer McClellan (VA-04), Betty McCollum (MN-04), James McGovern (MA-02), Gregory Meeks (NY-05), Grace Meng (NY-06), Kweisi Mfume (MD-07), Gwen Moore (WI-04), Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), Eleanor Norton (DC-AL), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Scott Peters (CA-50), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Stacey Plaskett (VI-AL), Mike Quigley (IL-05), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Linda Sánchez (CA-38), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), Janice Schakowsky (IL-09), Robert Scott (VA-03), Terri Sewell (AL-08), Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Bennie Thompson (MS-02), Dina Titus (NV-01), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Jill Tokuda (HI-02), Derek Tran (CA-45), Marc Veasey (TX-33), Nydia Velázquez (NY-07), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), Maxine Waters (CA-43), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Nikema Williams (GA-05), and Frederica Wilson (FL-24).

    A copy of the letter is available here.

    Rep. Pressley has been an outspoken champion for intellectual freedom and diversity, equity, and inclusion program, and has been on the front lines of the fight against Trump and Republicans’ efforts to ban books and erase Black history.

    In April, Rep. Pressley delivered a floor speech slamming Trump’s attack on Smithsonian museums and affirming that Black history is American history.

    Rep. Pressley is also the author of the Books Save Lives Act legislation to confront the rise of book bans in America and ensure inclusive learning environments.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: ESET Wins 2025 SC Award for Ransomware Remediation

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN DIEGO, May 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ESET, a global leader in cybersecurity, is proud to announce that ESET Ransomware Remediation has won a 2025 SC Award for Best Business Continuity, Disaster, Ransomware Recovery Solution. Presented on April 29 during the SC Awards Reception at RSAC™ 2025, this award recognizes ESET’s advanced Ransomware Remediation technology and its pivotal role in helping organizations mitigate ransomware threats and recover swiftly from attacks. The SC Awards program, now in its 28th year, recognizes the solutions, organizations, and individuals that have demonstrated outstanding achievement in advancing the security of information systems.

    “We are truly honored by this recognition, which affirms our belief that ransomware defense must go beyond prevention and empower speedy, seamless recovery,” said Ryan Grant, VP of Marketing and Sales at ESET North America. “With ESET Ransomware Remediation, we’ve built a solution that not only stops attacks in their tracks but also gives businesses the ability to bounce back quickly and confidently. It’s a critical step toward a future where organizations aren’t just reacting to threats, but are truly resilient in the face of them.”

    ESET Ransomware Remediation, part of the ESET PROTECT platform, distinguishes itself by creating temporary encrypted backups in a sequestered environment, enabling rapid data recovery even in the event of encryption by ransomware. Unlike solutions reliant on the Windows Volume Shadow Copy service, ESET’s proprietary approach works post-execution, in concert with ESET Ransomware Shield, to detect, block, and recover from ransomware attacks with minimal disruption.

    The SC Awards celebrate the most outstanding achievements in cybersecurity, from innovative technologies to forward-thinking organizations and individuals. The 2025 entries were evaluated across 33 specialty categories by a distinguished panel of judges, comprised of cybersecurity professionals, industry leaders, and members of the CyberRisk Alliance CISO community, representing sectors such as healthcare, financial services, education, and technology. The judging process emphasized technical merit, market impact, and the ability to solve real-world cybersecurity challenges. View the full list of 2025 SC Awards winners here: www.scworld.com/sc-awards.

    “This year’s winners rose to the top, but they did so in a field crowded with standout talent, bold ideas, and hard-earned innovation,” said Tom Spring, Senior Editorial Director, SC Media. “With more than 160 finalists and hundreds of submissions, the 2025 SC Awards reflect the depth, diversity, and dynamism of the cybersecurity community.”

    “SC Awards are recognized worldwide by the cybersecurity community, and we are honored to take home the Best Business Continuity, Disaster, Ransomware Recovery Solution award this year,” said Tony Anscombe, Chief Security Evangelist for ESET. “Cybersecurity solutions are evolving at breakneck speed, and these innovations are on full display this week at RSAC 2025. It was a pleasure to be recognized alongside some of the most innovative cybersecurity vendors in the industry at the SC Media Awards Ceremony.”

    For more information on ESET’s award-winning Ransomware Remediation solution, visit www.eset.com.

    About ESET

    ESET® provides cutting-edge digital security to prevent attacks before they happen. By combining the power of AI and human expertise, ESET stays ahead of emerging global cyberthreats, both known and unknown— securing businesses, critical infrastructure, and individuals. Whether it’s endpoint, cloud, or mobile protection, our AI-native, cloud-first solutions and services remain highly effective and easy to use. ESET technology includes robust detection and response, ultra-secure encryption, and multifactor authentication. With 24/7 real-time defense and strong local support, we keep users safe and businesses running without interruption. The ever-evolving digital landscape demands a progressive approach to security: ESET is committed to world-class research and powerful threat intelligence, backed by R&D centers and a strong global partner network. For more information, visit www.eset.com or follow our social media, podcasts and blogs.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Embassy Bank Honored as “Best Bank & Mortgage Company” in Lehigh Valley for Fourth Consecutive Year

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BETHLEHEM, Pa., May 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Embassy Bank For the Lehigh Valley is proud to announce that it has once again been named Best Bank & Mortgage Company by the Who’s Who in Business survey, featured in Lehigh Valley Style magazine. This marks the fourth consecutive year that Embassy has received this distinguished recognition.

    The Who’s Who in Business survey is conducted by FieldGoals.US, a Harrisburg-based firm and the nation’s largest consumer and voter research collective. Thousands of residents across the Lehigh Valley participate annually, offering feedback on their personal experiences and identifying businesses that consistently deliver outstanding service, value, and a commitment to quality.

    “This award is especially meaningful because it reflects the voices of the Lehigh Valley community we proudly serve,” said Dave Lobach, Chairman, President and CEO, Embassy Bank. “As an independent community bank, we are deeply rooted in this region, and being recognized by our neighbors is the highest honor. We remain committed to building trusted relationships through personalized, reliable financial solutions delivered with the care and service only a true community bank can provide.”

    Embassy’s continued recognition speaks to the hard work of its team and its unwavering focus on fostering positive customer experiences.

    About Embassy Bank

    Embassy Bank For the Lehigh Valley is a full-service community bank operating ten branch offices in the Lehigh Valley area of Pennsylvania. The Bank is the largest Lehigh Valley headquartered community bank and, as of June 30, 2024, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s Summary of Deposits indicates that the Bank holds the 4th spot in deposit market share in Lehigh and Northampton Counties combined. For more information, visit www.embassybank.com.

    Contact:
    David M. Lobach, Jr.
    Chairman, President and CEO
    (610) 882-8800

    The MIL Network –